Chapter 21 Divorce Application Rejected
Three days later, at the Northern District courthouse.
I sat in the car parked outside the courthouse, checking my phone for the third time. "Ten past ten already. Is that bastard planning to stand me up?"
Adrian kept watching the other side of the road. "He's here!"
Lucas finally arrived. I got out of the car, somewhat annoyed. "You're late."
"Sorry." Lucas's tone was cold and hard, his voice unusually hoarse.
I couldn't help but look surprised. Lucas, who was usually as strong as an ox, was actually sick?
Alfred anxiously explained, "Mrs. Valeri, Mr. Valeri didn't mean to be late. Mr. Valeri had stomach spasms and was hospitalized for a day. He had a high fever in the middle of last night. As soon as Mr. Valeri woke up this morning, he rushed over immediately, but there was traffic."
Lucas waved his hand impatiently, and Alfred reluctantly shut his mouth.
I smelled the strong scent of cigarettes coming from Lucas and couldn't help frowning. "You're sick and still smoking this much?"
Something seemed to flash in Lucas's eyes. Noticing my distaste for the smoke smell, he took off his smoke-saturated jacket and tossed it into the car.
"Are you out of your mind from the fever? It's only 44.6 degrees Fahrenheit outside!"
This year had brought an unusually harsh winter, with waves of cold fronts sweeping down from the north. I was already wearing thick fur, while Lucas stood in the cold wind in just a thin shirt, like an idiot.
"Don't you hate the smell of smoke?" Lucas asked in a muffled voice.
"Since when do you care about my feelings?" I shot back sarcastically. "Put on your jacket and stay away from me!"
Lucas faced the cold wind almost masochistically, pretending not to be cold at all. "Let's go inside."
I really wanted to crack open Lucas's head and take a look. Ever since we decided to divorce, he seemed to have gone crazy.
I looked at Alfred. "Where are the spare clothes in the car?"
I used to keep one or two sets of clean clothes in the car for Lucas, changing them every two days, whether they were worn or not.
Alfred went to check the car and soon came back empty-handed, saying awkwardly, "The ones you prepared before have been used up. We didn't think to replace them."
I narrowed my eyes. "What about the spare clothes in the security car?"
Alfred looked somewhat confused. "There are clothes in the security car, too?"
Lucas usually traveled with his own car and a security car. I kept spare clothes and first aid kits in both vehicles.
A casual outfit was quickly found, neatly folded clothes in a thick waterproof plastic bag, still giving off the faint fragrance of laundry detergent and the smell of sun-dried fabric.
Lucas held the clothes, looking somewhat dazed.
Adrian couldn't help but urge him, "Mr. Valeri, please hurry up. Ms. Sorelli is still standing in the cold wind with you!"
"Who wants to stand in the cold wind with him?" I retorted irritably and walked quickly toward the courthouse entrance.
Lucas hurriedly put on the jacket and caught up with me. I walked into the courthouse lobby, not knowing where to go next. Just as I was about to ask someone, Lucas grabbed my hand. "Divorce proceedings are on the second floor, this way."
He was probably still running a fever; his palm was warmer than normal. It took me several seconds to snap out of it and shake off his hand. "You seem to know your way around."
Lucas looked at his empty hand, his thumb and index finger rubbing together slightly, as if savoring something.
Two judges personally received us, saying politely yet warmly, "You both should know that after submitting a divorce application, you have one month to sort through and examine your feelings for each other. During this time, if you change your mind, you can withdraw the divorce application at any time. If you still intend to divorce, you'll need to undergo an emotional assessment survey."
Lucas and I each received a tablet. The first two pages of the questionnaire were about the personal circumstances of both parties seeking divorce, followed by forty questions about details of daily life in the marriage, and finally forty more questions involving views on love, life philosophy, and money.
The hundred questions made me somewhat impatient.
Half an hour later, Lucas and I submitted our answers at about the same time. The screen showed "Analyzing," and after waiting about two minutes, the results came out.
The judge said, "You two have very good feelings for each other. Are you sure you want to divorce? Your assessment score is as high as 95 points. Generally, couples seeking divorce score between 40 and 50 points. If the score is above 70, we cannot approve the divorce application."
I asked with a stern face, "Cannot approve? What does that mean?"
The other judge wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, carefully observing mine and Lucas's expressions. "It means your divorce application has been rejected."
He said to me, "I'm very sorry, Ms. Sorelli." Then hesitantly said to Lucas, "Congratulations?"
I heard a camera shutter sound beside me. I whipped my head around to see Lucas holding up his phone, taking a photo of the assessment score. His face, which had been pale just moments ago, now looked much more flushed.
"You can't get divorced, and you're happy about it?" I asked through gritted teeth, my voice icy.
"No, I'm very disappointed." Lucas made a loose fist with his right hand, covering his mouth, hiding his slightly upturned lips.
I slammed the tablet down on the table. "This result is inaccurate! I want a divorce!"
Lucas's posture was very relaxed, his right leg crossed over his left, lazily agreeing with me. "I also think it's inaccurate."
When I searched online for the divorce process, I saw many people mention this step. Most said you could just fill out the questionnaire casually, and the assessment results only provided a reference for the judge.
I clearly filled it out randomly, so why was the score so high?
"I demand a retest!" I insisted strongly.
"Generally speaking, repeated tests in a short period of time won't differ much. You two can submit another divorce application and come back for testing in a month," the two judges said.
"No, retest now." I disagreed, insisting on an immediate retest.
Lucas was silent for a moment. "Then let's retest."
This time, I was very serious, carefully considering each question. It took me nearly an hour to complete the questionnaire. Lucas still submitted his answers at about the same time as I.
The results came out: 98 points, with a bunch of pink hearts flashing around the score.
Lucas took three photos in a row.
If I were a teapot, I'd probably be steaming with anger.
"Are you proud of yourself?" I asked.
Lucas raised an eyebrow at me. "Bella, I didn't expect you to love me this much."
He had returned to his past attitude toward me—knowing my feelings, controlling my emotions, giving responses like charity, like a proud victor.
I looked at the judge expressionlessly. "How can human emotions be assessed by a machine?"
The two judges spread their hands. "We're very sorry, Ms. Sorelli, but that's what the procedure requires."
"It's just another month anyway," Lucas said indifferently.
I gave him a cold smile. "Of course I can wait a month! But can you and Amelia wait?"
The smile on Lucas's lips instantly disappeared.
I resubmitted the application, grabbed my bag, and walked out.
Outside the courthouse, flashlights formed a sea of light. Somehow, many reporters had arrived.
"Ms. Sorelli, did you and Mr. Valeri get divorced?"
"Ten minutes ago, Grace publicly issued a statement claiming that Mr. Valeri and Amelia were former lovers, and that you were the third party who came between them. Is this true?"
"May I ask—"
Adrian and Cole loudly ordered the reporters to back off, but they swarmed like hyenas.
I stumbled back, about to fall. The feeling of weightlessness made my heart race. Suddenly, a pair of strong arms caught me.
The man's embrace carried a familiar, reassuring scent.
I looked up and saw Lucas's deep eyes.