Chapter 4
Selena woke up, her head pounding from last night's festivities. Her thoughts were a tangled mess, and her reactions were sluggish.
Before she could even muster a word, a frosty voice came through the phone. "As my wife, you vanish for a week without a peep? You've got some nerve, Selena!"-
That snapped Selena back to full alertness. She smirked slightly, replying with a cool detachment, "We've been married for three years, Everett, and you've often disappeared without a word yourself, haven't you?" Her voice was calm, but the sarcasm was sharp enough to cut. Everett, caught off guard by her comeback, fell silent.
Selena picked up a glass of water from the bedside table and took a sip to moisten her throat before continuing, "By the way, I've already filed for divorce. I don't need to report my whereabouts to you anymore, ex-husband." Divorce?
Everett scoffed, "Selena, are you done with your antics? First, it was every six months, then every three. Now, you're acting up like clockwork. Aren't you tired of this?"
"I'm not tired at all," Selena said, her expression impassive. "If you're sick of it, just finalize the divorce. Then we can part ways and stop bothering each other." For three years, she'd been terrified of making a wrong move, worried Everett would leave her. She never imagined she'd ever feel so calm asking for a divorce. "Are you doing this on purpose, Selena?" Everett's voice was laced with anger. "Stirring up drama right when Grandpa's about to come back!"
After passing the company on to Everett, Josh retired to Australia last year, saying he loved it there and planned to stay indefinitely. So why the sudden return?
Their last phone call hadn't mentioned anything about it. No wonder Everett called today; it was all about his grandpa. Otherwise, he wouldn't have cared where she was.
Her silence seemed like an admission to Everett. He clenched his jaw, his words cold, "How much do you want this time, Selena? Or is your dear uncle eyeing another project?" Selena's long eyelashes fluttered, and her heart tightened. According to him, she had married him for money, and everything she did was for financial gain.
She lost the will to argue, even
letting out a small chuckle. "Think what you like. Just let me know when you've set a time for the divorce signing. There's no need for us to talk otherwise."
...
Listening to the dial tone, Everett's face turned stormy. He tried calling back, only to hear a robotic voice. "The number you have dialed is out of service."
Ava, who had been standing by, overheard the whole thing and was secretly stunned. Had the usually submissive Mrs. Bennett actually blocked her husband?
Feeling a chill down her spine, she
looked up to meet Everett's icy stare, her body shivering. She quickly covered her ears, her survival instincts kicking in. "Sir, I didn't hear a thing." en FindNovel
She gave a small bow and turned to leave. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw Everett pause momentarily, then pull something from his pocket and toss it into the trash with a thud, making her heart skip a beat.
After he went upstairs, Ava moved closer to see what it was. It was a luxurious jewelry box. Inside lay an antique diamond necklace.
Wasn't this the necklace Mrs. Bennett had been hinting at? Unfortunately, she wouldn't get the chance to wear it.
...
Selena tossed her phone aside and lay back down, only to sit up moments later, muttering, "Is he serious?"
He called her first thing in the morning just to ruin her day.
Joy, asleep in the other bed, was woken by the noise. She wasn't used to seeing Selena so assertive and stared in awe.
Selena winked at her, flipping her hair with dramatic flair. "Don't I just look dashing?"
Joy could see Selena was trying to mask her sadness but didn't call her out, instead giving her a thumbs-up.
Then, Joy frowned. "Selena, if you really go through with the divorce, what's your plan? You have... a hefty bill to handle every month, don't you?"