She called him “Mr. Hudson,” yet always addressed me by my name. She claimed it was out of familiarity, but it was clear she simply didn’t believe I was worthy of the title Mrs. Hudson, the CEO’s wife.
It would’ve been one thing if only she thought that way. But what surprised me was that Chase thought the same.
I found it laughable. I, the eldest daughter of the Magnus family, had I ever needed the title Mrs. Hudson to assert myself?
Once again, I regretted throwing away the proud, self-sufficient version of me for the sake of love. And with that, the last thread tying me to this marriage snapped clean.
“Chase, sign the divorce papers as soon as possible. Don’t make me go through legal procedures.”
I dropped those words coldly, picked up my suitcase, and walked away without looking back.
When I stepped into my house, my parents were cheerfully discussing the northern lights on a travel channel, but the moment they saw me, they turned off the TV in an instant.
Traveling the world had always been their dream. Unfortunately, their only daughter had fallen hopelessly in love and thrown herself into a man, refusing to return home or take over the company.
I stepped forward, took the remote control from the drawer, turned the TV back on, and quietly pulled out my phone to book two plane tickets to Finland.
But instead of surprise or joy, they looked at me with nothing but quiet concern.
I knew there was no use hiding it. I spoke plainly. “He and I… are getting a divorce.”
The spacious living room instantly fell into silence.
After a long pause, they came to me and gently held my hands.
“No matter what decision you make, we’ll support you, as long as you're happy.”
“Your mom and I will always be your backup.”
My eyes turned red in an instant, and the bitterness I had buried for so long spilled out with my tears.
They had been against me marrying Chase back then, but they gave in, unable to resist my tearful begging.
I gently held my father's hand, then reached for my mother's and stacked all three of our hands together.
Forcing a smile, I said softly, "Don’t worry, I’m doing fine."
But they didn’t look reassured at all. Instead, they insisted I postpone the flight for another week, so that we could spend a few more days together.
Following their suggestion, I booked a family portrait session, something we used to cherish every year.
When I first married Chase, I had invited him many times to join us. But he always dismissed it, claiming work came first.
The next morning, my parents and I arrived at the photo studio. But just as we stepped in, an unexpected figure appeared before us: Chase.
Standing beside him was Addison.
She leaned sweetly on his shoulder, her voice tender, “Chase, thank you for canceling such an important meeting just to take pictures with me.”
Chase chuckled, lightly tapping her nose. “Silly girl, you’re the one closest to me. If I don’t spoil you, who else should I spoil?”
A wave of bitterness burned at the back of my throat. So it turned out he hadn’t been busy; he just never thought I was worth the time.
“Mirabel, what are you looking at?”
“Nothing. Thought I saw someone I knew.”
I shifted slightly, shielding my mom’s view, then gently pulled her away.
Inside the studio, I held my dad’s hand in one and my mom’s arm in the other, smiling like a carefree child wrapped in the warmth of her world.
The photographer captured that fleeting, tender moment, the three of us, together, as if frozen in time.
Right then, I felt like I had been reborn, like I had finally reclaimed what mattered most in my life.
“Ouch.”
Just as my mom headed toward the restroom, my dad clutched his abdomen, his face tightening in pain.
“What’s wrong? Is it your stomach again?”
I hurried to support him into the nearby lounge, my heart thudding as I called both our family doctor and emergency services.
As I waited for the ambulance to arrive, Addison appeared, like a thorn in a rose garden.
“So this is why you’re so eager to divorce Chase, because you’ve already found yourself a new sugar daddy.”
