Claire hesitated momentarily, answering reflexively: “Mr. Reed, Mrs. Reed left early this morning and hasn’t returned. She hasn’t asked me to prepare dinner either.”
“What?” Maxwell checked the time repeatedly, then glanced at the darkening sky outside.
It was evening now. Why wasn’t Jessica home for dinner? Where could she possibly be by herself?
Was she still waiting at the court, hoping to make him feel guilty enough to come comfort her?
He impatiently pinched the bridge of his nose, changing the subject.
“Did Jessica şend anything home today? Has her ‘big gift‘ been delivered?”
“One moment, sir, let me ask Alfred about that,” Claire replied.
She consulted the security guard and received a small booklet, her hands trembling as she held it.
“Alfred, are you sure you haven’t made a mistake? How could this divorce çertificate be the gift Mrs. Reed sent home to Mr. Reed? There must be some confusion. Perhaps you should check if there’s anything else that was delivered?”
Challenged like this, Alfred’s face darkened, but he double–checked anyway.
“Claire, I didn’t make any mistake. There was only one courier who delivered anything today, and this was it–this divorce certificate. There were no other deliveries whatsoever. How could there possibly be a mix–up?”
With these words, Claire had no choice but to believe him. She could barely hold the phone steady.
On the other end, Maxwell heard everything, feeling as if struck by lightning, his mind completely blank.
“How is this possible? How could Jessica’s anniversary gift to me be a divorce certificate?” he muttered to himself, a thousand disbelieving thoughts racing through his mind.
Instantly, a wave of panic swept over him.
After taking several deep breaths, he barely managed to control his emotions, barking into the phone: “Claire, look carefully at the contents of the divorce certificate. Are you sure it’s between me and Jessica? Is she playing some kind of joke?”
“I know she’s upset because I didn’t celebrate our anniversary today, but she can’t joke about divorce! I’ve told her so many times that her position as my wife won’t change. What more does she want?!”
Claire repeatedly assured him she would check, carefully opening the divorce certificate.
To avoid misreading, she even took a photo and sent it to Maxwell.
Looking at the single portrait with the official stamp and the series of numbers that couldn’t be forged, Maxwell felt his heart violently tremble.
He stood frozen, almost unable to believe what he was seeing.
“Jessica! You’ve really outdone yourself, daring to divorce me behind my back! When did I ever agree to this?!” he snarled through gritted teeth, slamming his fist on the table.
The delicate vase on the table crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.
Some fragments even cut Olivia’s skin. Though they were just minor scratches, her eyes immediately welled with tears.
12:08
His ‘Harmless‘ 10–Year Fling? My Secret Divorce Papers Say Goodbye Forever!
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Chapter 10
“Max…” she began, but before her pretense of hurt could fully form, Maxwell’s brow furrowed deeply as he rose, his face tense with
urgency.
“Olivia, continue your meal. Someone will take you home later. I have an emergency and can’t stay with you.”
With those words, he left without even waiting for her reaction.
Watching his retreating figure, Olivia’s face paled slightly, her heart seething with resentment.
She pressed down hard on her wound, causing more blood to flow, then photographed it and sent the image to Maxwell.
He didn’t reply.
The exquisite meal before her now seemed tasteless.
However, when she recalled the content of Maxwell’s phone call, her mood somewhat recovered.
The powder she had prepared didn’t come into play, but it didn’t matter–her objective had been achieved anyway.
