Serena Yardley didn’t know how she managed to keep her composure on the way ho with Ethan Yardley.
When they arrived ho, she was like a soulless puppet, sitting pale and motionless on the living room sofa.
Ethan Yardley went to the study.
When he ca back down, he was holding the Divorce Agreent he had prepared long ago.
He walked over to Serena Yardley and handed it to her. "Take a look. If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, just say the word, and I’ll make changes."
Serena Yardley slowly raised her head. When her gaze fell on the docunt Ethan held out, the two words on the cover, "Divorce Agreent," stung her eyes.
Tears welled up in her bloodshot eyes.
A sob caught in her throat. Her chest ached as if she had swallowed poison, its venom slowly corroding her beating heart until she felt like she was suffocating.
She t the man’s gaze, her voice hoarse. "Did you have this divorce agreent prepared a long ti ago, Ethan?"
’So what he said at the hotel was a lie—that as long as I didn’t leave, he would never let go.’
’He was just saying whatever he could to placate .’
’He had the divorce papers ready all along, just waiting for the mont I agreed so he could have sign them.’
’So, Serena, maybe you’re exactly what Sylvia Schuyler said you were to Ethan: nothing more than a tool to ease his loneliness.’
Seeing how pale Serena was, Ethan sat down beside her and said in a low voice,
"I know this is unfair to you. Take a look at the settlent. If you’re not satisfied, I can add more."
Serena Yardley didn’t even glance at the agreent. Her eyes, bloodshot and full of despair, stared at the man beside her as she asked again,
"Ethan... have you ever loved at all?"
Ethan’s face was impassive, his lips pressed into a thin line.
He turned to look at her, an unpleasant feeling stirring in his own heart. "What’s the point of saying all this now?"
Serena, "..."
’That’s right.’
’What’s the use of talking about love now?’
’He wants to divorce so he can marry soone else.’
’And I, Serena Yardley, am just a passerby in Ethan’s life.’
’I’m not even worthy of bearing his child now.’
’Oh, Serena, Serena, how could you be such a failure?’
’A perfectly good marriage, the man you love so deeply... just like that, he’s slipping away. How are you going to live from now on?’
With tears in her eyes, she picked up the pen from the coffee table. Fighting the urge to break down completely, she opened the agreent, looking for the signature line.
Seeing that she wasn’t reading the terms, Ethan stopped her hand as she was about to sign.
"Aren’t you going to read it?"
Serena Yardley shook her head. "You’ve given more than enough. I’m not entitled to anything else of yours. Once I sign, I’ll move out on my own, and I won’t show my face to you again."
She pushed his hand away, ready to put pen to paper.
But at that exact mont, a sound ca from the front door.
"Ethan! Ethan, hurry and open the door!"
It was Raina’s voice.
Ethan abruptly snatched the pen from Serena Yardley’s hand before she could sign. He quickly gathered the Divorce Agreent, stood up, and said,
"Raina’s here. Go let her in. We’ll sort this out later; I’ll redraft it and have you sign then."
Serena insisted, "Let just sign it now so we can finalize the divorce. Then you and Sylvia Schuyler can be together without hiding."
"I said to deal with Raina first. Go open the door!"
Ethan snapped, then went upstairs with the Divorce Agreent.
Serena, "..."
Watching Ethan’s retreating back, for so reason, the sharp pain in her heart began to subside.
’Was it because Ethan stopped from signing just in ti?’
’Or was it because, deep down, I never wanted to leave him in the first place?’
’But Serena, even if you don’t leave now, you’ll have to sooner or later.’
’Ethan told you clearly he wants to marry Sylvia Schuyler. No matter what you do, he’s going to marry her.’
’So your departure is just a matter of ti.’
"Ethan, I know you’re in there! Open the door right now, or I’m going to get angry!"
Outside, the little girl’s voice was crisp and loud, and filled with fury.
Snapping out of her daze, Serena Yardley hurried to open the door.
She hadn’t expected Gabriel Galloway to be with Raina.
As she pulled open the ornate iron gate to the courtyard and saw the two of them standing there, Serena felt a pang of awkwardness and didn’t know what to say.
When Raina saw it was Serena who opened the gate, she asked huffily,
"Where’s Ethan? He’s ho, isn’t he? Just you watch, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind."
With that, Raina stord toward the villa’s main entrance.
Gabriel Galloway, however, remained in front of Serena. His handso, refined face was missing its usual sunny smile, replaced by an expression of concern for her.
"Are you... okay?"
Serena’s gaze flickered. She nodded and replied, "I’m fine. Are you coming in or leaving?"
She wanted to close the door.
"I’m just here to drop Raina off. I’ll take her ho after she’s blown off so steam."
"Then go right ahead."
Serena didn’t dare to look at Gabriel Galloway as she spoke.
Gabriel didn’t stand on ceremony, striding right past her into the villa.
He just wanted to see what kind of life the girl who had always rejected him and his kindness was living, now that she was married to Ethan Yardley.
If she was happy.
If this was the life she wanted, then he would give her his blessing.
Mrs. Miller wasn’t ho, so after closing the iron gate, Serena went inside to pour a glass of water for Gabriel.
From ti to ti, she could hear Raina shouting upstairs.
Serena had just poured the water and was handing it to Gabriel in the living room when she saw Ethan dragging Raina downstairs by the ear.
The child struggled and yelled,
"Ethan, I’m your aunt! How dare you pull my ear! Let go!"
"You unfilial brat! You made my dad sick with anger, and now you’re being disrespectful to ! Aren’t you afraid you’ll be struck by lightning?"
After dragging the child downstairs, Ethan finally noticed Gabriel Galloway sitting in the living room.
He let go of the child and said to Gabriel, his face devoid of expression, "Take the child you brought with you and leave."
Gabriel hadn’t even had a chance to drink his water. He stood up and faced Ethan with a smile. "No need to be so hard on a child. She’s just bored, so..."
"Take her back."
Ethan’s voice left no room for argunt.
His tone was frigid.
Gabriel Galloway didn’t know Ethan Yardley well.
But judging by his arrogant and disrespectful attitude toward his elders, he could tell this was not a man to be trifled with.
He nodded in acknowledgnt and stepped forward to take Raina’s small hand. "Let’s go, Raina. We’re heading back."
Raina Yardley pulled her hand away from Gabriel’s. "You go back by yourself, Uncle! I’m not leaving. I’m staying right here. Serena said I have to keep an eye on this unfilial brat!"
Ethan’s face darkened. Too lazy to argue with a child, he went and sat on the sofa.
Seeing Ethan’s haughty, unapproachable attitude, Gabriel figured the man wasn’t keen on having an outsider like him stay either.
He had no choice but to say to the child beside him, "Alright then, I’ll head back first. If you want to go ho, just give a call, and I’ll co pick you up."
"Okay, bye, Uncle!"
As Gabriel was leaving, he couldn’t help but look at Serena.
Serena was looking at him, too.
The mont their eyes t happened to be witnessed by Ethan.
Even though Gabriel left without another word between them, the sight still left a bad taste in Ethan’s mouth.
He eyed Serena and asked, "You two know each other?"
Serena snapped back to reality and denied it instinctively, "No."
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