Abandoned by Mate

Gemma

The sheets smelled like sweat, whiskey, and sex.

I sat up slowly, stretching my aching legs while the morning sunlight spilled across my penthouse bedroom in lazy golden streaks. A satisfied sigh escaped my lips as I glanced at the hunky sprawled beside me.

God, he was beautiful.

Tan skin. Broad shoulders. Sharp jawline. Messy dark hair falling over closed eyes. The kind of face women wrote stupid poetry about.

And the kind of body that had ruined me all night long.

A slow heat curled through my stomach as memories from a few hours ago flashed through my head—his hands gripping my waist, his rough voice in my ear, the way he had buried himself inside me like he never wanted to stop.

For one dangerous second, I considered climbing back on top of him.

Just one more round.

My thighs pressed together unconsciously, but reality slapped me across the face.

No.

Absolutely not.

I had rules, and Gemma Black never broke her rules. One night only. No repeats. No attachments. No feelings.

I climbed out of bed and walked to the bathroom to freshen up. By the time I returned to the bedroom, the hunky was still asleep.

Seriously?

“Hey, wake up.”

He groaned softly before blinking awake. The moment his sleepy eyes landed on me, a smile spread across his annoyingly handsome face.

“Morning, swe—”

I threw his jeans straight at his head.

“Get dressed and leave.”

The smile vanished instantly.

“…What?”

“You heard me.”

He sat up slowly, confused. “I thought maybe we could spend the morning together. You know… order breakfast, cuddle a little, maybe—”

A laugh burst out of me before I could stop it.

“Cuddle? What are you? A Hallmark movie? Get your stuff and leave. We had fun, and now that I’m satisfied, you’re pretty much useless to me.”

I watched the hunky’s face flush with anger as he muttered something under his breath and shoved himself off the bed. He dressed quickly, then turned to look at me.

“You know,” he said coldly, “for someone who acts like she has everything figured out, you’re actually pathetic. Just know you’ll never experience true love if you keep living like this, Gemma.”

He grabbed his jacket and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

“Dramatic idiot.”

Love… what a joke.

Love made people weak and stupid. It hollowed them out from the inside until they no longer recognized themselves.

Love made people stay when they should leave. Forgive when they should hate. Cry over people who never deserved their tears.

I knew because I had once loved someone enough to destroy myself for him, and look where that had gotten me.

Never again.

My phone suddenly rang from the bedside table, dragging me from my thoughts. I grabbed it carelessly, but the moment I saw the caller ID, my mood soured instantly.

Fucktard Richard… my cheating soon-to-be ex-husband.

I answered, and his cold voice came through immediately.

“Don’t forget you’re supposed to be at the courthouse by nine to finalize the divorce papers.”

“I’ll be there,” I said flatly, and hung up.

I got dressed and headed downstairs, where my black Audi waited silently in the garage like a loyal beast. At least my car had never betrayed me.

When I arrived at the courthouse, I immediately spotted them near the entrance.

Richard, Angela, and Sam… my son.

Richard noticed me first. His expression darkened instantly as he walked toward me.

“You’re fifteen minutes late,” he snapped.

I stared at him lazily over my sunglasses.

“And good morning to you too.”

Angela quickly stepped between us, placing a gentle hand on Richard’s arm like the perfect little peacemaker.

“Richie, please calm down,” she said softly.

She turned toward me with fake concern painted all over her face.

“Gemma… are you having second thoughts about the divorce?” She sighed dramatically. “Richard doesn’t love you anymore. Why keep holding on to him? I know I ruined your family by falling in love with Richard. If leaving would make things easier for everyone… then maybe I should just go.”

She turned to leave. As expected, both Richard and Sam immediately grabbed her.

“Angela, stop,” Richard said firmly. “You did nothing wrong. You’re the woman I love. You don’t have to leave because of anyone.”

My gaze shifted toward Sam. My son looked at Angela with more affection than he had shown me in years.

“Dad’s right, Aunty Angie. You’re the kindest person I know. I wish you were my mother.”

For one tiny second, pain flashed through me so sharply I almost lost my breath, but it disappeared just as quickly.

Because honestly? I was too tired to hurt anymore.

Sam looked at me angrily.

“Can you stop causing problems and just sign the divorce papers already?”

Without responding, I simply walked past all three of them and entered the courthouse. The proceedings inside were swift and fast, and within minutes, the clerk handed over the finalized documents.

And just like that… I was no longer Mrs. Black.

Good riddance to bad names.

One of the clerks glanced between Richard and me carefully.

“Regarding custodial preference, who will your son be residing with moving forward?”

Before either of us could answer, Sam spoke immediately.

“I want to stay with Dad. I don’t want anything to do with her.”

“I don’t care. He’s fourteen years old and old enough to make his own decisions,” I said calmly. “He can stay with Richard.”

Sam’s face lit up instantly. He quickly reached into his backpack and pulled out another document.

“If that’s the case, you should sign this too, then.”

I took the document and read it.

It was a legal severance agreement. A document officially cutting ties between mother and son.

For a moment, everything around me went silent.

I looked up slowly at Sam.

Fourteen years.

Fourteen years of motherhood.

I remembered holding him for the first time in the hospital. His tiny fingers wrapping around mine. His first word. His first day at school. Every birthday. Every nightmare. Every fever.

I had labored for over twenty hours bringing him into this world.

And now he was handing me papers like I was some unwanted stranger.

My chest felt strangely hollow.

I calmly picked up the pen and signed.

The second I did, Sam snatched the document back eagerly, his eyes filled with excitement.

Angela approached me, wearing that nauseatingly gentle smile.

“Please don’t take this personally, Gemma. I promise I’ll take care of Sam like he’s my own child.”

She stepped closer until only I could hear her, and finally… the mask fell off as her sweet expression twisted into a smug sneer.

“Now that you’re finally out of the way, Richard can finally become the man he deserves to be. He’s getting promoted next week, you know. Huge salary increase too.” Her eyes glittered greedily. “We’re planning the wedding right after.”

Of course they were.

She leaned even closer.

“And all that marital assets and money after the divorce? That’ll help us start our new life together beautifully. So tell me, Gemma… how does it feel to watch your husband and son choose me over you?”

I stared at her.

The woman I once called my best friend.

The woman I defended, trusted, and loved like a sister. The same woman who had smiled in my face while sleeping with my husband behind my back for three whole years, and my son covered up for them.

A woman’s heart could truly be monstrous.

But strangely enough, I didn’t feel devastated. As Angela continued smiling smugly, one sentence replayed inside my head.

Richard is getting promoted next week.

A slow thought began forming quietly in my mind… a wicked one.

Richard wanted his perfect little future.

His perfect mistress. Perfect son. Perfect promotion. Perfect family.

After everything he had done… he really thought he deserved a happily ever after?

I smiled.

Since everyone was choosing wickedness and selfishness… perhaps it was time to give Richard Black a little surprise gift.