Chapter 4 The Divorce Agreement

Curtis frowned. "Divorce? Just because Mom didn't want your parents' ashes in the house today?" His tone made it sound like a trivial squabble. A chill settled in Chloe's chest. She decided she shouldn't hold onto any more hope for him. "It's not just that. There's also the matter of Sonya. Once we get divorced, you'll finally be free to marry her," she replied. "I told you that Sonya and I are just friends. Stop overthinking it," Curtis said impatiently. Chloe almost laughed. No one believed Sonya and Curtis were just friends, yet he kept using that label to cover up his infidelity. "I'm tired, Curtis. I don't want to keep this marriage going any longer," Chloe said. There was no grief greater than the death of love, and her love for him had already withered away. Curtis' expression fell. That strange feeling that something was slipping from his grasp grew stronger than ever, and, for the first time, he truly felt Chloe might leave at any moment. Suddenly, he suggested, "If you're still worried, why don't we have a child?" "What?" Chloe stared at him in shock. In all three years of their marriage, he'd never once touched her. At first, he'd claimed he was busy with work and that they should let things happen naturally. So, she'd never pushed him. Over time, it became the norm for them. He never made a move, even when they shared a bed. "We've been married for three years. It's time we start a family," Curtis murmured, leaning in to kiss her cheek. Chloe found it ridiculous. An absurd, almost sorrowful laugh rose in her chest. Once, she'd dreamed of having children with Curtis, but he'd always said, "I'm not ready yet. Can we wait a little longer?" So, she'd waited and assumed that he just wasn't prepared to be a father. Yet, the truth was that his heart belonged to someone else—he'd been saving himself for Sonya, his precious first love. Chloe thought her love, loyalty, and sacrifices would eventually move him, but all of it ended up being nothing more than a pathetic joke. Now, when she'd finally chosen to leave, Curtis suddenly wanted to give her a child. Chloe shoved him away, scrubbing the back of her hand against the cheek he'd kissed. "You disgust me, Curtis." Curtis' expression darkened. "When we got married, I promised I wouldn't let you down. I'll pretend I didn't hear what you just said. As for the child, if you're not ready for one yet, we can wait." "There's nothing to wait for," she snapped. "I'll never have a child with you." He'd just opened his mouth to argue when his phone rang sharply. As he answered the call, Chloe heard Sonya's voice coming from the other end. "...Alright. I'll be right there," Curtis said gently. After ending the call, he glanced back at Chloe. "I need to step out. Take some time to cool off." With that, he rushed off, leaving Chloe alone in the villa. Through the window, she watched him drive off, no doubt heading to Sonya's place. Did he even realize that he'd already failed her every time he'd left her for Sonya? Back then, Chloe had loved and married Curtis because he'd promised he would never let her down. But now that her love for him had completely died, there was no reason to continue this marriage. … To Chloe's surprise, Helen called and asked to meet her before she could even draft divorce papers. Helen demanded aggressively, "I'll give you 100 million dollars. Divorce my son!" "Sure." Chloe agreed without hesitation, leaving Helen taken aback. She eyed Chloe suspiciously and asked, "Are you sure you'll divorce Curtis?" "100 million dollars, and I'll sign the agreement immediately." Since Chloe was already planning to get a divorce, why shouldn't she take the money? 100 million dollars could send countless children back to school and give many sick patients a chance to live. Seeing her agree, Helen quickly slid a document across the table. It was a divorce agreement that had already been signed by Curtis. Recognizing his signature, Chloe asked, "Did he send you to discuss the divorce with me?" "That's none of your business. I know he wants this divorce, so just sign it," Helen urged. The flicker of guilt on her face told Chloe that Curtis knew nothing about the divorce agreement. Somehow, Helen had forged his signature or tricked him into signing the document. But either way, it made no difference to Chloe. She picked up the pen and signed her name. "It'll take a month for the divorce to be finalized. Until then, keep quiet, and don't you dare breathe a word of this to Curtis." Chloe raised an eyebrow. So, was she supposed to keep the fact that she'd signed the divorce agreement a secret from Curtis? "Also 100 million dollars might be too much. 20 million dollars is more than enough for an orphan like you." Helen ruthlessly bargained. To her, even 20 million dollars was too much to spend on someone like Chloe. "If we go through a normal divorce proceeding, I'm entitled to half of Curtis' marital assets. If you think 100 million dollars is too much, shall I take 1.5 billion dollars instead?" Chloe retorted sarcastically. Helen nearly passed out from fury. In the end, she gritted her teeth and finally gave in. "Fine! 100 million dollars it is, but no backing out!" Chloe smiled coldly. There was no way she would ever back out. Right now, all she wanted was to free herself from this marriage as soon as possible. … That afternoon, Chloe met her close friend, Lena Hansen, for some shopping. When Lena heard about the divorce, she rejoiced. "It's about time you divorced him! The tabloids are filled with Curtis and Sonya's scandals. That cheater and homewrecker flaunt their relationship like it's true love." Chloe sounded calm as she replied, "Let them do whatever they want. None of it will matter once the divorce is finalized anyway." "When will you take your parents' ashes back to Warlington for the burial?" Lena asked. "I'll do it once the divorce is finalized in a month." For dinner, Lena took Chloe to an upscale restaurant. They'd just settled down when laughter erupted from the next table, and Chloe caught the mention of a familiar name. "Curtis, when's your wedding with Sonya? Don't forget to invite us!" "Should be soon, right? Chloe's just a no-name graduate from a trash college. She'd probably be starving out there if Curtis hadn't taken pity on her. How does she have the nerve to cling to him? "Sonya's different. She's a graduate from a top college. She was the campus belle in college, and now she's the first female captain at AeroQuest Airlines. That's going in the history books!" The group chattered in high spirits, oblivious to the fact that Chloe was seated at the table right behind the partition. Lena nearly threw her spoon in anger. She was about to storm over when Chloe stopped her. "They're talking about me, so I'll handle it." She rose and walked around the partition. "Why wait for the wedding? Why don't I buy you all a drink right now?" Every head at the table turned to look at her. Seeing her there, Curtis frowned.