Ethan Yardley had no idea what that woman, Sylvia Schuyler, had told Serena to make her think he was the one who had gotten rid of the baby.
He tried desperately to explain, "I told you, I didn’t even know you were pregnant. I only went to the hospital after you had the miscarriage."
"How long ago was my miscarriage?"
Serena Yardley didn’t want to argue with him, so she asked again, her voice cold.
Ethan fell silent for a few seconds before replying, "A little over a month ago."
"A little over a month? It’s been more than half a month since I woke up after the accident, right? So you’re saying that not long after my miscarriage, you took to the countryside to work with you?"
Ethan started, "At the ti, I..."
"Ethan, I don’t care how you treated before, and I don’t care why I married you.
But I really can’t live with you. I hope that when we get back from this trip, we can get a divorce. Can we just part amicably?"
’Julian said if I took him to court, I would never win against a man like him.’
’That’s why I have to talk this out with him, not fight a losing battle.’
’Divorce again.’
Ethan’s expression turned cold and grim. His eyes fixed on the woman before him, his tone resolute.
"I will not get a divorce."
"Why not?"
"I told you. I love you."
"But I don’t love you," Serena retorted.
Ethan’s tone was just as icy. "You don’t love because you’ve forgotten who I am. If you could just rember..."
"Then why is it that I haven’t forgotten anyone else, but I’ve conveniently forgotten you?"
Serena suddenly shouted, her emotions flaring.
Not wanting to agitate her further, Ethan quickly held up his hands.
"Calm down. Let’s not talk about this here. Can you please just try to enjoy yourself?"
"How am I supposed to have fun with you following ?"
’A divorce is a must.’
’The more he refuses, the more I’m convinced he’s hiding sothing.’
’And he thinks he can make it up to ? Can so things really be salvaged just by trying to atone for them?’
’It’s like a mirror. Once it’s shattered, it’s shattered. How can it ever be put back together again?’
’A broken mirror can’t be made whole again, and neither can people’s feelings. Once a rift forms, things will never be the sa, even if you get back together.’
"Serena, if you can’t stand the sight of , I can leave right now. But you listen to . I will not divorce you. Not in this lifeti."
Ethan was also getting angry, genuinely afraid that his very presence was the cause of Serena’s unhappiness.
He didn’t linger, turning to walk away.
Serena Yardley stood there, staring blankly at the man’s retreating figure.
The gentle sea breeze whipped her shoulder-length hair about, and her small fra began to tremble uncontrollably.
Quinn Gardner and Nina Thorne, who were following behind, ran into Ethan as he was walking back.
The pair blocked his path. "What’s going on? You’re leaving?"
Ethan handed the water bottle and cara to Quinn, instructing them,
"Help take good care of her. I’m heading back."
"It’ll be boring if you go," Quinn said, not wanting him to leave.
Nina also asked, "What happened? Did you and Serena have a fight?"
"It’s nothing. She probably just can’t accept yet. You two take her and have so fun. Call if anything happens."
His face dark, Ethan strode around the two of them and walked away.
Quinn and Nina exchanged a look, but they didn’t try to stop Ethan as they watched him leave.
After all, it was a matter between husband and wife, and it wasn’t their place to interfere.
Rembering that Serena was still over there by herself, Nina quickly hurried over to her.
After that, the couple took Serena Yardley out to have fun.
They took her to ride jet skis and go beachcombing, doing everything they could to help her forget her troubles and enjoy the rest of her vacation.
Serena Yardley seed happy on the surface, but sothing was weighing her down. Every night, she found it difficult to sleep.
When the vacation finally ca to an end, the very first thing she did upon returning ho was to find Ethan and demand a divorce.
Sitting in the living room of the villa, Serena Yardley flipped through the marriage certificate Mrs. Miller had brought her. She glanced at the date; she had only been married to Ethan for eight months.
’Eight months, yet so much had happened.’
She checked the ti. It was seven in the evening.
Serena asked Mrs. Miller, "When is Ethan coming ho?"
Mrs. Miller, who had just finished setting out dinner, looked up at Serena and replied,
"I’m not really sure. He hasn’t been back since you left for your vacation.
I don’t know if he’ll be back tonight, either."
Serena instructed her, "Then please call him. Tell him to co ho. Just say I need to see him about sothing important."
Mrs. Miller agreed. "Alright."
While waiting for Ethan to return, Serena went to her room to pack her luggage.
Her classes were starting in a few days, and she had to move back to campus.
’As for this house... once the divorce is final, I’ll never co back here again.’
After receiving Mrs. Miller’s call, Ethan arrived ho at half-past eight.
Seeing that the dinner on the table was untouched, he asked Mrs. Miller while shrugging off his suit jacket, "Where is she? Why hasn’t she eaten?"
"Miss Serena is upstairs packing her things. I think she might be waiting for you to eat with her."
Ethan was speechless.
’Serena... waiting for ?’
He didn’t dwell on it. Ethan went upstairs and straight to the door of Serena’s room.
The door was ajar, and Ethan could clearly see Serena packing clothes for the season into a suitcase.
She was even packing so of her personal favorites.
Ethan’s expression darkened. He strode into the room and asked in a low voice, "What are you doing, packing?"
Seeing that he was back, Serena zipped up her suitcase, stood, and t his gaze.
"My classes are starting, so I’m taking these things to campus.
Also...
Hurry up and draw up the Divorce Agreent. Don’t worry, I won’t ask for much. Just give enough for my tuition and rent for the next two years. That’s all I want."
’Once I graduate and get a job, I can support myself.’
’So all I need from him is two years of alimony.’
The mont he heard the word "divorce," Ethan’s chest tightened painfully.
He pressed his lips together, doing his utmost to keep his anger in check.
Looking at her, he lowered his voice and said,
"I’ve already made myself perfectly clear. I will not divorce you. If you don’t want to see , I can stop living here."
Seeing how stubborn he was being, Serena grew angry.
"And what would be the point of that? I have no feelings for you. If you don’t live here, how is that any different from being divorced?"
"If you want to, I can co ho every day to be with you."
He gazed at her, his eyes filled with sorrow.
’He couldn’t understand why this woman had such a one-track mind.’
’You could always cultivate feelings over ti.’
’Besides, he genuinely loved her now. How could he possibly let her go?’
"That’s not what I’m talking about. I just want to leave you."
Serena shouted angrily at Ethan,
"Why can’t you just let go? You’re so rich, tall, and handso—you could have any woman you want. Why do you have to keep tied to you?"
Ethan’s face was clouded with despair, his voice low and hoarse.
"If being this rich, tall, and handso isn’t enough to keep you, then who could I possibly keep?"
His words left Serena utterly speechless.
She was too furious to speak and turned her back on him, unwilling to look at his feigned display of affection.
Ethan gazed at her slender back, a sharp, stabbing pain piercing his heart.
"Serena, just give ti. I’ll spend the rest of my life making you happy."
Reviews
All reviews (0)