Chapter 2
I clenched my phone tightly, a ragged gasp escaping my throat.
Then, Scarlett’s icy voice suddenly came through the phone. “Who touched my phone?”
The clamor ceased instantly.
“Honey? Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you not feeling well?”
Scarlett’s voice was flawlessly gentle. It was as if those vicious words from earlier had been my hallucination.
I opened my mouth, wanting to talk about divorce. But I suddenly realized our marriage certificate was fake; I didn’t even have the right to suggest divorce.
Just then, a gentle male voice came from the other end of the line. “Baby, you’re pregnant; you shouldn’t stand for too long, your back will ache…”
Scarlett clearly panicked for a moment. “Honey, I have an urgent matter here. I’ll come back to you later.”
Without waiting for my response, the call was abruptly hung up.
I don’t know how long I sat in the living room before I heard the villa’s front door open. My mom and Scarlett pushed the door open, their faces still beaming with fading joy.
“Julian, Mom specially bought these for you from Switzerland; they’re all-natural brain-boosting supplements.”
Scarlett came to me and leaned down, massaging the dark circles under my eyes. “Why didn’t we have a celebration party? Are you upset we weren’t there? I’ll ask Ms. Miller to reschedule for tomorrow, okay?”
The two of them spoke enthusiastically, then froze when they saw I remained silent. Scarlett gave a barely perceptible shake of her head, signaling that the wedding news hadn’t leaked.
I handed Scarlett a document. “Sign this.”
My mother deliberately said with a touch of sarcasm, “My son now prioritizes his wife when signing contracts.”
Scarlett didn’t even glance at it, signing her name with a flourish. “We’re one. What’s mine is yours. No need to be so distant in the future.”
She smiled, returning the document to me. As she spoke, both their phones rang simultaneously. My mother patted my shoulder. “There’s an urgent company matter; we’ll go handle it in B Block.”
Scarlett blew me a kiss. “B Block was expanded for you, so Mom and I can work without being too far from you.”
With that, they hurried away.
The two bride’s badges that fell from my pocket reminded me that tonight was their wedding night. I looked down at the document that read “Julian and Scarlett Sever All Financial Ties,” and laughed until tears streamed down my face. With this, all my investment gains were no longer connected to Scarlett.
I, Julian, could love, and I could let go. After finishing the last cigarette, I dialed Mr. Davies’ number. “Mr. Davies, I need to end the share custody agreement early, and also—terminate all preferential treatment for Blackwell Corp.”
2
“Mr. Sterling, after initiating the inheritance process, 72% of Sterling Group shares will be transferred to your name within 10 days.” Mr. Davies paused, then added, “When your father passed away… he had thorough asset protection in place. Mr. Sterling marrying your mother won’t allow him to take a single cent from Sterling Group.”
I grunted, then hung up.
The year my father died, my mother knelt in front of the mourning hall, sobbing uncontrollably. She slapped herself repeatedly, saying her indiscretion while drunk was unforgivable to my father and me. I stayed hidden in my room all day, refusing to eat. It was Scarlett who brought me porridge, patiently spoon-feeding me until I swallowed.
“Your father, up in heaven, would want you to be happy.”
Those words helped me get through it. And they made me give her my whole heart. Only now did I understand the calculated manipulation hidden behind that gentleness.
My phone vibrated endlessly. Photo after photo flooded in. A young Scarlett embracing Leo on a cruise ship, kissing him, fingers intertwined in the snow. Each photo was captioned “My Dearest Leo.”
Turns out, my honeymoon itinerary was just a re-visitation of their old haunts.
Chapter