Chapter 5
Seeing the tearful child and Sophia gazing at him longingly, he briskly signed the agreement and handed it to me.
“Though we’re no longer married, we share years of history. Come to me if you ever need help.”
His mother beamed, clasping Sophia’s hands: “See? Benjamin only has eyes for you. We’re family now.”
His father shook his head, looking at me sincerely.
“Olivia, we’re sorry. You should go. Come to us if you need help, but Sophia’s very sensitive right now. Please stop contacting Benjamin.”
Everyone seemed convinced I was playing hard to get, about to cling desperately to Benjamin.
Without another word, I turned and left the Johnson estate.
At the Government Office, the resentment choking my chest eased the moment the clerk said we’d tie the knot after the thirty-day cooling-off period.
Before deciding how to tell my family, my brother summoned me to his school.
His teacher Olivia Reynolds glared furiously. “Ms. Parker! Your brother not only refused to study but assaulted an- other student. Is this how you raise your children?”
I pointed at Ethan Mitchell beside him, his face slightly scratched, then felt my heart ache as I touched my brother’s bruised lip.
“Is this what you call beating someone up?”
“The victim is unscathed, while the beater is covered in injuries?!”
Seeing that I wasn’t as easy to fool as other parents, Olivia Reynolds felt a pang of guilt, then forced my brother to ex- plain.
My brother, who usually tells me everything, turned his face away, not daring to look at me. I shielded him behind me: “I’d like to ask the teacher to check the surveillance footage. If it really is my brother’s fault, I’ll make him apolo- gize.”
“But if you’re fabricating facts to protect a student, I think the Government Office can give me an explanation.”
My brother has always been sensible, so when they called for a parent meeting, he was afraid of upsetting our parents and informed me instead. I don’t believe he would hit anyone.
The boy who claimed he was “beaten up” puffed out his chest, shoving my brother aside before spitting in my direc-
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tion.
“You’re that used goods dumped by your husband! Disgusting!”
“Me and my buddies were just telling the truth! He actually dared say we insulted you and his brother-in-law, even fought back! Pfft! Slut! Don’t think I’ll back down just ’cause you’re older!”
Finally understanding why my brother stayed silent-he didn’t want me hearing those vile rumors.
I gave him a reassuring pat, signaling it didn’t matter.
Right then, Sophia strutted over with her limited-edition bag, smirking:
“Ms. Sophia, what a coincidence. Finished your divorce paperwork yet?”
Ethan snorted, lifting his chin to glare at my brother.
“I told you so, your brother-in-law has abandoned your sister. Your sister is just secondhand goods, a slut!”
My brother flushed with rage. I quickly grabbed his arm. “Ms. Mitchell, I’m still Benjamin’s wife.”
She snorted. “You say so and it is? Do you know who your brother hit? He hit Benjamin’s brother-in-law!”
Olivia Reynolds eagerly poured tea for her, completely different from how she’d just screamed at me moments ago.
“Mrs. Carter, thank you for coming all this way. I’ve confirmed he was the one who hit your brother.”
“The school will definitely punish him and give your brother justice! Rest assured!”
She smugly twisted the watch on her wrist. Olivia Reynolds’s eyes gleamed as she pulled out a chair for her to sit.
Sophia snorted, her expression mirroring Benjamin’s impatience: “Still refuse to admit it? Dying to be a rich man’s wife?”
She added contemptuously: “Look at yourself. Since you insist, prove it.”
Seeing her brother’s hopeful look, I dialed Benjamin’s number only to hear the familiar busy tone-I was still on his blocklist.
Sophia giggled: “Right, how could you get through? The president of Johnson Industries doesn’t answer random calls.”
“Sorry for embarrassing you.”
I could only text him, hoping he’d prove my innocence. We wouldn’t be officially divorced until after the cooling-off period, and I didn’t want my family worrying.
But this time he’d even blocked my texts.
Without a word, Sophia held her phone before me, displaying that glaring contact name-hubby.
Then she dialed the number I knew by heart.
288 Vouchers
He answered instantly. Benjamin’s voice came through: “What’s up, baby? Missing me? I’m at an auction bidding for that necklace you loved.”
Her tone turned sugary: “Oh, nothing! Just someone at school claiming to be Mrs. Johnson in front of your brother. Had to call so she’d give up.”
“Impossible! Everyone knows you’re my wife! Who said that? I’ll deal with them!”
