Chapter 132: Evidence
At 1 PM, Mia walked into the café right on time. She found Amelia and got straight to the point: "Where's the evidence?"
"What's the rush? Sit down and have some coffee. My treat. Consider it a thank-you gift for keeping James company these four years."
Amelia looked at Mia with a flawless smile on her face, like a victor, but inside she was going crazy with jealousy.
This Mia—what right did she have to replace her and make James fall in love with her?
Mia was speechless.
She was wasting her time.
Mia didn't sit down. Looking down at Amelia, she said impatiently, "Amelia, drop that smug look. It's really disgusting."
"What do you have to be proud of? Get the situation straight. Right now, I'm the one who doesn't want him—you didn't win him over. What are you so pleased about? As long as I don't divorce him, you'll always be the other woman."
"Before I get divorced, you'd better hide yourself away!"
"Or wasn't the lesson I taught you at the restaurant and the Smith Group enough? Want to experience it again here?"
"Mia!"
She had wanted to upset Mia, but ended up getting angry herself instead.
At the mention of the restaurant and the Smith Group, Amelia couldn't help but lose her composure and her cool. Once her emotions got out of control, she had clearly lost to Mia.
Mia let out a cold laugh.
Where did she get the confidence to think she could still get to her with James?
"Don't waste my time. Where's the evidence?"
She had received Amelia's text saying she would give her evidence of James's affair during their marriage.
She didn't care to guess Amelia's motives. To her, it didn't matter.
When she wanted a divorce but couldn't get one, this gift from Amelia was exactly what she needed.
Before coming, she had said that if Amelia dared to trick her, she would make her regret it.
Without the baby, she had nothing holding her back.
Amelia pulled a file from her bag and tossed it on the table.
The envelope wasn't sealed, and several photos slid out.
It was obvious that Amelia had deliberately chosen certain angles, specifically to upset Mia.
Mia's eyes fell on those photos. After just one glance, she looked away and reached out to put the photos back.
Amelia pressed her hand on the envelope. She had deliberately scattered the photos because she wanted to see Mia suffer.
How could she be satisfied without seeing that?
She deliberately pulled out a very intimate photo, held it down, and looked at Mia provocatively, asking on purpose: "Mia, seeing these... don't you have anything to say?"
Mia looked at Amelia, her lips slowly curving up. "What I want to say is, a bitch and a bad man really are a perfect match."
After cursing, she pulled the file away with a cold expression, turned around and left.
She had gotten what she came for and didn't want to waste any more of her precious time on someone like Amelia.
...
The Smith Group
James was in a meeting when he received Mia's call.
When he saw the caller ID, for a moment James thought he hadn't slept well last night and was seeing things.
It wasn't until Robert reminded him, "Mr. James Smith, Mrs. Mia Smith is calling."
James quickly stood up, grabbed his phone, and walked aside to answer. "Mia..."
"I'm at the café across from your office..."
"Wait for me, I'll come right away."
James handed the meeting over to Robert and rushed out.
He had thought that once Mia moved out last night, unless he reached out first, she would never contact him on her own.
A few minutes later, James appeared in the café, breathing heavily, and immediately spotted Mia sitting by the window.
"Mr. Smith."
The staff here all recognized James and greeted him right away.
James didn't stop, striding toward Mia.
Mia knew he had arrived but didn't turn to look at him.
Not until James sat down in front of her did Mia turn her gaze to him.
Her eyes were calm as she slowly spoke: "James, do you know? I used to be so grateful to God. I felt it had been good to me, that it was fate that arranged for me to meet you."
"Meeting you was enough to make up for all the unhappiness and misfortune of my childhood. The four years I spent with you, I was really happy and felt truly blessed."
"I treasured it so much and was so grateful that someone like you appeared in my life."
Even if he wasn't sincere.
His kindness to her was real.
Before meeting James, she had suffered so much hardship in life. After meeting James, the sweetness he gave her made her especially attached and dependent, and she was unwilling to easily let go of that hard-won sweetness.
Mia looked at James, her eyes misting over.
This James who once brought her so much happiness now only brought pain.
"But now I think, how wonderful it would have been if we had never met."
"We've reached a point where we can't turn back. So, let's divorce! Let's stop torturing each other!"
James wasn't unaware that Mia wouldn't be asking to meet him to reconcile.
But when he heard her talk about their past together, for just a moment, he really thought there might be hope.
But one word—divorce—instantly threw him into hell.
Mia didn't give him a chance to speak. This time, whether he was willing or not, he had no choice.
She simply pushed the file with the photos in front of him. "James, don't say anything more. This is evidence of your affair during our marriage. I've already found a lawyer too."
After getting the evidence from Amelia, she had called Benjamin and asked if he knew any divorce lawyers.
He didn't ask questions and directly connected her with a well-known divorce lawyer.
"This is the divorce agreement."
She pushed the newly printed divorce agreement in front of him as well and continued: "You have two choices now. One, you sign the divorce agreement cleanly, and we'll go to the marriage registry tomorrow morning to get the divorce certificate."
"Two, you refuse to divorce by agreement, and I'll hand the evidence directly to my lawyer. I'll see you in court."
"I'm meeting you today because I'm acknowledging the care you've given me these four years, leaving us both one last bit of dignity."
"After today, I won't owe you anything anymore."
No matter what, these four years, he had been really good to her.
She was grateful to him in her heart.
"James, divorcing by agreement is the only compromise I can make."
James's eyes fell on the file in front of him.
The intimate photos of him and Amelia were right before his eyes.
With just one glance, James shoved the photos back in. They were unbearably painful to look at.
He slowly raised his head, looking at Mia's determined face.
In her eyes, he couldn't see even a trace of attachment to him.
Just like her retreating figure when she left last night.
"Don't waste time. Tell me your choice."
Mia pushed the pen she had just gotten from the server in front of him.
From the moment she got the evidence and found a lawyer, Mia knew clearly in her heart that James had no choice.
Even if he didn't want to sign, he had to sign.
This time, the divorce was definitely happening.
Without making her wait long, James slowly picked up the pen and signed his name on the agreement for the second time.
The moment the last stroke fell, Mia didn't hesitate either. She pulled the agreement away, picked up her bag, and stood up without staying even one second longer.
Her eyes fell coldly on James's profile. "Tomorrow morning at 9, marriage registry office. James, don't play any more tricks. You know I mean what I say and do what I promise."
After Mia finished speaking, she turned and left.
Watching her departing figure, James's eyes were full of pain.
He stared blankly at his hand that had just signed, then slowly opened it.
He felt that Mia was like sand in his hand—the tighter he gripped, the faster it slipped away. Now, even that last bit of sand in his palm was disappearing little by little.
He slowly clenched his fist, trying to hold on...