Divorced and Getting Married!

"For the official record, I need you to say it one more time. Mrs. Tatiana Caldwell, do you agree to this divorce?"

James Morrison, a court judge and a longtime friend of the family, lifted his gaze from the divorce papers and tightened his grip on the pen, preparing to hand it over.

Before doing so, he took a moment to study the woman seated beside him.

Truthfully, she didn't look like someone who had come to get divorced. If anything, she looked as though she had come to rub someone's face in her victory, perhaps even to settle an old score and finally get her revenge.

Her face was adorned with subtle touches of makeup, while her long, loose hair fell down her back in lustrous waves.

She wore a knee-length, deep green silk dress and no jewelry or accessories except for a pair of pearl earrings.

It was a simple yet somehow strikingly inappropriate look, one that contrasted sharply with the plain, dark colors worn by everyone else present in the room.

She looked glorious and dignified, just as she always had, exuding a distinct air of regal authority. Even the judge had to admit that anyone who divorced a woman with such an extraordinary presence had to be an utter moron!

Tatiana's eyes remained fixed on the wall behind the judge. All she had to do was say yes. She had been ready for this moment, after all. Yet something deep inside her prevented the words from leaving her mouth. The hesitation was ridiculously absurd.

Gilbert Fletcher shifted uncomfortably in his seat and let out an irritated yet suppressed groan. Beside him, Emilia Marlowe, his mistress, rested her manicured hand on the desk and began tapping her fingernails nervously against the polished wood. Every tap sounded like a gunshot in the tense silence.

The combined impatience of the two finally jolted Tatiana back to her senses. She shifted her gaze toward the judge, took another moment to savor the silence, and finally answered, "Yes. I agree to this divorce."

A faint, concealed smile appeared on Emilia's lips, while Gilbert released a sigh of relief. Both of them had already known that Tatiana's decision was final, but now, everything had finally become official.

Gilbert was the first to sign the document. When it was Tatiana's turn, she placed the papers in front of herself and examined her soon-to-be ex-husband's name, written in black ink in his own handwriting.

She was already accustomed to seeing his signature. Managing the company together had required her to review thousands of documents bearing Gilbert's name. Yet never once had she imagined that the day would come when she would see his signature on divorce papers.

There go all those years I wasted on this marriage, ending with a single stroke of my pen. I suppose it was a good thing I never took his last name after all.

Tatiana released a quiet, regretful breath before finally moving her hand across the page. It was done. She had signed the papers.

Now, she is divorced.

The judge stamped each page with his official seal to finalize the divorce. He was just about to put the documents into his briefcase when Tatiana reached across the desk, almost as though she intended to grab the papers, and asked, "Could you leave your seal out a little longer?"

The conference room fell silent once again. Mr. Morrison, Gilbert, and Emilia all turned their widened eyes toward Miss Caldwell, their bewilderment almost palpable.

At last, Gilbert leaned across the desk and narrowed his eyes at her. "What is that supposed to mean? What do you need his seal for?"

With a faint smile playing on her pinkish lips, Tatiana reached into her purse, took out several documents, and placed them on the desk in front of the judge. Without even sparing her now ex-husband a glance, she calmly explained, "I need his seal to stamp my marriage certificate."

"What?!" Gilbert sprang out of his seat, his face turning red. "Tatiana, what the hell are you talking about?!"

Miss Caldwell furrowed her brows as she watched her ex-husband's reaction. Why did he even care? His mistress was sitting right beside him, yet he was behaving as though Tatiana were the one betraying him.

With a long sigh, she unzipped a small front pocket of her purse and took out a rose gold engagement ring adorned with a diamond. She slipped it onto her ring finger, then raised her gaze toward Gilbert.

Her voice remained steady and cold as she finally replied, "I am getting married, Gilbert. My new husband is about to make an entrance."

●●●

The Caldwell and Fletcher families had been closely connected for many years. Ever since they had merged their companies to establish RFA Group, one of the largest investment conglomerates in the country, their relationship had extended far beyond business.

Wilfred Caldwell, Tatiana's father, and Christopher Fletcher, Gilbert's father, had agreed that their children would marry and jointly manage the future of RFA Group. They believed that turning their children into a real family would strengthen the bond between the two families and further solidify the company's future.

As a result, when Tatiana turned fifteen, Gilbert's mother, a woman of high social standing and impeccable education, took her under her wing. From that moment on, she began shaping Tatiana into the perfect upper-class wife.

Tatiana had never minded it. Her own mother had died when she was barely five years old, and Laura Fletcher had always filled the role of a mother figure in her life.

Everything Tatiana did and everything she learned had been for the sake of her future husband and the portion of the company she was expected to take over. She had been molded for a single role, and since this was the fate of nearly every woman in her social circle, she had never considered anything wrong with it.

She had been quite content with the life that had been prepared for her. Nor had she minded the thought of spending the rest of her life in an arranged marriage with Gilbert, her friend and companion for many years.

Yes, she had been relatively happy with her life.

Until Gilbert decided to ruin it all.