Chapter 004

Rowan sends the picture to Liam to hasten the divorce. He senses Ruby's reluctance to end her marriage, so he goes to their house, knowing the picture will create a rift between them. He hopes to appear like a prince in shining armor, ready to protect her.

“How dare you hit a woman like that, you fool who doesn’t know her worth?” Rowan says. Liam is taken aback by his sudden appearance. “You have no right to walk into my house and tell me what to do with my wife,” Liam argues.

Rowan’s expression hardens. “I’m here because you clearly don’t understand the value of the woman you’re mistreating. Ruby deserves respect and love, not this kind of humiliation.”

Liam’s face reddens with anger. “And who do you think you are to come here and lecture me? You have no idea what’s going on in my marriage.”

Rowan steps closer, his face redden with anger. “I don’t need to know every detail to see that Ruby is being mistreated. You’ve shown her nothing but disrespect. If you truly cared for her, you’d treat her with the kindness and respect she deserves.”

Liam clenches his fists, struggling to contain his rage. “You think you can just waltz in here and play the hero? This is between Ruby and me. Stay out of it.”

Rowan shakes his head. “It’s not just between you two anymore. When someone is treated poorly, it becomes everyone’s concern. I won’t stand by and watch her suffer because of your actions. She’s an actress, for crying out loud. You shouldn’t have disfigured her face with just a slap, you moron. Come here,” Rowan calls out to Ruby.

Ruby moves closer to Rowan as she watches the confrontation, knowing Rowan is right. The tension in the room makes it hard to think clearly, but she is impressed by how Rowan stands up for her. She realizes she needs to be with a man like him who will cherish her, not with a lowlife excuse of a man like Liam.

Liam takes a moment to look at the man in question. He furrows his brow with the realization that the man looks familiar. He has seen him in a photo in a hidden album labeled “Moonlight” from before he and Ruby got married. He is perplexed, knowing that the years they have been married have not made her forget her first love.

“So, huh, your ‘Moonlight’ walks in like the hero in shining armor to save you, right? So, all the years of our life, laughter, tears, and memories mean nothing compared to your precious ‘Moonlight’?”

“Hold it right there, Liam. We have no laughter, no tears, no goddamn memories,” Ruby says. “You mean absolutely nothing to me.” Her eyes transform, shining with a new glint as if his words stir up a deep longing in her. “Let’s get a divorce,” she spits out like venom.

Liam feels like the ground beneath him shudders as the woman he thought he knew, the woman he loved, vanishes, replaced by a stranger consumed with hatred that leaves no room for him in her heart. “A divorce?” he asks again to be sure he heard right. The room seems to darken as if the shadows are closing in to witness his humiliation.

Ruby's gaze remains steady, her voice cold and unyielding. "Yes, a divorce. I’m done with this charade. I can’t stay with someone who doesn’t trust me and only drags me down."

Liam struggles to find words, his face a mask of disbelief and pain. "After everything we've been through, you want to throw it all away just like that?"

“It’s time for me to move on and be with someone who truly values me,” Ruby says. She gestures with her hand. “I am a superstar shining bright for the world to see. While you”—she turns to him with disdain—“are just a dull house husband. I must have been under a spell when I agreed to marry you. Gosh, such a fool, happy to wallow in mediocrity.”

"Is that how you see me? After all, I've done for you, supported you, and loved you?" Liam asks, his voice breaking.

Ruby laughs coldly. "You call this between us love?" she asks, pointing between Liam and herself. "You are just holding me back, Liam. I have grand ambitions, and you're too easily satisfied with the status quo. You lack ambition, you're unwilling to work outside. You don't deserve me," she says, jabbing her finger into his chest.

Liam's heart breaks as he hopes for a change of mind. His voice is barely above a whisper. "And what about our life together? Our dreams, our plans?”

"That's all in the past now. Sign the damn divorce papers. Let's go our separate ways. It's time for me to move on and shine without you holding me back," she says, tossing a pre-drafted agreement onto the coffee table. "I've been stuck with you for so long, taking in all your baseless accusations."

Though Liam had expected this, he still felt the impact reeling on him like a sore wound. He looks at her and shakes his head at the woman he loves, now transformed into a stranger consumed by her vanity. Her success has become a poison, infecting her with arrogance. He has worked tirelessly behind the scenes so she could soar high and be in the spotlight.

Liam isn't lazy. His choice to be a house husband is to support her since his wealth is managed by professionals who are just one call away to handle his needs, which he can always do from the comfort of his home.

This is a secret he has been waiting to reveal—last night, he planned to unveil part of his true identity by transferring his renowned entertainment company into her hands and letting her pursue filmmaking as a hobby rather than as work. However, he is grateful that fate has other plans.

Liam looks at her one last time, shaking his head as he signs the paper. The scratch of the pen is the only sound in the room.

Liam rises from his seat, his eyes on his ex-wife. "Goodbye. I wish you well in your life and career," he sighs, moving to the door. With a final glance, he walks out.

Ruby's eyes remain fixed on the chair Liam stood up from. Her heart is enveloped in emptiness as she watches him leave. Rowan, noticing her change in demeanor, understands that she is regretting her bold decision to pursue a divorce. He brings her in an embrace, her heart swells with joy and gradually soothes her nerves.

"Don't worry, babe. We'll create our masterpiece—a blockbuster film with us as the stars. Our fans, who have been rooting for us, will see our lives shining brighter than any award or accolade. You, Ruby, will be the center of my world," he whispers, his breath tickling her ear.

His words send shivers down her spine. She has longed for these words since her youth. Hearing him say that she will be the center of his world makes her heart flutter. She turns to him and says, "Promise me, Rowan.”

"I promise you, Ruby, we will be the most enviable couple in Hollywood, and I'll be right by your side every step of the way, treating you like the queen that you are."

She smiles widely as a thought strikes her. "Oh, Rowan, see, I’ll secure the leading role in the next film, and I’ll make sure you are cast as my co-star. Together, we will be unstoppable—a powerful couple," she declares with determination, which slowly fades the emptiness she felt earlier. Unknown to her, her success in the film industry has been largely due to her ex-husband’s efforts, and Rowan is using her to climb the ladder of success, with no real love for her.