Refused

I had sent them through his lawyer. Through his secretary. Through every channel I could think of. And every time, the response was the same: silence.He was ignoring the papers. Pretending they didn't exist. Living his life as if I had never been a part of it, as if our marriage had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience he could simply outlast.There had once been a time when I still clung to hope.A foolish part of me had believed that maybe, somewhere beneath all the lies and betrayals, Alistair still loved me. Maybe, in his own twisted way, he was trying to protect me. Maybe he was just confused. Maybe he needed time.Now I knew better.He was just a coward. Instead of facing reality, he chose to run from it. Instead of taking responsibility for his mistakes, he buried them beneath a carefully crafted fantasy and pretended the problem no longer existed.He wanted to have everything. The wife at home, the mistress in public, the daughter who worshipped him. He wanted to keep

The Attorney

MARY'S POV:"Mary." Her voice was warm, familiar. "It's been so long. How are you?""I'm fine," I said. "I need to ask you something.""Of course. Anything.""I'm getting divorced. I need a lawyer."Silence.Long, heavy, uncomfortable silence.I could hear her breathing on the other end of the line. Could hear the rustle of papers, the click of a keyboard, the quiet sound of someone trying to figure out how to say no."Mary," she said finally, "I want to help you. I really do. But... Alistair Vane is one of our biggest donors. If I take your case, I'll lose my job. And so will half the people in this firm.""I understand.""Do you? I'm so sorry. I wish I could—""It's okay," I said. "I understand."We said goodbye. I hung up the phone.And then I sat there, in the empty kitchen, and I let the silence swallow me whole.The last lawyer I met with was a woman named Eleanor Cross.She was in her late fifties, with silver-streaked hair pulled back in a tight bun and glasses perched on the

Finding Her

MARL'S POV:I sat in my office, staring at the growing stack of case files on my desk without really seeing them.The afternoon light slanted through the blinds, casting stripes across the polished wood. Outside, the city hummed with the usual sounds of traffic and construction and people going about their ordinary lives. Inside, everything was still and silent. The way I liked it.People's perception of me was exactly what I had expected.Slightly wealthy. Highly capable. Picky about cases, the kind of lawyer who only took work that interested him. Difficult to work with. Constantly surrounded by wealthy acquaintances who tolerated me because I was useful.Some of the jealous ones whispered behind my back. They said my high win rate came from flattering rich clients or using underhanded tactics. They said I had never won a case on merit alone. They said I was a fraud wearing a fancy suit.Even some so-called friends believed it.I had heard the whispers for years. They slid through c

The Colleague

MARL'S POV: The night I found Mary, I had been tracking a signal. The bracelet had a small tracker embedded in the clasp, something I had added years ago, back when I still believed I could find her. The signal had been dormant for so long that I had almost given up hope. Then, without warning, it moved. A police station. I had rushed there immediately, my heart pounding, my hands shaking. After all these years, I was finally close. Finally within reach of the answer I had been searching for. But what I saw when I arrived was unexpected. Alistair's wife was being harassed. The police had locked her in a cell with gang members. I could see her through the small window in the door, her torn blouse, her bare feet, the fear in her eyes. She was surrounded, cornered, outnumbered. And the officers on the other side of the door were doing nothing. If I continued tracking the signal, I might finally get closer to the woman I was looking for. I could have walked past that cell, ignored

The Divorce Case

MARL'S POV:I leaned back in my chair. "Tell me more about this friend of yours."Hotch's expression softened. His eyes drifted toward the window, and something flickered across his face, something that looked almost like longing."She was my junior in law school. Same year, different class. We studied together, worked on cases together, spent late nights in the library together." He paused. "She was the smartest person I ever met. Could have done anything. Could have been anything. But she fell in love with the wrong man and threw it all away.""The wrong man?""Alistair Vane."The name landed in the room like a stone dropped into still water. I kept my face neutral, but my pulse quickened."Vane," I repeated. "The tech guy? The one who's always in the news with that actress?""That's him." Hotch's jaw tightened. "He married my friend years ago, and she gave up everything for him. Her career, her independence, her sense of self. And now he's thrown her aside for someone else. Draggin

All Chapters of The Unwanted Wife's Return (Ex-Husband Wants Me Back): Chapter 351 - Chapter 355

Refused

The Attorney

Finding Her

The Colleague

The Divorce Case