Chapter 7

Vivienne remained unfazed in the face of Sebastian's patronizing airs. She uttered, "Sebastian, this marriage is over." Then, she turned and left. ... Vivienne turned the corner into the back garden. Perhaps Sebastian and Regina had left the banquet out of humiliation, or maybe they didn't want to leave Melanie all alone. Either way, neither of them was there when Vivienne came back. Jason had already returned to the party. Vivienne walked up to him. "Where have you been? And what took you so long?" "I was going over to pay my respects to Mr. Goodhall Senior." Jason looked at her, a fond smile on his charming face. "I heard about what happened earlier. We owe one to Spencer for getting you out of trouble." A bolt of realization struck Vivienne. "Jason, you mean you left on purpose?" Jason grinned but didn't deny it. "Well, I thought it was a better idea to let Spencer have the chance to save the damsel in distress. Can't have Sebastian thinking my sister isn't popular with the boys." "Since when were you this childish, Jason?" Vivienne sighed in resignation. "You know there isn't anything going on between me and Spencer. I only think of him as a big brother." Jason raised an eyebrow. "You've already got me for a big brother. What do you need so many others for?" Vivienne was about to retort, but Jason interrupted her, "Right then. You've been hanging loose for three years, dumping all your work on me. It's about time you got back to work, isn't it?" Vivienne said nothing. Jason gave her a look. "You know, Vivienne, even after you ran away from home to be with Sebastian, Mom and Dad still love you a lot. They saw how your relationship with him was falling apart in the news, so they sent me over to help you out." "Help me out?" Jason nodded. "The Holt Group isn't as big as the Lockhart Group, but they still have a sizable influence in Zerbania. Back when you married into the Holt family with nothing to your name, Mom and Dad were worried you'd be walked all over. So, they asked me to hand over a major project to Sebastian and also for me to transfer all the businesses under the Lockhart Group over to you." Vivienne frowned. "You signed a contract with the Holt Group?" The major project Jason had mentioned couldn't be an ordinary one. It was something even the Lockharts, the kingpins of the city, didn't take lightly. Jason glanced at her. "We finalized the signatures the day before you called me. I was thinking of surprising you and Sebastian. But then…" Vivienne stayed silent for a while before saying, "I'm divorcing Sebastian. Can't you break off the contract?" Jason shook his head regretfully. "The Holt Group has been growing pretty well over the past few years, and Sebastian is a capable man. Mom and Dad felt that they'd been too harsh on you back then. They wanted to make it up to you by giving Sebastian a project this big. If we breach the contract, we'd be giving away half the Lockhart Group to the Holts." Vivienne closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. "I'm so sorry for upsetting Mom and Dad with my stubbornness back then." There wasn't a trace of reproach in Jason's voice. "Hey, it's just a project. What's done is done. Anyway, how did your discussions with Sebastian go?" Vivienne's eyes flared with frustration. "He won't agree to the divorce." "Why?" Vivienne gave him a rundown of the situation. By the end of it, Jason let out a mild sigh. "Well, this is Zerbania, after all. There isn't that much you can do if he won't agree to the divorce, is there? Still, I gather that he's waiting for the three-year time limit to run out, then divorce you?" Vivienne nodded. "It'll only be three months till time's up," Jason mused. "And even if you initiate the proceedings right now, there's still a cooling-off period of one month. You'll waste too much time if you go through the legal route, and we won't know how things might change in the meantime." Jason looked her in the eye. "So, how about putting up with it for three months?" Zerbania held the sanctity of marriage in high regard. Even if the relationship between the spouses had broken down, should either party refuse to assent to the divorce, a judge wouldn't sanction it either. With more back-and-forth, separation, and going through the procedures, getting a divorce within two years would be considered fairly quick. Paradoxically, it was the better option to endure the last three months. Sebastian rarely came home anyway. It shouldn't have been a big deal to wait a little longer. But Vivienne wasn't going to put up with that. Sebastian had already taken advantage of her, and now he would spend the money he earned from the project with the Lockharts on that mistress of his, Melanie. She hadn't been this cowardly before she got to know Sebastian. Jason seemed to have read her mind. "When we signed the agreement, I saw that woman, Melanie, with Sebastian, acting as his secretary," he said. His voice then melted into a cajoling tone. "I was planning to let you take over the project after we signed it, anyway. Vivienne, seeing that you can't get divorced at the moment, why not get your revenge before the three years are up?" Vivienne gave Jason a look. "You're sure you aren't just using this as some fine, noble excuse to lighten your own workload?" Jason was her own brother. She knew the depths of his duplicity better than anyone. Even though Vivienne had seen right through him, Jason didn't seem the slightest bit bothered. "You've had your break for three years. Surely, it isn't that big of an ask for me to get three months off." Vivienne knew Jason had come here for her sake and that their parents were using this opportunity to tell her she could come home. These were the consequences of her own willfulness. She shouldn't be making Jason clean up her messes. Having considered all that, Vivienne nodded. "Alright." ... The next day, having set up a time for the handover to take place, Vivienne and Jason went to a shopping mall to get outfits for themselves. Sebastian had always assumed she'd schemed her way into marrying him for his money. To prove that money had nothing to do with her choice, Vivienne had never bought much clothing or accessories, just to avoid his misunderstanding. But even with her thrifty lifestyle, she still remained a gold digger in his eyes. At the mall, Vivienne was trying on a pearl bracelet. She had always had a penchant for them. She'd amassed a whole collection at home before her marriage to Sebastian, and each of those bracelets was worth at least seven figures. Since she hadn't divorced Sebastian yet, it wasn't the time to be too flamboyant. She picked out a bracelet worth 200 thousand dollars to try on her wrist. A staff member watched the smooth expertness in Vivienne's eye as she appraised the bracelet, observing the refined elegance she carried herself with. Immediately, she recognized Vivienne as a wealthy client and started promoting the bracelet with added enthusiasm. Just as Vivienne had taken off the bracelet to let the staff member wrap it up, she heard a snooty voice behind her. "Oh, you shouldn't be buying things you can't afford! This isn't the place for broke tramps like you. And having the cheek to try it on, too, putting your poor, grubby hands all over it!" The speaker paused, then demanded, "You there, give that thing a good polish. We're buying that bracelet!"