The Seven Day Divorce Rule

On the day we signed our marriage papers, Garrett Sterling told me that if we spent more than a week in separate rooms, it would count as a default divorce.

For three years, that single sentence was the leash he used to keep me in line.

Whenever we argued, all he had to do was grab his pillow and head for the guest room. I would instantly break down, swallow my pride, and beg for his forgiveness.

On my twenty-eighth birthday, he stood me up again for the sake of his intern.

When he finally walked through the door and tried to hand me a diamond necklace, I didn't even reach for it.

He stared at me, his brow furrowed in a cold, judging line.

"Is a birthday that happens every year really more important to you than a human life?" he asked, his voice dripping with frost.

"I rushed back as fast as I could after taking Jade to the ER, but here you are, making a scene!"

"Lena, your jealousy is becoming pathological. It's terrifying."

With that, he turned his back on me and walked toward the guest room. This time, I didn't follow him.

Just like every other time, Garrett slammed the guest room door hard enough to rattle the frames on the wall.

I knew he did it on purpose. He was waiting for me to come knocking, waiting for me to bow my head and plead for a reconciliation.

But I stayed on the sofa, motionless.

There were no tears this time, no frantic heartbeat or desperate urge to make things right. I was just suddenly, profoundly exhausted.

I was tired of living a life where I did nothing wrong yet always ended up on my knees, begging like a dog for scraps of affection.

The AC was humming in the villa, but the ice cream cake on the coffee table was already starting to melt. It reminded me of our marriage.

No matter how hard I tried to preserve it, the cracks were spreading, and the foundation was liquefying.

I dipped a finger into the melting cream and tasted it. The sugary sweetness did nothing to mask the bitterness in my chest.

We had been married for three years. On my first birthday as his wife, he stayed at the office all night helping Jade Vance fix a botched spreadsheet.

On my second, he flew out of state to a conference just because Jade mentioned she was nervous about going alone.

And today, he had kicked me out of the car in the middle of a torrential downpour because of a single phone call from her.

I was staring into space when the guest room door suddenly clicked open. My heart gave a pathetic little skip as Garrett walked toward me.

He noticed a smudge of frosting on my lip. He let out a long, weary sigh and grabbed a tissue to wipe it away with a touch of forced tenderness.

"Honey, I'm sorry. I was stressed and said some things I shouldn't have," he murmured.

"I know you get insecure. From now on, I'll try to keep things strictly professional with Jade outside of office hours."

All the hurt I'd been bottled up felt like it was about to burst. My eyes welled up. This was the first time in three years he had ever initiated an apology.

But before I could speak, he continued.

"When I took Jade to the hospital tonight, someone snapped a photo and posted it to the company group chat. Now everyone is calling her a homewrecker."

"She's sick and shouldn't have to deal with this drama. I need you to go into the group chat and clear things up for her."

The warmth in my chest turned to ice. Every ounce of emotion I felt for him became a punchline to a cruel joke.

He had abandoned me over and over for this woman. And now, he was finally deigning to apologizeDnot because he cared about my feelings, but because he wanted to protect her reputation.

Looking at the face I had adored for five years, I suddenly started to laugh. Garrett, ever the narcissist, thought I was agreeing.

"I knew you'd understand, Lena. You're the best."

"I'll add you to the main office thread. Once you've cleared the air, maybe just give Jade a quick apology in front of everyone so thatD"

I cut him off mid-sentence. "Don't even dream about it."

Garrett froze. The fake tenderness vanished, replaced instantly by a familiar flash of irritation.

"Lena, there is nothing going on between me and Jade. Why do you have to be so malicious toward her?"

"Do you realize how much a rumor like this can ruin a young woman's life? She was hysterical on the phone earlier."

I stood up from the sofa, my legs shaking but my gaze fixed directly on his.

"I don't need a status report on her mental health. I couldn't care less."

"You want me to play the happy wife and exonerate your little intern? In your dreams, Garrett."

I clenched my fists, forcing my voice to stay level. I refused to let him see me tremble.

Garrett let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Fine. Fine! Have it your way."

"Starting today, I'm staying at the office. Don't bother coming to find me, Lena. In fact, I hope you never do."

As the front door slammed shut, it felt like a giant hand was squeezing my heart, stealing the air from my lungs.

My phone buzzed. For a split second, I hoped it was Garrett, but it was a text from Jade.

