The silence on Dreston’s side of the phone grew longer and longer.

He could barely breathe. He still could not believe what he had just heard. Why was Cassienne suddenly pushing things this far? Why was she behaving like a different person? How did he live with her for five whole years and never see this side of her?

Cassienne had always been calm, peaceful and soft-spoken. Even when she was hurting, she would smile and pretend everything was fine. So what changed? Why was she acting like a stranger now?

“Mr. Dreston?” his lawyer called, trying to check if the line was still connected.

“I’m still here,” Dreston replied quietly. His voice was too heavy. “Just ignore it.”

Tina could not hear the exact words, but she knew the conversation was about Cassienne. Her heart beat with excitement and impatience. She could not wait for the divorce to be completed. She had waited too long already.

But at the same time, something confused her. She didn’t understand Dreston anymore. Why was he acting so strange? Why was he finding it so hard to let Cassienne go? Was he suddenly developing feelings for his wife?

She swallowed hard.

No. That could not happen. She had worked too hard for this.

She had planned everything perfectly.

She had sent Janet to lie to Cassienne—to tell her that Dreston wanted her to serve him coffee. Tina knew very well that seeing her in his office would upset Cassienne. She wanted that reaction. She needed it.

And to her luck, Cassienne reacted just the way she wanted..When Cassienne pushed her, Tina let her body drop to the floor on purpose, risking her pregnancy just to make the scene more dramatic. She wanted Dreston to hate Cassienne. She wanted him to feel disgusted and angry.

She thought that incident would be enough to break the marriage.

And even though Dreston did not initiate the divorce himself, Cassienne had done it exactly how Tina wanted.

So why was Dreston now refusing the divorce? Why was he stubbornly holding onto Cassienne?

The questions filled Tina’s mind while Dreston was still listening to his lawyer’s words on the phone.

The lawyer kept advising him, giving him legal details and explaining the next steps, but Dreston barely heard anything. He was too distracted by the chaos inside his heart. He believed he understood his wife well, and that belief made him push the thoughts away.

“Just ignore her,” he repeated to the lawyer. “She’s only doing this because she’s upset.”

“All right. We’ll talk more on Monday,” the lawyer said.

“Okay. Bye for now.” Dreston finally ended the call and dropped his phone. A heavy sigh escaped his lips.

His thoughts were no clearer than before.

……

Meanwhile, Cassienne was at her condo. She unpacked everything she had bought from the mall and placed the groceries neatly inside her small pantry. The condo was modest but peaceful—three bedrooms, warm lighting, and a simple layout. It felt nothing like the cold mansion she had left behind.

When she finished organizing, she walked into her bedroom. She was tired—so tired. All she had been doing since yesterday was packing and unpacking, cleaning, and shopping. Her body ached, and her mind felt drained.

She climbed into bed, pulled the blanket over her legs, and closed her eyes.

Just then, her phone chimed softly beside her. She glanced at the screen, and the name made her blink twice.

Merrick.

She wasn’t expecting his call at all.

A small smile touched her lips as she answered.

“Merrick?” she whispered.

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