Chapter 6

The look Sebastian shot her made Vivienne seem like nothing more than a shrewish wife spouting nonsense. "I've done no such thing. What do I have to confess?" Vivienne finally got it now—men would never admit to cheating. They would always weasel their way out with some excuse, even when caught red-handed. She couldn't be bothered to entertain any more of Sebastian's nonsense. She pulled out a copy of the divorce papers from her purse and slapped them hard against his chest. "Here are the divorce papers. Have a look through them. If everything's in order, sign your name at the bottom." Vivienne hadn't gone outside since her recovery. She had been thinking of going to the manor to pack up her things, so she had put the divorce papers into her purse in advance. Since she'd managed to run into Sebastian here, she thought it convenient to simply hand the papers to him then and there. Sebastian had already been unhappy with Vivienne's flippancy toward Regina. He was now even more chagrined that Vivienne had threatened to divorce him again and again. "Don't push it, Vivienne." As soon as he said this, he caught a glimpse of the document that Vivienne had thrown at him. The two words "Divorce Agreement" were blinding under the glare of the streetlights. Sebastian paused, then scanned the contents of the divorce papers. When he flipped to the last page, he saw Vivienne's signature at the bottom. His gaze darkened into menacing pools. So, she'd gone ahead and drawn up the divorce agreement. Was this one of her new tricks? Or could it be… "Vivienne…" Sebastian seemed like he was about to say something, but Vivienne cut him off coolly, "If you think I'm playing with you, then I'll see you at the family court tomorrow." Sebastian's eyes darkened even more. It didn't take long for him to shoot back. "You were the one who pulled all those tricks, begging me to marry you." Sebastian sneered. "And now you want to divorce me, just like that? What exactly do you take me for?" Vivienne hadn't expected Sebastian's answer at all. "Sebastian, you don't like me, do you?" "That's right," he answered without hesitation. "So, you don't like me, and Melanie's back in Zerbania looking for you, apparently not minding that you'll be on your second marriage either. With all that considered, once you divorce me, both of you would be able to be together as a legitimate couple, wouldn't you?" Vivienne paused, a sarcastic smile blooming at the edges of her lips. "Or could it be that you get off on having illicit affairs, Mr. Holt?" Sebastian suddenly lowered his head, leaning in closer to her ear. The prickly cedar freshness of his breath found its way into her own. The scent was almost enough to make Vivienne choke. "You should know the reason why I'm not divorcing you better than I do." Vivienne's eyelashes quivered slightly. "What do you mean, Sebastian?" "Vivienne, are you playing dumb?" the man hissed. "You colluded with Grandpa, saying that unless we have children, my shares in the Holt Group would be permanently frozen if we divorce within three years. Why else do you think I've put up with you for this long?" Sebastian's voice was cool and husky, like the crisp melody of icy pearls tinkling on a frozen lake. But each word he uttered carried a frosty wisp that burrowed deep into Vivienne's lungs. She felt her hands and feet turn cold. Edwin wouldn't allow them to divorce? He had never mentioned that part of the deal to her. No wonder Sebastian had never brought up the prospect of divorce, even after Melanie's return. It was also little wonder he never rejected her advances to sleep with him. She had foolishly been convincing herself that Sebastian still thought of her as his wife—that he still liked her a little, deep down. Why else would he touch a woman he didn't even like? So, it was all because he wanted her to get pregnant. Thinking of the child that had left this world without ever having had the chance to see it, Vivienne felt a stab of pain shoot through her heart. She looked up at Sebastian. "And if I gave birth to a child for the Holt family, would you have dropped me just like that?" Sebastian's voice was as cold as ice. "I know why you wanted to marry me. Don't worry. I'll give you a generous sum to squander after the divorce. I'll pay you a monthly allowance on the side, too. And as for the child…" Sebastian paused. "I'd hope you'll never show your face around him." He was asking her to cut off contact with the child? So, he'd already had everything planned out beforehand. She was the only one who had no idea. And to think, she'd intended to use the child to get him to change his mind. And when she was dealing with the loss of her child, he was reveling in another woman's company. He hadn't even known about the child's existence. Vivienne didn't even notice how hard she was digging her fingernails into her palms. Her heart felt like it was ablaze with napalm. Sebastian seemed to have thought of something as his dark gaze fell on her. "Vivienne, you're not… pregnant, are you?" An inexplicable coldness surfaced in Vivienne's eyes. "No… of course not." She shouldn't have tried using this child as a bargaining chip to keep this man. It was no wonder that the child had left this world instead. She wasn't worthy of being its mother. And Sebastian… he wasn't even worthy of knowing about its existence. She lifted her head slowly, meeting Sebastian's gaze as she enunciated, "And even if I was pregnant, I'd abort it." Sebastian stared for a few moments, the storm in his gaze brewing. "Abort it?" He smiled coldly. "You were so eager to marry into the Holt family. Could you bear to abort the bargaining chip that would allow you to enjoy all that wealth and glory?" He continued, "And now there are only three months left before the three years are up. And as for why you're asking me for a divorce at this time... I'm afraid you know your intentions better than I do. Isn't that right, Vivienne?" With her heart aching to the point of numbness, Vivienne barked out a laugh. "And what exactly do you suppose my intentions are?" Sebastian mocked, "You haven't borne the Holt family a child, and the three years are almost up. You're bringing up divorce now so that you can negotiate the terms on how we can split the assets, aren't you?" "Split the assets?" Vivienne raised her delicate chin, an unprecedented look of arrogance on her face. "Excuse my bluntness, but I'm not interested in that petty bit of money from you Holts." In Sebastian's eyes, Vivienne was just an insatiable gold digger. He didn't believe what she was saying in the least. "Vivienne, it's just three more months. Keep playing your part as Mrs. Holt till then. I'll give you a sum of money when we divorce. I don't care how you got to know Spencer, but right now, you're still Mrs. Holt." There was no warmth at all in his gaze as he said this. "No matter how desperate you are to get with your next husband, you'll have to wait three months. And I don't want to get wind of any scandalous rumors during this time. If you ruin the reputation of the Holt family, I won't give you a single cent."