He threw money on the bed after our one-night stand.
I threw it back in his face at his own inauguration.
By sundown, we were engaged. By the week's end — married.
Franklin Flemington needed a wife to secure his empire. I needed a miracle to save my family. For two years, we played our parts flawlessly — the golden couple the whole city envied.
Behind closed doors, I was invisible to him.
When the two years were up, I handed him divorce papers without blinking.
He stared at me like I'd lost my mind. "I've given you everything a husband should. What more do you want from me, Octavia?"
I smiled, signed my name, and walked out.
I thought that was the end. I thought I'd finally won.
I forgot one thing — Franklin Flemington has never lost anything in his life. And he has no intention of starting with me.
Game on.

It was the final weekend of the month, and for the first time in weeks, I felt a sliver of genuine anticipation. I had driven down to Soho to visit my parents, fulfilling a birthday promise to accompany my father to Madison Square Garden to watch the Knicks.


"Are you ready, kiddo?" my father asked, his face lit with a youthful glow as we navigated the sea of blue and orange jerseys toward the enormous bleachers.


The moment we stepped into the arena, the sheer scale of the energy hit me. It was loud, alive, and electric—exactly the distraction I needed. The crowd roared as the players warmed up on the court below, and the massive screens flashed highlights of New York's finest. The scent of buttery popcorn and grilled hot dogs filled the air, and for a fleeting second, everything felt remarkably normal.


Chapter 88 - ~ 88