The Fall of Autumn

Port Sterling’s infamous playboy Jimmy Cabot had one rule: girlfriends were monthly, not lifetime. No strings attached. Women lined up across the city hoping to be his next fling. A good mood might earn you a villa; a bad one still came with a million-dollar goodbye. Everyone pitied me, calling me history’s most pathetic society wife. They assumed I’d endure it forever. Then Jimmy brought home Coco Miller—a plain university student who broke his one-month cycle. He gave me two choices: an open marriage with Coco as my equal, or a divorce taking half his wealth. His friends smirked, betting I’d stay for the money. Without hesitation, I chose divorce. In my past life, I chose tolerance. Coco then banned Jimmy from touching me or sharing his fortune. Old and alone, I watched her surrounded by family. When Jimmy died, his will omitted me entirely—everything went to her. I died a lonely queen in an empty castle. Reborn, I finally understood: take the money and leave. This time, we mean nothing to each other.

1 I took the divorce papers and read them carefully before reaching for a pen. Jimmy’s voice, a rare intrusion, cut through the silence. It was tight, laced with a tension he himself didn’t seem to notice. “Nina, think this through. Once you sign, there’s no going back.” My hand didn’t waver. The pen carved a clean, decisive arc across the paper. Signed. “I’ll pack my things and leave tonight.” How could I possibly have regrets? In my last life, I’d foolishly believed that bringing Coco home was just another one of his cruel games to get a reaction out of me. I thought, after all the years we’d been tangled together, he must have felt something for me. Pathetic. He and Coco had two children in three years and lived out a storybook romance. Meanwhile, I became a forgotten piece of furniture in my own home, an awkward fixture for half a lifetime, the butt of every joke whispered behind cupped hands. It wasn’t until we were old that I overheard him talking to Coco in his hospital room. He told her that the whole sordid affair—the half-dressed man in our bed—he’d orchestrated it all. “I was just tired of her,” he’d said, his voice raspy with age. “I didn’t want to make things too ugly, so I staged the whole thing.” There wasn’t a shred of guilt in his cloudy eyes. “That way, whatever I did afterward seemed justified.” So that was it. No wonder my desperate explanations were always met with his cold, unyielding disbelief. He knew the truth from the very beginning. He didn’t love me, yet he used a crime I never committed to chain me to him for fifty years. He could have made a clean break, but instead, he chose death by a thousand cuts. Looking up at his face now—younger, but still etched with that same casual cruelty—I felt nothing of the love that had once consumed me. Only a churning, bitter hatred remained. He stared at the signed agreement, his eyes wide with disbelief. Outside the door, the rustling sounds of eavesdroppers abruptly stopped. A second later, my “esteemed” in-laws burst in, their faces beaming. My mother-in-law grabbed Coco’s hand, her eyes appraising. “Oh, it’s so wonderful to have some youth in this house! So much vitality!” My father-in-law, a man who usually treated me with icy disdain, was now smiling warmly. He shot a pointed look in my direction. “Finally getting rid of the dead weight who’s been warming a seat for years. All this time, and not a single heir to show for it.” Coco lowered her head, a picture of shy modesty. “Oh, Uncle, don’t say that. I’m not that much younger than Nina…” She paused, a blush creeping up her cheeks. “Actually, I’m a month pregnant. We didn’t want to say anything until we were sure.” I raised an eyebrow. Of course. The same backhanded compliments, the same nauseating performance. Only this time, I didn’t care. For years, in my quest to be the perfect Mrs. Cabot, I’d worked like a dog at Cabot Industries by day, only to come home and cater to these two demanding relics by night. I was just over thirty, but gray hairs were already starting to streak my temples. I really had aged. I turned and walked to our bedroom to pack the few miserable belongings I could call my own. My mind was already racing, planning my first post-divorce vacation spot. I didn’t notice Jimmy had followed me in. “It’s late. You don’t have to move out immediately. You can go tomorrow.” “The villa on the west side is empty, isn’t it? You can stay there for now. I’ll come visit when I have time.” “Nina, I know you love me. Stop this tantrum.” He seemed to recall something, a fond, patronizing smile playing on his lips. “But the title… I can’t give you that anymore. I won’t let my child be born with the stigma of being illegitimate.” I didn’t answer. I just picked up my suitcase, walked past him, and headed straight for the door. “I have nothing to say to you. I’m thrilled to be divorced.” “If you have any shred of decency left, you’ll wire me the money you owe me as soon as possible.” The night wind, carrying flurries of snow, hit my face. It was cold, biting, but it couldn’t extinguish the fire that was finally roaring to life inside me.

