Pustaka
Cari
Beranda / Husband of the Year Files for Divorce / Chapter 3

Share

Chapter 3

Penulis: Sandwich Biscuit
Ian's POV

"Pierre, don't worry. I won't let anyone hurt you." Betty rushed over, looking at him with concern.

When she was born, she was so small and fragile that she had to be kept in an incubator. The doctors warned us again and again that she was in critical condition. They said that even if she survived, she might not live past the age of five.

Everyone gave up on her except me. I begged the doctors and did everything I could to save her. In the end, she pulled through.

That was why, no matter how cold and distant Betty became toward me over the years, I always put up with it.

Celine knew our daughter was my weakness, so she used it against me. "Ian, if you really want a divorce, don't even think about seeing Betty again!"

Betty went still when she heard that. Then she turned on me, her expression cold.

"Dad, you want a divorce just because of Pierre? Let me make one thing clear. Even if you divorce Mom, I'll never stay with you. Someone as stupid and useless as you doesn't deserve Mom at all.

"Everyone treats you like a joke, and even Grandma can't stand you. Why can't you just take a look at yourself and see how pathetic you are?"

I saw nothing but disgust in Betty's eyes. I had nothing left to hold on to, so I simply said, "Good. I don't want you either."

Betty froze. Her eyes widened, then filled with tears.

She hadn't always been like this. Before she turned five, whenever people made fun of me, she'd take my hand and comfort me, saying, "Dad, you still have me."

Whenever I couldn't hold back my emotions, she'd clumsily wipe away my tears and say, "Don't cry, Dad. I'm here."

She used to be the only person I could rely on in the Erwin family. But everything had changed, and I couldn't go on living like this anymore.

Celine picked up her pen and signed her name on the divorce agreement in one swift motion. "Don't you dare regret this!"

"I won't." I let out a long breath. This absurd marriage was over, and the weight I'd carried for years finally lifted.

Growing up, I'd chased after Celine, but she'd never once looked my way. We only ended up getting married because of a twist of fate.

Back then, Celine's fiance abandoned her at the altar, saying he'd suddenly realized that he valued his freedom more than marriage.

Livid and humiliated, she replaced him with me on the spot.

Everyone else thought I'd hit the jackpot. I thought so too. But the rest of the Erwin family was furious. They thought someone like me didn't deserve Celine at all.

I knew that better than anyone, so for years I walked on eggshells, trying to please every member of that family.

I finally realized just how naive I had been. Some social circles were never meant for me, no matter how hard I tried to fit in.

Now, I'd finally given up.

Lanjutkan membaca buku ini secara gratis
Pindai kode untuk mengunduh Aplikasi
Bab sebelumnya Bab selanjutnya

Bab terbaru

  • Husband of the Year Files for Divorce   Chapter 10

    Ian's POVAfter that, I never saw Celine or Betty again. My memories of the Erwins grew hazier with each passing year.Ten years later, I attended a student's coming-of-age celebration. That was where I saw Betty again.She had grown into a stunning 18-year-old woman, the spitting image of her mother.We recognized each other right away, but neither of us said a word.Then someone bumped into me, knocking me to the ground. Everything in my bag spilled across the floor. Betty was the first to rush to my side, but she didn't offer me a hand.As soon as my friend helped me back to my feet, Betty suddenly pulled me into a hallway. She picked up the antidepressants that had fallen from my bag and held them up with a mocking smile."Look at you. After all these years, you've ended up looking so miserable."The truth was, ever since that joke about me had spread throughout Salbury, I hadn't been able to control my emotions. I would find myself wanting to cry for no reason.I'd always

  • Husband of the Year Files for Divorce   Chapter 9

    Ian's POVBy the time Celine's people started searching for me, I'd already left the country using a fake ID my childhood friend, Kathy Newman, had gotten for me.The Erwins wielded great power in Salbury. As long as I stayed there, I'd never be able to hide from them.The night I was locked in the attic, I'd called Kathy in a moment of utter despair.We'd grown up together at the orphanage, and she'd always treated me like a younger brother.On my wedding day, she'd promised me, her voice thick with emotion, "If you ever run into trouble, call me. I'll always have your back."She kept her promise.I managed to find a teaching job abroad. Most of my students were eight or nine years old, and they'd always greet me with bright smiles that warmed my heart.Life settled into a quiet, peaceful routine… until one afternoon.After finishing my classes, I was on my way home when I gave my neighbor's daughter, Lena Mogan, a ride. That was when I saw a face I almost didn't recognize.

