The Heiress' Re Chapter 139 Divorce Paper

Chapter 139: Chapter 139 Divorce Paper

Ariana’s POV

I sat in the chair. The room was cold, the walls were white, and the table in front of

was empty except for the papers.

Divorce papers.

Jonathan sat across from

with a kind face.

Sorry, but kindness didn’t matter.

Sorry, it didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered anymore.

My body was empty.

My womb was empty.

My heart was empty.

I had lost my baby.

I had lost my husband.

I had lost my sons.

Alan didn’t know .

Asher, Leo, and the girls were at ho with Sarah, and Dante was getting married tomorrow.

To lissa.

Jonathan cleared his throat. He pushed the papers closer to . "Ariana, I know this is difficult. I know this is the last thing you need right now, but Dante’s wedding to lissa is tomorrow. He can’t marry her while he’s still legally married to you. The paperwork needs to be filed before the ceremony."

I stared at the papers.

My na was on them.

Ariana lendez’s husband’s na was on them. Dante Russo. Soon, that na would belong to soone else.

lissa’s husband.

Not mine.

"He doesn’t know," I said, my voice was flat and empty. "He doesn’t know he’s married to ; he still doesn’t rember our children or . He doesn’t rember anything."

Jonathan nodded slowly. "The doctors have advised that we don’t remind him. They say forcing him to rember could cause more damage. It could set back his recovery. It could even cause a stroke or a seizure. His brain is still healing. We have to let him rember on his own, if he ever does."

I laughed. It was a hollow sound. "So I lost my husband because his brain forgot . I lost my marriage because the doctors say it’s dangerous to tell him the truth. I lose everything because lissa gets to pretend the last ten years never happened."

Jonathan’s face was full of pity. "I’m sorry, Ariana, I truly am, but the lawyers have looked at everything. The shares you signed over to your father... that was a legal transfer. Your signature was verified. There’s nothing we can do to get them back, and without those shares, without your marital rights, there’s no settlent. No alimony. Nothing."

I looked at him. "He’s taking everything. Dante is taking everything, and he doesn’t even know it."

"The children will stay with their father. That’s standard in cases like this. The court will see that you signed away your shares. They’ll see that you were involved with your father, who is a convicted criminal. They’ll see that you’ve been under emotional distress. They’ll award custody to Dante."

"Dante doesn’t rember them," I said. My voice was shaking now. "He doesn’t rember any of them. How is it fair that he keeps the children? How can he have custody of children he doesn’t rember?"

Jonathan sighed. "The court doesn’t know that. The doctors have advised us to keep his condition private. If it gets out that Dante has amnesia, the company could collapse. The stock prices would plumt. Everyone who works for him would lose their jobs. lissa has made it very clear that if we go public with his condition, she’ll make sure the dia destroys him."

"lissa," I spat. "lissa is the one making all the decisions now. lissa is the one who gets to play wife. lissa is the one who gets to raise my children. lissa is the one who gets everything."

Jonathan pushed the papers closer. "Ariana, I’m sorry, I wish there was another way, but you have to sign."

I stared at the papers at the line where I was supposed to sign. The line that would end my marriage.

The line that would give lissa everything.

"If I sign, I lose my children. I lost my ho. I lose everything."

"If you don’t sign, you could lose Dante forever. He could die, Ariana. Is that what you want?"

I closed my eyes.

Dante’s face flashed in my mind.

The way he smiled, the way he held , and said my na.

Ariana.

His Ariana.

But Dante was gone.

The man in the hospital didn’t know .

He looked at

like I was a stranger.

"He doesn’t rember ," I whispered. "He doesn’t rember our life. He doesn’t rember our children. He doesn’t rember any of it, and I have to let him go. I have to let him marry her because I don’t have a choice."

Jonathan didn’t answer.

There was nothing to say.

I picked up the pen with my hand that was shaking. My whole body was shaking. I looked at the line one more ti.

My na.

My marriage.

My life.

I signed.

The pen scratched against the paper, my na. Ariana Russo. The last ti I would write that na.

The last ti I would be his wife.

I dropped the pen. It clattered on the table. The sound was loud in the quiet room.

