Chapter 2

The Bar W.

Avery had barely reached the door of the private room when she heard laughter spilling out.

That unmistakable laugh belonged to Chloe. Her least favorite person in the world.

"Avery will be here any minute," Chloe was saying, voice dripping with fake concern while her eyes sparkled with anticipation. "We might hurt her feelings if she sees us like this."

The others immediately started egging them on.

"Rules are rules! You two lost the game, so you have to do the pocky game!"

"It's just a stupid party game! If Avery gets mad, Owen can handle her."

"Exactly! If she gets upset, that's on her for being so uptight."

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Whistles and cheers echoed through the room. Avery could picture the scene all too well.

She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The room was dimly lit, and with the music blasting, nobody noticed her entrance. Owen sat on the center couch with Chloe perched directly on his lap. They were sharing a chocolate stick, their lips inching closer until they melted into a full-on kiss.

Despite mentally preparing herself for the worst, seeing it with her own eyes hit Avery like a physical blow.

Her vision blurred slightly as a bitter smile twisted her lips.

"Don't let me interrupt. Should I grab you two a room key while I'm at it?"

At the sound of her voice, Owen instinctively pushed Chloe away. When he looked up and met Avery's ice-cold stare, guilt flashed across his face for a microsecond before hardening into annoyance.

"We were just playing a game," he said, not bothering with a real explanation.

His brows furrowed as he noticed her empty hands. "Where's the hangover medicine I sent you for?"

Avery's gaze lingered on the smudge of lipstick at the corner of his mouth before shifting to Chloe sprawled on the couch.

"So I go get your medicine while you tongue-wrestle my half-sister in a bar? You're actually delusional."

Her voice had none of its usual warmth.

"Tell me, Owen, do you get some special thrill from screwing around with my father's other daughter?"

Owen sighed dramatically. "Enough. Can you not make a scene right now?"

Beside him, Chloe wore her best innocent expression. "Avery, you've got it all wrong. Owen and I lost a drinking game, and the forfeit was the Pocky challenge. Ask anyone here."

"You don't need to explain yourself to her," Owen snapped. "She's always like this—such a buzzkill."

In his eyes, his wife was nothing but a controlling workaholic. All Avery ever did was work and cook. His life with her was as boring and passionless as she was.

"Just go get the medicine. I'm not in the mood for one of your meltdowns tonight."

He leaned back against the couch cushions, not even bothering to look at her anymore.

Avery watched him, her expression shifting from mockery to pure disappointment. She should have given up on Owen ages ago.

"I'm not your personal assistant. If you want pills, get them yourself."

She walked straight to Chloe instead. "The person who slipped me that date-rape drug last night—you hired them, didn't you?"

Panic flashed across Chloe's face before her mask slid back into place.

"Avery, I know you've never liked me, but that's a serious accusation. I was with Owen all last night."

She wasn't entirely sure if Avery had actual evidence, but it didn't matter. The guy who'd drugged her was already dead. Avery would never find proof.

Instead, Chloe switched tactics. "Oh my God, Avery—is that a hickey on your neck?"

Her internal smugness grew. Even if Avery had escaped last night, the drug would have forced her to seek sexual relief somehow.

Owen's expression darkened instantly. "You want to explain that?"

"Chloe drugged me and hired someone to assault me," Avery stated plainly. "You don't believe me? Have someone look into it."

If only he'd trust her just this once.

But Owen cut her off before she could finish. "Enough with the lies! Chloe was at the bar all night. If you're going to make up stories, at least pick a believable target!"

With those words, any remaining affection Avery had for him withered completely. If she'd actually been assaulted by some stranger last night, Owen would still have blamed her.

He stormed toward her, pressing his finger against the mark on her neck. "Who did this to you?"

His question came out as a furious demand.

Avery had always attracted attention from other men, and that knowledge fueled his rage to the point of irrationality.

"Look at you! I play one innocent game with Chloe and you lose your mind, but you spent last night doing what exactly?!"

Before he could say another word, his head snapped sideways from the force of Avery's palm connecting with his cheek.

"Exactly what you're thinking," she said, voice deadly calm. "I had sex with another man last night—just like you did with my sister Chloe before."

The room went silent.

No one had expected the usually docile Avery to actually strike Owen.

He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, staring at her in disbelief. "Have you lost your mind?"

Notably, he didn't deny her final accusation.

A year ago, he'd gotten blackout drunk and woken up next to Chloe. He claimed to remember nothing.

"Avery, that was a mistake," Chloe said, lowering her head with calculated vulnerability. "Owen was drunk and thought I was you. Trust me, nothing really happened."

Her words said one thing while implying another—that they'd done everything possible that night. Her goal was to drive Avery insane. Once Avery became the family disgrace, the inheritance would fall right into Chloe's waiting hands.

But before she could savor her manipulation, pain exploded across her cheek as Avery's palm connected with her face.

"That's for everything you owe me," Avery said, her palm stinging.

Then she grabbed a champagne bottle and upended it over Chloe's head. "And this is my toast to you both."

The ice-cold liquid cascaded down Chloe's head, leaving her sputtering and humiliated.

Avery even gave them a sarcastic round of applause. "May you live miserably ever after."

The rest of the group watched in stunned silence. The Avery they knew had always acquiesced to Owen's demands, no matter how unreasonable. This woman before them was something else entirely—like a vengeful spirit risen from the depths.

"You've completely lost it," Owen said, holding his reddened cheek.

His anger was tinged with shock. The woman standing before him bore no resemblance to his usually compliant wife.

But Avery's eyes held nothing—not even anger remained, just empty certainty.

"I have nothing left to explain, Owen. Let's get a divorce."

Her voice contained zero hesitation. "I'll have the papers prepared. All you'll need to do is sign."

With that, she turned and walked out without looking back.

The private room fell into stunned silence.

No one had anticipated this outcome.

Chloe's pitiful voice broke the quiet. "She seems really upset this time. Maybe you should go after her. Avery's always had guys lining up for her—you should be worried."

But Owen's public humiliation had left his pride in tatters.

"Let her go! She can stay gone forever for all I care!"

Divorce? He convinced himself it was just Avery's desperate attempt to get his attention.

She couldn't possibly live without him.

Outside the bar, Avery called her best friend Lila.

"I'm getting a divorce. Can I crash at your place for a while?"

From the other end came a jubilant cheer. "Are you serious? You're finally dumping that trash Owen!"

Lila could barely contain her excitement at the news.

"I'm about to announce to the hacker collective that the legendary Aurora Queen is making her comeback!"