Chapter three

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress my emotions, and turned to smile at Scarlett Hayes. “Scarlett, long time no see.”

Scarlett Hayes sauntered over gracefully. “Vivian, you don’t seem to be doing too well. This door is wide enough for even a dog to get through. You’ve been married to Dominic for three years, yet you still can’t get in?”

I chuckled lightly. “What can I say? Some people just have a low opinion of others. Not everyone can treat people with respect.”

Scarlett picked up on the underlying jab and smirked. “Vivian, I didn’t expect you to be so different from the Samantha I used to know. You’ve really surprised me.”

“Likewise, you’re not as thin-skinned as before. Knowing full well that Dominic Blackwood is a married man, you still throw yourself at him,” I shot back.

Scarlett wasn’t offended; instead, she raised the thermos in her hand. “Dominic has been busy since yesterday and probably hasn’t eaten. I made him some lotus root and pork rib soup. If you have something to discuss, it might be better to wait until he finishes lunch.”

Her words dripped with the implication of her closeness to Dominic Blackwood.

I shot her a cold glance, a smirk playing on my lips. “Scarlett Hayes, you really are pathetic. I thought you had some real skills, yet after three years, you still haven’t gotten a title and are left doing these menial tasks to curry favor.”

Scarlett’s expression twisted slightly.

“Isn’t it because you’ve been holding onto Mrs. Blackwood’s position all this time?”

“Ha! If Dominic Blackwood truly wanted to marry you, why would he make you wait three years?” My words pierced through Scarlett’s heart like a cold knife, causing her to stumble slightly.

“I’ll take the soup in for you, Scarlett. This is where you stop,” I said firmly.

After all, this was the man I had loved for ten years. I worried that I might show some vulnerability in front of Dominic Blackwood, and I absolutely couldn’t let Scarlett see that.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the office door.

Dominic Blackwood was deep in conversation with Brad Mason. He was noble and handsome, a man of great skill, and every woman in the city wanted him.

But who would know that this seemingly passionate man was actually cold-hearted? His eyes always held an aggressive glint that instilled an inexplicable fear in others.

I shook off my thoughts and slammed the divorce agreement onto the table in front of him. “Sign it!”

His demeanor instantly turned icy. “If you’re done making a scene, go home. Don’t embarrass yourself here.”

I leaned over the table, my palms pressed down, locking eyes with him. “You sign, and I’ll leave immediately.”

We were close enough that the scent of roses filled the air between us. It was then that he noticed I had put in some effort into my appearance today. The light blue gown hugged my figure perfectly, accentuating my slim waist. My delicate features were enhanced with a bit more makeup, adding a hint of allure, but my face still lacked color, as if I had just survived a near-death experience.

Ha! Even at a time like this, he still thought I tried to seduce him. Who would believe I was here for a divorce? It was more likely he believed I was trying to win him back in some roundabout way.

He loosened his collar, feeling impatient. “I’m going home tonight.”

Frustrated by his dismissive attitude, I burst into laughter. Without warning, I opened a thermos and splashed the beef stew all over him.

“Dominic Blackwood, who do you think you are to believe that I, Vivian Carter, am destined to be with you for life?”

Dominic Blackwood, who had a severe cleanliness obsession, was now drenched in greasy rib soup. His thin lips curled into a menacing smirk. “Are you out of your mind?”

My eyes were red, holding back my emotions. “Yeah, I was crazy back then to throw everything away and marry you. But now that I’m sober, just sign the papers. Let’s go our separate ways.”

His dark eyes seemed to brew a storm as he suddenly picked up the pen and forcefully signed his name. “Get lost!”

I took one of the copies and replied nonchalantly, “Don’t forget to go to the civil affairs bureau tomorrow at nine.”

As I reached the door, I turned back abruptly. “Dominic Blackwood, there’s something I need to clarify. I ran into a friend yesterday by chance; it wasn’t what you think.”

He scoffed. “James scott is a well-known playboy in Paris. What kind of friend is that?”

“What if I said he was my college classmate?”

He laughed derisively. “Vivian Carter, are you kidding? A person who didn’t even finish high school claiming to have college classmates? Think before you lie.”

I smirked bitterly. It was true; everyone in Paris saw me as a woman raised in the countryside, uneducated and crude.

His friends believed I married him for the Blackwood family’s wealth and status, even going so far as to say I used the favor of giving him a kidney to keep him tied to me.

No matter how I defended myself, they treated me as a joke. Once someone labeled you as weak, everything you did was seen as self-serving. They could sympathize, they could pity, but they would never believe you capable of anything greater.

“Dominic Blackwood, the Vivian Carter who loved you without dignity or boundaries, who would even die for you, is dead. And you were the one who killed her!”

I suppressed the emotions bubbling inside me and turned to leave, each step filled with determination and resolve.

He watched my retreating figure, momentarily lost in thought, unable to process what had just happened.

I had been acting strange since yesterday.

Suddenly wanting a divorce today? I must have lost my mind in his eyes.

Ethan Brooks had already brought him a fresh set of clothes and timidly asked, “Dominic, is Vivian really going to divorce you?”

“Heh, it’s just a bluff,” Dominic Blackwood replied confidently. He was sure that by the end of the night, I would be crying and begging for his forgiveness.

“But I really think she’s serious this time,” Ethan insisted.

He scoffed, “So what if she is? She’ll come back.

Sixteen years ago, the Carter family had a scandal that shook the capital, revealing the truth about the missing heiress.

Strangely enough, I, the real heiress, was recognized by the Carter family but was never favored. I had been raised in the countryside by my foster mother and was only brought back during holidays to save face for the family.

Meanwhile, the fake heiress, Samantha Carter, became the family’s darling. It wasn’t until I married him that the Carter family finally acknowledged me.

The Carter family’s current status was thanks to Dominic Blackwood, who had given them a chance to thrive. Because of this, the Carter family treated me like a mere tool for flattery. Even if I truly wanted a divorce, they would have to consider whether they were willing to sever that connection.

For three years of marriage, he had treated me like a prized canary, never letting me suffer. I had the best of everything—food, clothes, and a monthly allowance of hundreds of thousands. He didn’t believe I would willingly give up such a luxurious life.

Besides, how far could a canary fly without wings and support?

“What about Dominic’s schedule for tomorrow?” Ethan asked.

“Same as usual!” he replied, unfazed.

He wasn’t too concerned about the situation and casually tossed the divorce agreement into the trash can.

Wasn’t I just throwing a tantrum because he didn’t stay over last night?

He figured that if he Cartert home today and sweet-talked me a bit, everything would be fine.

It wasn’t the first time I’d acted up like this.