Chapter 2

Isabel's POV

The next day, I headed to Chapman Manor. I laid the eight divorce certificates before Elaine. "Mom, Mason and I are divorced again."

She looked at me with undisguised pity and sighed deeply. "He definitely wronged you. You guys were so happy back then. But I promise you it'll be different this time. I've reached out to a couple of doctors, and they all agree the chances of recovery are high."

Elaine slid the name card across the coffee table toward me, her eyes glistening with anticipation. "I'm getting old. All I want is for you two to support each other. He's been recalling some old memories lately—"

I cut her off before she could continue persuading me. "But not any of the memories he shared with me."

I lowered my head and dodged her pitying gaze.

Silence fell in the room for a few seconds before she piped up, "If you leave, and he regains his memories, he might lose his mind as soon as he realizes you aren't around."

That was something Elaine had consistently reminded me of every time Mason and I went through a divorce. Because of those words, I gave in time and again. That was how we ended up remarrying and divorcing eight times.

Before I could respond, I heard a noise at the entryway.

The moment Mason walked in and saw me, his brows furrowed. "Isabel, did you come over here to complain about me to my mom again? Gosh, I drove you out, and you still wouldn't leave me alone.

"Are you seriously so weak that you can't even go on with life without me?"

Elaine's chest heaved violently with anger. She shot to her feet and swung a heavy slap across his face. "Haven't you had enough? How much longer are you going to corner her? Without her, you would've died long ago!"

I sat on the couch, my hands clenched into fists. I couldn't help thinking back to seven years ago.

Mason's marriage to Tiffany had been miserable, to say the least. She basked in all his love while having an affair with another man.

When he found out she had cheated on him, he became the laughingstock among the scions in the city overnight.

When he showed up with his men to confront her, Tiffany had already stolen 1.5 million dollars and disappeared without a trace.

After that, Mason fell into depression. When he was about to jump off a bridge into the river and end his life, I saved him.

"So what? She just wanted money," Mason clapped back, looking stubbornly at Elaine. "I don't care what Tiffany did in the past. I love her, and I could never love anyone else. The last thing I'll do is regret it."

For a moment, all the strength seemed to drain from Elaine's body. She turned to me, her eyes filled with apology.

Mason rubbed his temples before finally lifting his head, as if he were making some kind of compromise. "If you want to remarry me, fine. We'll just get divorced again sooner or later. You'll be the one who gets humiliated, not me.

"You're so desperate to have me, so why don't we go to the city hall right now? This is our eighth divorce, isn't it?"

I smiled bitterly, no longer able to identify the man before me with the Mason I remembered. "I came here today to settle things with your mom. You're free now, Mason."

Mason froze. His hand hanging at his sides trembled before he seemed to realize it. He stared at me in disbelief, then quickly returned to his usual aloofness.

"Are you trying to play hard to get? Too bad, it won't work on me. Well, if you said so yourself. Don't come crawling back to me later."

He practically spat the words through clenched teeth. Ignoring Elaine's attempts to stop him, he threw the things in his hands onto the floor and walked away.

She was so livid she nearly saw stars. "You're going to regret this!"