Jocelyn worked quickly. That very afternoon, she placed the signed agreement right in front of me.
How ironic, even I found it incredibly difficult to meet Christian now.
I felt in a daze as I stared at the divorce agreement in my hand.
The promises we once made, the memories of our love—it all feels like a lifetime ago. No matter how deep the love, it seemed the outcome was always the same.
I booked a ticket for the earliest flight to France, the place I'd always wanted to visit most.
Right after we got married, Christian had just taken over the company and there were so many undercurrents swirling within it. On top of that, his family had suffered significant losses just so he could marry me. We hadn't even had time for a honeymoon before Christian was swallowed by work.
Back then, he promised me, not just once, that he would take me to France.
I waited and waited, but what finally arrived was a divorce agreement.
After mailing the signed papers, I started packing. I only took some personal belongings and my documents.
As I was about to leave, I passed the study and heard Christian's voice.
"Mr. Leighton, this is so wrong. This will ruin Madam's reputation. She has already done so much for you … "
The secretary's sentence was cut short by Christian's dismissive interruption.
"Just do what I tell you. Her reputation isn't worth much. Jocelyn's archaeology team needs funding. That lady was so kind, she already donated the assets I 'voluntarily gifted' her to charity."
My steps froze. A chill ran up from my feet and a familiar feeling of suffocation washed over me.
I took a bracing breath before finally turning to go.
As soon as I arrived at the airport, I received a message from Jocelyn. [Christian really loves me. Don't you want to see what everyone online is saying about you right now?]
My expression tightened.
[I just casually mentioned that the archaeology project lacked funds and Christian immediately put your photos up for auction online.]
[Tsk tsk, who would've thought you could fetch such a high price?]
I clicked on the livestream link she shared.
The first thing that caught my eye was my photographs. There were countless images from every conceivable angle, even my semi-nude pictures, all laid bare for the world to see.
At that moment, my mind went blank, like a kite with its string cut. My hands and feet went ice-cold as if submerged in icy water and my fingertips shook uncontrollably.
So, that's what Christian had been talking about—auctioning my photos online.
I turned on my phone in a panic. The live auction was still running and the bidding had already soared to fifty million.
My head suddenly spun. I had no idea when Christian had taken any of these photos.
Just as the final hammer was about to fall, the livestream was suddenly shut down. My private photos, which had been spreading like wildfire across the internet, were instantly deleted.
I quickly regained my composure. I didn't know who had helped me behind the scenes and I certainly didn't believe Christian had suddenly grown a conscience.
However, I had no time to dwell on such questions now.
I swiftly compiled all the evidence and chat logs Jocelyn had sent me, forwarding them to my divorce lawyer. Then I contacted the top PR team in the industry.
I had nothing left to hold me back anymore, driving me not only to avenge my brother but also to reclaim my own justice.
After that, I removed the SIM card from my phone and threw it in the trash can.
Before boarding the plane, I took a final look at this city, which was filled with all my pain and terrible memories. I thought to myself that I would probably never return in this lifetime.
On the other side, Christian discovered that all the videos and photos related to the auction had been taken down. Even the pictures of me on his own computer vanished without a trace.
With a muttered curse of frustration, he burst into my room, but all that greeted him was an empty space.
Before he could react, the butler rushed in breathlessly. "Sir, it's terrible! Madam has publicly posted a divorce statement online!"
Christian stared at the divorce statement on his phone in disbelief. His heart suddenly lurched and his face instantly turned dark.
"Find her! Bring Serena to me immediately!"
He couldn't help but mumble to himself, "It's impossible. I never once considered truly divorcing her."
This wasn't the first time I'd run away, but for some unknown reason, his heart grew increasingly uneasy.
"Sir, Madam's lawyer and PR team have both issued statements and are holding a clarification press conference!"
