Ace continued to look at me with wide, unblinking eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words emerged from his lips. For a moment our gazes fought.

Finally he gave up and lowered his gaze on the divorce papers on top of the table.

"Is this what you really want?" He asked, raising his head again until his eyes caught my own, as though he was begging me to reconsider.

"It's what's best for us," I replied firmly, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Then there's nothing I can do, Phoenix. If it makes you happy, then who am I to deny what you want?" Ace picked up the divorce papers and handed them to me together with a pen.

I swallowed hard and took the papers from him. My fingers gripped the pen until it turned white. On the outside I looked composed, but truth be told, I was tearing apart on the inside.

Ace and I had shared five years of marriage, and it wasn't easy for me to let go. But if I don't let go, I cannot start afresh, and an innocent child will grow up without a father. I could never live in peace with that in my mind.

I took a deep breath, pushed away all the doubts in my mind and finally put my signature on the dotted line. When I'm done, I immediately let go of the pen as if it burned my skin.

"Promise me again that you will never bother me after this."

Ace did not reply. He simply looked at me for quite a long time. There was no visible emotion on his face, making me unable to guess what was running through his mind as he looked at me. Just when I thought he had gone mute, he finally spoke.

"I promised you, Phoenix," he murmured.

An awkward silence had fallen between us. To keep myself occupied, I picked the mug and lifted it to my lips. Ace did the same. He picked his own coffee and took a sip. He made no move to touch the divorce papers.

I turned my gaze to the window to avoid meeting his eyes.

The rain poured heavily, slightly flooding the cement pavement with water. There was no sign it will stop soon.

I lifted my cup to my lips, but I was surprised to find it empty. I clearly drank too quickly to keep myself occupied. With no choice, I lowered my cup back to the table, accidentally meeting eyes with Ace.

He was still staring at me, but his blank expression gave me no clue what he was thinking inside. Then my eyes dropped to his cup and saw he had finished drinking it too.

How awkward. What was I doing, still sitting with him as though we were out on a date? I got what I came for.

"Please excuse me, Mr. Greyson. There is a list of things I have to do." I gathered myself together and rose from my seat. "I have signed the divorce papers and there is no reason for me to linger here."

"I will drive you home." He offered, retrieving the divorce papers and securing them inside his briefcase before rising from his seat.

"Please don't bother. I'm fine with taking a cab to drive me home." I declined.

"No. I will drive you home." It was not a plea, but an order.

He rose from his seat in an epitome of strength and manliness. I found every woman inside the cafe looking at him. Ace could always command attention without noticing it. Or perhaps he noticed it but did not care, and that made him more attractive to women.

"I can go home on my own," I insisted, wanting to spend the next few minutes alone. I might break down any moment soon and I didn't want him to see the tears.

"Don't be stubborn." He took hold of my wrist and pulled me to the door to make sure I would not escape.

"Let me go, Ace." I spat, irritated. He did not need to treat me like a child.

"Don't make a scene." He hissed.

"If you don't let go, I will make a scene." I threatened, seriously pissed off by his demanding attitude.

"Make a scene then and we will end as tomorrow's headlines." He looked at me menacingly, calling my bluff. He knew I hated to attract undue attention.

I swallowed hard. My eyes surveyed the length of the coffee shop. All eyes were looking in our direction, and some people even had their phones out.

"Fine," I replied, gritting my teeth angrily. Ace, knowing that he won, pulled me to the door, and I was forced to obediently follow.

I took a deep breath, reminding myself that I just had to endure his presence for the next few minutes. After this we would not not see each other, since we both signed the divorce agreement. That thought did not stop me from glaring at his back.

He did not let go of my wrist even after we reached his car. He opened the door and after that, he finally let me go so that he could sit in the driver's seat. Once he sat down, he turned to look at me.

"Do you hate me so much, Phoenix, that you don't even want me to send you home? Do you want to get rid of me so badly?"

The nerve of this man to sound wronged after all he did to me!

"Ace, do you really want to hear how much I hate you now?" I hissed with a clenched fist. Every time I looked at him, all I could think of were the five years I wasted on loving him.

He returned all my love and devotion with pain and heartbreak.

"I deserve to know Phoenix. No matter how painful it sounds, I must hear it from your own lips."

I smiled, but it was not a radiant smile. It was a smile of pain and bitterness. "Hundreds and thousands of words exist in the dictionary, but I can't seem to find the right words to describe how much I hate you now." I whispered, with angry tears in my eyes.

"How dare you even ask me this, after what you did to me!"

"Will you be happy if I'm gone in your life?" He asked softly. His red-rimmed eyes mirrored mine.

"Yes." I replied without a second thought.

"Kill me then." He said. I stared blankly at him, thinking he was joking.

Before I could reply, Ace reached into the compartment of his car, and reached for something cool and metallic.

It was a gun.