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“Did we not hear the same recording?”

“I told the tramp to tell me the truth, and she did.”

“Don’t call her that.”

“What? A tramp? She is.”

“She’s a better fucking person than you ever were.”

“Oh, really?” Celine stands up, her heels bringing her to my eye level. “She’s the one who slept with a married man.”

“Stop saying we’re married.”

“According to the law, we are.”

“Only because you made me sign a stupid separation agreement that stipulated you would only sign the divorce papers if I left the fucking state for ten years because you have some fucked-up superiority complex. Which I did. We should’ve been divorced the moment I landed back in the city. Three damn months ago.”

“Maybe if you never came back, I would’ve signed the papers.”

“That’s not what we agreed to.”

“I don’t care.”

“God!” I run my hand through my hair. “Why are you even going after Verity? We are not together, Celine. We are exes. We are separated. We are basically divorced, and we don’t have any love for each other. Why can’t we just end this?”

“Because I refuse to let you be happy.”

“Are you serious?”

“Dead serious.” Her eyes narrow.

I think there’s something wrong with her head.

“I’ve said I was sorry a million times for playing a role in our marriage falling apart. Sorry that I put myself first when I vowed to be a partner. Sorry that I started ignoring you. Sorry that I stopped loving you. But I’m done.” My voice is cold, spewing shards of ice, and Celine flinches at my shift.

“Done? You can’t be done.”

“I am. I don’t even have the energy to hate you. I feel nothing for you, Celine. Nothing. Sign the papers now or don’t. It’s up to you. But if I leave this room today and those documents lack your signature, I’ll bring this to a judge. I don’t care about protecting you anymore. Not when you’re threatening to ruin the first good thing to happen to me since I left you.”

She clenches her jaw, molten hatred pouring from her eyes.

“You think Verity will stay with you?” She lets out a bitter laugh. “You should’ve seen her face when she found out we were still married. There was pure anguish there. The poor girl broke.”

I clench my fists, trying to keep myself from losing it completely. It is one thing for Celine to come after me, but I won’t let her ruin Verity. I promised Verity that I’d protect her from the fallout.

“You’re nothing but a bully.”

“A bully? You better watch your accusation, hubby.”

“Don’t start with me, Celine. This is all BS. We haven’t been husband and wife in over ten years. This crap you’re pulling stinks like a load of horseshit.”

“Insult me all you want. It won’t change a thing. What do you think she’ll choose, Cullen. You or her career? Because I won’t let her have both.”

“You gave her an ultimatum?”

She shrugs. “Did I? All I said was if she wants to consider maintaining her employment, she had better think carefully about whose dick she’s sucking.”

“That’s not legal. You can’t fire someone for dating your ex.”