The Transactional Marriage That Imploded novel Chapter 57

Simon felt an unfamiliar softness bloom in his chest. Smiling back at her, he said, "If you ever run into trouble, just call me. If it's something I can fix, I'll take care of it. You never have to hesitate."

His gentle, considerate demeanor made Bianca realize just how entirely unworthy Mathis was of having a friend like him. Mathis truly belonged with the likes of Cynthia and Payton—they were all made of the same toxic waste.

"I actually asked Mathis why he's refusing to divorce you," Simon added gently.

Bianca's heart skipped a beat. "Did he give you a reason?"

Simon shook his head. "He wouldn't say. He just stated flat out that he won't do it. Look, if you want, I can find you a top-tier divorce attorney. I genuinely can't stand watching him treat you like this."

Simon had been Mathis's primary neurosurgeon during his battle with brain cancer. After Bianca married into the family, she used to frantically call Simon every time Mathis suffered a migraine.

He knew exactly how much she had sacrificed to keep that man alive. He had even confronted Mathis once. "Did you forget how well she treated you?"

Mathis had simply replied, "She was just fulfilling her duties as a wife."

Even back then, Simon had felt it was incredibly unfair to her. Yes, she had been coerced into the arrangement, but she had spent her prime years trapped as a caretaker, and Simon thought Mathis was nothing short of a monster.

Bianca was someone who always pushed forward with hope. Hearing Simon's offer sparked a faint glimmer of optimism in her chest.

"If you don't mind, could you ask the lawyer if there's any way to speed up the process? Mathis threatened me to prevent me from filing a lawsuit."

She calmly recounted Mathis's blackmail. Simon watched her as she spoke—she was so detached, it was as if she were talking about a stranger's life.

It made him happy, honestly. Since Mathis's heart clearly belonged to someone else, the only person who would get hurt by holding on was Bianca.

"Did you get an answer?"

"I'm sorry," Simon said, his tone heavy with regret. "There's nothing I can do. The lawyer said without filing a lawsuit, there's no way to force a quick split. And even if you do sue, Mathis can use every legal loophole in the book to drag out the proceedings for at least two years."

Just last night, she had prayed for a miracle. Now, that hope was crushed.

But it was fine. Hector Goodwin had already laid out a backup plan.

"It's okay. I've prepared myself for the worst-case scenario. Once things calm down, dinner is on me."

"Just take care of yourself," Simon urged. "And don't kill yourself with all that overtime."