Liam tossed his phone away when Sophia hung up on him.
How brazen of Sophia!
Despite his anger, he could not refute her as she was speaking the truth. After two years of separation, Tanya could apply to the court for a divorce. While she could wait for two years, their factory could not afford to.
They could not even afford to wait for two months, let alone two years.
He had to admit that Tanya had managed to turn things around and emerged victorious.
Yvonne made an appointment for Tanya at two thirty in the afternoon. Since they finished lunch with an hour to spare, they decided to head to a coffee shop near the City Hall to wait.
Yvonne noticed a car parked in front of the City Hall ten minutes prior to the appointment. “Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Gomez, Liam is here,” she said to Tanya and Sophia as soon as she saw the man get out of the car.
Sophia clicked her tongue and looked out the window. They could easily spot Liam standing in front of the City Hall across the road.
Tanya grabbed the strap of her purse unconsciously as she struggled with her anxiety. Sophia raised her hand to halt her as she was going to get up and march to the City Hall. “Why are you in a hurry? Let's wait for another five minutes.”
Sophia did not request that he appeared earlier; she merely asked that he not be late.
Tanya was aware of Sophia's intentions, so she nodded and sat down again.
Five minutes later, Sophia smiled and said, “All right, let's go.” She tidied Tanya's clothes as she continued, “I can help you with a lot of things, but you have to do this yourself, Tanya.”
“I know.”
Tanya would not be just divorcing Liam today; she would be saying goodbye to the man and all the terrible things from the past. After today, these terrible things would no longer have anything to do with her. She could now live freely and joyously. She would not have to be concerned about Liam's family's opinions or be subjected to his verbal and physical violence. She would never have to fear retaliation against her parents in the future. After today was over, she would never return.
Taking a deep breath, Tanya looked at Sophia with a slight smile. She nodded and turned around decisively, heading out of the coffee shop.
Tanya could see Liam smoking on the opposite side of the road.
Her heart was racing, and her hands were trembling with nervousness and fear.
After crossing the street, she could not help but look back. A large truck drove by, cutting her off from everything on the other side of the road.
As Sophia vanished from view, she was left to confront Liam alone. The man had already put out his cigarette and walked over.
He looked her up and down and then sneered, “You're lucky to have found a backer. Where did you find such help?”
Tanya sighed softly and said, “Let's go inside.”
She ignored his query and walked into the City Hall, causing the man's face to darken.
Once they arrived, the officer asked some questions as usual. Tanya remained expressionless throughout, while Liam's countenance was grim.
“Are you really sure about getting a divorce? Is it a rash decision? Do you need to reconsider?” the officer asked.
Tanya could not stand the persuasion from others for the first time. “I've been considering it for nearly a year. Can you tolerate your husband using violence and going out of control over you?”
Before the officer could answer, she added, “Please get my documents settled as quickly as possible. I need to catch a high-speed train.”
When the officer realized how determined she was, he said nothing more and stamped the documents.
Liam stood beside them, his face contorted.
Tanya did not even glance at him after receiving the divorce document; she simply stood up and left.
“Tanya...” She had already vanished from view before Liam could speak to her. He immediately gave chase and grabbed her. “Why are you running? Are you afraid I'll harm you here?”
Tanya gritted her teeth and yanked his hand away from her. “We are no longer acquainted because we are divorced. I'll call the cops if you touch me again.”
Liam jeered, “Do you really think I'm scared of you now, Tanya? What could you possibly do if I actually touched you? Are you going to call the—ah!”
Tanya kicked him in the crotch before he could finish his sentence. She then immediately fled without looking back. Liam was wailing in anguish behind her, clutching his crotch. She could hear his cries at first, but by the time she got to the other side of the road, she could no longer hear anything.
Tanya had never felt so relieved as she waited to cross the street and rejoin Sophia and Yvonne. When the light turned green, she dodged the incoming traffic before sprinting to Sophia's arms. “Thank you, Sophia. I'm really happy right now.”
Words could not describe how happy she felt to be freed from Liam's evil clutches.
“Congratulations,” Sophia murmured in Tanya's ear and hugged her tightly. The latter's eyes turned red, and she began to choke up. “Thank you so much, Sophia.”
It was only a modest act of conscience for her, but she had no idea Sophia would go to such lengths to help her.
Yvonne was also feeling emotional about Tanya's newfound freedom. She said, “Ms. Gomez, I'm sure you'll be happier from now on.”
Tanya wiped the tears off her face and turned to face Yvonne. “Thank you, Ms. Leighton. I know you've helped me a lot too.”
Yvonne glanced at Sophia and replied, “It's all part of Ms. Yarrow's instructions. I'm just doing my job.”
Sophia raised a brow and said, “Don't be modest, Ms. Leighton.”
The embarrassed Yvonne replied, “All right, it's late now. Let me get the driver to send us back.”
Sophia nodded in agreement. “Go on,” she said, not wanting to make things difficult for Yvonne.
Sophia and Tanya stepped back onto the sidewalk behind them. When the latter lifted her head, she happened to see Liam grinning widely as he walked out of the City Hall. He probably noticed her gaze as he looked over at her too.
Liam mouthed a sentence to Tanya. However, his expression dulled when he saw her laughing and giving him the middle finger.
She better hope she never crosses paths with me again, or I'll make sure she pays for her deeds.
Sophia smirked when she took notice of the exchange between Liam and Tanya. “I didn't know you had that in you,” she praised.
“It's my first time,” Tanya admitted, blushing.
She had always been obedient, never daring to say or do anything vulgar.
However, she was in an exceptionally good mood that day. It was all thanks to Sophia that she finally had the courage to do something she had never done before.
Tanya used to think she should just endure the suffering, but the reality proved that endurance did not make life easier.
As she watched Sophia throw the furniture into the trash bin, she realized that she did not feel sorry. In fact, she felt a sense of satisfaction at the thought of how shocked and angry Liam would be when he returned to that empty house.
When Tanya kicked him hard just now, she experienced a sense of pleasure she had never felt before. She learned that sometimes patience was not enough, and resistance was the most effective way.
Sophia grinned and praised, “Well done.”
After a short pause, Tanya chuckled too.
It was only a modest act of conscience for her, but she had no idea Sophia would go to such lengths to help her.
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