Chapter 8- a text from Clark

Dave slammed the office phone back onto its cradle, his face stormy with anger. Then he dropped heavily into his chair, rubbing his temples in frustration.

Her audacity was unbelievable. Hanging up on him not once but repeatedly? Clearly, he had been far too lenient with her.

Picking up the phone again, he called his lawyer, his tone ice-cold.

"Inform her lawyer that if she wants a divorce, fine—but there's no way she's getting custody of our daughter."

He wanted to see how far she'd go without their child. Laurent, who couldn't survive a day without their daughter, would have to think twice before continuing this divorce charade.

And hadn't she once said she couldn't live without him? Now, she was pushing for a divorce as if it was a game. Ridiculous.

After issuing his ruthless orders, Dave turned his attention back to work. As the CEO of a company with hundreds of employees dependent on his decisions, he couldn't afford to waste time indulging her tantrums. For him, time was money, and nothing was more valuable.

When Laurent heard from her lawyer that Dave refused to give up custody of their daughter, she was utterly stunned.

The thought of her daughter being taken away was unbearable. Since the day her child was born, Laurent had been the one to raise her, to care for her in every possible way.

If the divorce meant their daughter would live with Dave, it would tear them apart. Just imagining such a scenario made her heart ache unbearably, let alone thinking about it in any more detail.

Without her daughter, Laurent knew she would lose her mind—she couldn't live like that.

A whirlwind of anger and fear surged inside her as she paced back and forth across the room, her anxiety mounting with every step.

Adeline, who hadn't left for work yet, noticed Laurent's distress. She worked at a nail salon in the mall and had a later start time in the mornings.

Adeline had previously worked for a small company, a job arranged through one of her ex-husband Grant's friends. After their divorce, she resigned without hesitation, unwilling to owe her ex anything, even indirectly.

Besides, Adeline had always been interested in beauty and nail art, so she found work in a salon. She had once dreamed of pursuing this field, but Grant had strongly opposed it, deeming the profession "improper."

Ironically, in the end, he left her for a woman he deemed even more "improper."

Life, Adeline often thought, had a cruel sense of humor.

Seeing Laurent so distraught, Adeline walked over and gently pulled her friend down to sit beside her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice calm but filled with concern.

Laurent's composure began to crumble, her voice breaking as she said,

"My lawyer just told me Dave Washington refuses to give me custody of Emma. Adeline, what am I supposed to do? You know I can't live without her!"

She hadn't expected this move from Dave. In her mind, his bond with Emma wasn't particularly strong. Why would he even want custody?

Besides, with Clark in the picture and their obvious mutual affection, wasn't Emma just an obstacle in their lives? Wouldn't it be easier for him to let her take Emma and leave, allowing him and Clark to live their lives together without complications?

Adeline frowned slightly as she listened but tried to reassure her friend.

"He's still Emma's father," she said gently. "It's not surprising that he'd want to fight for custody. But don't panic just yet. I think if you sit down and talk to him, there might be a way to work things out."

Laurent let out a bitter laugh and shook her head.

"No, Adeline, you don't understand him.

"I humiliated him by bringing up divorce in front of so many people, making him lose face. Knowing his personality, he'll never let me off easy. Fighting for custody of Emma is his way of punishing me."

After calming down, Laurent analyzed Dave Washington's motives with cold clarity.

Having spent five years with him, how could she not know his character? Perhaps he wasn't this vindictive with others, but when it came to her, the resentment he harbored ensured he wouldn't hold back.

Adeline, being just a friend and not intimately familiar with Dave Washington, sighed at Laurent's explanation, feeling the weight of the situation. Finally, she asked,

"So, what are you planning to do now?"

Laurent took a deep breath, trying to pull herself together.

"What else can I do? Since the gloves are off, I might as well take this to court and fight for Emma's custody."

Adeline hesitated for a moment, then cautiously offered,

"Could it be... he doesn't actually want a divorce but just doesn't know how to admit it? Maybe that's why he's making things so difficult for you."

Adeline genuinely hoped her friend wouldn't end up divorced. Being a single mother wasn't easy, and she didn't want to see Laurent go through that.

But Laurent's reaction wasn't what Adeline expected. She simply looked at her and laughed—a laugh more heartbreaking than tears.

Laurent walked to the window, arms crossed, staring out at the bustling city below. After a long silence, she spoke bitterly,

"Clark's been back in the country for over two weeks now. Do you know where she's been staying this whole time?"

Adeline instantly understood without Laurent needing to say more. She pursed her lips, refraining from commenting further.

It must be Dave Washington's place. Otherwise, why would Laurent's tone and expression carry so much pain?

Without turning around, Laurent continued,

"And in the past two weeks, he's been absent from home for nearly half the time. Do you know where he's been spending his nights?"

Adeline, who had her own share of experience with men not coming home, could only sigh lightly in response.

Laurent finally turned to face her, her eyes filled with nothing but despair.

"So tell me, Adeline, what reason does he have not to want this divorce?"

In truth, Laurent hadn't known any of this until earlier that morning.

It was only after she turned her phone back on, following a night of silence, that she received a text from Clark.

Clark had written: Thank you for agreeing to the divorce and letting us be together.

Clark had also mentioned in her message that Dave Washington had been spending his nights at her place whenever he didn't come home.

When Laurent read those words, only one thought filled her mind—she had been a complete fool.

If she had known earlier, she wouldn't have foolishly suggested having a second child in a desperate attempt to salvage their marriage. If she had known earlier, she wouldn't have let him anywhere near her during this time.

Looking back now, all she felt was disgust.

Last night, she might have wavered for a moment, hesitating to go through with the divorce for Emma's sake.

But after reading Clark's text that morning, even that tiny sliver of doubt was obliterated.