Chapter 2

Alex’s pupils widened slightly. He thought I was just throwing a tantrum, and a furious laugh escaped him.

“Fine, fine, fine! Don’t you dare regret this!”

I said nothing, staying silent the entire ride.

We quietly completed all the paperwork.

It wasn't until we walked out of the courthouse that I slowly spoke:

“In thirty days, we’ll come back to finalize the divorce. I’ll go home and pack; Leo and I will be leaving later.”

Before Alex could respond, I flagged down a taxi and left.

Sera, standing nearby, seized the opportunity to fan the flames:

“Alex, don’t chase her. It’s probably good for Aria to cool down. Once that twenty million allowance hits her account tomorrow, someone who’s lived such a hard life will surely never be able to leave. But for her to constantly bring up divorce, even forcing you to come here…”

“It’s truly ungrateful of her!”

Alex coldly glanced at Sera’s hand clutching his arm.

He pulled away, his eyes narrowed as he warned:

“Stay out of my business with Aria.”

“Grandpa has old ties with your family, which is why he asked me to look after you and Caleb. So, stay in your lane. I told you before: you can try to ‘test’ or ‘provoke’ Aria and Leo all you want, but don’t you dare touch my son. I don’t want to hear Caleb say those things again.”

“Otherwise, I’ll pull all my investments from Maxwell Enterprises.”

Sera was furious, but she still had to maintain her pitiful facade:

“Alex, don’t think that of me. Kids say silly things, they don’t mean it. I was just worried that Aria was a gold-digger and wanted to help you test her. I won’t do it again.”

“Speaking of Grandpa, could you drop me off at the old mansion? We can have dinner with him.”

Alex ignored her, getting straight into his car:

“It’s not on my way. I’m going back to the office.”

“It’s hard to get a cab near the school, that’s why you asked me to give you a ride. This is downtown; you can handle yourself.”

He floored the gas pedal.

Sera could only watch the receding taillights, fuming.

After some thought, Sera finally dialed her phone:

“Hello, Grandpa, it’s Sera. Do you know, Aria suddenly filed for divorce! And she said she’s taking Leo with her!”

“She’s trying to keep you from seeing your grandson, trying to threaten the Thorne family…”

Alex’s car stopped at the last traffic light near his office, watching the countdown. He inexplicably thought of our marriage, now counting down its final thirty days.

We definitely wouldn’t divorce.

Both my son and I loved him fiercely, enduring three years of hardship without a word of leaving.

But then he remembered Leo’s disappointed eyes and my utterly cold expression at the courthouse entrance. The more Alex thought about it, the more agitated he became, a strange panic slowly rising within him.

He slammed his fist on the steering wheel in frustration, then turned the car around, heading home to find me.

When Alex returned, I was tossing our wedding photos into a box.

Calling them wedding photos was generous; they were just selfies taken with a veil.

Because we had no money, I couldn't afford proper wedding photos.

I bought a cheap veil for a few bucks on Wish, then dragged Alex to take a quick selfie in front of the courthouse.

In the photo, Alex’s face was stone-cold, and even though he seemed reluctant, he obediently let me rest my head on his shoulder for the shot. Later, when he saw that awkward photo hanging on the wall, he didn't say anything.

I thought then that Alex loved me.

But his love was tinged with doubt and suspicion, and I just needed to try harder to make him believe.

So later, no matter how much I suffered, a glance at that photo was enough to make me endure it all.

I reached out, gently touching Alex’s face in the photo.

“I knew you couldn’t let me go.”

“Aria, let’s withdraw the divorce application.”