Chapter 6 Begging for Forgiveness

Noelle's gaze remained cold as she stared at Clifford. "You've got an hour before your partners arrive." Just then, Zayne walked in, hand in hand with Lola. He was clutching a gigantic tub of ice cream. Completely brainwashed by Lola, he was convinced Noelle was just playing hard to get. So instead of feeling worried, he urged, "Just sign the papers, Dad! Mom's never had a job, so she has no idea how tough it is to make money. Once you're divorced, she'll finally realize how good you've been treating her." Georgia could only stare in disbelief. Was this really Noelle's biological son? If Noelle hadn't given prior instructions to focus on a clean, swift divorce, she'd have lashed out at both father and son. Noelle's cold gaze swept over Zayne. "You're one hell of a son, Zayne." He shoveled another heaping spoonful of ice cream into his mouth and defiantly shot back, "Who cares! You're just stingy and never let me have ice cream. Ms. Perez is way nicer. She buys me the biggest tubs!" He held up the container to show it off. "Once you and Dad are divorced, you can't tell me what to do anymore. I can eat as much as I want!" Clifford frowned. "You know you have a sensitive stomach, Zayne. Don't eat so much ice cream at once." Off to the side, Lola smiled as she interjected, "Mr. Fuller, a child has a sensitive stomach precisely because the mother doesn't know how to give proper care. Being overprotective just makes him worse. "Zayne is a boy. A bit of ice cream won't hurt him." "Exactly!" Zayne chimed in. "Mom never lets me have any ice cream, and that's exactly the reason my stomach is weak since it doesn't get the chance to digest cold food. Dad, hurry up and divorce her already!" Noelle calmly listened as if their words couldn't harm her at all. She turned her gaze to Clifford, and her voice was cold. "Well, are you going to sign or not?" He hesitated, then finally scrawled his name on the divorce papers. His expression was gloomy as he warned, "You haven't worked in six years, so you're out of touch with society. Without my help, someone like you will never find a job." Lola slipped in, grinning as she said, "Mr. Fuller, if Ms. Quinn can't find a job, our company can always take her as a janitor. Her talent seems to be housekeeping, after all." Clifford's glare snapped to her. He could mock Noelle, but for Lola, a secretary and a shameful mistress, she had no right to mock his wife. Lola immediately lowered her head. The unbothered Noelle checked her watch and said, "I booked an appointment this afternoon to finalize the divorce, and I hope you'll be there on time. If not, I'll file suit with the signed papers, and the court will automatically grant it. That's slower, but it'll happen." Clifford sneered and replied, "I don't have time for paperwork. Since we've signed the papers, tell the court to handle it and declare our divorce." He was sure of it now—Noelle had an ace up her sleeve. She'd never intended to go through with the divorce, and he was convinced that everything she did was just a desperate play to win him back by pretending to walk away. But Noelle had gone too far this time, so he wouldn't give her an easy way out. She'd have to suffer out there on her own, and soon enough, she'd come crawling back begging for his forgiveness. Noelle had long prepared for his refusal. Six years of marriage had taught her exactly how selfish he could be. She motioned to Georgia and was ready to leave when Clifford demanded, "Since the house isn't yours, you will move out today, and you're not allowed to take a single item away." That way, everything would still be in its place when she returned. That was the flawless plan he had in his mind. Noelle turned back to give him a look as though he were trash. "Don't worry. I consider whatever you've touched filthy." If he'd simply cooperated and signed the papers, she would have walked away without a fight. But since he insisted on making things ugly, she could only repay him in kind. At the door, she paused and turned back. "By the way…" Cold-faced, Clifford straightened as if he'd expected her to stop and regret it. Yet Noelle didn't bother glancing at him. Her eyes went to Lola, and she flashed a smile. "Congratulations. You got what you wanted." Caught off guard, Lola froze and watched Noelle leave with unhurried grace. Clifford's expression darkened. "What did she mean by that?" Lola blinked innocently. "I'm not sure, Mr. Fuller. Maybe she just misunderstood us…" His expression eased a little at that. … Noelle handed the divorce papers to Georgia and immediately contacted an agent to search for a place of her own. Though she'd be joining a training camp, she'd still need a roof over her head. Her parents had left her enough inheritance to buy countless houses outright, but she wasn't about to squander it. And so, she pulled out her phone and called Jude. "Coach, do you have anything on the side? I'll take it, as long as the pay is good." There was a pause as Jude pondered for two seconds before saying, "There's a wagered race at Middlebrough Circuit tonight. Mr. Lloyd is an avid racing fan, but he was humiliated by amateurs too many times, so he put up two million dollars and wants a racer to join the race on his behalf. "You've been out six years, and though you'll certainly win against them, he's demanding first place. He wants to defeat all the remaining racers." Noelle didn't flinch. "I'll take it." Two million dollars wasn't much, but it'd be her first paycheck back on the circuit after six years in the shadows. She had to win perfectly. "Coach, please don't tell anyone who I am. I don't want anyone to know I was ever Sheila until I'm ready to return to the international stage," she pleaded. Jude agreed. After all, Sheila was a legendary name in racing back in the day.