CHAPTER ONE: THRICE DIVORCED; ONE LESSON LEARNT

July’s POV:

Mama’s boys don’t pay; this is the one lesson I’ve just learnt as I stared at the dried ink on the paper.

Signing divorce number three was like signing my name to defeat, especially this divorce.

The other two divorces were favorable to me. I got a villa, a car and lots of money from my first divorce. The second one, well he was almost bankrupt when I left, so I only got a few bucks, his car (which by the way, turned out to be a rental), and an apology from him.

Staring at the empty space on the settlement box made my blood boil. I couldn’t believe I was tricked into signing a prenup while I was drunk.

And this stupid judge had been clearly bribed, because he didn’t even want to listen to me.

I straightened out the crumpled divorce papers in my hands and shoved them into my bag before stepping outside.

The atmosphere around me became stuffy, making me become moody immediately I stepped outside.

I guess waiting was his mom’s idea, because tell me why their car was parked right in front of them, but they choose to stand hand in hand?

Of course, with Ethan’s head on his mom’s shoulders. Sighing heavily, I gave the bridge of my nose a little massage and turned around to leave quietly through the opposite direction, but since luck wasn’t on my side today, Ethan saw me before I could even move my feet.

He strengthened his posture immediately his eyes landed on me, making his mom look in my direction. An evil smirk appeared on her lips, confirming my suspicions about them waiting here for me.

I scoffed as I watched them walk towards me, holding hands like newlyweds.

“Congratulations on your third divorce, July. You should be happy now.” His mom said with that stupid smirk still sitting on her plastic face.

“Thank you, Sophia. And yes, I’m really happy right now because at least I won’t be waking up with fifteen long paragraphs of texts from you, telling me how to manage your son.”

“Good luck finding another man that’s as handsome and rich as me July.”

“And good luck finding another babysitter that’s as beautiful and flawless as me. And oh! Let’s see how long she would last before your mom decides to claim ownership again.”

“Ignore her, honey; every divorced woman is bitter, especially one that’s been divorced multiple times and doesn’t even have any child from the three men she’d been married to. Hmmm!”

“It took you four whole years after marriage to pop one out, and you’ve had thirty years after him to pop another; yet you couldn’t. If giving birth was so easy, why would you have only one child?”

“Trust me when I tell you, a chicken that has laid an egg is better than a chicken that can’t lay eggs.”

“If you didn’t stay stationed right outside your son’s bedroom, who knows I might be holding something other than this stupid divorce papers right now. You know what, Sophia? You can go fuck your son, because I’m pretty sure that’s what you’ve always wanted. That might probably be the reason why your husband has been lying on the hospital bed for a year now too.”

“You’ve gone too far July.”

“Oh, please shut up Ethan. Did mama ask you to speak? Want her to spank you for speaking out of turn?”

At this point, I was already shaking inside, but I know my outburst would make them really proud of themselves, and I wasn’t going to give them that satisfaction.

My words seems to trigger him because he now stood in front of me, grabbing me by my collar.

“I won’t tolerate anymore nonsense from you, July. So, watch your words and apologize to my mother immediately for those stupid words.”

“I think you’re mistaken, Ethan. Your mom provoked me first, and she should be the one apologizing, especially for calling me a chicken that can’t lay eggs.”

“She wasn’t wrong; you didn’t lay any for me, neither did you lay for your previous husbands. Now point out where her statement was wrong.”

“Then there’s also nothing wrong with me saying you’re fucking your mother.”

“You know that’s not true.”

“But do you have evidence that it’s not? If you keep provoking me here with your owner, I’ll be forced to tip off one news station with this information. Imagine what the headline would be by tomorrow.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Slander me here one more time and see if I wouldn’t.”

“It’s not slander, July; it’s your reality,” his mom chirped in, swiping his hands off my collar before adding “people are beginning to stare.”

My eyes roamed around, and truthfully, a small crowd was beginning to gather.

“Good, I love this attention. Now, how about I use this opportunity to inform every interested ear that in our one year of marriage, we only had sex twice; and that the second time was simply because your mom asked you to, so she could rate my bedroom skills.” I said to Ethan, completely ignoring the existence of his mother.

He leaned in closer to my ear, giving it a light bite while holding me steady as I tried to pull away, before whispering.

“Since you remember the details correctly, how about refreshing mine tonight? My mom’s going for a party tonight, so how about we meet at Bluey hotels, and you can make me remember everything I’ve forgotten.”

I shoved him away from me roughly before he had the chance to bite my ear for the third time. A Rolls Royce pulled up in front of the courthouse, and my eyes lit up the moment the backseat window rolled down.

“Over my dead body. Now if you’d excuse me, my ride is here and I got to leave.”

He grabbed my hands before I even took three steps away from him. “Now I know where your arrogance is coming from. So, you’ve already found a wild man outside as your next target, right?”

“Oh! What were you expecting? That I’d go home and cry over a man that his ego is bigger than his dick? Let go!”

I pulled my hand away from his forcefully.

He tried to hold me again as I staggered a bit, but his mom held him back, making me roll my eyes before walking away.

I gave the driver a side eyes as he opened the door for me and almost laughed the moment I sat down, but held back my laughter because I know Ethan and his owner were probably still staring.

“They’re still watching, so let’s give them more drama.” I told the person sitting beside me as I grabbed his shirt collar with one hand, pulling him close. He bent his head and covered my face entirely as we pretended to kiss, then with my free hand I rolled up the window.

We pulled away from each other the moment we were sure they could no longer see us. Heaving a deep sigh of relief, I rested my head on the seats before turning my eyes to the person beside me.

Raising one eyebrow up perfectly, I asked the one question that’s been on my mind since this vehicle pulled up.

“Where the hell did you get a Rolls Royce?”