The Invisible Wife-Dump Him for $18.80

Chapter 6

The moment I stepped out of the house I'd once shared with Gabriel, it felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. The years of suppression, humiliation, gone, like dust in the wind.

I pulled out my phone, and for the first time in three years, posted to my Instagram Stories: Back to my roots.

Within minutes, my old mentor and industry contacts, people I had once looked up to, were lighting up my inbox with excited messages.

"Lexa, you're back!"

"Come to my studio! We've got an amazing offer for you!"

"No, join my team! I'll invest everything to make it work!"

The comments section quickly became a full-on battleground. People were literally fighting for me.

But buried deep in the thread, unnoticed by everyone else, was a single, quiet comment: just a question mark from Gabriel.

For three years, I had been nothing but a shadow of myself. A housewife with no connection to the career I once loved. Gabriel loved to put me down, calling me useless, saying I was out of touch with the entertainment world.

He'd conveniently forgotten that I was at the top of my directing class, winning international awards for my student films. And it was thanks to my connections that he got his first major break and skyrocketed to stardom.

When I chose him over graduate school, when I put my dreams on hold for him, everyone told me I was throwing my future away. A tragic waste.

And now, here I was, reading offers from old friends, real friends, fighting over who would get to work with me again. I couldn't help it; tears started to well up in my eyes.

I wasn't worthless.

Without Gabriel, I could finally shine.

But I didn't rush into anything. Grateful but resolute, I turned down every offer. There were three years I needed to get back, and I had one last thing to finish before I could move forward, my gift for Gabriel.

Ten days later, the news of Gabriel Whitmore and Serena Sterling's wedding broke the internet. Fans flooded Twitter in a frenzy, launching early fireworks in celebration of their beloved couple.

The red carpet event was the highlight of the night, and all eyes were on the star-studded duo. Every camera, every lens was trained on them, waiting for their big moment.

When Gabriel stepped onto the carpet in a crisp tuxedo, escorting Serena in a custom-made white gown, the crowd went wild.

"You two look like you're already getting married!" the host joked, grinning.

Serena laughed, her tone playful. "Consider it a little sneak peek for the fans."

The host turned to Gabriel. "Any words for the audience?"

Gabriel smiled at the camera, his expression steady. "Being with Serena is the best decision I've ever made. I'll never regret it."

Then, in a whisper barely audible over the cheers, he added, "I hope you won't regret it either."

I was the only one who knew those words were meant for me.

In the past, I had loved Gabriel so deeply. I used to attend every event, every broadcast. I even forced myself to watch his reality show with Serena, my tears falling all the while.

He knew I was watching now.

I let out a quiet breath, a small smile playing on my lips as I gazed at the screen. My fingers hovered over my phone, and then, I made the call. "Showtime."