She Quit Her Family and Found Herself novel Chapter 174

Just as Herbert grabbed another glass and raised it to his lips, Justin finally noticed something was deeply wrong and reached out to stop him.

"Herbert, you've had way too much tonight. Cut it out."

Even the clients hosting the dinner had picked up on his strange behavior.

"He's right, Mr. Jewell. Tonight's just about having a few casual drinks. There's no need to push yourself like this."

Herbert waved them off, gesturing that he was perfectly fine.

He was fine, physically. But there was a heavy, suffocating tightness in his chest—a knot of tension that refused to budge, stuck somewhere between his ribs.

He couldn't even put words to what he was feeling.

It was a sensation entirely foreign to him in all his thirty-three years of life.

At that moment, he realized that getting drunk was only making his head spin; it wasn't doing a damn thing to numb the ache.

Noticing Justin and the rest of the table watching him with growing concern, Herbert took a deep breath.

He set the glass down and stood up, swaying slightly. "I'm going to step out for some air."

With that, he headed toward the door.

"Herbert." Justin frowned, utterly bewildered by his friend's behavior.

He had never seen Herbert like this.

Usually, no matter how catastrophic the crisis, Herbert was always the one anchoring the ship.

Drowning his sorrows in alcohol was something entirely out of character for him.

Unable to shake his worry, Justin followed him out.

Herbert was standing alone in the courtyard. It was an elegant space designed with traditional charm—artificial rockeries, flowing water, and curling smoke that gave it a classical, poetic feel.

But Herbert wasn't in the mood to appreciate the view. He stood under the eaves, an unshakeable emptiness echoing in his chest.

"Herbert, what's going on with you?" Justin asked, stepping up beside him.

Just how many more surprises was that woman hiding?

Thinking of Hulda, a small, involuntary smile tugged at the corner of Justin's mouth. Catching himself, he quickly wiped it away, remembering who he was standing next to.

He took two rapid drags of his cigarette, trying to cover up his brief lapse in composure.

Fortunately, Herbert hadn't noticed. He exhaled a cloud of smoke, his voice coming out low and gravelly. "Hulda divorced me."

"Wha—cough, cough—what?!" This time, it was Justin who choked. He crushed his cigarette out with a jagged movement, staring at his friend in disbelief. "Herbert, what did you just say?"

Herbert reached into his pocket, pulled out the slightly crumpled divorce certificate, and held it out. "The papers went through. She handled it all herself." A bitter scoff escaped his lips. "God knows what kind of strings she pulled to make it happen."

Justin took the booklet, opened it, and saw Herbert's name and photo staring back at him. "Is this real? Did you check?"

Herbert nodded. "It's real. I verified it."

The moment he had walked out of his house, checking its authenticity was the very first thing he had done.