Divorce With Benefits: A Second Chance At Love
Chapter 42: Looking For Him

Chapter 42: Looking For Him

Every polite smile Jerica gave felt hollow, every handshake an unwelcome distraction from the gnawing emptiness building inside her. She moved mechanically, her lips forming words, her body performing the requisite gestures, but her heart was lost, focused on a singular search—for Jared.

The man she had thought she knew, the husband she had loved for so long, now felt like a phantom slipping further away, leaving her grasping at memories.

Her eyes darted across the sea of faces, elegantly dressed in their finest, the polished charm and artificial laughter bouncing off the ballroom’s grand chandeliers. The room was magnificent, the kind of place that could have made her feel invincible once. But tonight, the weight of it felt like chains, dragging her deeper into a solitude she hadn’t known existed.

Finally, she saw him. There he stood, on the far side of the room, surrounded by people—colleagues, socialites, those who clung to him like moths to a flame, entranced by the sheer force of his presence. To them, he was magnetic, a man of power and intellect who commanded attention effortlessly. But to her, he looked so very far away, as though a vast chasm had opened between them, one she wasn’t sure they could ever cross again.

Their eyes locked for a fleeting second. It should have been enough to tether her to him, to reel her back into the safety of their connection, but it wasn’t. In that brief moment, something clicked inside her—an unsettling realization that chilled her to the core.

He wasn’t really there. Not for her. They were standing in the same room, breathing the same air, yet they might as well have been on different planets.

They had both been invited, both belonged to this world of privilege and wealth. But now, Jerica saw it—the invisible barrier that had grown between them. An unspoken divide that kept them apart, two different worlds coexisting under the same roof. It had been creeping up on her for years, but tonight, it hit her with the force of a tidal wave.

They were no longer standing side by side. She had been clinging to the idea of them, of what they had been, while Jared... Jared had already let go.

The realization left her cold. She had always existed in this world of privilege, yes, but she had never understood how many layers there truly were. There were tiers to this society, strata that even the elite weren’t immune to, and for the first time, Jerica saw it clearly.

She had always been on the top rung of every event she attended, her name carrying weight, her family’s legacy opening doors and turning heads. She had grown up in these circles, had been molded by their unspoken rules, and she fit effortlessly among the high society elites. It was all she had ever known.

But Jared... Jared had never belonged the way she did. He had worked his way up, earned every ounce of respect through sheer force of will. Admired for his sharp mind, his fierce intellect, and his courtroom victories, he was impressive.

Yet, he stood on the other side of that invisible wall, separated by the unspoken boundaries that neither of them had ever acknowledged. He was part of the crowd, but not a part of her world. Not fully.

Her breath hitched as a deep sadness began to settle in her chest. Was this the reason Jared never wanted her to accompany him to any event? Did his pride keep him from crossing the boundary that would have made him a part of her world? Did he view her background as a hindrance, something that threatened his own success?

The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. Could her husband—the man she loved—be so prideful, so unwilling to let her lift him up?

She hadn’t seen it before, hadn’t recognized the quiet resentment that might have been brewing all along. But now, as she stood in this opulent room, watching the man who should have been by her side stand so far away, it all made sense.

It wasn’t just distance—it was avoidance.

He didn’t want to belong in her world. He didn’t want to be seen as benefiting from her family’s legacy, from her status. Was his masculinity so fragile that he couldn’t accept her help? Could he be so misogynistic that he found it shameful to be seen as her equal in this sphere?

Her heart sank further as the weight of that realization settled into her bones. She had never thought where she came from would be a problem. She had never imagined that the foundation—her mother’s legacy—would become the very thing that divided them.

She would have done anything to close the gap, to pull Jared up to stand beside her, but how could she when he saw her outstretched hand as a threat rather than a gift?

Wasn’t that what marriage was supposed to be? Helping each other, lifting one another when needed? If their roles were reversed, Jerica knew Jared would never hesitate to help her. He would have stood by her side, offering support in the moments she faltered. Why couldn’t he let her offer the same to him?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft murmur of the crowd. Another guest had arrived, and the shift in energy told Jerica that this person was important. She turned her head, just in time to see the woman who had captured everyone’s attention—Lydia Sutherland.

Even without knowing her personally, Jerica recognized the name. Lydia was married into the noble Sutherland family, an aristocratic lineage from a far-off country. Her wealth and connections were legendary, and it was clear by the way people moved around her that she commanded effortless respect.

Jerica forced herself to smile politely as Lydia approached, but her mind was elsewhere. She couldn’t help but take in Lydia’s graceful demeanor, her poise so natural, so unforced. The woman radiated a quiet confidence that seemed to make everyone around her pause, their voices softening as if in deference. Lydia was older, her face lined with soft wrinkles that only added to her elegance.

There were no signs of vanity, no attempts to conceal the passage of time, and yet, Lydia’s beauty was undeniable. She was everything Jerica should aspire to be, everything her mother had wanted for her.

But none of it mattered.

Her heart wasn’t with Lydia, or the prestigious guests that filled the room. Her heart was still searching for Jared, still hoping, still pleading.

She wanted him to see her. She wanted him to come to her, to cross that invisible line that had separated them for so long. She wanted him to take her hand, to finally acknowledge that they belonged together—not just in public, not just in name, but in every way that mattered.

But when she found him again, her hope shattered.