Scarlett’s POV
The man envelope arrives on a Tuesday morning, delivered by a courier. My hands shake as I sign for it, knowing exactly what’s inside.
The divorce papers.
I stare at the envelope for a long moment before tearing it open.
“That jerk,” Chloe mutters, peering over my shoulder. “He couldn’t even call you first? Just signed it and sent it back like some business deal?”
I flip through the pages, scanning the legalnguage. It’s all there–the division of assets, custody arrangements, everything that reduces three years of marriage to bullet points and signatures.
My marriage is officially over. I’m now a divorcee.
“Actually, this is perfect,” I say, surprising myself with how calm I sound. “He made it easy for
me.”
“Easy?” Chloe raises an eyebrow. “Scarlett, he abandoned you. On a highway. While you were pregnant. And now he’s divorcing you without even trying to work things out.”
“Exactly.” I fold the papers and set them aside. “He’s showing me exactly who he is. No more confusion, no more hoping he’ll change. It’s done.”
Something shifts in my chest. Relief, maybe. Or loss.
“You know what?” I grab myptop from the coffee table. “I’m tired of letting other people control my life. I’m going to do something for myself.”
“What are <i>you </i>talking about?”
“Remember that baking school in Nashville I mentioned? The one my baking tutor attended?” I open theptop and navigate to the website. “I’ve been thinking about it more and more.”
Chloe’s eyes widen. “You’re serious?”
“Dead serious.” I click through the program details, my heart starting to race with excitement. “Look at this–six months of intensive training. French pastries, artisan breads, business management. Everything I need to start my own bakery.”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Chloe scoots closer, reading over my shoulder. “You
< Chapter 8
make kickass pastries. Some French chefs better be ready to go out of business.”
Iugh, the first realugh I’ve had in days. “You’re exaggerating.”
“I’m stating a fact.” She grins. “You have a gift, habibti. And soon, you’ll realize it.”
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I scroll down to the enrollment section. The program starts in three weeks. Three weeks topletely change my life.
“I’m going to do it,” I say, clicking on the application. “I already filled this outst night. I just need to submit it and pay the tuition.”
My fingers fly over the keyboard, filling in the final details. When I get to the payment section, I pull out my credit card, hands shaking slightly.
This is it. This is my new beginning.
I enter my card information and hit submit.
The screen shes red.
<b>PAYMENT </b><b>DECLINED </b>
I frown and try again. Same result.
“That’s weird,” I mutter, trying a different card. “Maybe there’s an issue with the website.”
But the second card is declined too. And the third.
My phone buzzes with a text from Dad: <i>Your </i><i>credit </i><i>cards </i><i>have </i><i>been </i><i>frozen </i><i>until </i><i>you </i><ie </i><i>home </i><i>and stop </i><i>this </i><i>nonsense</i><i>. </i><i>We </i><i>need </i>to <i>talk</i>.
Theptop screen blurs as tears fill my eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What’s wrong?” Chloe asks, concern creeping into her voice.
I show her the <i>text</i>. “He blocked my cards.”
“He wouldn’t!”
“They did, and he can since the ounts are in his name.” Iugh bitterly. “God, I’m so stupid. I never thought they’d actually-”
My phone rings. Dad’s name shes on the screen.
“Don’t answer it,” Chloe hisses.
But I’m already sliding to ept the call. “Hello.”
< Chapter 8
“Scarlett, thank God. Where are you?”
“I’m at my friend’s.”
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“We need you toe home. Now. This divorce nonsense has got to stop. Running away isn’t going to solve anything.”
“Running away?” I stand up, pacing to the window. “I’m not running away. I’m moving forward.”
“By abandoning your family?”
“What family?” The wordse out sharper than I intended. “You mean the family that cut me off? The family that gave away my inheritance, my husband, my entire life <i>to </i>someone else?”
“Virginia is our daughter-”
“And I’m not.” The truth sits heavy between us. “I never was. I was just a recement until the real one came back.”
Silence stretches across the line.
“That’s not true,” he says finally, but his voicecks conviction. And good thing for me my heart has grown numb. Because hearing more of their excuses might’ve just broken me.
“Scar,e home. We’ll talk about this at home.”
“No.” I close my eyes, summoning strength I didn’t know I had. “I’m done being controlled. By you, by Mom, by Jasper. I’m done.”
“Scarlett-”
I hang up <i>and </i>immediately turn off my phone.
“That was badass,” Chloe says with a grin. “But now what? You can’t pay for school without <fndfb4> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n f?ndnovel</fndfb4>
money.”
I slump back down on the couch, the weight of reality crushing my brief moment of freedom. “I don’t know. Maybe I could get a loan? Or find a job and save up?”
“How long would that take?”
“Years, probably.” I bury my face in my hands. “By then, I’ll have a newborn to take care of. I’ll never get another chance.”
“Hey.” Chloe’s voice is gentle. “Look at me.”
< Chapter 8
I lift my head, trying not to cry again.
“You’re not doing this alone,” she says. “I’m going to pay for it.”
“Chloe, no-”
“Yes.” She pulls out her phone. “I have the money, and you’re going to that school.”
“I can’t ask you to do that. It’s fifteen thousand dors.”
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“You’re not asking. I’m offering.” She starts typing on her phone. “And before you argue, remember when I wanted to quit my job and start my marketing firm? You lent me twenty thousand dors without even thinking about it.”
“That was different—”
“How? You believed in me when no one else did. You made my dream possible.” She looks up from her phone. “Now it’s my turn.”
Tears spill down my cheeks, but they’re not sad tears. They’re grateful tears. Relief tears.
“I’ll pay you back,” I whisper. “Every penny.”
“I know you will. But not because you have to–because you’re going to be amazing at this.” She shows me her phone screen. “I just transferred the money to your personal ount. The one they can’t touch.”
I check my banking app and see the deposit. Fifteen thousand dors.
“Thank you,” I breathe. “I don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like you.”
“Now, <i>now</i><i>, </i>let’s not go down that road, because if we do, I promise you, I have more to say ?than you <i>do </i><i>on </i>that topic,” she says. “Now go pay for that school before I change my mind.”
go back to theptop, hands steady now. This time, when I enter the payment information, the screen shes green.
ENROLLMENT <b>CONFIRMED </b>
Wee to Nashville <b>Culinary </b><b>Institute </b>
Program Start Date: March 15th
Three weeks. In three weeks, I’ll be starting over in a new city, learning a new skill, building a new life.
“I can’t believe I’m actually doing this,” I say, staring at the confirmation email.
<Chapter S
More Rewards >
“I can.” Chloe grins. “You’re the strongest person I know, Scarlett. You just forgot for a while.”
I print out the enrollment confirmation and pin it to my refrigerator, right next to the ultrasound photo of my baby girl. She’s going to grow up knowing her mother fought for her
dreams.
“So what now?” Chloe asks.
“Now, I take action.”
<b>41 </b>
Violet Moon
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