Chapter 4

That very night, I gathered all my belongings and left the home that belonged to Shawn and me.

I would never set foot here again. I was resolved to let that place serve as the tomb for my naive and ridiculous love.

I drove straight back to my parents' place that night, arriving to the heartwarming sight of my parents, who had kept the house lit up while waiting for my arrival.

"Why are you all by yourself, Leslie? Where’s Shawn?" Mom peered around while asking, confirming that I was indeed the only person stepping out of the car.

I let out a deep sigh, my eyes reflecting undeniable weariness. "I'm divorcing Shawn, Mom."

"Huh?" Mom and Dad were both visibly astonished.

Dad quickly composed himself, saying, "It's probably for the best that you're getting divorced. I could always see the greed and opportunism in that man's eyes, so maintaining a long-term relationship with someone like him was only ever going to hurt you."

I married Shawn despite Mom and Dad's strong objections back then, foolishly believing in the depth of our relationship.

I only realized now that I had been deliberately deceiving myself all along.

"You should hurry up and come in, Leslie. I'll make you some lasagna," Mom said. She then led me into the house, and soon after, I was enjoying a serving of steaming lasagna.

Dad asked, "It must be incredibly exhausting managing all those companies, right?"

I replied, "It wasn't that bad, Dad."

I deliberately concealed my true identity to protect Shawn's strong, competitive ego all these years.

He simply saw me as a woman who was exceptionally capable of acquiring business contacts. He remained utterly unaware that those connections he valued so highly were, in fact, properties belonging to the Reed family.

I was perfectly willing to let the Reed family incur minor losses through our collaborations, all in order to boost his performance. I did it all just to help him fulfill his aggressive and competitive professional aspirations.

That said, I no longer needed to tolerate his ever-growing ego since he had betrayed me. I fully intended to watch him try to fend for himself in the brutal business world now that his primary support was gone.

…

It was the following day, and Shawn didn't even pay any mind to my absence, assuming that I would throw a fit for two days and then return home.

However, he was briefly taken aback upon reaching the company and being handed the divorce agreement.

"I'll sign those damn papers, then! I'm sure she wouldn't actually have the nerve to go through with the divorce, though!"

In the afternoon, Reed Group sent out an impromptu announcement, ordering all top executives to congregate in Bridgeport for an emergency meeting.

Meanwhile, I was enjoying a peaceful afternoon, leisurely settled in a cafe near the Reed residence, sipping coffee while listening to a high-end property agent detail available luxury villas.

Oscar was sitting right across from me.

I asked, "Are any of the villas to your liking? I'll pay the full amount for you right now, and the deed can be transferred to you as early as tomorrow."

"Have you finally figured things out and become generous enough to spend money on me, Ms. Reed?" Oscar teased.

I playfully punched him on the shoulder, saying, "You ought to give it a break. Have I ever skimped on you, Oscar?"

Oscar pouted slightly, brushing off my comment with a look of indifference. "Have you really made up your mind about divorcing Shawn?"

I hummed in assent.

Oscar exclaimed, "That's wonderful! You should definitely consider me once you're single, Leslie!"

"Huh?"

I was still pondering Oscar's remark when my phone suddenly rang.

The voice on the other end said, "What the hell are you playing at, Leslie?"