Ch. 526..530
Chapter 526
“Second, you are not allowed to take them out of Westchester without my permission. If they leave the city without my explicit permission, | will reclaim full custody of them.”
Deal.”
“And third,” he peered into her eyes, and announced solemnly, “You can’t remarry. If you remarry, | will reclaim full custody of them as well.”
“Deal.” Sylvia answered readily.
She had no plans to ever marry again.
Seeing that he was done with his terms, Sylvia said, “If you have no other requests, I'll be taking my leave now.” “Hmm.” He remained in his seat, a dark shadow enveloped him.
Without staying a moment longer than necessary, Sylvia turned and left.
In the morning
Aunt Tonya knocked on the door at the same time as usual.
Sylvia opened her eyes.
Liam was awake and already dressed himself. Sylvia woke Isabel who was lying on top of her. Just like the previous mornings, she took them to the living room after they had washed up and gotten dressed.
Only Aunt Tonya and the butler were in the living room. Odell was nowhere to be seen. She thought about their conversation concerning the divorce, and turned to the butler with a stern frown, “Sebastian, do you know where Odell went?” The butler answered dutifully, “He left in the middle of the night last night. It seems that he had an urgent matter that he had to take care of.”
“Alright.” Sylvia did not press for more information. She ate breakfast with the kids and sent them to kindergarten. After watching the two enter the kindergarten hand in hand, she turned around and took out her phone to call Odell. ll rang a few times before the call was finally picked up.
Sylvia was about to ask him where he had been, but he cut her off before she could get a word in, “Finalize the divorce settlement agreement and meet me at City Hall at three today afternoon.”
“Okay.” Sylvia responded in a cheerful voice. Then, she ended the call and drove to Sherry’s.
Borrowing Sherry’s computer, she added the three terms that Odell had proposed to the divorce settlement agreement. Then, she printed out three copies
Sherry observed Sylvia at work and felt like she had to ask, “Sylvia, don’t you think his condition about you not marrying again is crossing the line a little?”
“He is willing to give me full custody of both Liam and Isabel. | don’t think that’s excessive at all.”
Sylvia had never even imagined that he would give her custody of both children. Sherry frowned and asked, “But what if you meet a man that you like in the future?” “It won't happen.” She was done with romantic relationships It was too exhausting Having Isabel and Liam by her side was all she needed.
At Carter Tower
Although the weather was considered rather pleasant, there was a cloud of fog, surrounding the tower
From the top floor of the tower to the basement, every single person that was employed at the Carter Tower scrupulously went about their duties Not a single one of them dared to slack ofl at work
Meanwhile, in the office on the top floor. Odell had been working since he had arrived at the tower last night and ordered the lights to be turned on
Not only had he cleaned up the outstanding work that he had left from the previous days, but he had also gathered all the supervisors of each department for a meeting. They went over every single ongoing project in the company, during which two junior executives had even been fired in the process of the meeting. At the moment, he was sitting in his usual leather chair. Alter he wrapped up the phone call, he took a break from work and stared absent-mindedly out the glass window, his mind drifting off somewhere else.
Knock knock Asteady knock sounded on the door. Odell announced, “Come in.”
The door was pushed open and cliri appeared. “Master Carter, 1 found the Greenstein Hospital you were talking about,”
Chapter 527
Chapter 527 Odell’s attention perked up, “Go on.”
Cliff began an elaborate brief, “The night the missus fell into the lake, she was admitted into this hospital. The doctor who operated on her was the best doctor employed in the hospital According to the words of the doctor’s assistant, the missus was indeed in critical condition when she was brought there. However, the injury in her leg was severe but not fatal. She had sustained major injuries all over her body because of the altitude that she fell from, which had also led to the miscarriage. They say that if she had been brought to the hospital even a moment later, she might very well have died.”
The room was filled with a deathly silence There was such a terrible look on Odell’s face that anyone would be too intimidated to look at him.
Cliff barely dared to look at his face. He lowered his head and continued, “They don’t know the name of the person who sent the missus to the hospital, they could only remember that it was a very handsome young man. After the missus was no longer in critical condition, he took her and transferred her to another hospital overnight. They left Westchester and went to a very reputable private hospital in Glanchester”
*Dig up every single piece of information that you can that has to do with her recovery timeline in Glanchester!” “Yes!”
Cliff hurriedly walked out Odell’s office was filled with silence yet again. He soberly shut his eyes, as every word that Cliff had uttered in his report continued to play in his inind. Grave injuries, broken leg, miscarriage, had nearly lost her life It was no wonder that she hated him so much that she even wanted to see him dead. If them getting divorced could quell even a tiny ounce of her anger and resentment, then so be it.
