After I Stopped Loving Him novel Chapter 435

"Cynthia, take a look at this," Jackson said. "If you don't have any objections, just sign it. We can go to the civil office tomorrow and start the process. There's a cooling-off period, so the divorce won't be final right away. If you change your mind during that time, just tell me. We can withdraw the application."

He hesitated for a moment, feeling a strange mix of relief and regret. Twenty years together. Longer than his first marriage, longer than anything he'd had with Deborah. Letting go wasn't as simple as he’d thought.

Cynthia picked up the divorce agreement and skimmed the pages. Jackson had been clear—the Lane Group was his pre-marital asset, and she wasn't getting any shares. They'd registered their assets before the wedding, so anything he brought into the marriage was off limits. Only his salary after they married counted as shared property. Any profits from the company shares were still his alone.

When she’d first found out about his affair, he had begged for forgiveness, promising her two houses and thirty million. Now, the agreement was different. No houses, no shops, just fifty million in cash. That was it. Everything he’d given her before—the gifts, the jewelry, the allowance—she could keep. The money she’d saved from her monthly expenses was hers too.

"Cynthia, you already have a few houses and some rental properties. Even after the divorce, you'll be fine financially, so I didn’t add any more real estate," Jackson said. "Deborah and I are getting married, and I need to give her a wedding gift. But I’m giving you fifty million as compensation. Thank you for everything these past twenty years, for taking care of me and Jordan."

He paused, then added, "Jordan always gave you a hard time. His temper, his attitude... I know you went through a lot because of him. I’m sorry, on his behalf." Jackson meant it. Cynthia had been a wonderful stepmother, better than most real mothers. But Jordan never saw it. No matter how kind Cynthia was to him, he just ignored it, and Cynthia ended up being the one hurt. Isabella too. Knowing all this, Jackson never dared to ask Isabella to repay him for anything. Cynthia was the one who had given the most to the children. As for Isabella, he hadn’t done much—just paid for school, and even then, her scholarships covered most of it.

"Jackson, let’s not talk about the past," Cynthia said after reading through the agreement. "I don’t have any objections." She pulled a pen from under the coffee table and signed her name. "I’ll accept whatever compensation you’re willing to give."

Back when they married, Jackson was already rich. She always knew his fortune had nothing to do with her. For years, he’d guarded his assets like she was a thief. Only after a long time did he start giving her anything at all. Now, with the fifty million and the properties, shops, and jewelry he’d given her in recent years, her own net worth was well over a hundred million. She didn’t complain. She took whatever he offered, nothing more, nothing less.

"Cynthia, you really are a good woman," Jackson said quietly. She never argued, never fought, never made a scene. Even giving her fifty million felt like too little, and if he weren’t worried about what Jordan or Deborah would think, he would have given her even more.