Chapter 57 Divorce Finalized
She yanked her hand back, her eyes full of panic and helplessness, instinctively denying it. "How... how could that be, Grandma? I just... I've had a bad stomach lately, ate something wrong."
She desperately tried to cover it up, her palms drenched in cold sweat.
What she feared most was having her pregnancy exposed.
What if...
The old lady looked at her panicked, evasive eyes, sighed helplessly, and gently patted her hand with a warm smile. "Don't be afraid. Grandma won't tell anyone, not a soul. Even that rascal Alex, Grandma will keep it from him too."
Emily looked up, eyes full of shock. "Grandma?"
The old lady carefully led her back to the living room, her tone full of heartache. "Emmie, you're a good girl. These three years, Grandma has seen it all. But that rascal Alex doesn't know how to cherish you. But the child is innocent. Grandma will protect you and my great-grandchild. Whatever you want to do, Grandma supports you and absolutely won't tell anyone."
Those words instantly touched Emily's heart.
Her anxious heart finally settled, and her eyes grew slightly warm. "Grandma, you're so good to me."
The old lady sat beside her, peeling sweet longans for her while chattering away with advice, her tone full of unconcealed affection, without the slightest intention of forcing her to stay.
Emily snuggled affectionately against her side. "Grandma, I'm going abroad in a few days. Please take care of yourself."
Margaret chuckled, her eyes kind. "Don't worry about this old bag of bones. The first three months of pregnancy are the most precious, so don't stay up late. And don't eat anything cold, raw, or spicy. I'll give Susan instructions to make sure you get three good meals a day to nourish your body. As for going abroad... Grandma won't stop you, just be extra careful on the road. If you miss home while you're overseas, just call Grandma, and I'll fly over right away!"
After saying this, she started shopping online with a smile, picking out clothes for her great-grandchild. "Is it a great-grandson or great-granddaughter? This pink little dress is lovely too. Emmie, do you like it? Grandma will buy them all!"
Emily's nose tingled.
In all her life, besides her parents, only the old lady had truly cared for her.
Without asking why, without calculating gains and losses.
She leaned gently on the old woman's shoulder, her voice softening. "Thank you, Grandma. I'll take care of myself and the baby."
"That's right." The old lady smiled and patted her hand. "We don't need to count on that rascal. The three of us living well is better than anything."
Emily couldn't help but laugh. Grandma really kept up with the times, using trendy phrases even better than she did.
Over the next few days, Emily completely relaxed, taking care of her health while quietly planning her departure.
The job in Paris was confirmed. As soon as the divorce papers were finalized, she could leave immediately!
She pulled out her notebook, carefully listing what to bring.
She also picked out gifts for her parents, best friend, Matthew, and even Susan and Grandma.
Only when she got to Alex's name... her typing paused, then she simply deleted it without a moment's hesitation.
Between her and him, there was nothing left to give.
From now on, never crossing paths again would be the best ending.
At that moment, abroad.
After several days of high-intensity meetings, Alex's deep eyes were bloodshot, and the pressure around him was frighteningly low.
The business partners were trembling, not daring to breathe too loudly.
That evening, the partners hosted a dinner at an upscale club.
Among those seated was a mutual friend of his and Emily's.
The man, wearing a custom suit, leaned casually against the sofa. "I say, Mr. Baker, you haven't been looking well lately. I heard you're getting divorced? Well, if you ask me, it's about time. You two never had feelings for each other anyway. But Emily going abroad means she's moving there permanently, right? What a shame."
Alex's hand gripping his glass suddenly tightened, his eyes turning ice-cold. "Going abroad?"
"Yeah, it's all over our circle." The man, oblivious to his expression, got more animated. "I heard she's even bought farewell gifts. Even us old classmates who know her a bit are getting some, and that guy from the Moore family too. Tsk tsk. Looks like she's really planning to leave for good."
Those words—leave for good—pierced Alex's heart like needles.
He tilted his head back and downed his drink in one gulp. The liquor burned down his throat as his thin lips pressed into a hard, cold line, the hostility around him nearly overflowing.
Ha, she really didn't want anything to do with him anymore.
The friend beside him noticed something was wrong and quietly nudged his arm, teasing in a low voice. "Come on, stop with that face. The girl's heart has gone cold. Three years couldn't warm up your block of ice, and now that she's leaving, what are you being difficult about? If you really can't let go, just apologize and win her back."
The wine glass was slammed heavily on the table.
Alex laughed coldly. "Win her back? In the next life, maybe."
They say those involved can't see clearly—he probably didn't realize how terrible his expression was.
His friend, unable to watch anymore, punched him in exasperation.
That night, Alex drank heavily, but the more he drank, the more sober he became. In his mind... all he could see was Emily.
When exactly did things change?
Was it from all those times he left her behind, or after Grace came back?
Alex felt like something was blocking his chest, making it ache with suffocation.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Emily stopped waiting around.Since she'd decided not to drag this out anymore, she would personally push the divorce through.
Early that morning, she contacted the Baker family's personal lawyer. The old lady had given her the number."Hello?" The lawyer's voice came through the phone.
Emily spoke. "This is Emily. Move forward with the divorce proceedings immediately. Don't wait for Alex to come back."
Her tone was firm, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.
The lawyer on the other end was in a bind. "This..."
Before leaving, Mr. Baker had strictly ordered that everything wait until his return.
But now the wife was calling personally?
He couldn't afford to offend either side!
The lawyer said with a forced smile. "Mrs. Baker, I still have some contract disputes to handle, and Mr. Baker said..."
"I don't have time to wait. If you can't do it, I'll find someone else. You have one day."
Her voice was ice-cold, pressing hard, giving the lawyer no room to maneuver.
The lawyer, left with no choice, quietly called Alex many times. Not one was answered.
This is bad—can't reach the boss.
Emily called every five minutes, pushing urgently.
The lawyer had no choice but to grit his teeth and prepare the documents. "Mrs. Baker, all procedures are ready. All the processes are complete. You and Mr. Baker can go to the office anytime to get the divorce certificate."
Emily finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, thank you."
After hanging up, she dialed Alex's assistant's number, her tone calm and flat. "Tell Alex the divorce procedures are all done. Whether he comes back or not, it's settled."
The assistant, receiving the call, was instantly thunderstruck.
The boss goes on one business trip and his marriage is gone?