She got the divorce and bolted 18
Chapter 18
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Chapter 18
“Ah!” Melody let out a scream, trying to cover her exposed back with both hands in panic.
But a fishtail dress had never allowed much mobility, and the more she panicked, the less balance she could maintain. One misstep sent her tumbling down the stage stairs, her forehead hitting the floor with a heavy thud. Blood poured out in an instant.
Gasps rippled through the audience.
Sienna, standing on stage with her brush just set down, looked up and froze at the sight. Her mouth hung open in shock without her realizing it.
“It hurts…” Melody let out a painful groan while clutching her chest. Her breathing was ragged as tears streamed down her face.
The elegance she had shown just moments ago was gone. Her carefully pinned-up hair was now a mess, the back of her red gown torn at the waist like tattered fabric, revealing a wide stretch of pale skin for all to see.
Miles was nearby and immediately rushed over to her. He quickly helped her to her feet, concern etched on his face. “Are you okay, Melody?”
Clayton rose from his seat as well, striding over and swiftly removing his blazer to drape it over her shoulders.
Clinging to him as if he were a lifeline, Melody buried her face in his chest and sobbed. Without another word, Clayton scooped her up in his arms. “To the hospital.”
“I’m coming too!” Miles immediately followed.
The three left in a hurry, leaving the guests whispering among themselves.
“That’s Mr. Hale, right? Isn’t he married? Why is he fussing over her?”
“I heard she’s his first love… he was obsessed with her back then. I guess he hasn’t forgotten about her.”
“Poor Ms. Hale then… her husband just carried off his ex in front of everyone. Isn’t that too blatantly disrespectful to her?”
“Marriage between wealthy families really is all for show.”
Sienna stood frozen on stage, feeling like a clown under scrutiny. The emcee glanced helplessly at her, unsure how to recover
the situation.
Taking a deep breath, she picked up the microphone, smiling politely. “I apologize for causing a scene. My husband has a habit of stepping in whenever someone needs help. He worries over everything, including injured stray animals by the roadside-or, in this case, an old friend. Thank you all for your understanding.”
She cleared her throat, sounding calm and composed. “But today we are gathered to celebrate Grandpa’s birthday. A small incident like this won’t dampen our spirits. Let’s turn our attention back to the celebration. Please enjoy the next performance.”
After passing the microphone back, she gracefully left the stage. Though her heart was churning violently now, she owed the Hale family respect. Dirty laundry in the family should not be aired publicly.
She approached Rupert and offered a sincere apology, “I truly apologize, Grandpa. I hope I didn’t ruin your celebration.”
He stroked his beard, chuckling, “Not at all. It made things lively. It’s just the kind of sights I like watching.”
On the other hand, Beatrice was fuming beside him. “That vixen is trouble everywhere she goes! I shouldn’t have allowed her here. I’ve already told her to stick to her own trade, so why did she force it? And that Miles… running after her like that? How ridiculous!”
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Chapter 18
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Rupert didn’t seem to mind that much, waving her off. “Ah, the love-and-hate relationship between young folks. It’s a messy tangle, indeed.”
Sienna smiled faintly, exchanged a few polite words, and left. Outside the hotel, she was about to hail a taxi when Hayden caught up with her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
The corners of her lips curved into a faint smile. She sounded calm as she replied, “If I say I’m okay, do I get a prize?”
Hayden was stunned for a moment before breaking into a laugh. “You sure don’t take it to heart, huh? Want me to send you home?”
“It’s not the same direction. I’ll take a taxi.”
The moment the sentence left her mouth, a taxi pulled up in front of them. She opened the door, waved goodbye to Hayden, and got in.
The taxi slowly drove under the city lights. Sienna gazed out at the moving blur of neon lights, deep in thought.
She recalled attending lavish gatherings with Daphne, and in their social circle, there was Julie Ainsworth, whose husband, Peter Larkin, was a notorious playboy. There were always endless rumors about him related to his affairs and inappropriate
behavior at work.
Whenever a scandal blew up, it was always Julie who handled it herself and smoothed things over in Peter’s stead. She never criticized him, all while keeping up the appearance of a perfect, loving relationship in front of others.
Sienna had never understood it before. Even if a husband’s heart strayed, she could simply detach herself and go separate ways. There was no need to go that far.
But tonight, when Clayton carried Melody and left in front of everyone, Sienna realized she had become the same kind of person-the one cleaning up the mess for others. And suddenly, she understood the feeling of having no other option but to
do so.
Julie already had two children, a daughter and a son, yet she was still trying for a third. She was stacking the odds in her favor, using motherhood as leverage to secure her place as the legal wife.
