Zoe Lancaster had nowhere else to go. Simon Hawthorne had already figured out Jules Yates’s place, and she didn’t want to cause any more trouble for Jules and Miles Yates. As for her aunt, she hadn’t figured out how to explain things yet and didn’t want to worry her. Today’s decision had been made on the spur of the moment with zero preparation, so her only option was to crash with Crystal Hayes for now.
Seeing Crystal shedding tears of heartache, Zoe shook her head and gently wiped the teardrops from her friend’s face. "No, this was my own decision."
Crystal had originally planned to work overtime today, but the moment Zoe called, she had rushed right back. She stood up, took the heavy bags off Zoe’s shoulders, and turned to unlock the door. "Let’s talk inside."
Crystal lived in a one-bedroom apartment. The location was a bit remote, requiring a nearly two-hour commute to work every day, but the rent was cheap at just over two thousand a month. In a place where land was as precious as gold like Kingsford, it was a massive steal. It was a walk-up building, but her unit was only on the third floor, so carrying the luggage up hadn’t been too exhausting.
Crystal had a real passion for life, and her little apartment was decorated with a warm, homey feel. At under forty square meters, it was the perfect size for one person.
"What is his problem? It’s raining outside, and he just let you leave all by yourself with all these bags?" Crystal was in sheer disbelief, both heartbroken and furious.
Zoe curled up on the sofa, looking far calmer than Crystal. She smiled as if nothing were wrong. "I asked him for a divorce. If nothing unexpected happens, he’ll sign the papers."
It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him. She had been the one to bring up the divorce, making her the first to breach their contract. He wouldn’t even have to pay the hundreds of millions they had originally agreed upon. Plus, he’d finally get to bring his true love home. Why wouldn’t he gladly accept?
Crystal was stunned, her eyes wide as she stared at her friend. "Divorce? I thought you guys just had a fight. Have you really thought this through? For years, your brain has been filled with nothing but that Hawthorne guy. Even Jen would call you the founding mother of the hopelessly lovestruck. Are you possessed or something?"
Crystal had watched helplessly over the years as Zoe threw her entire heart and soul into Simon. Even when she ended up bruised and battered, Zoe would nonchalantly brush it off and brainlessly maintain their marriage.
Zoe curled her lips into a smile, though it carried an unspeakable bitterness. "It’s true. I just suddenly saw the light. Besides..."
She touched her stomach, her emotions complicated. There was a baby in there now, a child intimately connected to her. "I’m pregnant. Three and a half weeks. I plan to keep the baby and ditch the father."
If her romantic life was doomed to never see the light of day, she might as well be decisive and start planning for her own future. She refused to let herself suffer grievance after grievance anymore.
"Pregnant?! You? You?" Crystal cupped her face with both hands, letting out a sharp screech. She stared at Zoe in near disbelief, then looked down at her stomach, utterly unable to process this reality.
Zoe looked at her helplessly. "I’m twenty-four, not fourteen. Do you still think I’m a kid? The reason I brought up a divorce at this specific time...
"The doctor said that if I get an abortion, my chances of ever conceiving again will be extremely low. I refuse to take such a massive loss just because of their emotional entanglements. If I don’t get a divorce now, by the time my marriage contract with Simon expires, I won’t be able to keep the baby. The Hawthorne family would never allow their own flesh and blood to live on the outside. So, I’m going to keep this from the Hawthornes and have this baby on my own."
She had her head on straight. No matter what, she couldn’t let the Hawthorne family or Simon know about this child’s existence. This time, she would protect herself and the things she wanted.
It took a long time for Crystal to accept the situation. Soon, her face clouded over with worry. "If you don’t want Simon to know, how are you going to hide it? You work at Lance Langley; it’s inevitable that you’ll run into him."
The itineraries of the two companies overlapped quite a bit. As long as Simon wanted to, he could uncover every minute detail of Zoe’s life.
Zoe lowered her eyes and rubbed her temples, nursing a headache. "I’ve thought about that, too. Once the Lancaster family’s legal procedures go through and I get that money, I plan to quit my job and move to Portellis. I’ll work while taking care of my mom."
Once she left this place of trouble, there was no way Simon would even remember someone like her. Currently, Old Mr. Hawthorne’s health hadn’t improved. This marriage, which had been arranged purely to bring the old man good luck, was no longer of much use. Who knew, maybe getting a divorce would put the old man in a good mood, allowing his body to hold out for a few more years.
"You need to think this through." Crystal frowned, urging her earnestly. "Raising a child alone isn’t easy. The cost of living in Portellis is high. Between paying the hospital bills and taking care of a baby, you’re going to have a really hard time."
Zoe shrugged, offering a nonchalant smile. "I’m not afraid. No matter how hard it is, it’ll be worth it. Anything is better than how I live now—constantly on edge, suffering endless grievances, and being completely drained from the inside out."
As long as she left, Simon would probably heave a sigh of relief as well. From then on, they would owe each other nothing. She would just treat this child as a genetic lottery ticket he had gifted her. If nothing else, Simon’s genetics were absolutely flawless in every aspect. When finding a man, you had to find one you liked, but when having a baby, you had to find one with good genes. It was better for a woman to be a bit more realistic than a man.
Crystal felt a bitter taste in her mouth. She had watched Zoe’s heart go from brimming with love to being completely dead inside. Such a vibrant girl had ultimately turned into a pool of stagnant water. Love was both honey and poison; whether you had it or not, it brought nothing but misfortune.
She patted her chest and promised, "Have the baby with peace of mind! You’ve still got me; I’ll help you raise it. My job is pretty stable now. The salary is high, and I have opportunities to make extra on the side. After covering all my expenses, I can still save twenty or thirty thousand a month. It’s just raising a kid—we have nothing to worry about!"
Back when her father had an accident at the construction site, her mother had scraped together every last penny, forcing her to finish her studies. Now, it proved to be incredibly foresightful. Playing the cello provided a respectable income, and combined with her various private tutoring lessons, her finances were solid. It was just that for the past few years, she had been trying to save up to hire the best lawyer to appeal her father’s construction accident case, so she had intentionally lived a frugal life.
Zoe felt like she finally had someone watching her back. She sniffled and snuggled into Crystal’s embrace. "Wait until I really can’t hold on anymore before you step in. Right now, I’m not sure what Simon’s attitude will be. After all, he’s used to being a dictator. He’s bound to be angry that I suddenly breached our contract. When I left today, I deliberately drove to the mall and found a spot without security cameras to switch to a taxi. He won’t be able to find me anytime soon. Still, I’m a little worried that staying here might drag you into this, so I’ll find another place tomorrow."
She had to ensure everything was absolutely foolproof. After all, Simon was notoriously temperamental, and she didn’t want to drag outsiders into the mess before it was fully resolved.
Crystal frowned. "How about this: you go to my mom’s place and stay in the urban village for now. Otherwise, I won’t have peace of mind with you living alone."
Zoe woke up after sleeping for only three hours. The rain outside had stopped. She reached for her phone. She had turned it off right after calling Crystal, but now she powered it back on. It was already nearly five in the morning.
Soon, several missed calls popped up on the screen. They were all from... Simon.
Seeing his calls, her heart couldn’t stop trembling. With shaking hands, she opened WhatsApp and saw the newest message. After she had sent him the divorce text at past eight o’clock the previous evening, he hadn’t replied until after four in the morning. His response was crisp, efficient, and chilling to the bone. Even though she had guessed the outcome, her breath still hitched.
Mr. H: [The papers are signed. See you at the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow at 10 AM.]