She Quit Her Family and Found Herself novel Chapter 175

He couldn't fathom how, without him even being present, Hulda had managed to finalize the divorce all on her own.

It completely defied protocol!

But the results of his inquiry were undeniable—the divorce certificate was authentic and legally binding.

In other words, from the day this was issued, he and Hulda were no longer husband and wife.

So, the moment he confirmed it, his immediate instinct had been to drive straight to the institute to confront her, to demand answers.

But he couldn't even get past the front gate.

Justin stared deeply at the divorce decree before closing it and handing it back. "Honestly, maybe it's for the best. You two were never a good match anyway. You only married her out of obligation. You never loved her, and now that she's willing to walk away, you're finally free."

The hand holding Herbert's cigarette trembled slightly, his brow furrowing. "She was the one who used cheap tricks to get into my bed. What right does she have to be the one to divorce me?"

Justin's expression shifted. Assuming Herbert's reaction was purely born of bruised ego, he patted him lightly on the shoulder. "Let it go, man. You're officially divorced now. Let the past stay in the past. Or..."

Justin observed Herbert's face closely. "Are you saying you can't let her go? That you didn't want the divorce? That you love her?"

Herbert's hand paused in mid-air. Smoke drifted up from his fingertips, blurring his expression. A long, heavy silence stretched between them.

Before Justin asked the question, he had literally never entertained the thought.

From his perspective, there had been no need to think about it. It was enough that Hulda loved him.

For years, he had been entirely accustomed to her absolute devotion, her care, her flattery, and her submissiveness. To him, those things were simply his due.

He never felt the need to consider her feelings or emotional needs. In his mind, she had forced his hand with dirty tactics to marry him—bearing whatever came after was just the price she had to pay.

With that, he cast one last, lingering look at the divorce certificate in Herbert's hand before turning back inside.

...

Meanwhile, in the private room next door, Hulda was sitting on pins and needles with Caspian right beside her.

She desperately wanted to escape the dinner. But unlike the previous reception, this was a gathering of her immediate colleagues; she couldn't just show her face and leave. Forced to keep up appearances, she maintained a polite facade, chatting amiably with the researchers as if everything were fine.

Noticing her discomfort, Harvey Dalton gently pushed a steaming plate of food toward her. "Director Atherton, you should try this. It's the restaurant's signature dish."

Hulda glanced at the dish—it was completely smothered in bright red chili peppers. Just as she was about to take a symbolic bite to be polite, an arm reached across her.

Caspian smoothly pushed the plate away. "She doesn't do well with spicy food."