After having lunch, Sylvia arrived at the entrance of City Hall close to 2 p.m. with the divorce settlement agreement and relevant documents in hand.
She texted Odell, “im here, what time are you coming?” Shortly after, her phone rang. She quickly answered the call and immediately heard his voice through the phone, “I’m right behind you”
Sylvia turned around immediately. He was standing less than iwo ineters behind her. He was wearing a suit as usual and stood tall
ds a totem pole
His charming looks drew the attention of several women who happened to be passing by and caused them to fawn over him Pursing her lips, Sylvia asked, “Did you bring all your documents?”
“Yeah.” He looked at her and asked, “Has the divorce settlement agreement been finalized)”
“Yeah” Sylvia said and took out the three printed copies of the divorce settlement agreement from her bag and handed them to him
Odell took it in his hands and quickly slipped through them.
He went through all three copies of the divorce settlement agreement Sylvia asked, “Is everything alright?”
* Yeah.”
“Then let’s go in”
With that, Sylvid walked towards the entrance of City Hall
Odell frowned and went after her
The process was rather elaborate First, they had to head to the counter for divorce applications, then hand over the documents and the signed divorce settlement agreement to the start. After that, they had to wait for the staff to review the documents
The person at the counter was a middle-aged lady
Sylvia and Odell had only just sat down when they felt the lady’s eyes sizing them up rapidly
She did not seem to be in any rush to review the documents, but instead asked them with an enquiring smile, “Are you two getting divorced willingly?”
Sylvia had already expected to hear questions along these lines. These veiled attempts at persuading them to not go through with the divorce were the same as when they had gone through their first divorce. She remeinbered how the staff had also tried to dissuade them from going through it. However, Odell had been very adamant about going through with it so she had stayed silent.
Since this was not her first time going through a divorce, she stated calmly, “We know what we're doing.” The clerk turned to Odell. Odell was staring at Sylvia, he observed her indifferent expression and mumbled, “Yeah,”
The clerk suddenly commented with a flash in her eyes, “Oh, it looks like you guys were divorced once and then remarried again What happened this time that made you want to go through the hassle of getting divorced again?”
“Nothing inuch” Sylvia was tired of these idle talks and stated nonchalantly, “The first divorce was la ause he cheated on me. It’s the same this time” 1
wirl,” ”
The smile on the clerk’s face was instantly wiped away. She darted a cross look at Odell and muttered, “You look like a fine man, why couldn’t you just keep it in your pants?”
Chapter 528
Odell pursed his lips.
Sylvia continued to keep an indifferent look on her face.
The clerk went through their documents and asked Sylvia, “Miss, have you two divided your assets properly?” “Yes, it’s all written in the divorce settlement agreement.”
“Very well.” The clerk sighed and went through the procedures. Shortly after that, she set down two copies of the proof of divorce in front of Odell and Sylvia. Sylvia took her copy, thanked the clerk, and left. “Miss, wait a minute.” The clerk suddenly called her. Sylvia stopped The clerk glanced at Odell, who was still standing there, “Why are you still here?” Odell darted a look at Sylvia, then he grabbed the divorce papers and left. After he left, the clerk suddenly became much more friendly and conversational. She spoke to Sylvia with a gentle smile, “Miss, you are still young and very beautiful. You still have a whole life ahead of you. Don’t be discouraged because of a man like him. | have faith that you will find a much better husband in the future!”
Her warm smile was infectious so Sylvia responded with a kind smile to her, “Thanks for your kind words, 1 will take good care of myself.”
With that, she left.
The moment she stepped out of the city hall, she bumped into Odell who had the same dark and sullen expression on his face as always.
He had not left yet, and continued to look at her gloomily.
Now that they were divorced, Sylvia had no reason to fear him. She raised an eyebrow and questioned, “Odell, why are you looking at me like that?” She had not badmouthed him or anything like that. After all, it was true that he had cheated on her. She had already been generous enough to not bring up the fact that he had broken her leg. He suddenly took a step in front of her, cutting off her path with his large frame, “Are you going to look for another man?” Sylvia took a quick step back. She figured out that he must have overheard her conversation with the nice clerk back there. She answered, “I just told her that | wasn’t planning to look for another man.”
He narrowed his eyes as he continued to stare at her. It was as if he wanted to peer into her mind.
She reassured him, “I will follow the terms laid out in the divorce settlement agreement, there is nothing for you to worry about, | won't be looking for a stepfather for Isabel and Liam.” “You can be with a man again.”
She was rather shocked by this. He stared into her eyes, “However, that man can only be me.”
