Series 1 - Chapter 1 " Ms. Wentworth , President Connolly has signed off on your resignation . But ... I don't think he realized it was you . Do you want me to let him know ? " Xanthe kept her gaze on the resignation form in her hands . Shaking her head , she said , " That won't be necessary . " " Ms. Wentworth . " The HR representative let out a quiet sigh , as if trying one last time . " He still cares about you , you know . Everyone in this company actually thinks you two will be endgame Maybe ... just think it through ? " A scoff slipped past Xanthe's lips . Little did they know , whatever romance was going on between her and the CEO wasn't just some office gossip - she and Barrington had already been married . Their relationship had been legal - just kept secret . But getting married was one thing , and being cared for was another . She learned the difference he hard way three months ago . A car accident that fractured her spine , and she needed her husband to come to the hospital tc sign the surgery consent form . But she lost count of the times she called him before he picked up the phone . Worse , she waited so long only to hear his impatient tone . It's just a car accident . You'll be fine . Hang on - I'm still at Vionnet's birthday dinner . " / ionnet . Her best friend . That was the moment Xanthe realized her husband was cheating on her . n the end , while she was fighting for her life in the ICU , she had to sign her own consent form . Just before she was wheeled into surgery , Barrington finally showed up - but with her best frienc n his arms . Apparently , she'd cut her finger on a kitchen knife . For her sake , he pulled the surgeon aside demanding he take a look at her first . That brief delay - the minutes they lost - cost Xanthe blood loss . And she spent the next week in the ICU , not knowing if she'd ever walk again . That was when she finally woke up to the truth . Some things , when they rot - like marriage - need to be discarded . Now that I've recovered , it's ime to walk away ' She looked up at the HR rep , calm and composed . " People change , " she said softly . " I stood by him through the most difficult three years of his life . That's enough . " In all those years , the woman Barrington had loved had always been Vionnet . Xanthe was just a byproduct of a night gone wrong - three years ago , when Barrington had been drugged and ended up in her bed . 1441 1/5 0.2 % 12:37 pm & When the scandal couldn't be avoided , he agreed to marry her - on the condition that no one could ever know . Now that the woman he loved had returned to Illinois , Xanthe had no intentions of holding onto a guy nobody knew was hers even just in papers . But before she left , she had one last thing to do . She would give him four parting gifts - each one a celebration of the freedom they would finally have without each other . With divorce papers in her bag , Xanthe pushed open the glass door to the CEO's office . Inside , Barrington was trimming the stems of a bouquet of white lilies with his sleeves rolled up . He had never been the romantic type . In fact , he used to mock other guys for giving their girls flowers . " Pointless things , " he'd said one Valentine's Day . " Dead in a week . " In the three years they'd been married , she hadn't received so much as a single daisy . And those lilies weren't hers ; it was Vionnet's favorite . A few clipped stems dropped into the trash before he finally glanced over . " Back to worl already ? How's the recovery ? " He stood up , setting the bouquet in a crystal vase , adjusting a petal , and adding , " About last : ime ... I didn't mean for things to go that way . Vionnet's not like you . You know she's fragile . On ittle cut , and she's out cold . Besides , there was only one doctor on call that night . " ' But I knew you'd be fine . " He smiled at her . " You've been through worse , right ? Grew up with nothing . A minor surgery's nothing , right ? " Xanthe nearly laughed . He had no idea - she was the only heir to one of the wealthiest families in the state . The only time she lived a difficult life began the day she married him . He would've known it had she stayed in touch with the family she left just to marry him . But she let him believe what he wanted . After all , silence always read as agreement to Barrington . For that , to him , she always had such a good temper - perfect for keeping around . He walked over , smiling and holding out the lilies like a trophy . " Hey , do you think these are beautiful ? " As soon as the flowers came close , a tickle hit her throat . She turned her head , coughed once , then twice - violent , involuntary . His wife's allergy was flaring , but the first thing he did was shove her aside . Her