Chapter 11

The news of Chris and Jessica's divorce had not been made public yet. He didn’t want to cause any disruption, so he didn't change the way he addressed Linda.

Linda had been feeling a little down, sitting quietly in her room with a somber expression. But when she saw Chris enter, her spirits lifted. She waved her hand, and Chris walked over to her.

Chris tried to cheer up Linda, taking out the carefully prepared gift.

"I know you like this painting, so I had someone bring it back from abroad for you. Happy birthday."

Linda had enjoyed collecting paintings in her earlier years, mostly works by renowned artists. However, this year, she had started to appreciate the works of newer artists. While the paintings of new artists were still expensive, they were at least affordable for Chris.

"Good, good. You being here makes me happy, that's enough for me," said Linda.

She looked Chris over, then glanced toward the door. After confirming no one else was coming in, she asked, "You and Jessica..."

The Divorce Reconciliation Period for their divorce had already passed, but with Jessica being abroad recently, she wondered if they hadn’t divorced yet.

Linda genuinely liked Chris from the bottom of her heart.

Faced with her expectant gaze, Chris couldn’t bring himself to lie. "We’ve already received the divorce certificates."

"But Jessica has been abroad recently. How did you two..."

Before she could finish, Linda immediately realized what had happened, her eyes turned red. "You’ve been wronged, child."

Chris gently patted Linda’s hand, "Mom, I haven’t been wronged. I’m about to start a new life. To me, it’s like a rebirth. I’ve been married to Jessica for many years, and I don’t feel wronged at all. I really liked her."

Spending time with someone you love, even if the outcome wasn’t great, was still a beautiful thing.

Though they didn’t end up still being together.

"Jessica..." Linda sighed. "Michael is here too. Have you met him?"

"I met him before, at home and also at the hospital where I interned. His child is ill."

After saying a few more words, Linda took out a check from a nearby drawer and quietly handed it to Chris. "This is my token of appreciation. I know you want to study abroad, and wherever you go, you’ll need a place to stay."

"You don’t need to do this, Mom." Chris pushed the check back and took out a few cards, placing them in front of Linda. "These are the cards Jessica gave me over the years. I haven’t used them at all. We were married and in an equal relationship. The cards are here. Please give them back to her."

"You..." muttered Linda.

At that moment, Jessica came out of the room next door. Her carefully applied makeup couldn’t hide the exhaustion on her face.

As the CEO of Wilder Group, she was undoubtedly competent.

She had to handle company files even on her mother’s birthday.

She knocked on the door and was surprised to see Chris sitting beside her mother, holding hands. They appeared to be getting along well.

Jessica walked over to Chris’s side and placed a hand on the back of his neck.

"You’re late." Jessica’s voice was calm but tinged with irritation.

They hadn’t been in touch for a while. She had thought that after getting off the plane and coming home, she would find Chris there. But when she opened the door, she found it still empty, with only Jordan’s toys on the coffee table.

If Chris had been home, he would never have allowed the house to be so messy.

"I had to perform a surgery." Chris subtly avoided Jessica’s hand. They were divorced now, and even if they were putting on an act in front of others, it wouldn’t be appropriate to be too close.

"Then go downstairs." Jessica walked to the other side of her mother, holding her hand. "It’s almost time."

The two of them stood on either side of Linda, who had a mixture of emotions in her heart.