Chapter 53 This Divorce is Easy—I'll Help You!
Let's see if Arabella's lover still dared to stay with her then!
However, such vengeful thoughts only flashed through Gabriel's mind briefly. He hadn't lost control to the point of being that vindictive—destroying what he couldn't have.
Fortunately, Arabella had never been valued by the Sterling family. In two years of marriage, she'd rarely attended formal events, so few people in their social circles knew her face. This made her outing relatively smooth.
At the agreed-upon private dining room, Sophia's family of three was already waiting.
"Sweetheart, say hello to Aunt Arabella," Sophia coaxed with a smile. Two-year-old Lily was very well-mannered, sweetly calling out "Aunt Arabella" in an absolutely adorable way.
While Sophia ordered, Zachary looked directly at Arabella, cutting straight to the point, "Sophia mentioned you want a divorce. Are you certain? We're talking about the Sterling family here—you're married to Gabriel, and everyone says he's set to inherit control of the Sterling empire. That's unimaginable wealth."
Seeing the admiration and envy written all over his face, Arabella smiled lightly, "I've made up my mind. You don't need to try convincing me otherwise. Sophia said you handle divorce consultations, too. I'd like to know what the litigation process looks like."
Though Zachary still felt it was a waste, seeing her resolve, he stopped trying to persuade her and outlined the basic divorce litigation procedures.
"The process itself is straightforward. The complicated part is the property division between you two. Given the Sterling family's vast holdings, asset division won't be simple." Zachary frowned, indicating this would be challenging.
Privately, he felt conflicted. From his wife's perspective, he should do everything possible to secure the best outcome for Arabella.
But considering his career prospects, he had no desire to antagonize the Sterling family or Gabriel.
More than avoiding offense, he wanted to use this opportunity to network with Gabriel and potentially collaborate in the future.
That's why he'd told Sophia he was skilled in divorce consultation too.
His real motive was getting close to Gabriel.
Seeing his misunderstanding, Arabella quickly clarified, "No property division needed. I don't want anything—not assets, not custody of the children. I just want the divorce."
"What?" Zachary stared at her in disbelief. "Why put yourself through this? No matter how stingy the Sterling family might be, they'd give you something for their reputation."
"I don't need it. Those things never belonged to me anyway. Taking them would just make me uncomfortable."
Zachary glanced at Sophia with an expression that clearly questioned Arabella's sanity.
Arabella knew her stance seemed foolish to most people, but this was genuinely how she felt.
Since Robert's death, William had already done more than enough for her.
Now that William was gone, the rest of the Sterling family had no obligation to provide for her.
She was a college graduate—finding work to support herself wouldn't be impossible.
She just wanted to live freely, with dignity and a clear conscience.
Halfway through dinner, Zachary's phone rang. After checking the caller ID, he stood up, "Client call. I'll take this outside."
With only the two women and the child remaining in the private room, it was perfect for a more intimate conversation.
Sophia felt genuinely sorry for her, "By all accounts, a husband like that should be incredibly lucky for you, yet you're voluntarily throwing it away. I don't know what to say."
Arabella smiled it off, "Even if I don't file for divorce now, he probably will in a few years anyway. When you're from completely different worlds, how could it possibly last?"
Sophia knew she was stating facts, but still sighed, "Even so, you could wait for him to file. At least you'd enjoy the luxury for a few more years."
"You think luxury is that easy to enjoy? Every time I face his parents, his relatives, every time I return to Sterling Manor, I feel like I'm sitting on pins and needles."
"That's true—the arrogance of wealthy people is beyond what ordinary folks like us can imagine." Sophia sighed repeatedly, then offered comfort, "Fine then. After watching all that messy scandal coverage online these past few days, my rose-colored glasses about the wealthy have shattered, too. As long as you think you'll be happier after the divorce, I support you!"
"Thank you." Not wanting to dwell on her situation, Arabella changed the subject, "Still haven't found work?"
Sophia pouted, glancing at little Lily beside her, her expression drooping, "I had several interviews lined up, but a few days ago, I had some conflict with Zachary's mother. She got angry and said she won't help with childcare anymore. Zachary's firm is doing well, and his income is decent now. He probably wants me to be a stay-at-home mom and focus on Lily. He's talking about sending his mother back to her hometown."
Arabella was shocked, "You agreed?"
"Still considering it..."
"I wouldn't recommend it. Being a stay-at-home mom is too risky. You're so capable—it would be such a waste to leave your career."
"Yeah, I've thought about all that too. I've been stressed about it for days."
Once you became a stay-at-home mom, your world would shrink to just children and husband. Over time, it would affect your mindset, and your husband might even start to resent you.
There were countless examples of this pattern.
"You should really think carefully. Even hiring a nanny to watch Lily while you work would be better." Arabella sincerely hoped Sophia wouldn't give up her career and her chance to contribute meaningfully to society.
Having spent these past two years homebound herself, she knew exactly what that kind of narrow, socially isolated life felt like.
Now she was desperately trying to break free from her cage and fly toward freedom, while Sophia was considering the exact opposite—abandoning freedom to return to a cage.
After finishing their meal, they'd covered the main business.
Zachary agreed to take the case, promising confidently, "Don't worry. Since you're not asking for anything, this case won't be difficult. I'll handle the negotiations for you."
He was already fantasizing about connecting with Gabriel and reaching new career heights.
Arabella nodded, "Alright. I'll contact you when I'm ready."
"Sounds good."
When they reached the restaurant entrance, they discovered it was raining outside.
Sophia frowned, "What will you do? Should you call your driver?"
"No need. With this rain causing traffic, the subway would be faster." Since she was heading toward divorce anyway, Arabella felt awkward about using the family driver.
Looking at the heavy downpour, Zachary said, "It's really coming down. You'll get soaked just getting to the subway station. How about this—we don't have plans this afternoon anyway. We'll give you a ride home."
Arabella was about to decline when Sophia grabbed her hand, "Yes, yes, let us drive you home. Save yourself the hassle."
Zachary's car was a BMW X3. Since they'd brought Lily today, the back seat had a car seat installed, leaving room for only one adult.
"Arabella, you take the passenger seat. I need to sit in back with Lily—she's getting sleepy and fussy, and I'm the only one who can calm her down." Normally Sophia would sit in front, but with Lily crying in the back and only responding to her mother's comfort, she had Arabella take the front seat instead.
During the drive, Zachary continued discussing the complexities of high-society divorce cases, advising her not to go head-to-head with Gabriel since provoking him would only hurt her position.
Arabella completely agreed with this point.
For the sake of future visitation rights with the children, she certainly couldn't afford to completely burn bridges. She hoped for an amicable separation.