  • Husband of the Year Files for Divorce   Chapter 8

    Third-Person POVIan had grown up an orphan. In some ways, Celine had too.When she was eight years old, her father, Thomas Erwin, had an affair with her aunt, Jane Spencer. Her mother was so devastated that she attempted suicide by overdose several times but was rescued each time.Celine still remembered Thomas kneeling outside Anna's bedroom for three whole days, begging for forgiveness.But Anna refused to forgive him. Instead, she leaked word of the affair to the paparazzi, turning it into a scandal splashed across the headlines.What she hadn't expected was to hear that Thomas and Jane had jumped off a cliff together the next day, choosing to die for love.That was the kind of environment Celine grew up in, and she never believed in marriage or love.As far as she knew, there wasn't a single family among the wealthy and powerful that wasn't a mess behind closed doors. Couples who seemed deeply in love in public could be tearing each other apart in private.That was why she

  • Husband of the Year Files for Divorce   Chapter 7

    Third-Person POVUnder Anna's sharp glare, Pierre forced an awkward smile and got back on his feet. "Mrs. Erwin, I—""Let me make one thing clear." Anna cut him off with a dismissive look. "I've never thought much of Ian, but that doesn't mean I want you marrying Celine. You can forget about it."Pierre's face fell, but he still wasn't about to give up. He'd sacrificed a lot just to get close to Celine, even putting his reputation on the line. As a public figure, his reputation meant everything to him.Part of him hoped Ian had died in the fire. That would eliminate his biggest rival. But if Ian really was dead, Pierre would never get the chance to prove that he was better than him.The next day, Celine hired a professional team to investigate the fire, and Betty stayed glued to her side the whole time.The little girl wiped away her tears, desperately hoping the burned body wasn't Ian's.For the first time in her life, she regretted what she'd done. But the price of learning th

  • Husband of the Year Files for Divorce   Chapter 6

    Third-Person POVBetty was the first to sense that something was wrong.As Ian was being dragged away, she noticed the look on his face change from shock to sadness, then finally go blank.She couldn't explain why, but it made her feel uneasy. So before she went to bed, she reminded David to keep an eye on the attic.Her unease turned out to be well founded. When she woke up in the middle of the night, she saw a blinding glow coming from the attic. She began to tremble and shouted toward the attic, "Dad! Dad!"Celine was the second to find out. A maid ran up to her, saying, "Ms. Erwin, it's bad! The attic suddenly caught fire! Mr. Rutherford is still locked inside. By the time we noticed, the fire was already out of control."Celine grabbed her jacket and stumbled toward the door.A shirtless Pierre caught her arm and said plaintively, "Celine, where are you going? Don't leave me here alone."He used to get his way by acting like that, but now it only annoyed her. "The attic is

  • Husband of the Year Files for Divorce   Chapter 5

    Ian's POVWhen I returned to the Erwins', I started packing my things. I never realized that after all these years, everything I owned amounted to just one suitcase.I took off the necklace I'd been wearing and left it on the coffee table. The pendant was a tiny locket holding a family portrait we'd taken when Betty was three years old. I'd begged Celine for three whole days before she finally agreed to take the photo with us.Just then, a news alert popped up on my phone.It was an entertainment news story featuring photos of the three of them at the amusement park. They looked so intimate, like a real family. There was nothing left for me to hold on to.Before leaving, I handed all my savings to the butler, David Wilson, and said, "This is for Betty."David looked like he wanted to say something, but before he could, Anna suddenly pushed open the front door.She froze for a moment when she saw the suitcase beside me. "Betty told me that you made a scene and insisted on divorci

Bab Lainnya

Anda juga akan menyukai

Jelajahi dan baca novel bagus secara gratis
Akses gratis ke berbagai novel bagus di aplikasi GoodNovel. Unduh buku yang kamu suka dan baca di mana saja & kapan saja.
Baca buku gratis di Aplikasi
Pindai kode untuk membaca di Aplikasi
DMCA.com Protection Status