Chapter seven

Vivian’s POV

In Dominic Blackwood’s eyes, I used to be nothing more than a stubborn adhesive bandage he couldn’t shake off. Everything I did, he believed, was just to grab his attention.

It was my fault. I loved him too humbly. I lowered myself so much that he began to think I was destined to stay by his side for life.

I took a deep breath and forced my tone to stay calm. “Dominic Blackwood, I know I was blind and foolish before, always longing for things I couldn’t have. But now I’ve come to my senses. I just want a divorce and to give you your freedom back.”

To him, my words sounded like complaints.

His thin lips tightened. “Vivian carter, have I been too lenient with you lately, making you forget your duties as Mrs. Blackwood?”

I was so infuriated I almost laughed. “Dominic Blackwood, I’m seriously discussing divorce with you, and you think I’m joking?”

He shot me a cold glance. “You’d better stop playing hard to get. Even if you’re not tired of the act, I’m exhausted just watching it.”

I felt like we were living in completely different worlds. We couldn’t communicate at all.

Fuming, I grabbed the glass of water in front of me and downed it in one go.

Dominic glanced at me. “I just had a drink…”

“…”

I froze.

My own glass was sitting right beside me. In my anger, I had grabbed the wrong one.

Great. Now he probably thought I was trying to seduce him again.

Sure enough, when I looked up, I caught the mocking glint in his eyes.

“Vivian carter, in this marriage, I provide you with status and wealth while you play the role of Mrs. Blackwood. It’s a fair trade, so stop harboring any delusions.”

All my patience had been worn down by the Blackwood Family.

I glared at him. “So, what does Dominic think I want?”

He tugged impatiently at his collar. “Giving you the title of Mrs. Blackwood is already my biggest concession. Don’t expect to win my heart.”

“!!!”

I almost cursed. I forced myself to hold back. “Dominic, how could you think that?”

He scoffed. “Back then, you were willing to go to great lengths just to marry into the Blackwood Family, chasing after our wealth and status. Now that you want a divorce and don’t want anything, you just want to evoke a shred of pity from me, don’t you?”

I didn’t want anything from the Blackwood Family. I didn’t want to disgust myself by using anything tied to them. I had hands and feet of my own. Why should I rely on their charity?

Since that dog of a man had misunderstood me, I might as well ask for something.

I took a deep breath. “Dominic, I was wrong. Actually, there is something I do want.”

His eyes sharpened, certain he could see through me.

“I want the dowry that Helen gave me back in the day.”

His handsome face darkened instantly.

“When I married into the Blackwood Family, the Carter family didn’t prepare a single penny for my dowry. The Blackwood Family treated the wedding like a joke and didn’t give me a gift. I even had to make my own wedding dress overnight. The only one who gave me something was Helen. She gifted me her medicinal fields as my dowry…”

My voice began to choke.

That wedding I begged for was pitiful. Everyone in the know treated me like a joke. Some even bet I wouldn’t last three days in the Blackwood Family.

Only my adoptive mother, Helen, truly cared. She even added her only asset to my dowry to give me some leverage.

But that medicinal field was the Philip family’s Generational heritage. The Blackwood Family looked down on it. Over the years, it fell into neglect.

Now that I had left, I was determined to help Helen reclaim their Generational land.

“Dream on!” he said coldly.

My temper snapped.

The Blackwood Family had no interest in medicinal business, yet he still refused to let it go. Truly a heartless capitalist.

Fine. I would think of another way.

To avoid looking at his irritating face, I closed my eyes.

I had always had trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places, but exhaustion washed over me quickly. Before I knew it, I drifted into a deep sleep.

When the plane landed, we walked toward the cabin door one after the other.

To avoid getting too close to him, I deliberately slowed my pace.

He didn’t look back.

We felt like strangers.

As he followed the airport staff out, I let out a sigh of relief.

But before I could fully relax, he suddenly turned and strode toward me, expression cold.

My nerves tensed. I raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Blackwood, is there something you need?”

He frowned. “Vivian carter, I’m giving you three more days to think it over.”

Ha.

Did he think there was room for negotiation?

Wasn’t divorce a win-win? He could shake off this clingy mess and marry his perfect woman. So why did it feel like I was forcing him?

I swallowed my curses. “Alright. I’ll think it over in the next three days. And please, Mr. Blackwood, don’t disturb me.”

With his connections, finding me would be easy. But I was here on business. I wouldn’t let that jerk ruin my mood.

He left with a dark expression.

Moments later, James scott appeared. The moment he saw me, he leaned against me like jelly. “Vivian, I’ve been waiting for you like a kid waiting for Christmas! Vyx is like a rabid dog. They’re demanding to see the real Mieli.”

“ Mieli” was my name in the design world. Under that title, I became the chief designer for them.

Years ago, Dominic traded a piece of sweet for my happiness. I took the English word for mieli as my title.

Funny how my designer name were tied to that jerk.

But from now on, I would give them new meaning.

Dominic’s POV

In my eyes, Vivian carter had always been like a stubborn adhesive bandage I couldn’t shake off. Everything she did felt like an attempt to get my attention.

She loved me too humbly back then. So humbly that I assumed she would stay by my side for life.

When she calmly asked for a divorce, I heard nothing but complaint.

She wanted the medicinal field.

For a moment, when her voice choked, something tightened in my chest.

I had opposed that wedding strongly. I didn’t even attend. I never imagined she would be treated so poorly by my family.

But the instant I realized she was reluctant to part with that medicinal field, irritation surged through me.

Dream on.

After she fell asleep, her head rested lightly on my shoulder.

I pressed my lips together and draped a blanket over her, letting her lean against me.

Women were contradictory creatures. They said one thing, but their bodies told another.

At the airport, I didn’t look back.

Until I saw her standing there alone.

I gave her three days.

If she wanted a divorce, she could reconsider.

Then I saw her get into a car with another man.

My gaze turned icy.

Ethan brooks asked carefully, “Mr Blackwood, should we invite Vivian to join us?”

I let out a cold laugh.

Why would I care about a woman who didn’t know her place?

The car started moving.

After a short distance, irritation surged through me again.

“Stop the car.”

I switched seats with the driver, turned the car around sharply, and headed straight toward the flashy red Mercedes.

Screech!