Chapter 6

Seraphine could tell from the anger in Clifford's eyes and the way he frowned that his stomach was acting up again. He was always bad-tempered when it happened.

She couldn't help looking down on herself. Why did she still care about his body after everything that had happened?

Still, she smiled faintly. The moment she did, it felt like the flowers everywhere had bloomed all at once. Clifford stared at her, suddenly thinking she'd become prettier after leavi

Seraphine said, "This is a restaurant, Clifford. Don't go crazy here. I've told you before you're not that important. I can live perfectly fine without you, and I won't cling to you.ng him.

"I was only like that before because I still loved you. Now that I've seen sense, I won't disturb your life anymore. You still need to make time to finalize the divorce with me, though."

Clifford's gaze flickered. "Why are you here, then?"

She looked at him like he was an idiot. The ice in her gaze stunned Clifford. He'd never seen her so hostile to him before. His stomach already hurt, and he flinched involuntarily.

Seraphine said, "Open your damn eyes and look at where we are, Clifford. This is a restaurant, and I'm here to get breakfast. Lorraine works at the office upstairs. What makes you think I came here to chase after you?"

He frowned and took in her delicate features. She'd become prettier, but her attitude had also changed. He forced a smug smile onto his face as he asked, "Do you think I'll spare you another glance just because you've dressed up for me?"

Seraphine cocked an eyebrow. He was still so full of himself. "I don't need you to look at me. Having your eyes on me makes me sick."

"Why, you—"

Just then, Clarissa, who stood beside Clifford, saw a familiar figure. She cut him off and snapped, "How can you talk to Clifford like that, Seraphine? I know you keep staging these little run-ins because you're upset you can't have him, but matters of the heart can't be forced.

"No matter what you do, Clifford won't get back together with you! You've already taken 200 million dollars from him. What more do you want?"

"What's this 200 million dollars about?" Clifford's sister, Chelsea Johansen, suddenly entered the restaurant and joined them.

Seraphine finally understood why Clarissa had suddenly raised her voice. Clifford's mother, Elaine Smithson, and Chelsea had never liked Seraphine because she'd grown up in a single-parent family.

She and Clifford had knelt before Elaine for a whole hour before the latter had begrudgingly agreed to let them marry. Only then had they registered their marriage.

"What's going on here, Clary?" Chelsea asked angrily.

Seraphine's heart ached when she heard how affectionately Chelsea addressed Clarissa. It suddenly hit her that Chelsea and Elaine not only knew about Clarissa's existence but also adored her.

Clarissa gave Chelsea an aggrieved look. "Your brother has already given Seraphine 200 million dollars to compensate her for the breakup, but she refuses to leave him alone."

Chelsea barked out an exasperated laugh and looked at Seraphine scornfully. "You're just Clifford's housekeeper, Seraphine! How dare you demand so much money from him!"

"A housekeeper?" Seraphine was stunned by her words. Then, she smiled bitterly at the thought of her being treated as nothing more than a housekeeper despite caring for Clifford with all her heart for the past five years.

She looked at Clifford's pale face. He looked like he would pass out at any moment. She asked, "Do my five years of devotion mean nothing to you, Clifford? Am I really just a housekeeper?"

He glanced at her indifferently. "Thank you for the care you've given me."

In other words, he truly only saw her as a housekeeper.

Seraphine's love for him had long since died, but she still felt like she'd been stabbed in the heart. She said, "If that's the case, you've found a new housekeeper in Clarissa. Let's go to the courthouse now and get divorced."

Clarissa retorted snottily, "I'm not a housekeeper, Seraphine. I'm Clifford's wife. He only brought me here for breakfast because he can't bear to have me do any housework."

Seraphine's heart throbbed painfully again. So, this was the difference between love and indifference. She had been like Clifford's slave for the past five years, but he couldn't even bear to have Clarissa lift a finger.

She looked at Clarissa. "You know very well who the other woman is in this relationship."

Clarissa smiled meaningfully. "Oh, I sure do. But you… Well, you'll find out the truth soon enough."