Divorce To Marry a CEO

Chapter 3: A Deal With The Devil

His nonchalance hurt more than she anticipated. After three years of marriage, this was how it ended—a simple conversation, no emotion, no fight. But deep down, Sophia knew it was better this way. She had expected a reaction, something to show he had cared even a little. But Marcus had always been good at giving nothing.

“Let’s make this easy then,” he said, standing up from the couch. “I’ll have the papers drawn up. You can take whatever you want from the house.”

Sophia laughed bitterly. “There’s nothing here I want.”

Marcus paused for a moment, as if weighing whether to respond, but then he simply nodded again and walked out of the room, leaving Sophia standing in the silence. It was the story of their relationship in a single moment—him walking away, always walking away, while she was left standing alone, waiting for something that would never come.

Sophia sank onto the couch, her head falling into her hands. She had done it. She had asked for the divorce, and now it was real. But why did she still feel so hollow? Why did it feel like nothing had changed?

Her phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from her brother Ethan Blackwell. He was still at the hospital with their mother, still trying to figure out how they were going to pay for the surgery. The guilt weighed on her heavily—her mother’s life was hanging in the balance, and Sophia had nothing to give. She didn’t have a job, no savings to her name, and the one man who could have helped her had turned his back, as always.

Sophia glanced at her phone and typed a quick response, telling her brother she’d be back soon. But as she rose to leave, something inside her shifted. She wasn’t going to wait anymore. She had spent too many years waiting—waiting for love, waiting for Marcus, waiting for things to change. It was time to take control of her own life.

She grabbed her bag and walked out of the house, not bothering to look back. The door clicked shut behind her, sealing away the life she had fought to maintain. But now, she was ready to fight for something else—herself.

As she drove back to the hospital, the city lights blurring past her, Sophia felt a renewed sense of determination. Her marriage might be over, but her life wasn’t. She still had a mother to fight for, a future to rebuild. And while Marcus and his family had turned their backs on her, she knew she wasn’t alone.

Sophia arrived at the hospital just as the sun was beginning to set. Her brother was waiting in the lobby, his face etched with worry. "Did you speak to Marcus? Did they agree to help?"

Sophia hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "No. They're not going to help."

Her brother’s face fell, but Sophia put a hand on his shoulder. "But we’ll find a way. I don’t know how yet, but we will. We’ve been through worse, and we’ll get through this."

Her brother gave her a weak smile, but his eyes were still clouded with doubt. “Mom’s still holding out hope, you know. She thinks they’re going to come through for her.”

“I know,” Sophia whispered, her heart aching. “But we have to prepare her for the truth. We can’t keep lying to her.”

Together, they walked down the hallway to their mother’s room. The familiar scent of antiseptic filled the air, mingling with the quiet beeps of medical machines. Sophia’s mother lay in bed, her eyes lighting up as soon as she saw her children.

“Did you talk to Marcus, sweetheart?” her mother asked, her voice frail but hopeful. “What did he say?”

Sophia forced a smile, sitting down beside her. “He’s working on it, Mom. But don’t worry, we’ll take care of you. No matter what, we’ll find a way to get you that surgery.”