Chapter 3<\/p>\n
Edna froze for a moment, clearly not expecting that response from Sienna. In the past, if Clayton had so much as a slight headache, a fever, or was merely in a bad mood, Sienna would always be the most anxious.<\/p>\n
She tried to persuade Sienna, \u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut nothing,\u201d Sienna cut her off bluntly and started up the stairs. \u201cHe\u2019s a grown man, and I\u2019m not his mother. Honestly, he\u2019s been spoiled rotten.\u201d<\/p>\n
Soon, her slender figure disappeared around the turn of the staircase.<\/p>\n
If Irene Belcourt, her mother-in-law, hadn\u2019t specifically called to order her to drag Clayton back home, she would\u2019ve been fast asleep by now. Instead, she was returning home reeking of smoke, alcohol, and perfume. The stench of it all was so overpowering that it made her uncomfortable from head to toe.<\/p>\n
Sienna decided to just take another shower. When she came out of the bathroom, Clayton still hadn\u2019t come upstairs.<\/p>\n
Did he want her to go beg him? Not a chance.<\/p>\n
Sienna opened the vanity drawer and drew a divorce agreement from a stack of documents. She\u2019d consulted a lawyer three months ago. Since Melody was about to return, it was best to just part ways and keep things civil.<\/p>\n
Staring at the black ink on the paper, she suddenly felt playful. She picked up the agreement and waved it through the air, imagining how she\u2019d throw it in Clayton\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
No matter what, she couldn\u2019t lose on the swagger front.<\/p>\n
She cleared her throat, held the agreement between two fingers, and lightly tossed it forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cClayton Hale, here\u2019s the divorce agreement. Sign it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Was that a little over the top? She wasn\u2019t tossing a check, after all.<\/p>\n
She picked it back up and tried again, this time trying a gentler tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cClayton, sign these divorce papers. Let\u2019s end things on good terms.\u201d<\/p>\n
With that, she flicked her wrist as if to toss it, but quickly pulled it back, unable to stop herself from laughing.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, that\u2019s not cool enough,\u201d she muttered to herself.<\/p>\n
She then tried several more versions with different tones and gestures, tossing it and picking it up again, repeating the motions over and over.<\/p>\n
Yet even after all that rehearsal, Clayton still hadn\u2019t come upstairs.<\/p>\n
Sienna slid the agreement back into the drawer and let out a self-deprecating laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe power of first love really is something else. The moment he hears that she\u2019s coming back, he\u2019s drowning his worries in alcohol\u2014the main worry being how to go against his family and ditch his burdensome wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
She wasn\u2019t about to go out of her way to please him anymore. Without any hesitation, she pulled back the covers, crawled into bed, and went to sleep.<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t help but fantasize that if Clayton drank himself to death, she would inherit his fortune and become a wealthy widow. Then, she could hire ten male strippers at once.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Clayton remained seated by the kitchen island downstairs. Nearly half a bottle of the top-shelf whiskey was already gone.<\/p>\n
He could handle his liquor and wasn\u2019t anywhere near blackout drunk. His eyes were still clear, but an indescribable irritation churned in his chest.<\/p>\n
Edna stood off to the side, carefully urging him, \u201cSir, please don\u2019t drink so much. You still have to go to the office tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clayton ignored her, his gaze once again flicking toward the staircase. But it remained deathly quiet, with not a hint of movement.<\/p>\n
Annoyed, he tugged at his collar and tipped his head back, downing the rest of the glass in one go.<\/p>\n
Edna seemed to realize what was happening. She mustered her courage and added, \u201cMrs. Hale might just be too tired today, so she went to bed early.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTired?\u201d Clayton repeated with a sneer. \u201cWhat did she do exactly? She stays at home as a full-time housewife, sheltered from everything. You think that\u2019s more tiring than me going to the office and dealing with endless crap all day?\u201d<\/p>\n
Edna fell silent at his sharp tone, but she began muttering to herself. Usually, Sienna was very gentle and considerate with Clayton, but today, she seemed like a completely different person.<\/p>\n
