Urging Him to Get a Divorce (Aveline and Xavier) novel Chapter 802

**TITLE: A Divorce**
**Chapter 802**

“Who is that guy, Russell? What is your connection with him? And why on earth did he buy Josie a villa?”

As Josephine made her way back from the serene slopes of Mount Ardwood, a sudden realization struck her—her phone was nowhere to be found. With a sigh of frustration, she pulled into a gas station, her mind racing with thoughts of Courtney. It was this very moment that allowed Courtney to learn about Stephen’s troubling actions toward Josephine during their time at the mountain retreat.

Courtney, her eyes darting toward the bedroom as if expecting someone to emerge, turned to Jacob and replied, “I think he might have a grudge against Xavier. He’s here to assist us.”

Jacob, however, was far from convinced. The air was thick with tension, and he could feel the weight of his older brother Devin’s warning pressing down on him. Devin had cautioned that Courtney, unwilling to contribute to his mounting debts and now hiding away, likely had another man lurking in the shadows of her life.

He couldn’t shake the image from his mind—Courtney, with her swollen belly, surely no man would be interested in her now. But then Devin’s words echoed in his head like a haunting refrain; perhaps she had been unfaithful before her pregnancy, and the child she carried could very well be the result of someone else’s betrayal.

Jacob felt a storm of emotions swirling within him, a mix of disbelief and anger.

He brandished the knife, its blade glinting ominously in the dim light, and advanced toward Courtney with a menacing resolve. “I need answers. Why have you been hiding?”

Courtney instinctively took a step back, fear evident in her wide eyes. “I… I was terrified of the loan sharks. I’m pregnant, Jacob! If anything were to happen to me, we could lose our son!”

“Alright, I can understand your fear. You can stay here, but you must hand over the Property Deed, all the savings, the jewelry—everything! I need it to settle the debts.”

“Once the debts are cleared, you can go home,” he added, his voice cold and unyielding.

Courtney swallowed hard, her heart racing at the thought of saying something that might provoke him further. “Jacob, please… just calm down. Put the knife down. Let’s talk this through like adults.”

His voice erupted like thunder, “I’ve been trying to have a civil conversation with you, but you just ran away from me!”

“You betrayed me! I found out you took all the antiques from the house. What did you do with them?”

“Those antiques were bought by Bethany. They don’t belong to you,” Jacob shot back, his anger flaring.

“You took everything of value! You never intended to stand by me during this. You’re just a gold digger!”

“You’ve taken enough from me, and now that I’m in trouble, you vanish, leaving me to handle everything alone, right?”

In his blind rage, Jacob had forgotten about her pregnancy. Now, as she rolled over, revealing her swollen belly, he froze, a mixture of shock and concern flooding his features.

“What’s wrong? What happened? Did you hurt your stomach? Damn it, are you okay? Josie, call an ambulance, quickly!”

Jacob still clutched the knife, his focus shifting from anger to alarm as he approached Courtney, who lay on the floor, panic etched across her face.

Josephine was paralyzed with terror. The sight of the knife in Jacob’s hand rendered her immobile, her mind racing yet unable to formulate a plan. The urgency of the situation failed to register; she didn’t even consider calling for help.

Courtney’s mind was a whirlwind of pain and fear. As she saw Jacob advancing toward her with the knife, she screamed in desperation, “Stay back! Don’t come any closer! Jacob, I’m begging you, please don’t kill me!”

“I know I messed up. I’ll give you the money. I’ll hand over the Property Deed, Bethany’s paintings, the antiques, and the jewelry!”

Jacob halted in his tracks, the mention of those possessions igniting a flicker of hope within him. This was exactly what he had been after all along.

He reached out, intending to help Courtney up, but she was lost in a haze of agony. Her eyes darted around in a frantic search for something—anything—that could help her escape this nightmare. Spotting the ashtray, she seized it and hurled it at Jacob with all her remaining strength.