2 Jimmy was, as always, brutally efficient. When I woke up the next morning, three billion dollars had been deposited into my bank account. The first thing I did was book a full-day package at Port Sterling’s most exclusive private spa. New haircut, full body massage, the works. The haggard woman with graying temples in the mirror vanished. In her place was a bombshell with audacious crimson hair and eyes that glinted with a sharp, newfound fire. I had just slipped into a new dress when my best friend, Kara, called. She started screaming before I could even say hello. “Nina! What the hell is going on with you and Jimmy? Has the whole world gone insane?!” I held the phone away from my ear, a lazy smile on my face. “What’s wrong?” “What’s wrong? You haven’t seen the news?” Kara’s voice was thick with disbelief. “It’s everywhere! Photos of Jimmy at the gala with that little tramp!” “He told the reporters, right to their faces, that she was his one and only wife! He said they’re planning the wedding now!” “And your holier-than-thou in-laws were right there, gushing about how she ‘deserves’ it all!” Her voice softened, laced with concern. “Nina… are you okay?” The public acknowledgment I had craved, the validation I had begged for my entire life—Jimmy had given it all to someone else. “I’m fine,” I said, admiring my new look in the reflection of a champagne flute. “We’re divorced.” “Divorced?” Kara couldn’t believe it. She had watched me love Jimmy for over a decade. She had watched me bend and break and debase myself for this marriage, wagging my tail for any scrap of affection he might throw my way. I didn’t explain further, just chuckled softly. “Are you free tonight? Drinks are on me.” At Port Sterling’s most decadent nightclub, our table was covered in bottles of Ace of Spades. A group of handsome young models surrounded me, diligently keeping my glass full. Kara’s eyes were wide. “Holy shit. Now I believe you. You’re really over him. This isn’t the old Nina.” The old Nina, desperate to prove she wasn’t a gold digger, would agonize over the price of everything. She was terrified Jimmy would think she was frivolous, a spendthrift who didn’t care about their home. Now, sitting in this opulent booth, I saw a stranger in the mirrored wall. The fiery red hair, the perfectly tailored couture dress—she was both unfamiliar and intimately known. Kara raised her glass and clinked it against mine. “This is more like it. You look like the girl from A-University’s finance program, the star they hadn’t seen in a century.” She took a long swallow of champagne, her voice full of righteous anger on my behalf. “Every venture capital firm in the country was fighting to hire you. If you’d started your own company, you would have crushed Cabot Industries by now!” “You slaved away for his family for a decade, and this is all you get in the divorce.” “Nina, you deserved so much better.” More than a decade. In my last life, under my leadership, Cabot Industries had become the top corporation in the country. Yet in my final years, I couldn’t even afford a box of painkillers. I was eventually kicked out onto the street by Coco’s “devoted” children, left to freeze to death next to a pile of garbage on a cold winter night. The empire I had built with my own blood and sweat became the inheritance for Coco and her offspring. At the thought, I downed the rest of my champagne. The liquid burned my throat, but it only stoked the flames within me. Fine. Let them all watch. Let’s see how well they do without Nina Sterling.

3 The next day, news that I had registered a new company spread like wildfire through the city’s elite circles. Some sensed an opportunity and came knocking with investment proposals overnight. But most, wary of offending the Cabots, chose to watch from the sidelines, their amusement barely concealed. Someone, probably at Jimmy’s direction, had the tabloids running stories mocking my overconfidence, painting me as a bitter ex-wife playing at business. I scrolled past the headlines on my phone, my expression blank. I didn’t, however, expect a call from Jimmy himself. “Nina, stop this nonsense.” “Running a company isn’t a game. That money won’t last you long. Your position at Cabot Industries is still open. Come back.” “No thank you, Mr. Cabot,” I said coolly. There was a pause on the other end. He sounded annoyed, but he reined it in. “Nina, can’t you be a little more understanding? I just… I found my soulmate.” “Besides, why start some pathetic little company when you have a place at Cabot? That Southbridge acquisition you were handling…” I hung up. Of course. He only remembered my value when he needed his most capable tool back. The Southbridge project was a beast I had spent six months wrestling with, a deal I’d secured at the cost of a bleeding ulcer. Without me, Cabot Industries was completely lost. At Cabot, my official title was President, but my monthly salary was a paltry three thousand dollars. My “esteemed” father-in-law had once told me, “We’re all family, don’t be so concerned with money.” I used to believe it was a test of my character. Now I saw the truth. I was nothing more than a cheap, ruthlessly effective workhorse they had found. The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. My mind was made up. The deals I had secured for Cabot Industries in my past life—this time, even if my new company couldn’t swallow them whole, I would personally deliver them into the hands of Cabot’s greatest rival.

