[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260313014099-58":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},58,10,"Chapter 10: An Unexpected Curb-Side Confrontation","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It’d been ages since Jesse and I last hooked up, so we planned to grab some grub.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Downstairs, he swung open the car door for me, and just as I was about to slide in, two hands clamped onto me.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Penelope!”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was Archer.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Jesse tried to intervene, but Archer was having none of it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I gave Jesse a look, signaling him to stand down.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dealing with Archer was the last thing I wanted, but he was clinging on for dear life.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">No choice but to chill on the curb.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Penelope, can we just talk? For a sec?”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Archer’s voice was shaky, like he was scared I’d ghost him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Spill it here. I’m on a tight schedule,” I shot back, not playing along.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That pathetic act of his had conned me for two years. No more.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">People were flooding the street, and Archer was still attached to me like a barnacle.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Penelope, please, I’m begging you. Come home. Let’s call off the divorce, okay?”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Forgive you for what, exactly? Enlighten me, why don’t you?”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“I’m done with her. Completely. She’s ancient history.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Oh, really?” I said, my eyes drifting to Lilith, who’d magically appeared behind him at some point.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Are you trying to win me back, or are you just trying to save your precious Edwards Corp.? Big difference, Mr. Edwards.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Lilith just stood there, not making a peep. I decided to prompt the stunned Archer.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Your side piece is right here, Mr. Edwards. Don’t let me interrupt your little reunion.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Archer spun around, spotting Lilith. He took an involuntary step back, creating distance, like he’d just dodged a biohazard.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Penelope, I swear, I have no idea why she’s here.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Lilith’s face went ashen, and she shot Archer a death glare.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing I was genuinely about to peace out, Archer grabbed my arm.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Please, babe, she was just a fling. I can’t live without you…”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I turned, offering Lilith a frosty little smile. She was not impressed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Archer and I are divorced. I’ll be eagerly awaiting your good news, you two.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Once I was in the car, I saw Lilith grab Archer’s arm. They looked like they were about to throw down.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But honestly? I didn’t even care.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Lately, I’d been heads-down, grinding to get my new art exhibition ready for its grand opening next month.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It wasn't until Jesse nudged me that I remembered to refuel. We inhaled some sandwiches and coffee on the fly.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Scrolling through my phone, I stumbled upon a trending headline.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Edwards Corp. CEO Spotted at Gala with Mystery Woman, Marriage Reportedly on the Brink.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Ever since graduating and taking the reins of the family empire, Archer had been a bit of a public figure.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The media usually kept him on the down-low, though, thanks to some drama with a D-list starlet two years back.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Archer was fresh into his CEO role then.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">This starlet, catching wind that Archer was young, single, and only had a fiancée who kept a low profile, decided to make her move.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">At a fancy gala, she’d “accidentally” bumped into him and even hired paparazzi to snap pics of her “helping” him into a car.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Before I could even process the news, Archer had gone nuclear.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He’d ended up sending cease-and-desist letters faster than you can say ‘scandal,’ shutting down the media outlets.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That starlet? Blacklisted from the industry faster than you can say ‘career over.’\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Anyone in the know would’ve sworn Mr. Edwards was the poster child for devotion to his fiancée.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I scrolled past the article, my face an unreadable mask. Archer’s PR game had definitely leveled up.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The news of our actual divorce? Still radio silent.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">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.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">I quickly briefed Jesse and found a quiet corner to deal with him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Archer looked utterly wrecked, his voice barely a whisper as he choked out my name.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Penelope.”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">My dad, in his role as Chairman of the Warren Group, had made it official: I was divorced from Archer.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He'd even been quietly working the industry grapevine, subtly targeting Archer's company.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That haggard look on Archer’s face was probably legit.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“Penelope, can we just go back to how things were?”\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">“And what do you think?” I countered.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">We both knew the answer.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">A crumpled piece of paper, no matter how much you iron it, can never be truly flat again.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Archer met my gaze, his expression a complex cocktail of regret, self-loathing, and sheer desperation.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272931526]