Chapter 28: Sloane Recognizes the Mistress as Her Mother

After Beatrice's hand healed, she took the initiative to resign from Orion Global Research Institute.

Her decision caught everyone at the institute by surprise.

Caleb called her aside privately: "Beatrice, why would you suddenly want to resign when everything's fine? Is it because we agreed to Mr. Capulet's private settlement before?"

Beatrice shook her head: "Please don't overthink it. I have other matters to attend to."

Since Sean's new project was confidential, Beatrice didn't say much more.

After saying goodbye to Caleb and her former colleagues, Beatrice packed up her things and left Orion Global Research Institute for Sean's new lab.

Right after she left, Arthur came to Orion Global Research Institute.

Last night he'd thought long and hard about it, and felt there really was no need for him and Beatrice to keep dragging things out—it wasn't good for either of them.

After thinking it through, Arthur suppressed his reluctance and came to Orion Global Research Institute to discuss the specifics of the divorce with Beatrice, only to learn from Caleb that Beatrice had resigned.

"Do you know why she suddenly resigned?"

Beatrice had clearly been passionate about this job before, even willing to give up him and Sloane for it.

Caleb shook his head: "I'm not entirely sure of the specific reason. She only said she had some personal matters to handle. Normally, someone like Beatrice who loves chemistry so much shouldn't just suddenly leave Orion Global Research Institute."

This really didn't make sense. Even as an outsider to the chemistry field, Arthur knew the authority of Orion Global Research Institute. The possibility of Beatrice jumping to a better institute was slim.

Plus, considering the "personal matters" Caleb mentioned—could Beatrice be deliberately avoiding him because she didn't actually want to divorce?

As for her sudden resignation from Orion Global Research Institute, was she also indirectly telling him that this so-called career wasn't that important to her after all?

That as long as he was willing to back down, she'd return to the family anytime, just like years ago when she resolutely chose to marry him.

Realizing he might have been fooled by Beatrice, that she couldn't actually bear to leave him and Sloane, Arthur felt both speechless and, at the same time, a trace of joy he himself hadn't even noticed.

After driving back to the office, Arthur decided to contact Beatrice himself to find out what she was really thinking.

If she'd really had enough and decided to return to the family, he could give her another chance.

At this moment, even Arthur himself didn't realize that the resolution he'd made last night because of Jennifer had been so easily shaken.

Just as he was about to dial Beatrice's number, his assistant knocked and came in.

"Mr. Capulet, your mail."

Arthur took it and opened it, and the little bit of joy in his heart instantly vanished.

The mail was from Beatrice—a newly drafted divorce agreement.

The reason for divorce had been changed from his sexual dysfunction to her fault, and in the property division, Beatrice had chosen to leave with nothing.

Only at this moment did Arthur fully realize that Beatrice wasn't joking with him, but had truly made up her mind to divorce him, even willing to give up everything just to get rid of him quickly.

Arthur felt as if a huge stone was pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

After staring at Beatrice's signature for a while, Arthur finally picked up his pen and signed his name on the divorce agreement.

"Mr. Capulet, should I mail this document back for you?"

The assistant hadn't seen the specific contents of the document, but judging from Arthur's expression, it must be something important.

Arthur hesitated, then put the signed agreement back in his drawer: "We'll talk about it later."

Before, when Beatrice knew he liked Jennifer, she still clung to him and refused to divorce. Now that she had a lover, she abandoned the family and rushed him to divorce, treating him like what?

Arthur wouldn't admit that deep down, he didn't want to divorce—he just didn't want to give Beatrice what she wanted so quickly.

Anyway, the divorce agreement was in his hands, so when to divorce was his decision.

After temporarily setting this matter aside, Arthur didn't tell Sloane about it either.

He'd thought that sending Sloane to the estate would make her behave, since in the Capulet family, the only person Sloane feared was Marshall.

What Arthur hadn't expected was that this time even Marshall couldn't control her.

When Sloane saw that Marshall was suddenly going to take care of her personally, she realized Beatrice probably wasn't coming back anytime soon, and Marshall wouldn't let her get close to Jennifer either. She was devastated.

What made it even harder for Sloane to accept was that after she was sent back to the estate, neither Beatrice nor Jennifer contacted her, and Arthur was too busy to see. She went from being a beloved little princess to a pitiful child no one cared about.

On top of that, Marshall's training was very strict. Not only did he force her to study all sorts of things every day, but he also constantly had people teach her proper behavior, saying they needed to correct her temperament from a young age.

Under multiple pressures, Sloane completely broke down.

She started smashing things, hitting the household staff, and even went on a hunger strike.

But Marshall didn't indulge her at all. Although he loved Sloane too, he knew that if she continued to be spoiled, she'd be completely ruined when she grew up.

After Sloane knocked over the meal the housekeeper made yet again, scalding the housekeeper, Marshall hit her for the first time.

Never having suffered such grievance before, Sloane cried uncontrollably. If it had been Beatrice treating her this way, she would have turned the house upside down long ago.

But she was terrified of Marshall and didn't dare act out anymore.

The next day, Sloane's tender palm was so red and swollen she could barely hold a pen. When she got to school, her classmates saw it and couldn't help asking: "Sloane, what happened to your hand?"

Sloane was already upset about this, and when her classmates asked, thinking they were mocking her, she snapped angrily: "What's it to you?"

"We were just asking, why are you being mean?"

Sloane wasn't very popular in class because of her cold personality, but she didn't care.

She had no interest in playing with these low-intelligence kids. Facing her classmates' criticism now, she sneered and said sarcastically: "Since when do the children of people like you get to meddle in my affairs?"

"Sloane, who the hell do you think you're looking down on? Just because your daddy has money doesn't make you royalty."

"What, you got a problem with that? 'Cause I sure as hell am better. Jennifer said it herself—your kind? Nothing but lowlifes. Dumb, dirty, and born to do the jobs we don't want!"

What Jennifer said couldn't be wrong. She wouldn't play with them.

Sloane's words completely enraged the other students in class. Hearing her mention Jennifer, many people suddenly remembered the strange woman who had accompanied Sloane to the sports day.

They'd all seen Beatrice before, and someone couldn't help asking: "Sloane, this Jennifer you're talking about—isn't she your dad's mistress?"

Sloane's face darkened: "You better watch what you're saying!"

"What did we say wrong? Whose family doesn't bring their own mom to sports day? Only you would accept a mistress as your mom."

"With your temper, I'd say your mom just doesn't want you anymore. That hand of yours was probably hit by your stepmother!"

Everyone chimed in, each comment provoking Sloane further.

Unable to take it anymore, Sloane stepped forward and slapped the speaker hard across the face.