Based on the TV shows she secretly watched while she was slacking off, she almost wondered if that woman earlier had been Sienna\u2019s twin sister in disguise\u2014a cold, aloof version of her.<\/p>\n
\u2026<\/p>\n
The next morning, Sienna was still in dreamland when someone nudged her shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, wake up.\u201d A man\u2019s deep voice carried a note of impatience.<\/p>\n
Sienna frowned. Without opening her eyes, she mumbled groggily, \u201cWho wakes someone up this early\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSienna Winger.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clayton\u2019s voice rose slightly as he looked down at her. \u201cWhat? Do you think you\u2019re the queen now? Do I have to ask you more than once just for you to tie a necktie?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sienna finally deigned to open her eyes and met Clayton\u2019s handsome face up close.<\/p>\n
He was wearing a crisp black shirt buttoned to the top, making him look restrained and aloof. A dark blue tie hung loosely around his neck, clearly waiting for her to help with.<\/p>\n
In the past, she would\u2019ve bolted upright, eyes full of shy affection as she tied his tie for him. Her cheeks would even flush when her fingers accidentally brushed his Adam\u2019s apple.<\/p>\n
But now, she only glanced at him briefly before turning over and pulling the blanket higher. \u201cDon\u2019t you have hands? In the time it took you to wake me up, you could\u2019ve tied it yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clayton snorted coldly and pushed her again. \u201cIsn\u2019t this your favorite thing to do?\u201d<\/p>\n
Muffled beneath the covers, her voice came out dull. \u201cNot anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at the lump under the blanket, and a scoff escaped him from sheer agitation. He yanked off the tie and tossed it aside carelessly. He then grabbed his suit jacket and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.<\/p>\n
Sienna stayed curled under the covers, motionless. Just as she was about to go back to sleep, a knock sounded.<\/p>\n
Edna\u2019s concerned voice came through. \u201cMa\u2019am, why are you still in bed so late today?\u201d<\/p>\n
After being disturbed twice, even someone like Sienna couldn\u2019t fall back asleep. She resigned herself to sitting up and stretched quietly.<\/p>\n
It had been a long time since she\u2019d felt this relaxed.<\/p>\n
In the past, Clayton left for work at 9:00 am, and so she\u2019d always wake up at 8:00 am on the dot. She\u2019d get out of bed quietly, prepare a balanced and nutritious breakfast, iron the suit he would be wearing, and lay out the matching tie.<\/p>\n
Then, she would hand him a warm cup of coffee just as he sat down at the dining table.<\/p>\n
Even with an alarm set, she\u2019d relied purely on her internal clock to wake herself up, just because she was worried the alarm would wake him. Subconsciously, her nerves stayed constantly taut, and she\u2019d jolt awake minutes before the alarm, never truly sleeping well.<\/p>\n
And she\u2019d actually kept up that foolish routine for three whole years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really was just torturing myself,\u201d she muttered, sighing.<\/p>\n
Edna walked in, worry etched on her face. \u201cMr. Hale is having breakfast downstairs, and his expression doesn\u2019t look great. You should hurry and go down to check on him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sienna threw off the covers, climbed out of bed, and yawned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the point of my checking on him? I\u2019m not a doctor. His expression doesn\u2019t look good? Well, I don\u2019t feel great either.\u201d<\/p>\n
With that, she strode straight into the bathroom to wash up, leaving Edna standing there, stunned. Was this really the same Sienna as before?<\/p>\n
By the time Sienna strolled downstairs in a relaxed manner, the spacious dining room was empty except for Edna clearing the table.<\/p>\n
Clayton\u2019s seat was already vacant.<\/p>\n
Sienna clutched the divorce agreement in her hand. She\u2019d originally planned to tidy herself up and have a proper conversation with Clayton about the divorce, but he\u2019d left so quickly. In that case, she could only go to his office to find him.<\/p>\n
Just as she walked up to the dining table, her phone rang.<\/p>\n
