Chapter 5

Eleanor came downstairs. Her cold gaze swept past my face and landed on Vivian.

"Is this the girl from outside? Our family really attracts nothing but low-class trash."

With one sentence, she insulted both of us.

In the past, Julian would have stood in front of me and said, “Chloe is the woman I chose.”

But today, he frowned and pulled Vivian closer. "Mom, she's my woman. You have no right to disrespect her."

Vivian's eyes brimmed with tears.

She always looked like the victim of the entire world.

I stood up, feeling completely detached. "I'll take my leave."

Arthur couldn't make me stay.

Julian didn't even bother to look at my way.

The divorce went smoother than I expected.

Julian probably believed that once the baby was born and we remarried, nothing would change. Everything would go back to normal.

On the day we went to court to sign the final settlement papers, he was forty minutes late. Then, he picked up the pen and signed effortlessly.

He leaned in close, his voice rare and gentle, almost coaxing.

"Didn't you always want a real wedding?"

"Once we remarry, I'll plan it myself."

"The private island you liked, the wedding dress you wanted, everything you love—I'll give it to you."

I looked up at him. "Julian, there's no need."

He blinked, then smiled. "I get it. We're an old married couple now, you think we don't need those flashy things. But this is a wedding I owe you. I have to make it up to you."

I shook my head. "In a week, you'll..."

Before I could finish, his phone exploded with ringtones.

Julian answered it, and his face changed. He jumped up.

"What do you mean her stomach hurts? I'm on my way!"

He took two steps, then stopped and turned back to look at me.

"I know we'll receive the final court decree in a week, but that's just a piece of paper. The court can say whatever it wants, but you are still mine. Those are two different things."

He patted my shoulder and rushed out.

I stood at the court exit and finished my sentence in the empty hallway:

"...In a week, you won't just be receiving a divorce decree."

The day the divorce decree was delivered to the Vance estate, Julian was summoned back by an angry phone call from his father.

"I don't care how you do it, call Chloe back right now. I have something to say."

"Once I'm done speaking, if you still want this divorce, I won't stop you!"

Julian frowned.

Although he didn't know what his father wanted to say, he knew better than anyone how ridiculous this divorce actually was.

Over the past week, his phone had been dead silent.

No messages from her, no Snapchat notifications.

He kept saying he didn't care, but his chest felt completely hollow.

He had never gone a whole week without communicating with his wife.

He needed an excuse, a legitimate reason to go to her.

And his father had just handed him one.

"Fine, fine," he muttered, pulling out his phone and scrolling to her name. "So annoying. I'll just call her."

Despite his complaints, his fingers moved faster than ever.

He pressed the call button.

He cleared his throat, trying to figure out what his first line should be.

Should he say, “Chloe, my dad wants you to come to the estate”?

Or, “Stop acting like a child. We aren't really divorced. Is it necessary to stay away for a whole week?”

Then, the call connected.

But the voice on the other end wasn't Chloe's.

"Hello? The bride is currently adjusting her veil. Are you a guest of the bride's family?"