At Celestine’s words, her expression twisted as if she’d bitten into something foul
“Chester, I’ve told you already–there’s absolutely no chance for this ridiculous marriage to go on. It was a mistake from the very beginning.”
She pulled a folder from her purse and handed it to him.
“Take a look. If you don’t have any objections, just sign it.”
Chester’s unfocused gaze sharpened when he glimpsed the words “Divorce Agreement” at the top of the page.
For a split second, he was tempted to tear it to shreds.
Last night, he’d hired a team of hackers to break into Celestine’s cloud drive–after countless attempts, not a single one succeeded.
He’d never imagined they’d be so utterly useless.
At the same time, he was unsettled by the level of security on Celestine’s phone. She must have had an expert coaching her, anticipating every move.
What he didn’t know was that even if every video was deleted, there were still physical copies waiting for him–old–school DVDs locked away.
For now, the only option was to play along–sign the papers, stall for time.
As for the divorce itself, once the mandatory thirty–day waiting period was up, he could take a business trip overseas and delay things even further.
And if it ever came to a two–year separation and a contested divorce, he didn’t believe for a second he couldn’t win her back.
Chester didn’t bother reading the agreement. He simply signed his name.
His lack of hesitation caught Celestine off guard.
“You’re not even going to read it?” she asked, uncertain.
Chester set down the pen and looked at her with a gentle smile. “I trust you, Celly. You wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.”
A chill ran down Celestine’s spine.
She should have known better than to feel sorry for him.
Everything else went smoothly at the registry office.
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“Here you go. Please keep this safe. Come back in a month to collect your divorce certificate,” the clerk instructed them.
When Celestine received the receipt, she felt oddly dazed, as if this wasn’t really happening.
She had actually gone through with it. She was divorced.
“Mr. Fordham, thank you for your cooperation. As for the children, I’ll visit them once a month. I’ll transfer child support to your account on time.”
Chester’s smile was tinged with bitterness. “Celly, you don’t have to sound so formal.”
Celestine pressed her lips together, offering no reply.
“Celly, could you drive me to the office?” Chester asked quietly.
“Don’t you have your own car?” Her voice was suspicious.
He gave a helpless smile. “Out of gas.”
There was more to that statement than the words alone.
It wasn’t an unreasonable request. After all, they still shared two children.
Celestine didn’t want things to become too hostile between them.
She agreed and handed him the keys.
Chester slid into the driver’s seat. The car was one Celestine had bought for herself as a reward after her first year at work–a sleek electric sedan.
Chester had always complained about its performance, never understanding what it meant to her.
He’d forgotten how sentimental she could be.
Maybe, just maybe, there was still hope.
“Celly, I remember when you first graduated, you always said that once you made. some money, you’d take me out for a fancy dinner. Time really does fly, doesn’t it?” Celestine sat in the passenger seat, listening in stony silence to Chester’s
reminiscing.
She was starting to regret granting him even this small favor
“Celly, if I could do it all over again, I’d still choose to be with you,” he said suddenly,
Chapter 285
voice low, as they waited at a red light.
Back then, Celestine had been so romantic, so full of dreams. She’d joke about how he was a few years older and how she’d missed out on his youth.
It would be a lie to say he wasn’t moved.
But those days had been filled with misunderstandings. By now, everything had almost slipped away for good.
As Chester’s words faded, the car was swallowed by a heavy silence.
Then, Celestine slowly curved her lips into a cool smile. “Mr. Fordham, aren’t you going to ask me?”
Ask whether, if given another chance, she’d choose him again.
Chester’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, his eyes dropping.
He already knew the answer, but still, he couldn’t help asking, “Would you?”
Celestine shot him a sideways glance. “If I could do it all over again, I’d rather never have applied to St. Aurelius College.”
Chapter 287
Chapter 287
