Semua Bab The Unwanted Wife: Bab 201 - Bab 210

It stretched between us. Caroline stirred her tea, watching the ripples in her cup rather than meeting my eyes. The breeze shifted, carrying the faint scent of roses.“A lot has changed,” she finally said, her voice low. “Things happened. Mistakes were made.”She smiled faintly, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Regret clung to her words. It was strange. This was the first real conversation we’d had in years, yet somehow, it didn’t feel as awkward as I had imagined. Still, I wasn’t here to reminisce or reopen old wounds.“You said you wanted to talk,” I reminded her, setting my cup down.Caroline turned slightly toward me, her face unreadable. “I wanted to know… what exactly do you need to speak with Regan about?”There was no hesitation in me.“The divorce,” I said flatly. “I want the papers signed. No more delays.”She didn’t flinch. No widening of the eyes. No sharp inhale. Just a single nod. Like she already knew.That made me pause. “You’re not surprised.”Caroline glanced away

I took a deep breath, looked at the stairs, then back at the boy. I stood frozen, torn between logic and instinct. No matter what had happened between me and Regan, no child deserved to be caught in the middle of it. Not even his.My fingers trembled slightly as I took one step forward. Then another. The voices were still raised. The argument wasn’t ending anytime soon.When the boy noticed me, he startled—and bolted down the hallway.“Wait,” I called softly, but he didn’t look back.I didn’t hesitate this time and followed him.The boy turned the corner, running down another hall, leading me past a small sunroom and into the deeper part of the house. He stopped in front of a door and slipped inside, closing it quickly behind him. I paused outside the door, heart still steady, but nerves creeping in. I shouldn’t be doing this. But I couldn’t ignore it.I raised my hand and gently knocked.“Um…” I said calmly. “Can I come in?”There was a pause. Then, the soft sound of the lock clickin

The moment the office door clicked shut behind us, I spun around, my heels biting softly into the carpet. There’s no reason to delay this anymore.“I’m not here to play games, Regan,” I snapped, the heat rising in my throat before I could hold it back. “Sign the divorce papers.”He didn’t flinch. He didn’t move. He just stood there—hands at his sides, posture maddeningly calm—his eyes locked on mine like he had been waiting for this exact moment.“No,” he said.The word hit like a wall. My fingers curled into fists at my sides. “I’m not asking.”“I know,” he replied.That was it. No explanation. Just two words that made my blood boil.“Then why won’t you just sign them?” I demanded. My voice cracked slightly, not from weakness—but from frustration. From the rage that had been sitting in my chest for years. “You had seven years. Seven years. You don’t get to do this now. You don’t get to suddenly act like any of these matters

His jaw flexed slightly, but he didn’t flinch. “Because I want to know if you really don’t feel anything anymore.”That shut me up. For a moment, I just stared at him. Blinked. He wasn’t joking. His eyes were calm.I let out a laugh — sharp, disbelieving, borderline bitter. “Are you insane?”“I want to see for myself. That’s all,” Regan said quietly. “If after three months, you still want the divorce… I’ll sign. I’ll let you go.”I stared at him. It was the way he said it. Not demanding. Not pleading. Just… calm. Too calm. And that was the problem.“No,” I said instantly, my voice like ice. “No. You don’t get to manipulate this.”His brows drew slightly together. “I’m not.”“Yes, you are.” My heart thundered against my ribs, my hands shaking at my sides. “You think I still want you? That I want to stay here and play house with someone who ruined me?!”His mouth parted, but I didn’t let him speak. I wasn’t done.“You left

“You should’ve told us earlier,” Christopher said firmly. “We could’ve gone with you.”“That’s exactly why I didn’t,” I said evenly, meeting his eyes. “I don’t need an entourage following me into that conversation.”“What conversation?” Gerard asked.I exhaled slowly. “I’m here to finalize the divorce.”The air seemed to shift for a second, but instead of going quiet in disapproval, my brothers exchanged quick looks and then broke into grins. But Marianne, who had been refilling her wine glass, set the bottle down quietly and said nothing.“Finally,” Christopher said, raising his glass slightly.Gerard laughed under his breath. “About damn time. Let’s toast to that.”Even my father nodded, his expression firm but approving. “Good. That chapter’s gone on long enough.”It wasn’t exactly the reaction I expected, but the chorus of support warmed something in my chest. They didn’t need to ask if I was sure — they already knew.