08
While Ayden was momentarily stunned, I swung the door open and called the police in.
I knew this marriage was beyond saving.
But I wanted my diamond necklace back.
Ayden’s parents stood by his side. Even though they were in the wrong, they still scornfully blamed me.
“This is so humiliating. I always thought she was a petty woman. It’s just a stupid necklace. Why make such a fuss? She claims it’s worth a million dollars, so do we really have to pay her that much?”
“Laverne, how could you apologize to someone like her? It’s not worth it!”
Just moments ago, they were distancing themselves from Laverne over compensation, and now they were acting all protective of her.
I shook my head, finding the situation ridiculous.
When I walked out of the hospital, Hayley had just arrived.
She glanced behind me, ready to storm into the ward.
“Ayden, where is he? I’ll teach him a lesson. How dare he bully you like this?”
I grabbed her arm. “Let’s just go.”
But Hayley wouldn’t relent, looking at me disapprovingly. “Let it go? Why should we? Are you really just going to brush off the grievances you’ve endured these past three years? You can swallow your anger, but I can’t. Laverne’s in there, right? I’ll give them both a piece of my mind!”
“It’s all in the past. The police are upstairs now. Laverne lost my necklace, and I won’t let her get away with it.”
I figured that since I could use legal means to protect myself, there was no need to cling to verbal disputes.
I managed to convince Hayley.
She took me home and helped me throw out all of Ayden’s things.
This apartment was a gift from my parents, and my name was the only one on the deed.
For the past three years, Ayden had been living in my home as if he owned it.
I rearranged the apartment to reflect my taste and instantly felt much lighter.
Afterward, I contacted a lawyer to proceed with my divorce.
Although I had some savings from the past few years of marriage, I didn’t want to waste my youth.
Thanks to Hayley’s recommendation, I landed a job at an electronics company.
Just when I thought life was settling down, Ayden showed up.
After half a month apart, he looked significantly worn, with stubble covering his jawline.
He hadn’t found the necklace. During this time, Ayden had been trying to raise money for Laverne, borrowing from nearly everyone he knew.
I had heard all about it but pretended to be clueless.
“What do you want?”
“I heard you asked Hayley for help finding a job? After all that networking, you ended up as a receptionist in a small electronics company?”
I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.
Ayden’s eyes were bloodshot as if he were begging me.
“Patricia, I didn’t sign the divorce agreement. I don’t want to divorce you. How about I arrange for you to work at my company? The salary and future prospects would be so much better than being a receptionist here.
I’m begging you, don’t throw me out. You have no idea how I’ve been surviving these past two weeks. I really miss you.”
As he spoke, he tried to open his arms to embrace me.
I pushed him away expressionlessly, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “You dragged me into the industry blacklist. I have no way to return to finance. Isn’t all of this your doing?”
When I first landed this job, Hayley wasn’t pleased at all.
