Chapter 204
I said separation, not divorce.
For a child, that word carries too much weight and is too vague.
But separation—she might be able to understand that a little better.
Milly froze, her big eyes staring at me without blinking. The clear disappointment in them was instantly replaced by an even greater confusion and helplessness.
Her little hand instinctively pulled away from my palm and gripped the edge of the blanket tightly. She lowered her head and stopped looking at me.
Her small shoulders seemed to slump slightly.
I didn't say anything more right away, nor did I force her to look up.
I knew this news would take time for her to process.
No matter how absent George was as a father, in Milly's heart, the role of "dad" still carried an irreplaceable weight.
Hearing suddenly that her parents were separating, there was no way she could remain unmoved.
The hospital room fell quiet, with only the regular sounds of the machines.
I looked at her bowed little head, feeling like a huge stone was pressing on my chest, making it hard to breathe.
Just then, my phone rang again.
The name flashing on the screen was Steven.
I frowned.
After yesterday's ugly scene at the hospital entrance, what could he possibly want?
I didn't want to answer.
But as my finger hovered over the screen, I suddenly remembered what George had said in the hallway yesterday.
Could this call be about that?
It concerned Milly's custody and our future security as mother and daughter—I had to take it seriously.
After a few seconds of hesitation, I pressed the answer button.
"Mrs. Smith," Steven's voice seemed to carry a hint of unusual respect.
I responded with a cold tone.
"Mr. Smith would like to invite you to lunch. I'll send you the location shortly," Steven paused, lowering his voice slightly. "It's mainly to discuss the divorce."
The word "divorce" coming from Steven's mouth seemed to surprise even him. His tone lifted slightly at the end, carrying a hint of disbelief.
I pulled at the corner of my mouth.
Of course he'd be surprised.
In the eyes of everyone in the Smith family, and probably everyone in their entire circle, I was a woman who married into the Smith family and would only revolve around George—gentle-natured, even somewhat timid. Being able to sit firmly in the position of George's wife was already an incredible blessing.
George didn't take me seriously, but he'd never said he wanted to abandon me either.
Now George was actually initiating a divorce?
And apparently, for another woman?
To Steven, and probably many others, this was shocking enough to make them think George had lost his mind, or that I had committed some unforgivable mistake.
"Fine." I didn't ask questions, simply agreed, and hung up.
Soon after, the address came through—a restaurant in the city center, quiet and elegant but expensive.
Looking at that address, I sneered inwardly.
George chose this kind of place to discuss divorce.
Did he think it was classier, or did he want to make this final negotiation seem less awkward?
I couldn't leave Milly alone to meet George.
Fortunately, William and Emily soon arrived with bags full of things.
They'd bought not only new toys and picture books for Milly, but also brought hot soup and snacks.
"Grace, go take care of your business. We'll look after Milly." William looked at Milly in the hospital bed with gentle eyes.
Emily pulled me aside, her face full of concern, "Are you really going alone? That George is probably scheming something! Why don't I come with you? I'll back you up!"
I shook my head, "No need, I can handle it myself. It's just that with Milly..."
"Why are you being so formal with me?" Emily patted her chest in assurance. "I'm here, I guarantee I'll take perfect care of Milly. William's here too—we'll take turns staying with her. Don't worry."
William nodded too. "You go ahead. We've got this."
Looking at their sincere faces, my heart filled with gratitude.
Having friends like this by my side during the hardest times was my good fortune.
Emily walked me out of the hospital room. When we reached the elevator, she still wasn't at ease and pulled me aside to whisper, "Grace, it's still early. Don't you think you should go see Mr. Lucas first? Tell him the situation, get some clarity, have a better idea of things before facing that bastard George? Otherwise, he might suddenly pull out some clause to make things difficult for you!"
Emily's words woke me up.
Right—although George had backed down yesterday, who knew if he'd change his mind today or come up with some harsh conditions?
I really did need professional guidance.
"You're right, Emily. I'll go to the law office right now." I squeezed her hand gratefully.
Leaving the hospital, I drove straight to Mr. Lucas's office.
When Mr. Lucas heard that George had initiated the divorce, he was initially surprised, then his face showed a relieved smile. "Ms. Brown, this is good news. You can finally escape this unhappy marriage."
But he quickly became serious again, reminding me, "However, are you certain you only want custody of your daughter and are giving up all other property division claims? This point needs to be very clear in subsequent negotiations and possible legal proceedings, and you need to be mentally prepared."
He paused, his tone grave, "Mr. Smith's financial resources and social status far exceed yours. That's an objective fact."
"In custody cases, economic conditions are indeed one of the important factors the court will consider. Of course, it's not the deciding factor. The child's age, wishes, long-term living environment, both parents' ability and willingness to provide care—all of these are comprehensively evaluated."
He looked into my eyes and said seriously, "If Mr. Smith insists on fighting for custody, we'll face significant challenges."
"But you don't need to be overly pessimistic. Milly is already over five years old, and the court will appropriately consider the child's own wishes."
"Moreover, as a mother who has independently raised and cared for Milly for years, with stable work and income, able to provide a good environment for her growth—these are all your advantages."
Mr. Lucas finally said solemnly, "Ms. Brown, please rest assured that if it really comes to that—if we need to go to court—I will do everything in my power to fight for the best outcome for you and Milly."
"Your task now is to adjust your mindset and collect evidence favorable to you, including proof of independently raising Milly, proof of stable work and income, proof of good living conditions, and so on."
“Thank you, Mr. Lucas,” I thanked him sincerely, hoping that my tone conveyed just how much his words meant to me in that moment.
Leaving the law office, I felt much more at ease and more confident.
Actually, before coming, I'd already made up my mind.
No matter what tactics George used, no matter what price I had to pay, even if it meant mutual destruction, I would firmly hold onto Milly's custody.
In this life, since I was reborn, my greatest mission was to protect Milly.
She was my life, my everything.
Following the address Steven sent, I arrived at the restaurant on time.
The environment was indeed very nice—elegant and quiet, with a faint coffee aroma and soothing piano music in the air.
As soon as I walked in, I spotted George almost immediately.
He sat by the window, his posture straight, wearing a well-tailored dark suit, his profile sharp and cold.
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows onto him, but brought no warmth. Instead, it made him look even more like a statue without temperature.
His excessively handsome face and the cold, unapproachable aura around him attracted many discreet glances from surrounding customers.
Especially women, who stole glances at him with amazement or curiosity.
George seemed completely indifferent, just quietly looking out the window, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table.
I frowned.
Why didn't he choose a more private room to discuss divorce?
Why sit in this open dining hall instead?
Did he think there was nothing shameful about this, or did he want to use this method to invisibly pressure me, making me more likely to compromise under everyone's gaze?
I suppressed my disgust and doubt and walked toward George.