"I have a few more questions."n''s voice stopped her in her tracks.


    Eleanor turned, fixing him with a calm look. "Is there something else, Mr. Goodwin?"


    "I''m not satisfied with your team''s current progress."n arched a brow, his impatience undisguised.


    Eleanor blinked in disbelief. Was he actually criticizing their pace?


    "Mr. Goodwin, scientific research takes precision. We can''t afford mistakes."


    With that, he stood, collected his papers, and strode out, leaving everyone in the conference room silent and a little stunned.


    To them, the progress so far was already impressive. But clearly, it wasn''t enough for Mr. Goodwin.


    Eleanor steadied herself for a moment before finally leaving Meridian Dynamics.


    That night, she texted him: "City Hall, tomorrow at ten."


    The thirty-day waiting period was over. It was time to finalize the divorce.


    His reply came quickly. "Fine."


    Clearly, he''d been waiting for this too. He hadn''t wasted a single day.


    The next morning, Eleanor kissed her daughter goodbye outside the school gates, watching her skip inside before she got into her car and headed for City Hall.


    Today, she would walk away with those divorce papers. No turning back.


    At ten o''clock sharp,n arrived. They handed over their documents, and less than ten minutester, two crisp divorce certificates sat on the desk between them.


    Eleanor picked hers up, double-checking the details. Across the desk,n did the same, flipping through the pages-making sure it was real.


    She was ready to leave when his voice stopped her, lingering in the air. "Eleanor, is this really the oue you wanted?"


    Her steps faltered, but she didn''t answer. She didn''t need to. Inside, the answer was clear.


    Yes. This was exactly what she wanted-what she needed.


    From now on, their lives would be separate. No more ties.


    Just then her phone buzzed. It was Joy. Eleanor smiled as she answered.


    "Well, richdy? Did you get the papers?"


    Eleanor couldn''t help butugh, relief bubbling up. "I did. Come celebrate with me at lunch?"


    "Absolutely!"


    She hung up, turned, and caught sight ofn standing just a few steps away. He''d clearly overheard her invitation to celebrate.


    Without another word, Eleanor hurried down the steps and headed for her car.


    Over lunch, Joy snatched up the divorce certificate, scanning it with a grin. "Official and everything. You andn-totally done. No strings attached."


    Eleanor slipped the certificate back into her purse, feeling lighter than she had in months.


    "I bet Vanessa can hardly wait," Joy said, rolling her eyes. "She must be thrilled now. Lettingn go so easily—she doesn''t deserve to get off that cheap.”


    Eleanor grinned. "What, should I have kept him till the holidays?"


    Joy burst outughing. "No need. You''ve got money, looks, time, and your


    daughter. Honestly, your life''s looking pretty fantastic."


    As they chatted, Joy couldn''t help but ask, "So, Ellie, someone as amazing as you -there must be a few admirers out there?"


    Eleanor blinked, caught off guard. "What?"


    "How many?" Joy pressed.


    "None!" Eleanor protested. Even if there were, she wasn''t interested-not now.


    Joy just smiled, letting it go. She knew that soon enough, Eleanor would have plenty of admirers, and maybe thenn would realize what he''d lost.


    Not that it would matter. Even if he came crawling back, Eleanor would never take him back. Not a chance.