Ch. Divorce My H 17 Divorce My H 17

Chapter 17 

Everything was finally starting to make sense 

again. 

The company was steady. The board 

accepted my leadership. The business was 

climbing back on its feet after everything that 

had tried to tear it down–after everyone who 

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tried to tear me down. 

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I should have been proud. I should have been 

relieved. 

And in some ways, I was. 

But in others…, my heart still carried bruises, 

reminders of betrayals and abandonment. 

Still, I held my head high and focused on 

what mattered–my work, my father, and 

Mateo. 

had just stepped into the elevator, on my 

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way to visit Dad at the hospital, when I heard 

shouting echoing from the lobby. 

It was frantic. Angry. Desperate. 

And then I heard my name. 

“TRINA!” 

My chest tightened. I knew that voice. 

The elevator doors slid open and I stepped 

into a storm of chaos. 

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There he was. 

Jackson. 

The man I had banned from this building. The 

same man who let another woman steal my 

daughter, my dignity, and the years I 

sacrificed for him. 

He was wild–eyed, shoving past guards who 

were trying to hold him back. 

“I said get out!” one of the security staff 

yelled, but Jackson didn’t care. 

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All he saw was me. 

“Trina–please!” he cried out, running toward 

me like a man possessed. 

Before I could react, his arms were around 

1. me. 

And for a second–just one split second–l 

froze. 

Then rage flooded in. 

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I shoved him off me with every ounce of 

strength I had and slapped him so hard the 

entire lobby went silent. 

He stumbled back, stunned. 

“What the hell are you doing here?!” I 

screamed, my voice shaking with fury and 

disbelief. 

He stared at me, lips trembling. “I needed to 

see you. I needed to tell you–I was wrong, Trina. About everything.” 

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“I don’t care,” I spat. “You don’t get to need 

me now. You don’t get to scream my name in 

my company like some deranged man. You 

don’t get to touch me–ever again.” 

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“I didn’t know,” he said, dropping to his knees 

right there on the marble floor. “I didn’t know 

what Donna was doing. I believed her lies. I 

hurt you, I know that now. But Trina, please—l 

regret it. I regret everything.” 

I glanced around. Staff and employees were 

frozen, watching. Phones were recording. A 

DeVere scandal waiting to go viral. 

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“You regret it now?” I whispered. “Now that 

I’ve moved on? Now that I’ve rebuilt 

everything you shattered?” 

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He reached for my hand, but I yanked it away. 

“I thought you were gone forever,” he choked. “And then I saw you again, and I realized–l 

never stopped loving you.” 

“Don’t,” I snapped. “Don’t say that word. You 

don’t get to use it.” 

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Just then, a familiar scent reached me before 

a familiar voice did. 

“What the hell is going on?” 

I turned, and there he was–Mateo. 

His eyes zeroed in on Jackson. “Get your 

hands off her.” 

Jackson stood up slowly, wiping his face as 

his expression turned cold. “And who the hell 

are you supposed to be? Mateo Smith? 

You’re just―” 

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Mateo stepped forward. “I’m the man who’s 

going to marry her. The man who stayed 

when you threw her away.” 

Jackson scoffed. “You? You think she 

actually loves you?” 

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“More than she ever could love a coward like 

you.” 

Before I could speak, Jackson lunged. 

And suddenly fists were flying. Screams filled 

the lobby. The guards tried to intervene but 

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were too slow. 

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Jackson landed a punch across Mateo’s jaw. 

Mateo retaliated with a brutal jab to Jackson’s 

ribs. 

“Stop it! Stop–please!” I yelled, trying to 

wedge myself between them. 

But I wasn’t fast enough. 

Someone’s elbow–Jackson’s, maybe— 

slammed against my shoulder, and I lost my 

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footing. The pain shot through me like 

lightning. 

I stumbled back. 

The room tilted. 

Then everything went black. 

I stirred, groaning as a deep ache throbbed at 

the side of my head. My eyelids fluttered 

open, greeted by pale white walls and the 

beeping of machines. For a brief second, I 

didn’t know where I was. 

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Then the pain reminded me. 

The company lobby. Jackson. The fight. The 

fall. 

“You’re awake.” Mateo’s voice pulled me out 

of the fog. 

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I turned my head slowly and saw him sitting 

beside my bed, a cut on his lip, bruises on his 

knuckles. My father was on the other side, his 

weathered face heavy with worry and 

concern. 

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“Dad… Mateo…” My voice was hoarse, dry like 

sandpaper. 

“You’re in the hospital,” my father said gently, 

brushing a hand over my hair. “You passed 

out. Hit your head during that fight.” 

I winced. “How bad?” 

Mateo hesitated before answering. “You 

needed stitches. Eight of them. Doctor said 

you were lucky it wasn’t worse.” 

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My chest tightened. “Jackson…” 

“You don’t have to worry about him,” Mateo 

said firmly, reaching for my hand. “I had him 

escorted out. He’s banned from the building, 

and I’m tightening security.” 

I exhaled, but a lump of fear was still stuck in 

my throat. “He’s going to ruin everything. I 

know him–he won’t stop.” 

“I will,” Mateo said softly but fiercely. “I won’t 

let anyone touch you again. Not him. Not 

Donna. No one.” 

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My father gave my hand a squeeze. “He’s 

right. You’re not alone anymore.” 

The warmth of their presence soothed me. I 

let myself close my eyes for a moment, 

exhaustion dragging me under again. 

“You need to rest,” Mateo whispered, 

brushing his lips against my forehead. “I’ll be 

right here.” 

And with that promise, I let go and drifted into 

sleep. 

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I didn’t know how long I’d been asleep. 

All I knew was I couldn’t breathe. 

Something was wrapped around my neck. 

Tight. 

Choking. 

I gasped, eyes flying open–and there she 

was. 

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“Donna?” I wheezed, horror ripping through 

1. me.