3. A Divorce Agreement

…

In The Evening.

Clyde returned to the Villa, the stillness in the atmosphere unsettling.

Violet would normally receive him at the door.

Where was she? 

For the first time in three years, the doorway was empty, the doors shut in fact. 

Strange!

Clyde knocked, and a maid opened the doors instead. 

“Welcome home, Mr. Crawford.”

Clyde wasn't listening to her greeting, his gaze traveling into the empty living room. 

Violet wasn't there. 

He walked past the maid, who scurried after him, her eyes darting around rapidly. 

“Mr. Crawford…” She stopped him, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Actually, we've run out of birth control pills. There's none to put inside Mrs. Crawford's dinner for tonight.”

Violet's absence was more disturbing than the finished pills. 

Clyde frowned. “Where's she?”

“Mrs. Crawford might be sleeping upstairs.” The maid scratched her head as if unsure of her own words. “She complained of a stomach ache in the morning.”

Stomach ache?

Violet rarely got sick!

That was impossible.

Clyde strode upstairs.

The bedroom was empty, including the bathroom and the balcony!

Where the hell was she!?

Violet never left home without his permission. 

He'd be in the office and she'd tell him where she was. 

Was she perhaps at the family house? 

But his parents never welcomed her, so she rarely went there. 

Still puzzled, Clyde changed out of his clothes and entered the bathroom. 

Thinking she would return before he finished bathing, his hope evaporated when he found the bedroom still empty. 

What's going on?

His phone rang and he answered it at the first ring, frustration prompting his movement. 

However, the person calling was only his grandfather. 

“Clyde, I miss Violet. Bring her to visit me tomorrow.”

“Isn't she at your place, Grandpa?” Clyde asked. 

That was the only place Violet ever visited.

“If she was in my place, why would I waste my time to make this phone call!?” His grandfather's tone was suddenly harsh.

Unease crept up Clyde's heart. 

“Clyde Crawford, is there something I should know?” His grandfather added. 

Clyde was tongue-tied.

If only he also knew what was happening.

This was unlike his wife.

Where could she be?

An orphan girl with no origins, she didn't even know anyone else in this city!

“Clyde Crawford, you didn't send her away, did you?” His grandfather continued. “You broke your promise to me, right!?”

“Grandpa, I didn't!” Clyde clenched his fist. 

Why did that woman want to implicate him!?

“Then find her!” His grandfather hollered. “Find that girl in the next two hours or forget about becoming the next chairman of the CJ Group!!!”

The old man hung up!

Clyde cursed out loud, controlling his fists from colliding with the wall.

Violet!

Hadn't he treated her well enough?

Where did she wander off to?

Where the hell was she!?

He'd been working hard for that chairman position, he couldn't afford to lose it!

That was his grandfather's condition for marrying her. 

She wasn't going to spoil his plan, was she? 

Rushing downstairs, Clyde summoned the maid and the bodyguards.

“Check every corner of the house!” He ordered the maid.

“And you, search the entire neighborhood!” He turned to the bodyguards. “Find Violet within the next thirty minutes!”

“Yes, Mr. Crawford!!!”

As the maid and bodyguards scurried away, Clyde brought out his phone and dialed her number. 

Her line was switched off!

“Damnit!” Cursing for the umpteenth time, he paced back and forth, dialing her number again and again. 

Clyde tossed his phone across the couch and strode outside to receive fresh air.

In the hot evening, his blood boiled with rage as he fought not to let out a monster he'd effortlessly subdued for three years. 

Violet wouldn't want to witness his worse side!

“Hey, you!!!” Seeing the driver standing outside and wiping the car with a towel, Clyde's irritation increased.

Why wasn't he among the search party?

And,

“Why's the car dirty!!!?”

Did he go out with it without his consent?

“Mr. Crawford, I'm sorry I didn't notice you've already returned.” The driver ran over to him, his face masked with shock. 

He threw the towel away and brought out a document folder from his jacket's inner pocket. “Mrs. Crawford asked me to deliver this.”

“What's that!?” Impatient, Clyde snatched the document.

And he flipped through it-

Divorce…

A Divorce Agreement!?

Seeing those words written boldly at the top, his heart skipped a beat. 

What the hell…

“Where's Violet?” He glanced at the driver, then his gaze returned to the document.

Her signatures were everywhere.

Were his eyes deceiving him?

Was this a joke!?

Violet never played such pranks on him!

“After dropping her off at the judiciary and she gave me this later, Mr. Crawford… Mrs. Crawford entered a taxi and vanished,” the driver answered his question.

The judiciary!

A taxi?

To where?

Did she get the divorce papers from the judiciary?

Why?

“Mr. Crawford…” the driver went on. “Mrs. Crawford didn't look good after visiting you at the company. I believe something was bothering her.”

Wait a second…

Violet visited the company?

Why didn't he see her then?

“When did she visit?”

“In the afternoon, Mr. Crawford.”

Hearing that, Clyde spaced out, his heart sinking. 

Which meant that Violet saw.

No way!