He Framed Me for a Ring That Was Never Real Chapter 10
I did not go to my parents’ house. Instead, I checked into a nearby hotel.
I needed somewhere quiet to decide what came next.
The next morning, Spencer called me.
He sounded exhausted, but he was calm again.
“You win. I agree to the divorce, and I agree to split the marital assets evenly. I have one condition. You can’t disclose anything else about our marriage.”
He had finally backed down.
More than losing half the assets, he feared watching the public image he had carefully built collapse.
“Okay,” I said.
The divorce process moved remarkably smoothly after that.
When I received the final divorce decree and saw the substantial settlement hit my bank account, I did not feel excited. I only felt that it was finally over.
The marriage had drained every last bit of energy from me.
The first thing I did was return to the pawnshop and reclaim my gold necklace and bracelet.
Then I transferred money to Kelsey.
“Audrey, what are you doing? I didn’t help you for money!” She sent it back almost immediately.
“This isn’t payment,” I replied. “It’s seed funding for your studio. From now on, I’m your business partner.”
Giving up my career for my marriage had been the worst decision of my life.
Now I was taking my life back.
I used part of the settlement to expand Kelsey’s studio with her, and we officially registered it as an LLC.
We signed new content creators, expanded our client base, and worked from morning until night.
The work was exhausting, but every step was my choice.
I no longer depended on a husband’s money or lived according to his moods.
My mother came to see me several more times afterward, and every time, she tried to convince me to take Spencer back.
“The Callahans are incredibly wealthy. What does that little settlement amount to compared with their fortune? Spencer regrets what happened. If you go back, he’ll put you first from now on.”
I only told her that I had my own business and could support myself.
After several attempts, she finally realized I would not change my mind and stopped bringing it up.
As for the Callahans, I later heard a few things from Kelsey.
After the scandal, Spencer’s reputation within the extended family and Westchester social circles was completely ruined. Aunt Denise, who cared more about reputation than anyone, stopped associating with his family for a long time.
His relationship with Blaire also fell apart completely. Blaire became a laughingstock in her own social circle and barely dared to show her face in public for a while.
Spencer’s parents wanted him to remarry and arranged several dates for him, but the moment the women looked into his past, they canceled.
A year later, our talent management company was running steadily and had built a name for itself in the industry.
At an industry networking reception, I saw Spencer again.
A young, beautiful woman stood beside him while he spoke confidently with a group of guests.
When he noticed me, he paused, then lifted his glass in greeting from across the room.
He carried himself as though nothing had ever happened, as though he were still the polished, successful, flawless man.
I raised my glass in return, then turned away and continued speaking with my client.
Kelsey nudged my arm. “Doesn’t it hurt?”
I shook my head.
That man and that marriage belonged to a life that had already ended.
My phone lit up with a message from my new boyfriend.
He was an attorney I had met while building the company. He was calm and dependable, but most importantly, he respected every decision I made.
“Are you done? I’m waiting outside.”
I smiled at the message.
I put my phone away, said goodbye to Kelsey, and left the reception early.
The moment I stepped out of the glittering ballroom, I saw him waiting beside his car.
As soon as he spotted me, he came over, naturally took my purse from me, and opened the car door.
After I got in, I looked back at the brightly lit building.
Spencer was still inside, playing the role of the flawless, successful man.
But I was no longer his audience.