Each time Connor brought up divorce, Phoebe would step out for a bit before obediently coming back and doubling down on pleasing him.
There had never been an exception, and this time would be no different. He figured that she had probably only left so decisively that day because of her miscarriage.
As for the baby… Contempt flickered in Connor's eyes. He didn't believe that Phoebe deserved to have his children. The fact that she had even conceived in the first place was just a fluke.
Connor felt that things couldn't be better now that Phoebe had lost the child.
…
The divorce came with 50 million dollars in compensation. The bank card was placed together with the divorce agreement.
If Phoebe had signed the agreement three years ago, she would've gotten the money with no strings attached. But chasing her delusions over the past three years had left her with a broken heart and impaired ability to have children.
"Oh well," Phoebe thought.
She believed that dwelling on regrets was pointless self-torment and that self-torment would ultimately lead to her losing hope. She needed to be hopeful to move on with her life. Still, at least she had the money.
Phoebe took the bank card with her when she left. She called an Uber, which took her to the entrance of Freeport Residences, an upscale neighborhood where the price per square foot started at three thousand dollars.
The apartments were large and luxurious, and each floor had only two units. One of the units was under Phoebe's name.
The property belonged to her uncle, James Bronson. However, after what had happened to her mother, Melinda Bronson, James had moved abroad and settled there. He'd left the apartment to Phoebe.
She didn't think that she would ever need it, but things changed in the blink of an eye. Now that she was divorced, she would at least still have a place to go and a roof over her head.
Dragging her suitcase behind her, she made her way to Penthouse No.1, Block 7. She'd hired cleaners to tidy the place in the afternoon, so the place was sparkling. The unit was close to three thousand square feet and empty.
In the past, Phoebe would have felt lonely living alone in such a spacious place. But after putting up with Connor's ice-cold treatment for the past three years, she wasn't afraid of anything. In fact, she felt a sense of security that she'd never had in the past.
At that moment, she felt both relaxed and exhausted. After a quick shower, she got into bed and fell asleep.
At 6:00 am, Phoebe was awakened by a familiar alarm named "Time to cook for my darling". Seeing that made her snap out of her drowsiness.
Connor usually had breakfast at 8:00 am, but he was picky and refused to have simple meals. So, Phoebe would need to spend an hour or two preparing breakfast for him.
If he'd been out late socializing the night before, Phoebe would tend to him until 2:00 am or 3:00 am, only to wake up early that morning.
Sometimes, Connor wouldn't even eat the food she'd painstakingly prepared, sending the feast straight into the trash.
Now, however, Phoebe no longer needed to wake up that early. She also didn't need to worry about her efforts going to waste.
She deleted the breakfast alarm, pulled her eye mask back on, and went back to sleep. She thought sleep would evade her, but she soon drifted off.
…
At 8:00 am, Connor woke to a hangover that made his head throb painfully. He usually got pounding headaches the next morning if he didn't take a hangover cure before bed. He'd been too tired the night before and had forgotten to take it.
At that moment, he believed that his hangover would be the death of him.
Noticing a glass of warm water on his bedside table, his lip curled mockingly. Phoebe had left so decisively the night before, yet here she was, back again.
He drank the water, which helped alleviate his headache slightly. He texted Evan, saying, "I won the bet."
Evan was both speechless and impressed. He texted back, "Can't Phoebe have a backbone for once? She's spoiling you so much that it's getting ridiculous! God, I can't believe I lost just like that!
"Damn it. I'm getting angrier the more I think about it. Connor, hurry up and introduce me to a woman who'll be as devoted to me as Phoebe is to you. Let me have a taste of what it's like to be in your shoes!"
Connor smirked. He replied, "Cut the crap."
Then, he flung his phone aside and got out of bed to freshen up. When he arrived downstairs, however, he didn't see a familiar figure bustling around.
"Where are you?" he called out coldly.
His housekeeper, Laura Smith, emerged from the kitchen. "You're awake, Mr. Russell. Breakfast is ready!"
