CHAPTER 2

Jude held onto the divorce agreement as if he had just received a fortune. He announced coldly, “It is stated in the agreement that you will clean out the house. Move out tomorrow. Except for your personal belongings, nothing else can be taken away.”

Cynthia’s tears flowed down her cheeks, her whole body was frozen stiff.

That night, she packed up her things and moved out of her matrimonial home. She checked into a hotel and contacted her aunt who was living in a nearby country who advised her to stay with her.

Cynthia was weary of the people and the matters here. However, she just came to the realization that her passport was at the Leonards residence.

She had no choice but to catch a cab back to the residence.

As she rounded the garden, she heard somebody chatting in the grove. By the sound of it, it was her mother-in-law, Cherry, laughing gaily with another. “Are you satisfied now? My son is finally single, you needn’t feel wronged any longer.”

Cynthia’s heart skipped a beat. She approached the thicket and saw that there was a lady opposite her mother-in-law. It was Angela. She was shyly nodding her head seemingly appeased. “Aunt, my father has agreed to become a shareholder of the Leonards group.”

“That’s great. With your father joining, it will be great for my son, and you will be my favorite daughter-in-law.”

“Thank you for your help, aunt.”

“Still calling me aunt?”

“Mother…” Angela sweetly uttered.

“That’s my good daughter-in-law. I’m very fond of you.”

Cynthia’s face instantly turned white as a sheet of paper. It seemed like her heart had been severely stabbed with a knife. She exploded in rage.

Everything made sense now. She had been brought to the cafe by Angela! With only two glasses of drink, she then became muddle-headed. After she had woken up, it was already morning at that hotel.

All of this… was a calculated scheme by Angela and her mother-in-law to push for a divorce between her and Jude.

It turned out that Angela’s father was planning to invest in the Leonards Group, and her mother-in-law wanted to chase her out and let Angela take her place.

Face filled with resentment, Cynthia suddenly appeared in front of them.

Cherry was shocked and Angela was surprised. Looking at the pale face of Cynthia, she must have heard their conversation. The two of them revealed their true colors.

“You still have the audacity to return?” Cherry gave her a disgusted look.

“You… You set me up. Why did you have to do this?” With eyes red, Cynthia asked hoarsely.

Cherry looked at her without shame. “Cynthia, don’t go crazy here.”

Angela crossed her arms and smiled disparagingly, “Cynthia, you’re so foolish to the point of being pathetic. Do you really think that Jude likes you? Keep your head out of the clouds. You are merely his stepping stone for him to be the president of the Leonards Group. The person he truly loves is me.”

“Cynthia, you are now divorced, the papers have been signed. Our family does not welcome you. Get out.” Cherry was chasing her out.

“I’ve returned to retrieve my passport. Hand it over to me.” Cynthia glared at her vicious mother-in-law.

It had occurred to Cherry that her passport had been left behind. She let out a scoff, “Wait right here, I’ll get it for you. No matter the distance, you can just scram far, far away!”

Naturally Cherry wouldn’t hold her back from going abroad. The last person the Leonards family would like to see was Cynthia. Of course, the farther away she went, the better.

As soon as Cherry left, Angela narrowed her eyes while walking up to Cynthia. “The reason Jude married you was because your father held the shares in the Leonards Group. Truthfully speaking, you are not worthy of him at all.”

Cynthia looked at the face of her former best friend. Now, there was only disgust and abhorrence towards this two-faced female. Cynthia raised her palm to slap her face. Angela was quick to react as she grabbed her wrist. “You are not qualified to hit me. I’m merely taking back my happiness and my rightful place as Mrs. Leonard. It was never yours to begin with. ”

“So, last night… last night, all of you colluded against me? All of you… including Jude?” Cynthia burst into tears. It felt like her heart was being repeatedly stabbed with a knife and was now dripping in blood.

“That’s right. Jude and I have long been in agreement with each other. We were having an affair in secret. His car accident was faked. The one who was fulfilling his physical needs every single day was me. However, the papers have already been signed, even if you know about this, what’s going to happen?”

Cynthia faltered a few steps back. Although her countenance was pale, she felt the blood thrumming through her veins. Her husband had actually slept at Angela’s place every night? All those days Jude was on a business trip, all the various excuses that he came up with for not coming home, were all because of this woman? An intense pain seized her. She felt stifled.

“Who was that man? Who was that bastard you’ve arranged for me last night?” Eyes brimming with tears, Cynthia glared at her and asked harshly.

Angela looked at her impatiently. “It doesn’t matter who the man was last night. What’s important is that, last night, you slept with a man.”

“Tell me who was it! Hurry and tell me who it was… ” Cynthia worked herself into a frenzy, raising her voice as she asked.

Annoyed, Angela answered. “Last night we arranged a male hooker for you. However, the male hooker said that another man had already entered your room. He didn’t want to engage in a threesome so he went back. So, whether your man is ugly or old, fat or skinny, no one knows.”

“I don’t believe this. I want to check the security cameras.” Cynthia was quivering in rage.

“Unfortunately, the security cameras of the hotel yesterday were faulty.” Angela smiled gleefully, because the hotel belonged to the Leonards family.

Cynthia face turned pale as snow. Their set up was flawless.

At this point, Cherry came over with her passport and tossed it at her. “Here. Quickly be on your way.”

Cynthia clutched her passport. She glared at the hateful faces of these people. She was feeling unresigned and was in misery. She felt that this was all detestable to the point where she was unwilling to stay for another second, else she would suffocate and would surely expire on the spot.

“I despise all of you, each and every single one of you.” With tears streaming down her face, her slender figure left in despair.

Looking at the figure of Cynthia leaving, Cherry and Angela’s eyes met each other’s for a moment. At last, they’ve gotten rid of this insignificant person.

************

(Four years later, the airport.)

A young lady held up a placard at the arrival hall.

On the placard it was written in capital letters, “Cynthia Lawson, Chief Designer.” The lady anxiously scanned the crowd, looking for the person stated.

Her gaze landed exclusively on those elegantly-dressed women.

At this time, within the crowd, emerged a leisurely and natural figure pushing a trolley. On the trolley were two large luggage. On top of the luggage, sat a little boy dressed in denim jacket, grey shorts and beige sneakers.

Amongst the crowd, the woman’s gorgeous and slender figure, with her hair gathered in a loose bun, looking neat and simple, with a clear face, exquisite facial features and fair skin, was the envy of many.

Looking at the little boy seated on top the luggage, although he was only three or four years old, he was sporting the beginnings of a catastrophic beauty.

With cropped jet-black hair, fringe covering his forehead, finely-shaped eyebrows, a pair of onyx-colored eyes giving off a confident aura, pointed nose, tender, pink lips, a healthy complexion, he was just like a child model right out of the cover of a magazine.

Female passersby who happened to glance at this little boy would exclaim in awe. Too good-looking.

Wishing to carry him off with them.

“Mommy, it looks like that aunt is here to pick us up.”

Cynthia’s lips lifted into a smile. Although her son may be young, he was able to recognize words.

She let out a breath. Unexpectedly, four years later, she has returned to this city.

Back then, she was filled with resentment when she left. Now she returned with only the feeling of tranquility.

In the past four years, what she had experienced – the trials and hardships, only she alone was aware of them. In the span of four years, she had changed. She had become a strong-minded, single mother.