Jonathan took the papers. He looked at my signature and then nodded slowly. "I’m sorry, Ariana. I’ll file these today. The divorce will be final before the wedding tomorrow."

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t answer. The words were stuck in my throat.

Jonathan stood up. He gathered his things. He walked to the door and paused. "Ariana, if there’s anything I can do—"

"There’s nothing," I said. "You’ve done enough."

He left.

The door closed behind him.

The room was silent.

I sat there staring at the empty table at the space where my marriage used to be.

The door opened again I didn’t look up. I didn’t care who it was.

"Poor Ariana." The voice was sweet.

Mocking.

Familiar.

I looked up.

lissa stood in the doorway.

She was wearing a white dress.

Not a wedding dress, but sothing casual. Like she was already the bride, with her hair perfect and her makeup.

Her smile was perfect.

Cruel.

"lissa," I said, my voice was flat and empty.

She walked into the room and sat in the chair across from .

She crossed her legs and then smiled.

That smile that made

want to scream.

"I heard you signed the papers," she said. "I knew you would. You always do the right thing. The selfless thing. It’s your biggest weakness."

I stared at her. "What do you want?"

She laughed. "What do I want? I already have everything I want, Dante, the kids, mansion, company, your shares, husband.... Basically, your whole life." She leaned forward, her eyes were bright. Victorious. "I’ve finally won, Ariana. After all these years. After everything you took from . I’ve finally won."

I felt sothing stir in my chest.

Sothing I thought was dead.

Anger.

Rage.

Hate.

"You haven’t won anything," I said. My voice was low. Cold. "You’ve stolen, lied, and manipulated. You’ve taken advantage of a man who can’t rember. That’s not winning. That’s stealing."

lissa’s smile didn’t waver. "Call it whatever you want. The result is the sa. Tomorrow, I marry Dante. Tomorrow, I beco Mrs. Russo. Tomorrow, I move into the mansion. And you? You go back to your miserable little life. No husband, children, or money. Nothing."

I stood up, my legs feeling weak. My body was still healing, but I stood and looked at her, the woman who had taken everything from , and I couldn’t do anything but watch.

"You’ll regret this," I said, my voice shaking. But I ant every word. "You’ll regret everything you’ve done. One day, Dante will rember. One day, he’ll wake up, and he’ll know what you did. He’ll know about the lies. The blackmail, manipulation, and when that day cos, lissa, he will hate you. He will hate you more than he’s ever hated anyone."

lissa’s smile flickered. Just for a second, then it ca back. "Dante will never rember. The doctors said it’s unlikely. His mory is gone, and even if it cos back, I’ll be his wife. I’ll be the mother of his son. I’ll be the one who was there for him when he woke up, not you. You were gone. You signed the papers. You walked away."

I stepped closer to her, but she didn’t move. "I didn’t walk away, and we both know that, but mind you. I’m not going anywhere, lissa. I will spend every day of my life making sure you pay for what you’ve done for my children, my marriage, and my baby."

Her face hardened. "Your baby is dead. Your marriage is over. You have nothing, Ariana. Nothing."

The words were knives.

Each one cutting deeper than the last, but I couldn’t break, not in front of her.

"You’re wrong," I said. "I have my children. I will fight for them... you know what? You can keep Dante, I don’t fucking care, not anymore, but my children, I will fight for them, and one day, lissa, I will make you pay. I will make sure you lose everything. The way you made

lose everything."

lissa stood up; she was taller than I was.

"Good luck with that," she said. "Enjoy your miserable life, Ariana. I know I’ll enjoy mine."

She turned and walked to the door. She paused. Looked back at . "Oh, and Ariana? Don’t bother coming to the wedding. You’re not invited."

She laughed that horrible laugh.

Then she walked out with the door closing behind her

I stood there.

Alone.

In the empty room.

Dante did this, and so did lissa.

Rage.

Hate.

The need for justice for revenge and to make them pay.

After everything we’ve been through, he chose to lie to

and then forget

and marry his ex-wife again?

"You’ll regret this," I whispered to them. To everyone who had taken from . "You’ll all regret this. I will make you pay. Every single one of you, I swear it."