From His Invisible Wife to the World's Icon novel Chapter 5

But Frederick didn't bother looking. He scrawled his signature at the bottom of the page, completely ignoring everything she had just said.

After he signed, his voice dropped into a dark, warning tone.

"I never want to hear the word 'divorce' out of your mouth again."

Didn't want a divorce? Yet he had just signed the papers.

Pushing down the bitter ache of his dismissive attitude, Lydia felt a rush of absolute clarity.

The divorce papers were signed. That was all that mattered.

She sharply snatched the files off the desk and spun on her heel.

Frederick's cold, commanding voice echoed behind her. "Make sure you're at the restaurant tonight."

Lydia didn't even pause her stride. She walked out of the office in complete silence. As she passed the secretary's desk, she overheard Caleb talking to the staff. "Don't panic. Once the photos of Mr. Foster and his wife celebrating their anniversary get leaked tonight, the scandal will be instantly crushed."

So that was his grand plan. He was going to use her to clean up his mess.

In that case, she would gift him one of the signed divorce agreements as his anniversary present.

Let's see how he planned to do damage control after that.

The only thing that mattered now was getting the official decree.

Lydia returned to her own office at The Foster Group and dialed her best friend. "Joanna, do you know anyone in the legal world who can fast-track a divorce for me?"

Joanna's voice came through the speaker, heavy with concern. "Lydia, are you absolutely sure about this?"

"You've been married for two years, and this is the very first time Frederick's been in a scandal. Are you sure it's not a misunderstanding?"

"He's sleeping with Sierra!"

Lydia's lips trembled. As the rage faded, an overwhelming, suffocating heartache settled in.

She had once bared her soul to him, pouring out the trauma of her childhood. The usually stoic man had actually shown a flicker of genuine heartbreak in his eyes.

Now, the heart she had so openly given him was being used to tear her apart.

The paparazzi hadn't managed to snap a clear photo of Sierra's face.

No one else knew the truth but her.

Hearing her words, Joanna practically screamed into the phone. "Those Sutton women have absolutely zero shame! First they ruin your mother's life, and now they pull this on you?"

"It's bad enough he treats you like an afterthought, but to disrespect you like this?"

"Divorce him! You don't need that bastard!"

"Exactly." Hearing Joanna's fierce support brought Lydia a tiny shred of comfort.

Joanna was an heiress to a massive jewelry empire with connections everywhere. If anyone could help, it was her. "Joanna, we already signed the papers, but the standard court process takes a month. I refuse to wait that long. Can you pull some strings?"

Joanna didn't hesitate for a second. "I have a friend who basically runs this city. Give me three days, and I guarantee you'll have the decree in your hands."

"Thank you, Joanna."

In three days, she would never have to look at either of their faces again.

After work, Lydia dropped off the divorce papers with Joanna and headed straight to the restaurant.

The host led her to a private table by the window.

The sprawling, upscale restaurant was completely empty save for her.

She pulled a sleek, rectangular gift box from her purse. Inside rested a meticulously crafted tie clip.

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