Chapter 198 Want a Divorce
"I'll send someone to check on things," Charles said.
Janice’s voice trembled with tears, but she still tried to sound strong: "Charles, really, there's no need. My daughter's already getting her stomach pumped. Your people won't be able to help if they come. Don’t waste their time. I can handle it myself."
Charles asked, "Which hospital?"
"Serenity Health Center, it's closer to my place."
Charles hung up.
He wanted to forget about it, but he couldn't focus on work. His mind was full of that lovely girl with her big eyes, always quiet, sometimes smiling at people.
Eventually he just shut down his computer and had his driver take him to the hospital.
He'd just check if the mother and daughter needed anything, and help if he could.
...
Serenity Health Center.
Charles rushed to the gastroenterology department and saw Janice outside the stomach pumping room.
It was fall now. She wore a loose coat, her thin frame wrapped inside, looking frail and pitiful.
Janice had been sitting alone on a bench, worried, but when she saw Charles, she jumped up, rushed over, and hugged him, tears sliding down her face.
"Charles, thank you for coming."
Charles subtly pushed her away and asked again, "How's the child?"
"She's getting her stomach pumped now."
Just as she finished speaking, the child was wheeled out.
The little girl's face was deathly pale. She was clearly suffering, but she didn’t cry or fuss, as if she didn’t know how to show her feelings at all.
Janice couldn't help but go over and hold her.
The girl just lay in Janice's arms without making a sound.
The doctor instructed, "Her stomach has been pumped. In the future, keep medications where children can't reach them. She must stay in the hospital for observation, and the earliest she can leave is the day after tomorrow."
"Okay, got it, doctor."
Janice then had to go handle the admission procedures.
Seeing this, Charles quickly said to her, "Let me do it. You just hold the child."
At the payment counter, the cashier said to Charles, "Please pay $2,000."
Charles didn't explain, feeling it wasn't necessary.
Hearing this, Janice’s heart churned like stormy waves.
If she hadn't been so foolish back then, she and he would probably already be a family of three, or maybe more than three—four or five were possible.
Neither of them knew that someone was watching from nearby.
Zoey had come for a prenatal checkup today.
Last time Charles hadn't agreed to keep his distance from Janice, so she didn't tell him about the pregnancy and deliberately came to this hospital farther away for her checkup.
She never expected to run into her husband with another woman.
It was Sunday, and Charles had clearly said he was working overtime at the company.
Zoey took a deep breath and touched her belly.
The doctor said she was over three months, almost four months along.
But Charles didn't know about the changes in her body.
And since they'd come back, they rarely had intimate relations. She didn't dare, always saying she didn't feel well, and he wouldn't push her.
But now, with Janice holding the child and Charles bustling about, they looked like a family.
Zoey quietly snapped a photo with her phone, then went home, packed her luggage, and called her family's driver to come pick her up.
Mrs. Chubby saw the driver carrying two large suitcases downstairs for Zoey and couldn't help asking, "Zoey, where are you going?"
Zoey said, "I'm not in a good mood lately. I want to go back to my own home for a while."
"Does Mr. Gonzaga know?"
"He doesn't need to know," Zoey said.
Mrs. Chubby sensed something was wrong and quickly asked, "What happened? Communication is most important between husband and wife. If you go back to your parents' home every time you're unhappy, that's a big mistake. When two people's business involves two families, it gets complicated."
Zoey said, "I don't want it to be this way either. Mrs. Chubby, thank you for taking care of me during this time."
With that, Zoey still left.
...
"Zoey, what's going on?" Mrs. Turner saw Zoey come back with two suitcases and sensed something was wrong. "Did Charles kick you out?"
Zoey gave a bitter smile. “Mom, if that’s what you think, then in your eyes, Charles would do something like that."
"My God, what on earth happened?" Mrs. Turner went over to help Zoey with the suitcases and hugged her, feeling terribly sorry for her.
Zoey broke down crying. She clung to her mother and sobbed, "I was so stupid. Things were so good at home, but I still had to get married. Why couldn't I just stay home and be Mom's little princess forever?"
Mrs. Turner didn't ask for specifics, just comforted her for a while, then called Mr. Turner to come home.
Mr. Turner had been in a meeting, but when he heard Zoey was home, he didn't even finish the meeting and rushed back.
"Where's Zoey?" Mr. Turner asked as soon as he entered.
Mrs. Turner pointed upstairs. "She said she was tired and went to sleep."
"She can't possibly sleep. I'm going up to see her."
The couple tiptoed upstairs, but Zoey's bedroom door was open. Afraid of disturbing her, they didn't dare knock and just listened at the door.
They didn't seem to hear any crying. It was very quiet inside.
So the couple brought two small stools and sat outside the door, keeping watch in case there was any sound from inside so they could go in.
Actually, Zoey's mood was much better. She'd eaten the pumpkin pie her mom made, and being back in the room she'd slept in since childhood, breathing in the familiar scent, she felt much more at ease. So as soon as she lay on the bed, she fell asleep.
...
After Charles finished the paperwork for Janice and sent the mother and daughter to the hospital room, he went home.
As soon as he got home, Mrs. Chubby told him, "Sir, Zoey just left with her things and went back to her own home!"
Charles was stunned. "When did this happen?"
"About an hour ago."
"Where did she go this morning?"
"I don't know, but as soon as she came back, she packed her things."
Charles felt guilty, after all, he had gone to see Janice today, and Zoey had asked him not to see her.
But Charles didn't think he'd done anything very wrong. He'd just helped out for a bit. Setting aside the ex-girlfriend status, Janice was still his mother's goddaughter. Helping a little wasn't a big deal.
He called Zoey, but her phone was off.
Charles figured Zoey was probably just throwing a little tantrum. She liked him so much, she'd forgive him eventually.
So he just ate a simple meal and went upstairs to rest.
But even after dark, Zoey still hadn't come back.
Charles went to check her closet. All her clothes were gone, and her skincare products too—not a single item left. She'd even taken her pajamas, leaving behind only a pair of slippers.
He realized she might really be very angry, so he quickly drove to her home.
...
"Dad, Mom, I want a divorce!" After waking, Zoey said to Mr. Turner, "Dad, draft a divorce agreement for me. I can leave with nothing, as long as he signs it."