But for nine straight years, she had pushed me past my limits again and again. She assumed I'd stay no matter what, that my patience was infinite. She didn't understand that even the most devoted man needed something to hold on to. All she'd ever given me was bitterness.
——
When she saw that my expression hadn't changed, Greta faltered. A rare flicker of panic crossed her face.
"Honey, you're not serious, are you?"
She stepped in front of me, searching my eyes. "Let me make one thing clear—I don't do second chances. If you go through with this divorce, you will never get close to me again. Not in this lifetime."
"Think about it," she pressed. "You're not that long-lost heir everyone pitied anymore. Melvin already controls every asset in the Gilbert Group. Without me, you're nothing. Just some nobody with an empty name."
"Sure, when they first brought you back, the Gilberts felt guilty. They wanted to make it up to you. But what do you have now besides the surname? What connection is left?"
"Some people are born into fortune but never meant to keep it. Getting swapped at birth was just bad luck." She lifted her chin, smug and self-satisfied. "At least I never held it against you."