“What?” Amara finally managed to ask, after a long silence between them. She hoped what she heard before was only some trick played on her by her mind.
“You heard me. Now that Grandfather is no longer here I think it’s time we get a divorce.” Tobias answered without missing a beat. “And don't forget, you brought it up first.”
Tears streamed down her face and Amara felt hard to breathe. Yes, she mentioned divorce and Grandfather's will in that text message. If they end up divorcing, Amara could get half of his property.
But actually, the property was never what Amara wanted. She even planned to return it to him if one day Tobias did find someone worth spending his life with. She just couldn't sit and watch Gustavo's legacy being tainted by someone like Celestine. So she wanted Tobias back and to talk with him.
She did choose some words to irritate Tobias on purpose and she had been prepared to take on his wrath. But as soon as he came back, he rode her. He melted her with his dominance. He was the one who wove her with the illusion that there was still hope for their shattering marriage...
“You…want a divorce?" Her voice choked. ”Then why did you make love with me just now?”
Her voice was full of brokenness as she buried her head in the sheets. The scent of each other still lingered on them, and her thighs still trembling slightly from his passionate thrust before. They were making love like a sweet couple a while ago yet the next second, such cruel words spewed from his lips.
“It's only sex." His tone was heartless, completely oblivious to her pain. "Besides, isn't that what you wanted? You did enjoy it but I did that only to tell you the truth, even if my pen*s gets used to your vag*na for the past six years, it doesn't mean I'm in love with you.”
His words were like a sharp knife stabbing into her heart. Her face turned pale and her eyes wet. Yes, their sex life was always wonderful and that was also what made her stick with the marriage for so many years. Amara naively assumed that he had at least a bit of feelings for her, or his desire wouldn't be aroused so easily.
She once thought it was love. Yet wrong. So wrong.
He wanted her only for his needs. She was just a sex doll for him. When his true love came back, she could only be abandoned.
"Come on, Amara, don't act like you're an innocent dove. You know how our marriage came! You saved my grandfather and you used this to threaten him. That's why he forced me to marry you. That's the whole truth about our marriage!"
"No, Tobias! It's not like that!" Amara shook her head desperately. "I didn't threaten grandfather. I married you just because I love you."
"Enough! Stop bothering me!" Tobias threw on his trousers and a white shirt, clearly preparing to leave. “I’ll have the divorce documents sent to you as soon as possible, so quietly sign them without kicking up a fuss.”
Amara couldn’t believe the words she was hearing. Her eyes fluttered furiously, desperately trying to hold back tears that had gathered in the bottom of her eyes. The scene before Gustavo's death came to her mind.
The dying old man put Tobias' and her hands together kindly telling them to love each other and make a happy life.
"Amara, my kid, I know you have suffered a lot, but please, please take good care of Tobias for me. I know only you can make it."
His last words lingered in her ears, fueling her resolve to have a last try. However, Tobias didn't give her the chance. He flung a black card in her face as he wore his tie without looking back.
"Take half of my family property is beyond. Here's 50 million dollars, enough to last you several lifetimes. Take the money and sign the divorce paper obediently, or don't blame me for being rude."
With this, he turned and walked out the door. The finality in his stance and movement snuffed out whatever faith Amara left in her.
Silently, she sat on the bed, tears streaming down her face. How did she end up like this?
If it hadn't been for the car accident, Amara never thought her life would have crossed paths with Tobias.
By that chance, she saved the aged Gustavo. To thank her, Gustavo wanted to let his grandson marry her and she never expected his grandson to turn out to be Tobias, her obsession since her teenage. At that moment, she believed she was his destined bride.
However, she didn't expect that Tobias already had his first love. Amara had asked Gustavo to withdraw his decision, but the old man desperately confided in her about his cancer and told her that his only wish was to see his grandson happy. Amara could not reject it anymore.
On the other side, little did Amara know how much Gustavo had done to make Tobias fall in love with her. He even threatened to make Celestine and her family homeless if Tobias couldn't treat Amara right. No one dared to doubt the word of the man in charge of the family, Celestine literally disappeared from their lives and Tobias accepted their marriage.
Tobias was a responsible husband in Amara's eyes. Until last month, he usually returned home on time and dined with her regularly. She still held faith in their marriage until she learned Celestine was back and Tobias spent most of his time with her for the past month.
