Chapter 144 Forced to Do So
The moment I stood outside the courthouse, a profound sense of relief washed over me
Elissa had offered to stay by my side, but I gently insisted she leave first. Back then, I had chosen to embark on this journey alone; now, it felt only right to bid farewell on my own.
I watched the traffic ebb and flow, observing couples as they entered and exited the courthouse, either tying the knot or severing it.
It was easy to distinguish between the two; those with radiant smiles were getting married, while those with blank expressions or heading for a divorce.
visible disdain were
Ending a relationship gracefully is never easy, but Christopher and I didn’t have that problem. Christopher had no feelings for me, and I had mistakenly loved him for eight years.
What I hadn’t expected was that Christopher wouldn’t come alone
He stepped out of the gleaming black Maybach, with Kimberly following close behind. His expression was as indifferent as ever, as if he sensed nothing amiss. With one hand casually tucked into his pocket, he said, “Let’s go in.”
His tone was so nonchalant, as if we were merely heading out for a regular meal, not to finalize a divorce.
“Okay.” I lowered my eyes and nodded.
As Kimberly made a move to follow us, Christopher smirked. The smile didn’t reach his eyes, and his voice adopted a colder edge. “What? Are you afraid I take a divorce to fool you?”
Kimberly pouted, her tone dripping with affected sweetness. “How could you think that of me! Even if I did, it’s only because I want to marry you so much!” She then settled back into the car with a huff. “Alright then, I’ll wait for you here.”
The process of getting a divorce went smoother than I had anticipated. As we completed signing all the documents, an overwhelming sense of relief settled within me, as though a heavy weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I felt like I could finally breathe freely again.
I didn’t want to linger, so I reached out my hand and said, with calm determination, “Give me my document.”
Christopher looked at one of the papers, his thumb lightly tracing over my photo, his gaze deep and contemplative. “Is everything going well for you?”
I nodded, “Yes.”
Why the pretense of concern now, when we were already divorced? I took the divorce document from his hand. Why the pretense of co
“From now on, things will be even better, I declared, making sure each word was clear and resolute.
Christopher’s typically sharp and intense features softened slightly, and he spoke slowly, almost tenderly, “That’s good, take care of yourself”
“Christopher Valence.” I said, my voice tinged with lingering disbelief, staring into his whirlpool–like blue eyes. “The person who helped me eight years ago wasn’t you at all, so why did you keep that from me?”
His long
lashes lowered slightly, casting shadows that made his emotions even harder to read. He laughed self–deprecatingly, his voice rough with regret. “Before you confessed to me, I always thought the person you liked was him.” He paused, his murmur almost inaudible. “Later, when I found out the truth, I feared that if I confessed, you would have been even more enger to leave.”
“Don’t say that, as if you care,” I scoffed, as though hearing an absurd joke, glancing at the black Maybach outside the window, “Congratulations on your upcoming wedding
With that, I turned to leave.
But a firm grip caught my arm, and Christopher spoke in a low voice, “This is all temporary. I won’t marry her, believe me.”
“It doesn’t matter!” I retorted, not bothering to look back as I forcefully shook off his hand, only to see Kimberly approaching.
Kimberly stepped past me in high heels, running to Christopher’s side. She said sweetly, “Christopher, you don’t really have feelings for her, do you? You know I can’t accept that….
Christopher’s sneer was cold, almost cruel. For more than three years, I didn’t even let her have a child. Do you think that’s possible?”
TA
Kimberly found Christopher’s response utterly satisfying, lightly shaking his arm. “Ms. Royston hasn’t gone far; aren’t you worried she might overhear
In the taxi, I noticed my palm was bleeding, pinched by my fingernails in a fit of tension. I looked out the window, and for a moment, it felt as though tears were streaming down my cheeks, but my face remained dry, Even my vision was uncannily clear.
Just as I got home, the real estate agent called, informing me that a buyer had committed to purchasing the house in Riverside Garden. They were exceedingly generous, agreeing to the price without any hageling. I was asked to meet the buyer to finalize the details and, if all went smoothly, to sign
the contract.
On the way to Riverside Garden, my thoughts drifted. If this property had sold a hit sooner, Elevatejoy might not have needed to depend on the RF Group’s investment.
But regrets were meaningless. There werere pros and cons to leaning on a big corporation.
At Riverside Garden. I save the buyer standing next to the agent. To my surprise, it was Daniel Martinez. “Mr. Martinez, you’re interested in this house?”
“Indeed, it’s me.” Daniel appeared nonchalant, his demeanor relaxed. “Ms. Royston, we meet again.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “What a coincidence. You invested in my company earlier today, and now you’re buying my house. Are you my good luck charm?
I hope to bring good fortune to Elevatejoy as well. It’s the project I’m most excited about right now,” Daniel responded with a playful tone.
I chuckled and steered the conversation back. “Are you certain about purchasing this house?”
Daniel glanced around, a hint of appreciation in his voice. “Yes. The house is in excellent condition, beautifully decorated; it must have taken a lot of effort. Why sell it?”
I answered candidly. “My ex–husband gifted it to me. Keeping it serves no purpose; it’s better turned into cash.”
When we were in love, even a strand of Christopher’s hair held significance. After the breakup, even a strand of his hair on the floor was infuriating. Let alone such a large house. It was a constant reminder of my past foolishness and naivety,
Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Ex–husband, did he cheat?”
“Something like that,” I answered casually.
The issues between Christopher and me were far more complex, but Daniel and I were merely business associates; there was no need to delve into
details
Daniel sighed and somewhat unexpectedly defended Christopher. “Perhaps some things are just necessary means.”
I almost laughed. “Mr. Martinez, are you about to claim he simply made a mistake that all men make?”
“No, of course not.” Daniel awkwardly changed the subject. “Ill take the house, let’s sign the contract,
I nodded, “Alright.”
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