Chloe Miller spoke with her usual false gentleness, even forcing her eyes red as if she had been grievously wronged. Her performance was flawless.
Lucas clung tightly to Chloe’s hand and shouted,
“I don’t want you to leave. I want you to be my mom!”
Then he turned to glare at me, his eyes full of hatred and disgust.
Daniel Brooks, furious, snapped at me,
“Emma Carter, haven’t you caused enough trouble? Chloe is my most trusted assistant, and there is nothing improper between us. Stop being so narrow-minded and suspicious!”
“Don’t think you can use divorce as some kind of bargaining chip. Let me make this clear— even if we do get divorced, I will never fire Chloe.”
At that, the corners of Chloe’s lips curved in triumph. She looked at me with a mocking smile, as though flaunting her victory: Daniel and his son were both on her side. How could I possibly fight her?
I had no interest in wasting any more words. I looked Daniel straight in the eye.
“Either you sign the divorce papers and we part ways peacefully—or you wait for me to take you to court.”
Daniel’s face twisted in anger. Through clenched teeth, he growled,
“Emma, I told you already, you won’t scare me with this. Who would want you once you leave me? My patience has limits. Don’t push me too far. I’ll give you one last chance—”
But before he could finish, I pulled my suitcase and walked straight out of the house.
Daniel rushed after me, seething, and yanked me back by the arm.
“Emma, it’s only because I’ve been too lenient with you all these years that you dare to act so willful! If you walk out that door today, don’t ever think of stepping foot into the Brooks family home again. And if you dare divorce me, Lucas will never acknowledge you as his mother!”
I looked at him coolly and said evenly,
“Daniel, who exactly has been tolerating whom all these years? When you and Chloe were out partying, did you think of me waiting at home, keeping dinner warm? When you and your son spent the whole day at the amusement park with her, did you remember that it was my birthday?
“You want Chloe as your wife. Lucas wants her as his mother. Fine, I’ll grant you both your wish. From now on, I don’t want any connection with either of you.
“Remember this—it’s not you abandoning me. It’s me who no longer wants you.”
My words made Daniel flush with shame and rage.
“Fine. If you insist on divorce, then I’ll grant it! Let’s see how you survive without me. I’ll be waiting for the day you come crawling back to beg me for forgiveness!”
He snatched the divorce papers, signed them furiously, and threw them at me.
“One month from now, after the mandatory cooling-off period, don’t forget to go to City Hall for the divorce certificate.
“And if you regret it during this time, you can come back and kneel before me. For the sake of our years together, I’ll forgive you this one last act of foolishness—”
I didn’t wait for him to finish. I turned on my heel and walked away.
The past was behind me; the future would not be compromised.
Daniel had been with me for years, but he never understood my nature.
What I throw away, I will never pick back up again.
A month passed quickly. When I arrived at City Hall to finalize the divorce, Daniel, Lucas, and Chloe were already there waiting for me.
