Was Chester really planning to keep that letter forever, just to torment her for the rest of her life?
Well, if that was his intention, he’d certainly succeeded–she was thoroughly disgusted.
Celestine took a deep breath, pulled out the letter, and set it aside. Then she reached into the drawer for a lighter and, right there in the study, burned the thing
to ashes.
When she’d finished, she carefully restored the study to its original order.
She’d barely stepped outside when she nearly collided with Joanna, who was wrapped in a bathrobe.
Joanna gasped when she saw her. “What are you doing here?”
“Why shouldn’t I be?” Celestine replied coolly, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe. Her eyes flickered to the angry, fresh red mark on Joanna’s collarbone–a sight that made her stomach turn.
Disgusting. Absolutely revolting.
Were they really so desperate they couldn’t even wait for the divorce to be finalized? If she was so starved for attention, why hadn’t Chester just ended their marriage already?
A flash of panic crossed Joanna’s face. She stammered, “Celly, don’t get the wrong idea. Nothing happened between Chester and me, I swear… we’re completely innocent-”
She clutched the towel tighter, which only made her look even more like she was hiding something. And as she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, ready for their big scene–like Celestine had just driven her to the brink.
If the timing weren’t so off, Celestine would have applauded. Miss Sinclair always did have a knack for melodrama. Not everyone could summon tears on command
like that.
. But really, what was the point of putting on such a show for another woman? It was
hard to guess.
Chester would show up any second.
“What’s going on here? Celestine? What are you doing here?” came his voice. The
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next moment, he emerged from the room, shirt collar slightly sakew
For a moment, he looked startled to see her, then immediately turned accusatory “What did you do to Joanna?”
Celestine almost laughed out loud. “She’s running around my house in a bathrobe and you think I did something to her? What, am I supposed to have seduced her?”
She’d come back to her own bedroom, only to have the mistress question why she was there, and then have her own husband demand an explanation as well.
If she could, she’d never set foot in this wretched place again. Too bad she was already too late.
“Celestine, watch your tone,” Chester scolded, stepping protectively in front of Joanna. “Joanna’s only here because the bathroom in her apartment is being renovated. She just needed to use ours. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
“Oh, really?”
Celestine arched an eyebrow. Every guest suite in this villa had a private bathroom. Why did Joanna just happen to use the one in Chester’s room? Last she checked, his shower wasn’t made of gold.
Her gaze flicked between the two of them, a hint of mockery in her eyes.
Chester was visibly uncomfortable. “You came home today because of what’s been happening online, didn’t you? I’ve told you before, if you’d just focus on being Mrs. Fordham and mind your own business, none of this would have happened! Have you learned your lesson now?”
He’d only meant for Celestine to be given a gentle warning, but things had spiraled out of control, becoming a public mess. He’d wanted to step in, but never managed to find the right moment to explain.
Now, in front of Joanna, he couldn’t risk exposing the truth about his marriage to Celestine. Not just for the company’s sake–Joanna’s career would be destroyed if word got out.
Fortunately, Zeke had his girlfriend Mirabelle step in to help Celestine, and Fordham Group had issued a statement to do some damage control.
By now, Celestine must have realized she couldn’t possibly fight against true power, and that’s why she’d come home.
He waited for her answer.
This time, Celestine didn’t lower her head and apologize like she always used to.
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Instead, she met Chester’s eyes and, every word clear and deliberate, said, “Chester, I want a divorce.”
The composure in Chester’s gaze faltered. “Celestine, are you still sulking? Haven’t you learned anything from that fiasco online?”
“Mr. Fordham, let’s get one thing straight–the mess online was your doing, not mine.”
“If I truly am your wife, what on earth did I ever do to deserve this kind of betrayal from you?”
Chapter 77
Chapter 77