4 After I hung up on him, Jimmy threw his phone against the wall. He had grown accustomed to my obedience over the years, to having me at his beck and call. To be dismissed so cleanly was a blow to his ego he couldn’t stomach. Just then, his executive assistant entered, looking flustered, carrying a stack of documents Jimmy couldn’t begin to comprehend. He needed signatures. The recent stress, combined with years of being disconnected from the company’s daily operations, had left him completely overwhelmed. Coco followed the assistant in, her eyes full of theatrical concern as she took Jimmy’s hand. “Jimmy, darling, don’t work yourself to death. I’m your wife now. Let me join the company and help you.” He hesitated. “You’re still young, you don’t know the business. Maybe you should spend some time in different departments first.” Coco’s eyes instantly filled with tears. “Nina got to be President. Why can’t I?” Jimmy’s first instinct was to say that Nina was a top graduate from A-University’s finance program. But the moment he looked into Coco’s big, pleading eyes, all logic fled his mind. He softened, nodding his assent. Her tears vanished as quickly as they’d appeared. She threw her arms around him. “I just worry about you so much,” she cooed. “You’ve gotten so thin lately.” Within two weeks of its launch, my company was already thriving. During that time, Coco sent more than a few troublemakers my way. They were petty, amateurish attempts at sabotage, all of which I dismantled with ease. The network I had built in Port Sterling over the years was far beyond what a naive girl like her could ever challenge. A few of my most loyal senior employees from Cabot, whom I had personally mentored, had been eager to jump ship since they heard I was striking out on my own. Coco’s arrival had made their lives a living hell, constantly undermining them. I told them to be patient. All I asked was that they create a few small, critical problems on their way out as a… parting gift. Coco thought the departure of a few employees was no big deal. She was probably celebrating the purge of the “ex-wife’s loyalists.” What she didn’t understand was that some people aren’t just employees; they’re the main arteries of a company. Project after project began to fail. Cabot Industries’ stock price plummeted. My company, on the other hand, was now a powerhouse. My new team was a well-oiled machine, landing several multi-million-dollar contracts in quick succession. Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows of my conference room, I watched my jubilant team below and announced, “Tonight, the Seafront Club! My treat! We celebrate until we drop!” “To the boss!” Amid a chorus of cheers, I led my people out the front door. A familiar black Rolls-Royce Phantom was parked silently at the curb. The door opened, and Jimmy stepped out, a smug look on his face as he beckoned to me. I didn’t even glance his way, leading my team straight past him. His assistant moved to block my path. Jimmy caught up, his face a mask of irritation and anger. “Nina, what is the meaning of this? Didn’t you see me? You’ve gotten bold.” I was losing my patience. “Can I help you, Mr. Cabot?” I asked, my voice dripping with detached formality. My tone caught him off guard, but he pressed on, his voice a command. “Shut down this little company of yours and come back to Cabot.” His audacity was so staggering I almost laughed. He mistook my smile for hesitation, and his voice softened. “Nina, I’m exhausted. Can you please stop this game and come back? Please?” He paused, as if making a monumental concession. “If Coco is really bothering you that much, I can have her move out for a while.” Looking at this self-absorbed man, I seriously questioned my judgment from my past life. “I’m not playing a game,” I cut him off coldly. “Mr. Cabot, we are divorced. I would appreciate it if you would stop interfering in my life.” His patience snapped. “I’m already compromising!” he yelled. “What more do you want? The company needs you right now! Is this really the time to be playing hard to get?!” I suddenly realized there was no getting through to him. In his world, everyone and everything was supposed to revolve around him. “If you need help, Mr. Cabot, you should ask your loving wife, Coco. I’m just an outsider. It’s not my job to clean up your messes.” A look of dawning comprehension crossed his face. “Is that it? You’re still hung up on the title?” “Nina, once Coco has the baby, I’ll… consider it.” “But you have to promise to keep it a secret. I don’t want to hurt Coco’s feelings.” I stared at him, articulating each word with precision. “I’ll say this one more time. Get. Lost. And don’t ever let me see you again.” “I don’t want to remarry you. Not in this lifetime.” Jimmy’s face contorted with rage. “Nina, don’t push your luck!” he snarled. “This is Port Sterling! I could crush a pathetic little startup like yours without breaking a sweat!” Just then, a clear, drawling male voice cut in. “Oh? Is that so, Mr. Cabot? Such big words.” “Not only are you publicly harassing my fiancée, but you’re also threatening to destroy her company?” Jimmy spun around, his jaw dropping when he saw who it was. Liam Vance. Heir to the other great family of Port Sterling, and Jimmy’s lifelong rival. Liam strolled over, his movements lazy and confident, and casually wrapped an arm around my waist. He rested his head on my shoulder with practiced intimacy. “Darling,” he purred, “I was waiting for you in the garage forever. Didn’t realize you were out here getting barked at.” Jimmy was trembling with rage. He pointed a shaking finger at me. “Nina! Explain yourself! Why would you betray me?!” Then, as if a brilliant thought struck him, his expression shifted to one of smug certainty. “I see! This is all an act, isn’t it? You’re just using Liam to make me jealous!” Liam rolled his eyes dramatically and started pulling me away. “Don’t waste your breath on idiots. It lowers your IQ.” “Stop!” Jimmy shouted, trying to follow. But the combination of his fury and weeks of sleepless nights caught up to him. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his stomach. “Ah—” he cried out, doubling over and clutching his abdomen, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. “Nina… my stomach… it hurts…” I didn’t stop. I didn’t even slow down. I didn’t look back once. Behind me, I could hear his muffled groans of pain and the frantic cries of his assistant.