"Lena, I'm so sorry about today. I just had such terrible cramps and Garrett insisted on taking me to the ER. Please don't misunderstand."

"Only insecure women spend their lives being paranoid, you know?"

I stared at the screen for a few seconds. I didn't reply, and I didn't delete it.

The medical emergency that was so dire Garrett had to kick his wife out into a storm was nothing more than a period. Something every woman deals with.

When I had my periods, I'd be doubled over in bed, unable to move. Whenever I asked him for a glass of water, he'd call me dramatic.

I let out a self-deprecating smirk. The difference between being loved and being tolerated was glaringly obvious.

They didn't even need to be sleeping together for the betrayal to be complete. His heart was already hers.

Three days passed, and Garrett didn't come home. I didn't sit around moping; I started packing my life into boxes.

The villa was his pre-marital property, so I knew I was the one who had to leave.

On the fourth day of our separation, my best friend Maya called and dragged me out to a club. Usually, I'd say no, worried I'd miss Garrett if he decided to come home.

This time, I said yes without a second thought.

But I never expected to run into the two people I wanted to see least in the middle of a crowded lounge.

Garrett's eyes lit up for a fraction of a second when he saw me, but he quickly masked it with a look of pure disgust.

"Are you seriously stalking me now?" he barked, stepping toward me. "If you don't care about your dignity, at least think about mine."

Before I could get a word in, Jade piped up with a smirk.

"Oh, Garrett, don't be so hard on her. Lena's probably just terrified you'll actually go through with the divorce. There's only three days left of the week, after all."

"But really, Lena, you're embarrassing our gender. If I were you, I'd at least wait until the last day before crawling back."

The coworkers standing with them started chuckling and chiming in.

"Boss has got his wife on a short leash, doesn't he? We should all take notes on how to handle a difficult spouse."

Garrett seemed to soak up the praise. He looked at me with a condescending, charitable expression.

"Fine, I've made my point. I'll come home tonight. Now get out of here before you ruin everyone's night."

I had heard those words before. Usually, I would have been relieved. But today, they made my skin crawl.

I looked Garrett in the eye, my voice cold and flat. "I don't give a damn where you sleep tonight. I'm not here for you."

I walked right past them, heading deeper into the club. The entire group went silent, stunned by my reaction.

Jade was the first to recover. She grabbed my wrist, pulling me back.

"Lena, stop acting out. Garrett said he's coming home. Don't push your luck or you'll just end up blaming me again when he gets mad."

"Jade, if I divorce Garrett, you finally get your shot at the throne. Stop the fake concerned act. It's nauseating."

I jerked my arm back. I didn't use much force, but she let out a theatrical shriek and tumbled backward.

She didn't hit the floor, of course. She landed perfectly in Garrett's arms.

Her eyes turned red instantly, tears brimming. "Garrett, maybe I should just resign."

"Everyone at work thinks I'm a mistress because Lena keeps attacking me. Now she's hitting me in public!"

"If she's this violent when people are watching, I'm terrified of what she'd do if we were alone at the office."

Garrett's face turned as dark as a thundercloud. He pulled Jade tight against his chest and glared at me with pure hatred.

"Lena Miller, apologize to her. Right now."

His tone left no room for argument. I didn't blink as I stared him down.

"Not in this lifetime."

His jaw tightened into a hard, angry line. "If you don't apologize, we are done. For real this time."

Even though I had already made my choice, hearing him say it still felt like a serrated blade across my heart.

I didn't let the pain show. I just gave him a icy smile. "Good."

My mood was shot, so I didn't want to bring Maya down. I left the club and went back to the villa.

I expected to be up all night, crying and tossing. Instead, I slept like a baby.

When I walked downstairs the next morning and saw Jade Vance in the kitchen, I honestly thought I was still dreaming.

She was wearing one of Garrett's oversized white dress shirts, her long legs bare and on full display.

Garrett, a man who barely knew how to boil water, was standing at the stove making oatmeal.

They both turned when they heard me. Garrett's brow immediately furrowed, but he didn't say a word.

Jade, however, had plenty to say. "Lena, don't get the wrong idea! I got way too drunk last night and threw up on my clothes. I couldn't find my keys, so Garrett had no choice but to bring me here."

I let out a dry, hacking laugh. "No choice? He looks like he's having the time of his life playing house."

Garrett slammed the spoon down into the pot. He turned to face me, his face twisted in annoyance.

