Chapter 2

Delilah's POV

Harrison set down his documents, his calculating eyes focused on me. He didn't respond right away, just got up slowly, walked to the office bar, and poured two glasses of whiskey.

"Sit down. Let's talk," he said, sliding one glass toward me. "Another woman problem?"

I didn't touch the drink or sit down. For three years, after each of Theron's affairs, I'd stood in this exact spot, listening to Harrison's "advice" before going off to clean up the mess. Tonight was different.

"No. It's a man problem. Your son's problem."

Harrison raised an eyebrow—clearly not the answer he was expecting. He took a sip of whiskey, that composed look on his face reminding me of how intimidated I'd been the first time I walked into this office three years ago. Back then, I was just some naive girl who thought marrying rich was a fairy tale ending.

"Three years ago, you promised me you'd help him grow up," Harrison said, his voice carrying that authority that came from decades of being in charge.

It all came flooding back. That night three years ago, in this same office under these same dim lights. I'd just found out about Theron's first affair and was sobbing on this couch. Harrison handed me tissues and said seriously, "Be smart about this, Delilah. Handle these little problems and make this family stronger."

God, I was so stupid back then. I thought he actually cared. I wiped my tears and nodded: "I will, Harrison. I'll help Theron become better."

"I tried. I failed," I said, meeting Harrison's gaze with a calmness that surprised even me. "Now it's time I start living for myself."

Harrison's eyes narrowed as he sat back down behind his desk, fingers drumming on the surface—something he did when he was thinking. I'd seen it countless times over the years.

"Delilah, we're both smart people," his tone shifted to pure business. "You know what walking away means. Without the Sterling name, you're nobody."

That stung because it was true. Yeah, I knew what he was getting at. I came from nothing and only got into this world by marrying Theron. But right now, I'd never been more sure of anything.

I remembered our wedding day, when Theron took my hand and said with what seemed like real emotion: "I'll give you everything, Delilah. The whole world." Back then, I thought he meant love. Now I knew he'd just offered me a pretty prison.

"Remember the first time I came here?" I let out a bitter laugh. "You told me Sterling women had to learn to handle 'little problems' gracefully."

Harrison's expression didn't change, but I could tell he was waiting for me to continue.

"Well, I learned. I learned to stay calm when reporters called at three AM. I learned to smile perfectly when facing his mistresses. I learned to play the happy wife in public." My voice started shaking—not from fear, but from anger. "I even learned to defend him when I caught him with other women."

All those painful memories came back. The first time I found out he was cheating, I broke down crying, and he just shrugged it off: "It's nothing, Delilah. I still love you." The second time, the third, the thirty-seventh... I went from tears to rage to numbness, until I became the perfect cleanup crew.

"I turned myself into exactly what you wanted," I stared right at Harrison. "But I forgot to ask myself—what do I want?"

Harrison put down his glass and walked to the window. The city lights sparkled below, just like the business empire he controlled.

"I can offer you more," he said without turning around, his voice echoing in the quiet office. "VP position, 10% company shares. Real power, not just being a wife on paper."

I hesitated. It was tempting—VP meant real influence, and 10% of the shares meant serious money. But I immediately understood what Harrison was doing—he still saw this as just another deal.

"Don't you get it?" I shook my head. "This isn't about money. This is my life."

Harrison turned around, those sharp old eyes boring into me: "What do you think you'll be without us? A thirty-year-old divorcée with nothing but three years of playing house. You have nothing."

It hurt because he wasn't wrong. Leaving the Sterlings meant starting over with nothing. No mansion, no luxury cars, no unlimited credit cards—I'd be back to square one. But none of that mattered anymore.

"I'll be free," my voice got stronger. "I'll be someone who makes her own choices."

The office went quiet. Harrison sat back down, fingers drumming again. I knew he was running calculations, weighing options. That was Harrison Sterling—always the businessman, always looking for the best deal.

Finally, he spoke: "Delilah, are you absolutely sure? Once you walk out that door, there's no coming back."

It was both a threat and a final warning. I knew Harrison had enough power to make my life hell in these circles, but I didn't care anymore. Three years of humiliation had taught me that some things cost more than losing everything.

I walked toward the door, my steps surprisingly steady. When I reached for the handle, I paused and looked back one last time at the place that had changed everything.

In the dim light, Harrison sat in his chair like it was a throne, his face unreadable. The whiskey on his desk still smelled the same as it had three years ago. But tonight, I wasn't that naive girl who could be talked into anything with a simple "be smart about this."

"Who says I'd want to come back?" I said with a cold smile.

I pushed open the door and headed for the elevator. The hallway was so quiet I could only hear my heels on the floor, each step taking me further from my old life.

As the elevator doors closed, I knew the obedient Delilah Sterling was dead. Tomorrow, everyone in our social circle would know—the Sterling family's perfect wife wasn't so perfect anymore.

And I could finally be myself again.