The previous night’s conversation had been unpleasant, so Samuel left early the following day.
Samuel always said he couldn’t get up early when he was with her. Now that he’s rekindled his relationship with his first love, he’s up earlier than the chickens.
That morning, Cassandra called her birth father and requested a few things. Before she left, she wanted to repay Eric and Ariel for raising her. Though she had been financially independent since high school, taking on part–time jobs and barely spending their money, she still felt the need to express her gratitude.
Cassandra stopped at a law firm to draft a divorce agreement on her way to the Nolan Residence. Then, she took a cab to the house where Eric and Ariel lived.
Cassandra entered with a tiny gift box in her hands. There were the documents she had requested from her father, the property certificate for a villa, the registration papers for a Rolls–Royce, and one million dollars in cash inside it. She intended these as a thank–you gift for raising her all these years.
“Mom, Dad, I’m back,” Cassandra said as she walked into the living room, but no one noticed her. She was used to it. After her adoptive parents found out that she liked Samuel, they wanted to send her away. It was Samuel who had stopped them, giving her the mistaken impression that he still cared for her.
To them, Samuel deserved to be with a high–society heiress, not an orphan they had picked up from a shelter.
Cassandra didn’t let their indifference get to her. She placed the gift box on the table. “Mom, Dad, you guys raised me for over ten years. This is my way of saying thank you.”
Eric continued reading his financial newspaper, not even sparing her a glance. Ariel, on the other hand, scoffed. “Cassandra, is there anything our family lacks? What cheap trinket are you bringing us this time? Handmade towels? Gloves? Or perhaps some homemade. desserts?”
Those were the gifts Cassandra had given them before, things she had put her heart into making. Still, they were worthless and embarrassing for Ariel. “I’ve told you from the start, you were never good enough to be Sam’s wife. You insisted on clinging to him shamelessly, and now you’ve gotten your wish. You’re still so petty. Our family must be cursed to have ended up with such a useless daughter–in–law!”
Cassandra bit her lip, her voice trembling. “Don’t worry. Soon, I won’t be a part of this family anymore.”
In just a few days, she would give them what they wanted, she and Samuel would be divorced, and she would disappear from their lives forever.
“But these things are… Before she could continue, the gift box was flung to the ground, landing directly at the feet of a man wearing black leather shoes.
It was Samuel. He picked up the items from the ground, threw them into the trash can, and
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then wiped his hands with a tissue.
Only then did Ariel seem satisfied. “Don’t bring garbage into our home again.”
“Mom, that’s not garbage, it’s
Slap! No one expected Ariel to slap Cassandra. Her delicate skin immediately showed at red mark. “Stop looking so pathetic! Who are you trying to guilt–trip? If it weren’t for you, Sam would have married someone better by now! You’re nothing but a burden!”
Samuel stepped forward, not to defend her, but merely to state the obvious. “Mom, that was unnecessary. Anyway, Francesca wants some chicken soup. Ask the servants to make some.”
Ariel huffed. “If I’d known she couldn’t even bear children, I would’ve let Francesca marry. into this family instead.” She believed the child Francesca was carrying belonged to Samuel, which explained why she doted on her so much.
After Ariel left, Samuel turned to Cassandra with a detached expression. “I already told you, my mom doesn’t like cheap gifts. Why do you insist on making things difficult for yourself?”
Cassandra let out a cold laugh. “Cheap? Let’s hope you don’t regret it.”
She got up and left, asking a servant for an ice pack before returning to her room. Cassandra rubbed her face with the ice pack, took out the divorce agreement, and sent a message to Samuel. “Come to my room.”
He arrived shortly after. Without emotion, she handed him a pen. “Sign it.”
“Sign what… Before he could finish, his phone rang. His expression immediately softened as he answered. “Don’t be scared. I’ll be there soon.”
He turned to leave but suddenly spun back and grabbed the papers on the desk. “You want me to sign? Bring the soup to the Westone Villa first.”
Before Cassandra could refuse, he was already gone. To finalize the divorce, she had no choice but to deliver the chicken soup herself.
When she arrived, Samuel took the food and went upstairs to be with Francesca. However, he had already signed and left the papers on the living room table. As she picked them up, she casually asked if he wanted to amend any terms.
Samuel barely glanced at the document. “Isn’t this the business contract you mentioned last time? The one about opening a store? There’s nothing complicated about it. I just signed it.”
Cassandra froze for a moment. So, he had no idea he had just signed their divorce papers. It didn’t matter. He would find out soon enough.
She gently placed a hand on her stomach and thought to herself. “Baby, from now on, it’s just you and me.”
Just as she was about to depart, an unexpected voice from upstairs interrupted her. “Cassandra Nolan, how dare you poison the soup!”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.