Now, she realized it was all Tobias' revenge on her.
Her silent cell phone suddenly rang and it was from her best friend Melanie! She immediately picked up the phone, and Melanie's anxious voice came from the phone.
“Amara? Why is Tobias suddenly withdrawing his investment in my company?”
Amara immediately realized it was Tobias' threat. He was warning her to divorce! If she refused to sign the papers, he would use Melanie's company as his bargaining chip. Amara couldn't bear it anymore. Never in her life had she been so humiliated. She felt a fire burning inside her!
So it was Tobia's true colors! So shameless!
There was no more reason for her to stay in this marriage. She believed Gustavo would understand her decision, so she called Tobias at once.
Before he could speak, she immediately said, “I agree to the divorce and I won't take any of your disgusting penny! Just prepare the divorce paper! RIGHT NOW!”
After saying that, she didn't wait for Tobias to respond and hung up the phone.
She immediately edited a text message to reassure Melanie. Even without Tobias, her company wouldn't lack investment.
Packing up her things, she left the Larsen Estate.
It was only after she felt a tiny wet drop land on her forehead, did she snapped out of her thoughts and took notice of her surroundings.
It was raining.
Tears flowed down her face, mingling with the rain as the sky seemed to mirror the state of her heart. But not a single sound escaped her lips.
She stood there, quietly letting her tears fall, her shoulders slumped, and her hair wet. Suddenly, she felt the rain stop where she stood.
She turned and saw the face of a familiar individual, a face ridiculed with concern.
“Ms. Crawford,” Xavier, the exclusive butler of the Crawford greeted.
Amara didn’t respond.
Instead, she let the man wrap a coat around her shoulders, damping out the chill nature of her wet dress, before he continued.
“The time limit given was about to expire. It’s time for you to divorce Mr. Larsen and come home to manage the family business."
“The Master is calling for your return as the one and only rightful ruler.”
“The family business…” Amara muttered, laughing herself bitterly.Well, a powerful Family Group was awaiting her back to manage yet she kept delaying it for someone who wasn't worthy of her love at all.What did Tobias call her? A gold digger? If only he knew what family name she was born to have. The Crawford owed business everywhere in this world. If it weren't for the unexpected shipwreck, her fate would never have intersected with Tobias'.Why should she keep on the wrong way? It was time to back home.Seating into the black GMC Yukon, Amara picked up the call from her grandfather, Elvis Crawford.“Grandfather, good evening.” She politely greeted, dipping her head subtly even though the man couldn’t see her.“Evening Amara,” the old man asked directly. “Have you finally decided to stop playing house?”"Yes," Amara replied firmly, carrying the tone of an elite who had been trained by the finest tutors."I'll divorce Tobias Larsen and back home soon. But I have a request, I want mor
At the center of the dance floor was a familiar figure, dressed in a provocative black dress, swaying her hips to the rhythm of the music while laughing at the attention her current dance partner, a male in his late twenties, was showering her with.Even though she looked noticeably different, seductive, alluring, and far from the usual humble aura she usually gave, Tobias had no trouble recognizing her. His wife. And the longer Tobias watched HIS wife shower in the attention of another man, the more irritated he grew.“You can go on ahead.” He said without glancing at Celestine as he walked off, leaving her standing on her own.“Tob-,” Celestine was cut short, as Tobias had already walked away, his gaze focused on a particular figure, dancing on the dance floor.He wasn't aware of how fast his strides were or how harshly his fist clenched. He wasn’t aware of any of it until he found himself in front of his wife, and the man who had had his hands all over her for the past two minutes.