Sienna stared at her pale reflection in the car window and shuddered. She was afraid that one day, she might turn into that kind of woman too-constantly anxious, wasting her entire life on a man who didn’t love her, and clinging to him obstinately until it ended in tragedy.
It was close to 10:00 pm when Sienna returned to Baymont Residences.
“Welcome back, Mrs. Hale,” Edna greeted her at the door. “Would you like a late-night snack?”
Sienna shook her head calmly. “You should get some rest. Clayton won’t be coming home tonight.”
Edna sensed something was off, but she nodded and quietly withdrew as told.
Sienna went upstairs and began packing her belongings.
The walk-in closet was lined with the season’s couture pieces, many still bearing their tags. In a glass display case nearby sat limited-edition handbags and jewelry. Most of them were gifts from Irene or items sent over by Rowan. All of them were probably worth a fortune.
She stood there and hesitated for a moment. In the end, she packed only the clothes she had bought with her own money and zipped them into her suitcase. This way, Clayton wouldn’t have an excuse to come after her later, demanding anything back.
In the bathroom, their couple toothbrushes and cups stood side by side. A pink towel and a blue one hung neatly together. These were items she had carefully chosen herself. Now they looked like a tasteless joke.
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Chapter 18
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She swept them all into a bag.
The bedsheets, the pillows, the hair dryer, and the face towels… anything she had paid for, she took with her.
Finally, Sienna’s gaze fell on the wedding photo hanging on the wall. In it, Clayton wore a black suit, his expression cold and distant. He had one hand tucked into his pocket. Even the faint curve of his smile had been forced by the photographer.
She, on the other hand, wore a simple gown that reached the floor. Holding his arm, she was smiling with soft, hopeful eyes, as if she had truly married out of love.
There had been no proposal, no wedding ceremony. Even this photo had been taken only because Rupert had insisted on it.
Back then, she had naively believed her teenage crush had finally come true. But it had all been one-sided. The thorn named Melody had lodged itself deep in his heart and never once loosened its grip.
Sienna took the frame down, slid the photo out, and carefully cut along the line of the gap between them. She took only the half where she was smiling.
Dragging her packed suitcases into the living room, she glanced around the home she had lived in for three years.
In the kitchen, she was always bustling around endlessly, busy trying out new recipes that Clayton might like. She burned her hands more than once, getting blisters all over them.
On the couch, she had waited for him night after night, sometimes until dawn, only to receive a cold text saying, “I’m not coming home.”
By the window lay an unfinished knitted towel. She had secretly spent two months learning how to knit, only for him to crush her enthusiasm with a few careless remarks.
“It’s so ugly. It’s not for me, right?” he had said then.
After that, Sienna quietly abandoned it.
She slipped the wedding ring off her finger and placed it on the coffee table beside the signed divorce papers.
Out in the yard, the rose bushes she had planted the year before were beginning to sprout new buds beneath the moonlight. She had tended to them carefully every day, waiting for them to bloom.
In the end, she hardened her heart, picked up a shovel, and dug into the soil, uprooting every single rose bush, roots and all. After all, there was no reason to let someone else enjoy the flowers she had planted herself.
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Chapter 18
3/3
She, on the other hand, wore a simple gown that reached the floor. Holding his arm, she was smiling with soft, hopeful eyes, as if she had truly married out of love.
There had been no proposal, no wedding ceremony. Even this photo had been taken only because Rupert had insisted on it.
Back then, she had naively believed her teenage crush had finally come true. But it had all been one-sided. The thorn named Melody had lodged itself deep in his heart and never once loosened its grip.
Sienna took the frame down, slid the photo out, and carefully cut along the line of the gap between them. She took only the half where she was smiling.
Dragging her packed suitcases into the living room, she glanced around the home she had lived in for three years.
In the kitchen, she was always bustling around endlessly, busy trying out new recipes that Clayton might like. She burned her hands more than once, getting blisters all over them.
On the couch, she had waited for him night after night, sometimes until dawn, only to receive a cold text saying, “I’m not coming home.”
By the window lay an unfinished knitted towel. She had secretly spent two months learning how to knit, only for him to crush her enthusiasm with a few careless remarks.
“It’s so ugly. It’s not for me, right?” he had said then.
After that, Sienna quietly abandoned it.
She slipped the wedding ring off her finger and placed it on the coffee table beside the signed divorce papers.
Out in the yard, the rose bushes she had planted the year before were beginning to sprout new buds beneath the moonlight. She had tended to them carefully every day, waiting for them to bloom.
In the end, she hardened her heart, picked up a shovel, and dug into the soil, uprooting every single rose bush, roots and all. After all, there was no reason to let someone else enjoy the flowers she had planted herself.
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