Chapter 230: Love and Indifference, Just a Moment Apart
The door slammed shut in William's face.
Yet in that instant, William came to a crystal-clear realization.
The root cause of their marital breakdown was Laura.
He had to sever all ties with Laura completely before he'd have any chance of proving himself to Isabella.
With this thought, William drove straight home. The moment he pushed open the villa's front door, he was hit by the heavy aroma of dinner.
Laura sat at the dining table, propping her head up with one hand. Hearing the door, she jumped to her feet excitedly. "You're finally back! I've been waiting forever!"
She stood up too quickly—her foot went numb and she nearly stumbled.
The table was laden with seven or eight dishes—entrees, sides, soup—quite a spread, though it looked like it had been sitting out for ages.
"You didn't come home, so I figured you must be swamped at work. I didn't dare have anyone call to check on you. I made all of this myself. I've been waiting for you to come home so we could eat together."
Laura efficiently arranged the place settings. "Nathan couldn't wait any longer, so he already ate. I put him to bed in the kids' room. It's just the two of us now."
She'd even opened a bottle of red wine, pouring a glass for each of them.
"Is today some special occasion?" William's expression remained neutral, his voice devoid of emotion.
Laura shook her head. "No, but I believe every single day of life deserves to be treated as special! Here, try my signature dish—Sticky BBQ Ribs. My mom taught me how to make them herself. They're legendary at family dinners back home!"
She placed a glistening, sweet-glazed rib on the plate in front of him.
But all William could think of was Richard's pointed remark: Olivia was the one who loved sweet-and-sour flavors.
He'd been married to Isabella for six years, and even he found it pathetic.
In all those years, the number of times they'd actually sat down to eat together could be counted on two hands—and most of those were obligatory family gatherings or formal dinners.
Isabella had virtually no presence in his world.
Just as Isabella herself had said: she'd given up everything to join the Montagu family, and William hadn't even bothered to learn her preferences. Yet he'd had the audacity to accuse her of asking for too much.
The one who'd demanded too much was him.
A flash of anguish cut through his chest. William quickly collected himself.
"We should end this."
When he spoke those words, William felt no turbulence whatsoever. He looked at Laura steadily.
Why had they gotten together in the first place?
Because Laura was like a glass of water—clear, simple, totally transparent. He didn't have to waste energy trying to decipher her. Every thought she had was written all over her face.
Compared to Isabella, who was meticulous in every detail and pursued perfection in everything, Laura was... boring.
At first, William hadn't even thought Laura was suitable to work as his assistant.
But her professional competence was impeccable, and she had a knack for managing the wild child that was Nathan.
To outsiders, Laura naturally appeared to be William's wife.
Over time, even William had convinced himself that he needed someone like this by his side—someone to deflect unwanted complications.
Being with Laura had been a matter of convenience—a stubborn insistence on controlling something in his life when everything else had been dictated by family obligations.
He'd indulged her, spoiled her, given her whatever she wanted—all just to carve out some small corner where he could make his own choices, free from his family's arrangements.
"Why?" Laura finally processed his words, her eyes brimming with tears.
"I don't love you. And I shouldn't keep wasting your time." William's tone remained eerily calm.
Love or indifference—it all came down to a single moment.
Piercing through the veil of his own self-deception, William finally saw his feelings for Laura clearly.
It wasn't love. It had never been love. It was a whim. A distraction.
It was all his fault.
"You told me you loved me! You said I was different from all the other women! Why won't you admit that was love?" Laura's tears streamed down her face.
William remained unmoved. "I can compensate you financially. Ten million dollars, plus a condo in downtown Seaside City. You can take the money and go back home to start a small business, or just enjoy life—whatever you want. You can stay in Seaside City and work if you prefer, but not at Summit Holdings Corporation."
Laura had dated someone seriously in college.
It had been an intense campus romance that ended because they had fundamentally different values.
He'd wanted to return to his hometown. Laura had wanted to climb the social ladder, to live a better life.
He'd been the one to break up with her. His parting gift had been a hand-knitted scarf.
Compared to that, William's severance package was astronomically generous.
Compared to what Laura actually wanted, it was insultingly inadequate.
"I don't want your money! I want you! If your family disapproves, then walk away from everything and be with me! All I want is to be with you!"
Laura lost control, throwing her arms around William.
"You promised we'd go to that island resort together! That we'd see penguins in Antarctica! You liar! How can you break your promises to me?"
Even in her distress, Laura carefully calibrated her anger.
She knew women could be a little demanding, throw occasional tantrums—but they couldn't let their partner think they were truly angry.
Right now, if William would just soften his voice and comfort her, Laura would gladly take that olive branch and back down.
Instead, William forcefully pushed her away.
"I'll give you some time to move out. But not much. The terms I offered won't change."
With that, William headed upstairs without a backward glance.
All of Laura's carefully laid plans had crumbled to dust. In the end, William had abandoned her without hesitation.
She had only one option left.
Laura slowly lifted her head, her eyes hardening with cold determination.
Things had come to this. She knew she had to take one final gamble.
This was her last chance.
The next morning, Laura selected a pure white dress and applied subtle, natural makeup.
Looking at her innocent reflection in the mirror, Laura silently psyched herself up.
If she could seize this opportunity, she could win William back and claim everything that should have been hers.
She got into a taxi and rattled off an address without hesitation.
Standing before the imposing gates of the grand estate, Laura tilted her head back, making no attempt to hide her ambition.
She would have everything she'd ever dreamed of.
She pressed the doorbell gently, her expression carefully composed.
"Can I help you?" The housekeeper eyed the stranger at the gate warily.
"Hello, I'm Laura—William's girlfriend." Even addressing household staff, Laura maintained her gracious demeanor.
The housekeeper disappeared for a few minutes.
Soon, the gate swung open. She stood in the doorway. "Come in."