Ditching Me for His 'Soulmate'? His Loss. Next Stop: My New Life novel Chapter 98

Chapter 1

For six long years, I was married to the CEO—though no one knew. Our union was a secret, hidden beneath layers of silence and unspoken rules. Throughout all those years, he stubbornly refused to let our son call him “Dad.” It was as if that simple word was too much for him to bear.

Then came the breaking point. Once again, he missed our son’s birthday, caught up in the demands of his assistant. That night, something inside me snapped. I handed him the divorce papers without a word and walked away, holding our child close, determined never to look back.

The man who was always composed, the one who never lost his temper, suddenly unraveled. He stormed into my office like a man possessed, his eyes wild as he demanded to know where I had gone. But this time, my son and I refused to be pulled back into his world.

A few days later, I told Olivia, my colleague, “I’m moving overseas next month for grad school.” I slid my resignation letter across the desk. Olivia stared at me, clearly taken aback. “That’s… really sudden,” she said, her voice tinged with surprise.

I gave her the explanation I had rehearsed countless times in my head. “Leo’s father lives in Australia. I’m taking my son there so we can finally be a family.” Olivia nodded slowly, understanding dawning in her eyes. “I get it,” she said softly. “You’ve been raising him alone all this time. That must have been so exhausting. Honestly, we all thought you were a single mom.”

I smiled faintly, the corners of my mouth twitching with a bittersweet truth. I wasn’t single before, but soon I would be.

Just as I was leaving the office, I bumped into Nate and Zoe. Nate—my boss and the father of my child. Seven years ago, I was his personal assistant. One reckless, drunken night changed everything. Now, six years into our secret marriage, he still wouldn’t let our son call him “Dad.”

Nate walked slowly, deliberately matching Zoe’s pace. Zoe clutched a stack of reports in one hand, the other gripping the hem of Nate’s suit jacket like they were some perfect office couple. The sight made my stomach twist with discomfort.

Suppressing the ache twisting my chest, I still typed out a message to him. *It’s your son’s birthday today. Are you free tonight?*

Across the hallway, I caught Nate glancing at his phone. Three seconds later, he set it down, pretending nothing had happened. No reply. No sign.

I stared at the empty chat screen and let out a dry, hollow laugh. Come on, Sophia. When will you finally wake up? You’ve known all along he doesn’t care. What were you hoping for?

Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I took a deep breath. Nate, your freedom is coming soon.