Breaking Point of Divorce (Hugh and Bethan) novel Chapter 2

Hugh glanced at the text message, then stole a look at Bethan.

When she didn’t react, he quickly typed a response and locked his phone.

“Go to sleep,” he said, his mind clearly elsewhere.

Bethan couldn’t fall asleep. With her eyes shut, her mind was flooded with the heart-wrenching scene of Hugh holding his son in one arm and his beloved first love in the other.

Anger welled up inside her, urging her to grab Hugh’s phone and get to the bottom of things.

But reason held her back. Her mother had just undergone heart bypass surgery and was still in the hospital. This was not the time to start a divorce drama.

At around three in the morning, Hugh’s phone screen lit up again.

A good ten minutes later, he slipped out of the villa.

Hearing the roar of the car engine in the yard, Bethan slowly opened her eyes.

A single text was all it took to get Hugh rushing out in the middle of the night.

That was the power of his first love.

Bethan wanted to scream, to rage at him, but she had nothing left. She could barely breathe, much less find words.

The next morning, Bethan pulled herself together and headed to the hospital to bring her parents breakfast.

Her parents were shocked to see how haggard she looked.

Her mother, Miranda Queen, was awake but still hooked up to IVs, looking pale and exhausted against the pillows. “Bethy, what’s wrong?” she asked.

Bethan quickly tried to soothe her. “Mom, don’t worry. I just didn’t get enough sleep last night.”

Her father, Vincent Olsen, peeled an apple and passed her a slice. “Doctor just stopped by,” Vincent said. “Says your mom’s doing well. Everything’s healing like it should. She’ll probably be out of here in a week or so.”

Learning that Miranda’s surgery had been a success, Bethan finally let out a sigh of relief.

After taking care of Miranda’s breakfast, Bethan was on her way to the attending doctor’s office.

As she passed by the payment counter, she unexpectedly bumped into Hugh.

With his imposing frame, handsome features, and that air of a high-flying executive, it was impossible for her not to notice him.

Their eyes met. Hugh frowned slightly and walked towards her.

Bethan eyed the stack of receipts in his hand but held her tongue.

It was Wednesday, and it was already nine in the morning.

He should have been in the high-level meeting room at the Cavill Group’s headquarters at this time.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out why he was at the hospital.

Bethan wanted to ask, but she was afraid that she’d lose control and turn into a shrew, afraid that her parents might see, and afraid that she’d end up driving herself crazy without solving anything.

She stood there, suppressing the pain in her heart, waiting for Hugh to say something, or not.

When Hugh reached her, he reached out his hand, as if to take the documents from her.

Just then, his phone rang.

He retracted his hand, took out his phone, and glanced at it.

“I need to take this call. You go ahead and do your thing,” he said, then turned towards the elevator.

He walked in a hurry, speaking in a low voice on the phone, “Hey, stop that, sweetheart,” he cooed.

Those soft, soothing words were like a cold, sharp dagger stabbing at Bethan’s heart.

She could no longer hold back her emotions and rushed into the restroom, sobbing uncontrollably.

So, this was how he could be so patient and gentle with someone.

She’d known Hugh for twenty-five years, and he’d never spoken to her in such a tender tone.

It took a while for Bethan to calm down.

She fixed her makeup in a hurry and returned to the ward.

Miranda immediately noticed that something was off with her daughter. She sent her husband out of the room and reached out her hand to Bethan.

As Bethan came closer, she asked in a weak voice, “Bethy, did you and Hugh have a fight?”

Miranda, feeling sorry for her daughter, asked Hugh to take Bethan back to rest.

After they walked out of the ward, neither of them said a word.

They walked in silence all the way to the elevator. Hugh grabbed Bethan’s hand. “You look so awful. Didn’t you sleep well last night?”

A wry smile crossed Bethan’s face.

He’d spent the evening with Megan and her son—missed their third anniversary for them.

Now he looked at her exhausted face and figured she just hadn’t gotten enough sleep.

So that’s what it came down to—love showed itself in the little things. It had been so obvious. Why hadn’t she seen it?

She’d been lying to herself all along.

Bethan calmly pulled her hand back. “You go ahead with your business. I’ll just walk around by myself.”

The elevator door opened, and Bethan headed towards another elevator.

Hugh caught her arm and pulled her into the elevator. “I’ve booked a table at your favorite restaurant for dinner tonight.”

Bethan just gave a noncommittal “hmm”, not really interested at all.

More people got into the elevator one after another. Hugh pulled Bethan closer into his arms.

Looking down at the quiet woman in his arms, Hugh frowned involuntarily.

Since he’d known Bethan, she had always been full of energy.

Every time she saw him, she’d find all sorts of ways to get close to him and kept calling him “Hugh” in that sweet way of hers.

But now she was so quiet, like a puppet without a soul.

When they got out of the elevator, Bethan told Hugh she didn’t need him to walk her out.

After parting ways with Hugh, Bethan went to a law firm.

She paid a two-hundred-dollar consultation fee to have a divorce agreement drawn up.