The name \u201cWilfred Winger\u201d flashing on the screen made her fingers pause for a second before she finally answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnna,\u201d Wilfred started, his voice gentle. \u201cFind a time and bring Clayton home for dinner. Daphne will do the cooking herself. She\u2019ll make your favorite braised fish.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s busy,\u201d Sienna said, rejecting him flat out.<\/p>\n
A brief silence fell over the line.<\/p>\n
Winger Group had once been a leader in Eldavia\u2019s furniture industry. But with the downturn in real estate, shrinking demand, and Wilfred\u2019s string of failed investments in earlier years, the company was no longer the powerhouse it once was.<\/p>\n
These past three years, thanks to Sienna\u2019s marriage to Clayton, Winger Group had secured plenty of projects through Hale Group. What began as mutual benefit between the two families had gradually morphed into one-sided charity.<\/p>\n
Every so often, Wilfred would play the family card. \u201cThen you come back yourself. I miss you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sienna chuckled, but her eyes were cold.<\/p>\n
He missed her?<\/p>\n
When she was still a child, she\u2019d been mistreated by Daphne Langford, her stepmother, and bullied by Olive Winger, her younger stepsister. Yet, he\u2019d always turned a blind eye.<\/p>\n
Now that she\u2019d married into the Hale family and become a daughter useful to him, he suddenly missed her regularly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen do you miss my mom?\u201d she asked. \u201cHave you visited her at the hospital even once?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSienna, how long has it been since your mom and I divorced? I\u2019m married now. Is it even appropriate for me to go visit her?\u201d Wilfred retorted, his voice dropping low. \u201cDon\u2019t forget\u2014I\u2019m the one who raised you all these years, not your mother. She had nothing to do with it!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh. Then in that case, it seems it\u2019d be inappropriate for me to go home for dinner, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
With that, Sienna abruptly ended the call, putting an end to the pointless conversation.<\/p>\n
Before going to see Clayton about the divorce, she dropped by Mercy Hospital\u2019s VIP room.<\/p>\n
The caregiver, Vivian Alvarez, was in the middle of smoothing out the bedsheets. When she saw Sienna walk in, she smiled warmly.<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Winger, you\u2019re here,\u201d she greeted.<\/p>\n
Sienna placed the fresh lilies she\u2019d brought into a vase. \u201cYeah. I\u2019d like to talk to my mom for a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course. I\u2019ll go get some hot water,\u201d Vivian said tactfully, grabbing the tumbler and gently closing the door behind her.<\/p>\n
Sienna sat down next to the hospital bed, her gaze resting on her mother\u2019s gaunt face. Sustained only by IV nutrition, Eleanor Finch had grown so thin she was almost unrecognizable. Yet, traces of her former beauty still lingered in her features.<\/p>\n
Sienna gently held Eleanor\u2019s hand, the icy chill of it making her nose sting.<\/p>\n
If she hadn\u2019t been in such a rush to reunite with her back then, Eleanor wouldn\u2019t have rushed out onto the street and ended up getting hit by a speeding car, leaving her severely injured.<\/p>\n
Every time Sienna thought about it, guilt crushed her.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, I\u2019m getting divorced too,\u201d she said softly, her voice breaking as tears spilled onto their clasped hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cThree years of marriage, and he doesn\u2019t even know you, his mother-in-law, exist. I\u2019m sorry I never brought him to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sienna walked up to the desk and yanked off her sunglasses.<\/p>\n
\u201cBring what food? I\u2019m here to talk to you about something.\u201d<\/p>\n
As she spoke, she pulled the divorce agreement from her bag. With a flick of her wrist, she sent it slicing through the air in a sharp, clean arc. It grazed past the bridge of his nose and landed squarely on the desk.<\/p>\n
\u201cClayton,\u201d she said flatly. \u201cLet\u2019s get a divorce.\u201d<\/p>\n
She got the divorce and bolted 3 Chapter 3 Edna froze for a moment, clearly not expecting that response from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20077","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-she-got-the-divorce-and-bolted-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20077","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20077"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20077\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}