It’d been ages since Jesse and I last hooked up, so we planned to grab some grub.

Downstairs, he swung open the car door for me, and just as I was about to slide in, two hands clamped onto me.

“Penelope!”

It was Archer.

Jesse tried to intervene, but Archer was having none of it.

I gave Jesse a look, signaling him to stand down.

Dealing with Archer was the last thing I wanted, but he was clinging on for dear life.

No choice but to chill on the curb.

It had been over a month since I’d last seen him. Archer was dressed sharp, but the five o’clock shadow and the dark circles under his eyes screamed that his life had been a dumpster fire lately.

“Penelope, can we just talk? For a sec?”

Archer’s voice was shaky, like he was scared I’d ghost him.

“Spill it here. I’m on a tight schedule,” I shot back, not playing along.

That pathetic act of his had conned me for two years. No more.

People were flooding the street, and Archer was still attached to me like a barnacle.

“Penelope, please, I’m begging you. Come home. Let’s call off the divorce, okay?”

“Forgive you for what, exactly? Enlighten me, why don’t you?”

Archer straightened up, clearly not giving a damn if the whole street knew he was the big-shot CEO of Edwards Corp. He just wanted me back.

“I’m done with her. Completely. She’s ancient history.”

“Oh, really?” I said, my eyes drifting to Lilith, who’d magically appeared behind him at some point.

“Are you trying to win me back, or are you just trying to save your precious Edwards Corp.? Big difference, Mr. Edwards.”

Lilith just stood there, not making a peep. I decided to prompt the stunned Archer.

“Your side piece is right here, Mr. Edwards. Don’t let me interrupt your little reunion.”

Archer spun around, spotting Lilith. He took an involuntary step back, creating distance, like he’d just dodged a biohazard.

“Penelope, I swear, I have no idea why she’s here.”

Lilith’s face went ashen, and she shot Archer a death glare.

Seeing I was genuinely about to peace out, Archer grabbed my arm.

“Please, babe, she was just a fling. I can’t live without you…”

I turned, offering Lilith a frosty little smile. She was not impressed.

“Archer and I are divorced. I’ll be eagerly awaiting your good news, you two.”

Once I was in the car, I saw Lilith grab Archer’s arm. They looked like they were about to throw down.

But honestly? I didn’t even care.

Lately, I’d been heads-down, grinding to get my new art exhibition ready for its grand opening next month.

It wasn't until Jesse nudged me that I remembered to refuel. We inhaled some sandwiches and coffee on the fly.

Scrolling through my phone, I stumbled upon a trending headline.

Edwards Corp. CEO Spotted at Gala with Mystery Woman, Marriage Reportedly on the Brink.

Ever since graduating and taking the reins of the family empire, Archer had been a bit of a public figure.

The media usually kept him on the down-low, though, thanks to some drama with a D-list starlet two years back.

Archer was fresh into his CEO role then.

This starlet, catching wind that Archer was young, single, and only had a fiancée who kept a low profile, decided to make her move.

At a fancy gala, she’d “accidentally” bumped into him and even hired paparazzi to snap pics of her “helping” him into a car.

Before I could even process the news, Archer had gone nuclear.

He’d ended up sending cease-and-desist letters faster than you can say ‘scandal,’ shutting down the media outlets.

That starlet? Blacklisted from the industry faster than you can say ‘career over.’

Anyone in the know would’ve sworn Mr. Edwards was the poster child for devotion to his fiancée.

I scrolled past the article, my face an unreadable mask. Archer’s PR game had definitely leveled up.

The news of our actual divorce? Still radio silent.

On the opening day of the exhibition, while I was deep in conversation with Jesse, I glanced over my shoulder and there he was: Archer.

I quickly briefed Jesse and found a quiet corner to deal with him.

Archer looked utterly wrecked, his voice barely a whisper as he choked out my name.

“Penelope.”

My dad, in his role as Chairman of the Warren Group, had made it official: I was divorced from Archer.

He'd even been quietly working the industry grapevine, subtly targeting Archer's company.

That haggard look on Archer’s face was probably legit.

“Penelope, can we just go back to how things were?”

“And what do you think?” I countered.

We both knew the answer.

A crumpled piece of paper, no matter how much you iron it, can never be truly flat again.

Archer met my gaze, his expression a complex cocktail of regret, self-loathing, and sheer desperation.