Chapter 2
Aria's POV
After that explosive fight with Atlas, I left the mansion and moved into a run-down apartment.
The next morning, I woke to searing pain in my abdomen. I curled up on the secondhand couch, sweat soaking my clothes. The cancer was spreading, each wave of pain reminding me—time was running out.
I need a lawyer. But with what money?
I shakily picked up my phone and started calling law firms.
"Divorce case? Our retainer is fifty thousand dollars."
"Sorry, we don't have legal aid programs."
"You could try public legal services, but there's a three-month wait..."
Three months? My phone nearly slipped from my hands. I might not have three months.
Atlas had frozen all my credit cards and restricted my bank accounts. The jewelry liquidation was still processing—I couldn't even afford a decent lawyer.
This is Atlas's strategy, isn't it? Leave me defenseless in court, then watch me get crushed.
Law Firm Building
I wore a fifty-dollar Target suit, standing in this luxury building feeling like a beggar who'd wandered into a palace.
The elevator doors closed. I pressed 18—a small legal aid office. The rising sensation made my stomach worse, or maybe it was just another cancer flare-up.
DING—
30th floor. The doors opened.
Atlas walked in.
Time seemed to stop completely. He wore an expensive tailored suit, followed by three equally well-dressed lawyers. When he saw me, his familiar face flashed shock, then quickly turned to disgust.
"What are you doing here?"
"Finding a lawyer. Preparing for divorce proceedings."
Atlas looked me up and down, mouth curving into a mocking smile. "Looking like THAT? You want to take me to court?"
Lead attorney David cleared his throat. "Atlas, don't engage with her."
"What am I afraid of?" Atlas stepped closer. "Do you know how much I make per year? Do you know what my legal team charges per HOUR?"
Five thousand dollars an hour. I'd checked.
The elevator continued rising, the mechanical hum amplifying in my ears like my inner despair.
"And you?" he continued, voice low but every word like a nail. "Wearing discount clothes, living in some rat-infested apartment, can't even afford a decent lawyer. You think you can beat ME?"
I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. Don't cry. Never cry in front of him.
"You'll regret this, Atlas."
"Regret?" He laughed, the sound echoing mockingly in the elevator. "I regret wasting ten years of my life with you."
The elevator reached the 42nd floor. Atlas stepped out.
Before the doors closed, Atlas looked back with the expression you'd give a pathetic creature:
"Face reality, Aria. You've already LOST."
The doors shut. I descended alone to the 18th floor, that crushing humiliation making it hard to breathe. My legs went weak; I had to grip the elevator wall to stay upright.
He's right. I've already lost. I lost before I even started.
Back at the apartment, my phone rang. Seeing Lisa's name brought a flicker of warmth. Maybe someone still cared.
"Hey, sweetie, are you okay?" Lisa sounded concerned. "I'm at the Starbucks downstairs. I want to talk. You need friends' support."
"Okay, I'll be right down."
I dragged my aching body downstairs. Seattle's autumn rain was always bone-chilling, the streets slick and wet like my mood.
Through the Starbucks window, I saw Lisa at a corner table, but she wasn't alone. Jennifer and Sarah were there too, heads close together, chatting animatedly.
Just as I was about to push the door, I heard conversation that froze my blood.
"God, I can't believe Aria actually HIT Sage!" Jennifer said excitedly.
"I heard Atlas hint at it on Joe Rogan's podcast," Lisa shook her head disappointedly. "He said 'some people can't accept breakups and do extreme things.' You know who he meant."
Podcast? When did he go on Joe Rogan?
My hand pressed against the cold glass door, my body beginning to tremble.
"Honestly, I always thought Aria had control issues," Sarah said quietly, but I heard every word. "Remember last year? Atlas wanted to go to Coachella, but she wouldn't let him, saying 'we need more private time.' So controlling."
"Exactly!" Jennifer nodded. "Atlas told us he felt caged. Now he's finally FREE."
They weren't here to comfort me. They were here to gossip about my pain.
I stood frozen outside, watching these three former friends dissect my life. The glass reflected my haggard face—dark circles, hollow cheeks. I really did look like a crazy woman.
"Did you see Sage's Instagram?" Lisa pulled out her phone. "Yesterday's photos are perfect girlfriend goals. Young, beautiful, and so supportive of Atlas's career."
"Atlas deserves better," Sarah concluded. "Aria's a thirty-year-old has-been with psychological issues. She deserved to get dumped."
I covered my mouth as tears burst forth. That feeling of betrayal by the entire world crashed over me like a tsunami.
Lisa suddenly looked up and saw me through the glass. Her face went white, panic and guilt flashing in her eyes. She jumped up, almost running to push open the door.
"Aria! You're here! We were just... discussing..."
"Discussing how controlling I am? Or celebrating that I got dumped?"
"No, Aria, we were worried about you..." Lisa's face flushed red, stammering lies.
"Worried about me?" I laughed coldly, tears streaming down. "Worried I might do something 'extreme' to that homewrecker?"
Jennifer and Sarah awkwardly looked down, unable to meet my eyes. Their silence hurt more than any accusation.
"Ten years of friendship. So this is what it really was." I wiped away tears. "Thanks for showing me what reality looks like."
I turned and walked away. Lisa called behind me: "Aria, wait! This is a misunderstanding!"
But I didn't look back. These people weren't worth it.