Chapter 95
Caroline quickly found her medication. She couldn't afford to get upset, so she maintained an indifferent attitude toward people and things that weren't worth her concern.
As long as she didn't care, she wouldn't feel hurt.
Just as she swallowed the pill, her door opened.
Startled, Caroline immediately stood up, trying to hide the medicine bottle behind the nearby curtain. She didn't want anyone to know about her cancer.
Arthur's brow furrowed. "What are you hiding?"
Caroline forced herself to remain calm, discreetly tucking the medicine behind the curtain. "Nothing. Do you need something, Mr. Windsor?"
Arthur's gaze was deep and penetrating as it fell on the curtain behind her. "What is it? Hiding someone in your room?"
Caroline's heart stuttered for a moment before she countered sharply. "Even if I were hiding someone, it wouldn't be any of your business. If you have time, perhaps you should focus on signing those divorce papers instead of letting things escalate to court."
Arthur's expression faltered. "What divorce papers?"
Seeing the genuine confusion on his face, Caroline realized he hadn't received the documents at all.
She pressed her lips together. "I gave you an envelope earlier containing divorce papers. We've been married for seven years with no real connection between us. Now that you've found someone you care for, we should end this. It's better for everyone."
"I see," Arthur replied, a shadow passing through his eyes.
As if this were merely a trivial matter not worth his concern, he changed the subject. "Your relationship with Mr. Barnes seems unusual."
Caroline tensed. "What exactly are you implying, Mr. Windsor?"
Arthur sat on the sofa, legs crossed, his gaze sharp with the scrutiny of someone in authority. "I don't care what the relationship is, nor am I interested in what you're hiding. But I should remind you that Heidi is far more suitable to be Mr. Barnes' student."
"Is that so?" Caroline's lips curved into a faint, mocking smile. "If she's truly that exceptional, why hasn't Mr. Barnes accepted her as his student?"
In Arthur's mind, she was probably the villain interfering with Heidi's chance to find her ideal mentor.
No matter what happened, she was always cast as the one who victimized Heidi—her mother Naomi thought this way, the children thought this way, and apparently Arthur did too.
"Arthur, let's divorce," she said, her voice cool but filled with exhaustion—exhaustion with this marriage, exhaustion with Arthur.
"What do you want?"
This time, Arthur finally acknowledged her words, approaching the conversation like a business negotiation—cautiously weighing options, defensively inquiring about her terms, as if they were making a fair exchange.
A bitter smile touched Caroline's lips. A marriage that resembled a business transaction—perhaps this was uniquely her experience.
"I want the two villas by the river," she said calmly. She had prepared this request in advance.
If she didn't make any demands, Arthur would think she was playing games—pretending to want a divorce just to get his attention.
By stating her terms, she could see his eyes soften slightly with relief.
"The children are Windsor heirs and will remain with the family. I cannot let you take them. However, I can offer you an additional twenty million dollars as compensation. I'll have my lawyer contact you about the agreement. You won't have to wait long."
Caroline wouldn't refuse—it was what she deserved. "Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Windsor. I hope our divorce proceeds smoothly."
Arthur gave her a brief glance before walking past her, as distant as a stranger.
The moment the door closed, Caroline leaned against the wall. The pain in her abdomen surged through every cell in her body until she could no longer stand. She slid down the wall as tears fell unbidden.
She should be happy—she'd gotten exactly what she wanted. So why did her heart hurt so much?
---
That evening, Caroline put away her laptop. Her work wasn't finished, but she hadn't forgotten her promise to the children.
She had agreed to read them a bedtime story.
Caroline thought that since it was still early, she could play with them for a while, give them a bath, and then have just enough time left to lull them to sleep.
But when she reached the door of the children's room, she heard someone already telling a story. The door was slightly ajar, just enough for her to see inside.
Heidi and Arthur sat by the bed—one gently patting the children, the other softly narrating a story.
A family of four, completely content. With no space left for anyone else.
Caroline pressed her lips together and was about to push the door open when she heard Logan speak.
"Ms. White, you're amazing! Your stories are so much more interesting than Mommy's. Could you read to us every night?"
"I'm afraid not," Heidi said with a smile, declining their request. "I'm an outsider. Your mom should be the one reading to you every night. I can only do it occasionally."
Logan was clearly dissatisfied. "But Mommy only cares about work now. She hasn't read to us in ages. She promised to read to us tonight, but it's dark already and she hasn't come. It's like she doesn't care about us anymore."
Heidi tucked the blanket around him gently. "She's probably busy with work and hasn't found time to come yet. But in her heart, work could never be more important than you two. Don't be upset with her, okay?"
Though Heidi's words seemed to defend Caroline, the damage was done.
In the children's minds, work had already become more important than them, and they had begun to resent their mother.
Caroline lowered her eyes, a bitter smile flashing across her face. So be it. Her cancer didn't have a 100% chance of being cured. It might be better if the children disliked her.
Still, the pain in her chest made it difficult to breathe.
Instead of returning to her room, Caroline went down to the garden. She couldn't bear to stay in that suffocating house—she just wanted to escape.
Just then, Libbie called her.
"Caroline, I'm sorry to bother you so late."
Caroline pressed her lips together. "It's fine, Libbie. What's on your mind?"
Libbie was always straightforward. Hearing this, she got right to the point about Rena's camping trip tomorrow.
"I was supposed to go with her, but my mother isn't feeling well. I've made an appointment with a specialist for her tomorrow, so I need to take her to see the doctor."
Libbie continued, "But I don't want to disappoint my daughter, and Gavin is too careless to handle it alone. So I'm afraid I have to trouble you."
Rena's voice came through the phone as well. "Ms. Hamilton, I haven't seen you in so long! Will you come camping with me tomorrow? I'll bring you the tastiest little cakes."
Caroline's gloomy mood instantly brightened. "Of course. I promise I'll go camping with you. See you tomorrow."