The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 2

An excuse suddenly flashed through her chaotic mind.

Latching onto it like a lifeline, she rushed her words. "Well, when we first got married, your mother wanted us to have a baby right away. It's been two years and I haven't gotten pregnant. I think, um... my health just isn't good enough. I've let your family down."

Her voice trailed off. "My point is, there's no reason for us to stay together."

A heavy silence settled over the living room once more.

Nora kept her head bowed, avoiding Maloney's eyes.

She knew her reasoning sounded absolutely ridiculous.

But he was the one who brought up such an inappropriate topic first.

Maloney was usually so composed, elegant, and perfectly in control. He exuded an untouchable aura and was the last person she ever expected to talk about their sex life so casually.

The atmosphere grew stifling.

After a long pause, Maloney finally spoke. His voice sounded painfully tight, dropping to a rough rasp. "Are you serious about this?"

Nora nodded. "I am."

"Understood." Maloney stood up. The movement was so abrupt that his chair scraped harshly against the floor.

He snatched the divorce agreement from the table, his tone freezing over. "I'll think about it."

Nora assumed he wanted more time to review the clauses.

She stood up as well, offering a helpful smile. "Take your time. We can negotiate anything you want to change."

Maloney completely ignored her. Without looking back, he strode out of the living room and headed straight downstairs.

Nora took a few steps after him, but he was tall, his long legs eating up the distance. By the time she jogged to the top of the stairs, he showed no signs of stopping to wait for her, so she gave up the chase.

She stood at the landing. A moment later, the roar of an engine echoed from the underground garage.

Maloney had driven off.

"I'm telling you, I knew something was off last week!" Cassidy was breathing heavily, trying to reign in her temper. "I had a press conference last Friday night. After it ended, I told him to pick me up at the hotel. When I opened his car door, his secretary was sitting in the passenger seat!"

"I gave him hell right then and there, but he acted like I was crazy! Do you know what he said to me? He said, 'Oh, Lola sprained her ankle, so I was just dropping her off on the way. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?'"

Cassidy's voice dripped with pure sarcasm. "Oh, a sprained ankle? Fine! I called a private doctor right there to the hotel entrance to check on his precious Lola's injury!"

"The doctor checked her out and found absolutely nothing wrong with her! She ended up strutting to the subway in her stilettos!"

"Parker fought with me all night over it. He called me petty, said I was being bitter, and accused me of humiliating him. He kept whining about how it was just a harmless ride for a young girl!"

"Oh, he wants to play games? Fine! I posted the whole story in the family group chat. Let the whole family see exactly what's going on!"

"My brother stepped in and ordered him to transfer the secretary. Parker agreed to his face, but when I went to his office today, that same secretary who was supposed to be reassigned last week was sitting on his lap feeding him cake!"

Cassidy's voice shook with raw fury. Even through the phone, Nora could feel the heat of her anger.

"I'm laying it out right now. Being on the same marriage certificate as a cheating piece of trash makes me sick to my stomach. This divorce is happening!"