"Lena, for the love of God, give it a rest!"

I stared at him, incredulous. He had brought another woman into our home, put her in his clothes, and he was telling me to give it a rest?

He only had this much balls because he was so sure of my love for him. He thought that one-week rule was an unbreakable spell.

I used to think my patience and devotion would eventually be reciprocated. I forgot that when you put yourself on the floor, people will treat you like a doormat.

Seeing my silence, Jade bit her lip. "Garrett, I'm so sorry. I'm just causing trouble. I should leave."

She made a move toward the door, but Garrett caught her wrist before she could even turn around.

"You can't go out like that. It's early and you're barely dressed. What if someone bothers you?"

"Stay. Eat breakfast. Once your clothes are dry, I'll drive you home myself."

Then he turned back to me, his voice sharp. "It's seven in the morning, Lena. Do you have to make everyone miserable?"

"Every time you act like this, it makes me regret marrying you in the first place."

The room went dead silent. Even Garrett seemed to realize he had crossed a line. He opened his mouth as if to take it back.

I didn't give him the chance. "Garrett, you aren't the only one who regrets it."

"Don't bother leaving, Jade. I'm the one who's going."

I went upstairs. Ten minutes later, I walked back down with my suitcase.

Garrett's pupils contracted when he saw the luggage. Jade tried to hide her smirk behind a mask of faux innocence.

"Lena, please don't do this. Garrett and I are just friends, I swear."

"I had nowhere else to go last night. He was just being a gentleman."

I didn't want to waste my breath, but her acting was so over the top I couldn't help myself.

"Nowhere to go? No clothes?"

"Did every hotel and mall in New York City shut down overnight? Is that why you had to come to another woman's house and sleep in her husband's shirt?"

Jade's face stiffened. She looked at Garrett with those pathetic, watery eyes, waiting for him to defend her.

"LenaD" Garrett started.

"Shut up. I'm done listening to anything you have to say."

I walked out the door and didn't look back.

Three days passed in a blur. The one-week deadline Garrett had set was finally here.

My phone blew up all day. It was a constant stream of texts from our mutual friends.

"Lena, are you still throwing a fit? Garrett's already cooled off. Just say something sweet and come home. It's over."

"Hey, Garrett moved Jade to a different department. You're being really dramatic now, don't you think?"

"Today is the last day, Lena. Don't be stubborn. Men as successful as Garrett don't stay single for long. You're just handing him to those vultures on a silver platter."

I looked at the messages and laughed. It was Garrett who had been out of line, yet everyone assumed I was the one who had to crawl back.

I sent a single mass reply to the group:

"Garrett and I are in the middle of a divorce. If you're planning to lecture me, please just delete my number. Thanks!"

I blocked every single person associated with Garrett. Then, I had my lawyer hand-deliver the divorce papers to his office.

Once that was done, I checked out of my hotel and headed straight to the airport. I was going home to Savannah.

Meanwhile, back in his high-rise office, Garrett was having a hard time focusing on his meeting.

He kept checking his phone every few minutes. The message he'd been expecting for days never came.

When the meeting finally ended, he walked out and glanced toward the waiting area. It was empty.

In the past, I never lasted more than three days before coming to beg for peace. It had been an entire week now, and there was nothing.

Was I actually serious this time?

Was it really just about the birthday? He figured he'd just make it up to me next year. It wasn't that big of a deal, was it?

Then, a sudden memory hit him. He'd missed last year's birthday too. And the one before that. And both times, it was because of Jade.

A flicker of guilt finally pierced through his ego. Maybe he had pushed it a little too far.

He pulled out his phone and sent a text: "Lena, you've been wanting that beach vacation. Once I wrap up this project, I'll take you."

The message didn't go through. A red exclamation mark appeared. I had blocked him.

Garrett's brow deepened. He tried calling. A cold, automated voice told him the number was unavailable.

The atmosphere in the office turned icy. Just as he was about to tell his assistant to track down which hotel I was staying at, the door opened.

"Sir, your wife sent over some documents."

Garrett's face instantly relaxed. He actually looked smug as he took the envelope from Leo, his assistant.

"I thought she'd finally developed a spine, but here she is, reaching out on the final day."

"Tell you what, go to that jeweler on 5th Avenue and pick out a set. Then book a table at that French place for tonight. I'll be generous andD"

His voice died in his throat as he pulled the papers out of the envelope.