Whispers of Destiny: His Belated Love novel Chapter 152

The little dark red booklet was almost indistinguishable from a marriage certificate, except for the words on the cover. Familiar place, similar documents, two silent people – everything was pretty much a rerun of the day they tied the knot. Rosemary was still in a daze, while Maxwell had already grabbed his copy without a glance and bolted.

They both stepped out of the civil affairs office.

Rosemary asked in a flat voice, “Are you going to break it to my mom?”

She couldn’t bear to see Pearl's disappointed face.

Maxwell glanced at her, gave her a long, heavy look, then said emotionlessly, “She’s not your mom anymore, cut it out with the pet names.”

Rosemary: “...”

Jason drove up just then, and before he could hop out to open the door, Maxwell had already climbed in, commanding, “Drive.”

The temperature had dropped today. No snow, but the sky was grim and the wind was cutting to the bone. Jason looked at Rosemary, still standing there, “Not gonna take care of Mrs. Templeton?”

Maxwell shot him a look and said nothing.

No outright refusal meant there was still hope. Jason tried to read between the lines, “It’s pretty chilly today, and the civil affairs office is way out of the way…”

But before he could finish, a lively voice from across the street interrupted—

“Rosemary!”

A fiery red blur came charging over – it was Yolanda.

“Happy divorce, babe!”

She handed over a bunch of red roses and pointed to her outfit, “Look, I dressed for the occasion, right? Celebrating you finally getting out of that hellish, loveless marriage. Let’s go find your second act – whether you fancy beefcakes or beanpoles, your pick!”

Rosemary took the flowers, looking at her friend's getup, and couldn’t help saying, “You’re overdoing it… I’m not planning on looking for a second act just yet.”

Maybe the weight of the marriage had left too deep a shadow; she felt pretty much man-shy now.

“Then just window shop for now. If someone clicks, you date; if not, no biggie,” Yolanda said, eyeing the Bentley parked at the curb and provocatively jutted her chin at the closed windows, “Make sure you pick better this time. Take it slow and don’t let those unworthy mutts pull the wool over your eyes again.”

Maxwell: “…”

He’d waited in vain for Rosemary to argue back, clearly agreeing with Yolanda's words.

But whether she agreed with the idea of finding a second act or the fact that he was unworthy, who knew.

The car parked across the street was a rugged and tough-looking off-roader, definitely not Yolanda’s style.

Sure enough, when the two women approached, Hogan hopped out, arms wide for a hug, “For a moment like this, a hug to celebrate isn’t too much, right?”

The guy was sharp-featured, tall and fit, oozing tough guy vibes, but the smile in his eyes softened the edges.

Maxwell watched the scene unfold and let out a scoff filled with mockery.

The car had the heater on; it was warm, even a bit too much, but Jason was feeling a definite chill. He glanced at Maxwell in the rearview mirror, “Young master, we heading to the office or back to Meadowlark Retreat?”

“Meadowlark Retreat.”

As the car pulled away from the civil affairs office, Maxwell was about to catch some shut-eye. After pulling an all-nighter and drinking his weight in booze, he was nursing a headache.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, his phone buzzed.

Too tired, the shock from last night’s scene with Maxwell and Victoria... she hadn’t even processed it yet.

Once in the car, Hogan took the wheel, Yolanda and Rosemary sat in the back.

Yolanda, noting her friend's daze, whispered, “If it hurts, lean on me and let it out. My bouquet's big enough to hide you, Hogan won’t see…”

She knew a divorce would sting, even if the man was a jerk; it’s still tough when it’s real. She hadn’t expected Rosemary to wilt like this, “Why so pale?”

Eyes closed, Rosemary’s voice was weak, “Would you believe me if I said it’s from staying up?”

Yolanda: “...Yeah.”

But her sympathetic face clearly read: I know you’re faking it tough, but I won’t call you out.

Unseen by Rosemary, she asked, “Why’d you drag Hogan along?”

She didn't tell anyone but Yolanda about getting her marriage certificate today.

"He swung by my shop this morning to grab some stuff, and I was like, 'Hurry up and pick something,' and just blurted out that I was going to pick you up at the civil affairs office."

"…"

Yolanda sneaked a guilty glance at Rosemary. "Truth is, I had a few drinks last night, and I'm still over the limit. This guy's just my makeshift driver. If you don't wanna see him, we can bail and grab a cab right now."

Even with her eyes closed, Rosemary could feel two sets of eyes staring her way in the car. "Forget it, we're all friends here."

The word "friends" dimmed Hogan's gaze for a moment, but he knew time was on his side. After all, she wasn't someone else's anymore.