Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 13

During the three days Julian was gone, Hester didn't sit idle. She went through the house, systematically sorting out everything that belonged to her. She didn't leave a single penny of her own behind. She boxed it all up and hired a moving company to clear it out.

Seeing her tear the house apart, Lena realized this wasn't just another petty argument. Panicking, she frantically called Julian, but he never picked up.

Left with no other choice, Lena tried to talk Hester out of it, but Hester's resolve was made of iron.

On the fourth day, Lena watched anxiously as Hester descended the staircase, dragging a suitcase behind her. "Mrs. Weston, where are you going?"

"Lena, thank you for all your hard work over the years." Hester pulled a thick envelope of cash from her designer bag and handed it to her. "I haven't been in a good headspace for the last five years, and I know I've made your job much harder. Consider this a token of my appreciation. Take it."

"No, no, no, I can't accept this!" Lena waved her hands frantically. "Mrs. Weston, it's totally normal for married couples to hit rough patches. Mr. Weston still loves you deeply. Please, don't do anything you'll regret in the heat of the moment..."

"Lena, I'm not acting out of anger." Hester firmly pressed the envelope into Lena's hands. "I'm leaving. Take care of yourself."

Without another word, Hester pulled her luggage toward the front door, not looking back once.

"Mrs. Weston! Mrs. Weston, wait, this money—"

By the time Lena chased her outside with the envelope, Hester was already sliding into a sleek white sports car.

With a screech of tires and the roar of a high-end engine, the sports car drifted out of the driveway, disappearing into a cloud of exhaust.

Left standing in the dust, Lena desperately texted Julian: [Sir, it's an emergency. Mrs. Weston is gone!]

...

"Obviously. I'm a million times better than that backstabbing snake Melody!" Gael frowned. "Honestly, I still can't believe she turned on you like that. We really were too naive when it came to reading people!"

"We just underestimated human greed," Hester said as she pushed the car door open, her voice dropping to a freezing register. "But I'm the one who pulled her out of the gutter, and I can throw her right back in."

Gael stepped out of the car, slammed the door shut, and smirked. "Back to where she belongs. I love it."

...

It took the movers several trips to haul all of Hester's belongings up.

The layout separated the bedrooms from the living spaces, making the main entertaining area feel incredibly massive. The interior was modern French chic—Hester's absolute favorite. She had drawn the interior blueprints herself. When Julian saw the designs years ago, he had smiled and asked if she was putting so much effort into it because it was going to be their marital home.