Tobias couldn't believe his ears.Amara, the woman who had claimed to love him for the past 6 years and always stuck to him like gum, had filed for a divorce even before he could. This fact kept disturbing him.He was the one meant to file for a divorce! And not the gentle wife he remembered!"You're really testing my patience, Amara." He threatened, eyes cold and voice colder. " you know what I'm capable of.""It's not a test, Tobias. It's a fact that is about to happen," Amara retorted, not at all intimidated by his words and demeanor."So you're sure you want to go against me, is that it?" Tobias said dangerously."What are you gonna do? Destroy me, ruin my reputation, destroy Melanie's business, or something along the lines of that?"Amara laughed coldly. Without waiting for Tobias to speak, Amara warned him."I dare you, Tobias. Try to lay even a finger on the people I hold dare and you'll see just how that'd turn out."Tobias looked at Amara's cold gaze, as if he was looking at a s
It had been several days since Amara sent the divorce paper but there was still no response. Pacing in front of the window, Amara called her attorney Philip."Hasn't Larsen signed it yet?""My apologies, Ms. Crawford," Philip sighed at the other end. "I have urged the side of Mr.Larsen but they just ignored us. I am applying for court procedures for you but we have also encountered resistance. The judge suggests that you should communicate with Mr. Larsen first."Hearing this, Amara chuckled out of anger. What was Tobias doing now? He was the first to ask for a divorce, and now she was giving him what he wanted, yet he started to obstruct her in every possible way. What's wrong with him?!!Taking a deep breath, Amara calmed herself. Since he wanted to play, she could play."I understand, Philip. I'll meet Larsen later." Amara picked up her handbag, heading to Tobias' company, Labyrinth.She had barely walked through the revolving doors when she heard a rather familiar voice ring out fr
"Toby! I need your help! Amara wants to ruin me!" Celeste suddenly called, crying frantically.Tobias immediately instructed his assistant to drive, sitting in the backseat, but the image that surfaced in his mind was of Amara. Who was she really? Why had she changed so drastically?She professed her love for him, yet swiftly moved between different men. Was she truly the vile snake that Celeste described?Whenever he thought about how desperately she wanted to divorce him and be with a sugar daddy, he couldn't help but feel enraged!Each time he thought about how eager she was to divorce him and link up with one of her sugar daddies, he couldn’t help but scoff.How bold of her. First she acted like a love sick puppy, gluing to him like he was the last man on earth, and now, she wanted to get away, ready to live whatever blissful life her sugar daddy could fund.Well, Tobias refused.He wasn’t going to let her get away with it, nor was he going to make the process of their divorce easy
"...All the recent accusations and allegations against me on posts are lies and slander. I hope you, as my esteemed fans, can ignore these malicious and unprofessional accusations and continue to support my future entertainment career. Thank you for your understanding."The next morning, Amara listened as Melanie read out Celestine's response to the intimate photo online. She felt disgusted at how naive and noble Celestine sounded, but she was even more furious at Tobias' attitude. When Melanie first suggested providing the photo of Tobias and Celestine to the gossip papers, she hesitated because she only wanted to divorce Tobias, not ruin his business.But the situation had changed. Since Tobias refused to divorce her, she had to give him a warning."This is all nonsense," Melanie said angrily, looking up from the newspaper. "How can she lie so naively to those people? She's the troublemaker. If anyone is innocent here, it's you, Amara."Amara focused her attention on her computer scr
Half an hour ago。“How long has it been?” The blonde male with brown eyes and similar appearance asked Amara as he led her towards a seating area. Holding a chair open, he added. “Three years?”“Four.” Amara corrected as she sat down, whispering a small ‘Thank you’ towards his gesture. She waited till he had settled down in front of her before asking. “How’s life in Italy been treating you, Lorenzo?”“Wonderful actually. I wouldn’t have left if not for the fact that Grandfather wants me to assist you a little since you’ve come to your senses.”Amara chuckled at his words. Lorenzo, her older brother, always had his ways with words, just like their grandfather. But even at that, she was glad he was here.“I’m really glad you’re here, Lorenzo.” She admitted, earning a smile from her older brother. But the smile quickly faded and he said.“Can I ask a question, Amara?” She nodded. “Why…why did you keep your identity hidden from Tobias for so long?”“Is that…is that really the first thing y
If Amara’s slap was meant to be an action directed towards snapping Tobias back into the right frame of mind, or perhaps a warning, neither of it was working. Rather, it was having the opposite effect.With his cheek stinging, red and bruised from the force Amara had hit him with, Tobias glared at her. The anger he was feeling towards her was indescribable and evident in his eyes.From the moment he had set foot in Sherativinor, the moment he had caught sight of her happily reuniting with that blonde guy, the moment her had heard her talk so freely and intimately with the stranger, his heart had tightened and he could feel himself boiling.How could did she have the nerves to cheat on him after claiming to love him for years? Was it all an act?Of course it was, he knew this from the very first day Amara confessed her love, so why did he feel so angry?And even more, why was he acting so irrationally and not thinking things through, as usual?These questions and more plagued his mind,