Connor frowned. "You're here?"
"Yeah."
"Did you pour me that glass of water?"
She nodded. "Mrs. Russell told me last night that she wouldn't be in today and that I had to come over earlier."
Connor didn't respond.
Laura grew nervous when she saw the dark look on his face. "Mr. Russell, why don't you have breakfast?"
Connor remained rooted to the spot for a while before finally taking his seat at the dining table, his expression sour. All he saw was a glass of milk, two slices of toast, a sunny-side-up egg, and a small tub of cheese.
Phoebe usually prepared a lavish breakfast spread with seven or eight exquisite-looking dishes, and each one was different every day.
The contrast was stark.
Connor's temper, which had calmed, flared again. He coldly asked, "Is this all you've made for me?"
Laura's hair stood on end at his question. "I-I'm sorry, Mr. Russell! Mrs. Russell has always been the one to prepare your breakfast, so I don't know your preferences."
"Call her to ask her if you don't know what to do!"
She said cautiously, "I did, but I couldn't reach her…"
Connor fell silent.
"Well played, Phoebe!" he thought.
Still, he wasn't worried in the slightest. He was confident that she would eventually come back. Maybe she would even try to catch him at his office at noon. That was her usual roundabout tactic.
Regardless, the breakfast fiasco had ruined Connor's appetite. He stormed off, slamming the door shut behind him.
Laura stared after him, feeling confused. She couldn't make sense of what had just happened.
She quickly called Phoebe, but she couldn't get through despite trying multiple times. She had no idea what was going on, but the answer came to her after she gave it some thought. She concluded that Connor had probably asked Phoebe for a divorce again.
In the past, Phoebe would always call Laura to check on how Connor was doing, so she could find the right moment to return home. However, it was definitely a first for her not to answer the phone.
Laura pondered the situation and figured that Phoebe had probably learned how to play hard to get. Connor would only feel her absence if she stayed away longer.
She thought that it was a smart move!
After all, everyone knew that Connor's heart wasn't with Phoebe. With him being so outstanding and surrounded by temptation, how could she keep him around if she didn't step up her game?
…
Phoebe didn't need to work on Saturday, so she slept in until noon. She didn't have time to buy groceries, so she ordered a lavish meal for herself.
After eating, she browsed the tech forum, noticing that some familiar names had now become leaders in the industry. She didn't see any news on her mentor, Jessie Ormond, though.
If Phoebe remembered correctly, Jessie was currently busy with research. What stood out most in her memory was the way Jessie looked at her. It was warm, like the way Melinda used to look at her.
And yet, Phoebe had let Jessie down…
Phoebe's eyes suddenly stung with tears. After some hesitation, she made a call. "Alexandra, let's meet up."
Alexandra Cooper was Phoebe's college mate. In the past, she would've been thrilled to receive a call from Phoebe, but now she was indifferent and cold.
"You've stood me up nine out of ten times. I might be your friend, but no friendship can handle being treated like this," Alexandra said coolly. "Are you sure you want to meet this time?"
Phoebe's focus had shifted to her family after getting married. She hadn't deliberately neglected her friendships, but they had ultimately still faded.
Meanwhile, Alexandra had focused on her career for the past few years. Her tech company was a rising star in the industry and was starting to make waves.
As the gap between her and her old friend grew, Phoebe became insecure. So, she'd gradually stopped reaching out to Alexandra.
She took a deep breath and said, "I got a divorce."
Alexandra was silent for a while. Then, she said briskly, "Time and place."
…
Phoebe headed to the courthouse with the divorce agreement to file for divorce. She was told that it would take 30 days to process the application, after which she would be able to collect her divorce certificate.
She was done by 3:00 pm and arrived at the cafe early for her meetup with Alexandra.
She ordered a cup of coffee and was halfway through it when she suddenly gripped the cup tightly. She froze, her body tense.
She didn't expect to run into Connor so soon after leaving him. It hadn't even been a day yet.
