Cassie felt a sharp, crushing pressure in her chest that made it nearly impossible to draw a full breath. She vividly remembered signing those papers just one week before their sunset wedding in Charleston, surrounded by the scent of jasmine and the sound of the ocean.
At the time, Wesley had stroked her hair and whispered that the document was merely a boring formality to satisfy his nervous venture capital investors. He told her it was a meaningless piece of paper because their love was the only foundation they would ever need to build their future.
She had believed every word he said back then, just as she had believed every other lie he fed her over the following years. She believed him when he claimed to be working until dawn while she was actually the one stayed up late proofreading his pitches and refining his business strategies.
She believed his promises that they would finally travel and rest once the company reached a billion-dollar valuation. She even forced herself to believe him when he insisted that the constant stream of young, beautiful personal assistants were simply efficient members of his growing team.