Chapter 3

Matthew arrived at the cafe early the following morning, where he waited for Terence. He stirred his coffee countless times, and the customers came and went. Terence arrived fashionably late. Matthew scowled at him and grumbled, "Didn't you say we were supposed to meet at 9:00 am? Were you trying to delay this meeting and humiliate me by showing up at this hour?" Terence sat opposite him. "I was indeed, Mr. Cooke." "Why, you—" Matthew wanted to hit Terence, but the latter grabbed his wrist and shoved him back, making him fall back onto his chair, looking furious. He didn't expect Terence to be tougher than he thought. Terence looked at him calmly. "You won't be able to handle being Hailey's husband if you're so impatient, Mr. Cooke." Only then did Matthew sit up straight and appraise Terence seriously. All men would react the same way upon meeting their wives' first loves—they would cause a scene, their eyes red and bloodshot. They would throw expletives at the other man. Some people would look calm, but their words would be nasty and rude. Matthew had never met anyone who reacted like Terence did, though—he was calm. His eyes were devoid of emotion as he slowly stirred his coffee. It was as if he was there for a leisurely drink. Matthew's anger subsided. "You didn't invite me here just to have some coffee, did you?" Terence put down his spoon and pulled out a document from his bag, placing it before Matthew. The latter saw that it was a divorce agreement, and his eyes widened. "You…" Terence said, "You want Hailey and me to divorce, right? I'll do it. All you need to do is help me with two things. Once I get that divorce certificate, I'll disappear from your and her worlds." Matthew was ecstatic to hear that. This was his first time feeling so close to being Hailey's husband, and he had to take a few deep breaths to stop himself from smiling. Terence continued, "Firstly, some of my things are still at the villa. Help me pack them and deliver them to me. I'll give you my address later. "Secondly, I've already signed the divorce agreement—you need to think of a way to get Hailey to sign it without her knowledge." Matthew couldn't understand that. "Why don't you give it to her yourself?" Terence stared into the distance, suddenly thinking about the day he and Hailey had gotten married. She'd stood on the steps leading to city hall and asked him again whether he was truly willing to marry her and not doing something in the heat of the moment. At the time, he'd been so overwhelmed by the joy of being able to marry her that all he could think of was getting that marriage certificate. Naturally, he didn't take her words to heart. Later, he'd inadvertently discovered her past with Matthew. He'd seriously considered getting a divorce with her after losing hope in her, but he'd learned the Rainer family had a rule against divorces. They only acknowledged the deaths of spouses, not divorces. And so, he'd repeatedly delayed getting a divorce. Perhaps he'd also still held out hope for Hailey, leading to him failing to take the final step. Now, however, he was sure he wanted to go ahead with it, even if he had to ask Matthew for help in getting it done. Terence didn't know when Matthew left the cafe. When he returned to his senses, the latter was already gone, taking the divorce agreement with him. Terence glanced at his empty bag and downed his coffee before disappearing into the crowd. … Three days had passed since Terence's refusal to return home. Hailey ate a sandwich that wasn't to her liking and drank a cup of coffee that was more milk than coffee. She frowned and put down her mug, throwing the sandwich onto the plate. She looked at a maid standing nearby and asked, "Have we changed chefs? Why does the food taste so bad?" The maid looked at her, her expression distressed. She hesitated briefly before explaining, "The chef is still the same person, Ms. Rainer. It's just that Mr. Stone is the one who used to handle all your meals, so we're not sure how exactly he prepared your food…" Hailey's question seemed to unlock something in the maid. The latter told the former about everything Terence had done for her over the years. Aside from Hailey's meals, Terence would also deal with everything related to Hailey's life. Even when he occasionally went on business trips, he would make sure everything was in order before leaving. He would also call home several times a day to remind the maids what to do. Hailey was taken aback. She'd never been aware of Terence doing so much for her, nor had she ever heard him mention anything. Her mind became jumbled as she stared at the cold breakfast.