back slammed into the sharp corner of the desk . The stitches on her healing wound tore open, and blood began to seep through her blouse . While pain blurred her vision , Barrington's worried eyes were fixed on the lilies . " You almost ruined them ! " he snapped . " Do you have any idea how rare these are ? Flown in ! Professionally grown ! " Realizing how she couldn't even compete with flowers even if it cost her health , Xanthe let out a bitter laugh , thinking , ' I stayed three years with him for this ? My god , I must have been blind to 2/5 0.6 12:37 pm A love this asshole ! ' She had a severe flower allergy - something he never cared enough to know . And if he cared even the slightest , he'd have known her injuries weren't fully healed . She drew in a sharp breath , steadied herself , and pulled out the documents from her bag . " President Connolly , " she said , holding out the papers . " I need your signature ." That made him pause . For the first time , his gaze lingered on her . Something about her seemed different . When it was just the two of them , she'd call him by his hame - never " President Connolly . " You just got out of the hospital . You should be resting ," he murmured . Still , he reached for the papers . Just as his fingers brushed the document , his phone rang . The contact name flashed through the screen , and Xanthe caught a glimpse of it . Baby ] He had saved Vionnet's name as something so sweet while hers had always been formal like he ull name . The contrast said everything . He answered with a grin , bouquet in one hand , and walked toward the door . I won't be home for dinner . Just head back by yourself after work ." ( anthe stepped in front of him , flipped to the last page , and shoved a pen into his palm . Sign it first . " The CEO's brows furrowed . He was always cautious - never signed anything without dissecting very word first . But just as he was about to scan the document , his phone rang again . ven with the volume nearly muted , Vionnet's voice poured out - flirtatious . Barry , I've been waiting forever ! Hurry up and come over now ... " ust like that , for once , the ever - cautious CEO didn't read a single line . He just flicked his wrist nd scribbled his signature . There . Happy now ? Can I leave ? " he said sarcastically . ooking at his signature , Xanthe barely nodded . " Yeah . You're free now . " his time , she did exactly as he wished - she let him go , and gave him back his freedom , is he left , he tossed over his shoulder , saying , " The office hasn't been cleaned in months . You're ere now - why don't you take care of it ? " With that , the heavy slam of the door echoed in her ears . Barrington's office had always been off - limits . Not a speck of dust in sight . Only Xanthe ever new where the spare key was , which drawer housed the wipes , how he liked the edges of > apers perfectly aligned . When she walked to his desk , the photo frame caught her eye . Vionnet's smile stared back at her from behind the glass . That frame used to hold Xanthe's face . 12:37 pm A When she turned , her eyes caught the wastebasket by the cabinet . There her photo was- face - down , crumpled at the edges like trash . Her lips curved , but the smile didn't reach her eyes . It sliced . There had been a time when she called Vionnet her " bestie ." But for Barrington , her best friend had always been his " favorite person . " Although Xanthe had always liked Barrington too , she kept her feelings buried for the sake of that friendship ... until their college graduation . That was the time Vionnet vanished outside the state , swept away by some German tycoon and a plane ticket . That night , Barrington drank so much he didn't notice when someone at the bar drugged his drink . What happened next was a mistake - just one reckless night between him and his first love's best friend . The memories flashed by like a tragic film , blurring Xanthe's eyes . She wiped a tear from her cheek with one hand while the other reached for the drawer . Inside lay a photograph , its corners faded with time , and a love letter - crisp and untouched , as if it had never been opened . For four years , she had loved Barrington so much that she wrote him ninety - nine love letters . But since Vionnet came back to Illinois six months ago , every time Barrington chose her over his wife , Xanthe struck another match . The 99th love letter burned at the hospital . The one in her hand was the last ; it was time to let go . With a box of her belongings in her hand , she walked out of the building and made a call from the car . " Trevor , " she said calmly , " didn't you say you liked me ? One month from now , once I get the divorce certificate - we'll get married ." 12:38 pm A