Chapter 12

After saying that, Xavier turned and ran off. I was left standing in place, feeling bitter. In the following days, I was busy dealing with various post-divorce matters. Regarding the company, I told my assistant to send out an internal memo stating that Yvonne and I had divorced. As soon as the word got out, the company was in an uproar. I knew everyone had to be talking about it behind my back, but I chose to turn a blind eye. Unexpectedly, my elder brother, Hayden Joplin, called me. He sounded worried. "Cole, did you and Yvonne actually get a divorce?" "Mhm," I replied calmly. "All the paperwork has been finalized." The other end of the call was silent for a while before I heard Hayden sigh. "How did you two end up in this situation? Do Mom and Dad know?" I rubbed my temples. "I haven't told them yet. Hayden, could you tell them for me? I'm afraid they'll take it badly." "Alright," he said with resignation. "But you need to brace up. I'm sure they'll want to talk to you." Aft