Sylvia choked up and it was some time before she could even answer him. “Odell, the moment you broke my leg, it was over between us. I’ll never look back, but | still wish you all the best in your life”
After her calm declaration, she turned and walked away.
Odell’s figure stood in the same spot like a monument, clutching the divorce certificate tightly in his hand, nearly crushing the cover.
Without moving, he watched as Sylvia walked away without a second thought.
It was only until Sylvia drove away that he mustered up the strength to drag his feet to leave
Inside the parking lot, an expensive black car was parked near the entrance.
Upon noticing Odell, Cliff quickly stepped out of the car to open the door for him.
Odell entered the car.
Cliff did not dare to check on Odell’s expression, but instead, immediately returned to the driver’s seat After starting the engine, he asked in a low voice, “Master Carter, shall | take you home?”
“Back to the office.” Cliff did a double-take. He peered at Odell's face through the rearview mirror and answered dutifully, “Alright.”
The black car drove out of the parking lot and headed towards the city. Meanwhile, there was an unassuming car parked on the corner of the parking lot. In the backseat of the car was a young man with a slender figure in a loose gray sweater.
Chapter 529
Beneath his fluffy bangs was a pair of sharp eyes which was closely following the black car that had just driven out of the parking lot.
There was a certain composure within his hazel eyes, mixed with the barest hint of a smile. Sylvia drove to her new place.
After locking up the divorce certificate along with the divorce settlement agreement in a box, she tidied up the house before heading back to the kindergarten.
Shortly after she arrived, the school bell rang. She stood outside the gate like the other parents.
Agroup of children happily ran outside Isabel and Liam were more composed than the other kids as they followed behind while holding hands.
Almost all of the children had already come out by the time they showed up. When they saw Sylvia, they quickened their pace. “Mommy!” Together, they ran over to her. Sylvia smiled and bent down to embrace them.
They threw a glance behind her. Noticing the absence of someone, Isabel pouted and asked, “Mommy, why didn’t Baddie come?”
Something changed in Sylvia’s eyes for a split second before she answered, “Your father has something to attend to. Mommy will take you home.” “Okay.” Isabel muttered.
Liam kept quiet. Sylvia took their hands and walked out. She took them back to Odell’s house. The butter and Aunt Tonya were in the house, but Odell was missing. Sylvia was not bothered by his absence. After playing with the children for a while, she had dinner with them.
After dinner, she took them back to their room.
‘The divorce had already been finalized, and she had already bought a new place. She was not planning to stay here inuch longer.
The problern was that she could not let them know about the divorce.
They were children and they needed their parents to be by their side. After some consideration, she turned to Isabel whose attention was fixed on the television and Liam who was busy gaming, “Isabel, Liam, Mommy has something to tell you two.” Liam promptly put the controller away upon hearing this and Isabel turned to her with rapt attention as well.
Sylvia smiled and announced the good news, “Mommy bought a house near your kindergarten and I’m planning to move you two there.” Isabel asked curiously, “Why did you buy a house? Why are we moving there?” She explained, “Mommy will begin working in that area in a few days, it’s a little inconvenient to get to work from here.”
It was true, she would be teaching at the art academy soon.
Christopher had made the offer many times and upon receiving news that she was back, he had bombarded her with messages. The gist of it was that she would be a guest professor at the academy and would only be required to give two classes a week The pay would be very good as well. Furthermore, the art academy had already fired Tara. Word had it that Tara had committed a very serious mistake at work. As a result, many people had reported her over the past two days. The final decision by the academy had been to remove her. “What about Daddy, is he moving in with us too?” Liam suddenly asked. Sylvia turned to him without the slightest change of expression and said, “It’s inconvenient for daddy to go to work from the new house, so he won't be moving in with us, but he will spare the time to come visit you two.” Liam raised an eyebrow at this. His gut feeling told him that there was more to it than this. Isabel thought of Madam Carter and asked, “Mommy, will Great-grandma come with us?”
“Great-grandma needs to rest and will stay here where the professionals can take care of her.” After a pause, Sylvia added, “But if you visit Great-grandma, | will bring you here to see her whenever you want.”
“Alright.” Isabel had no more questions to ask, so she turned her head and went back to watching cartoons. Liam also lowered his head and grabbed his controller again. Sylvia breathed a sigh of relief.
Later that night, when the two had fallen asleep, Sylvia walked out of the room and looked for Aunt Tonya in Madam Carter's room.
Chapter 530
Chapter 530 Sylvia told Aunt Tonya about her divorce from Odell. After she finished, Aunt Tonya stated, “I will support you whatever your final decision is.”
Sylvia smiled and informed her, “I’ve already bought a new place and everything has been set up. I’m planning to move in tomorrow.” Aunt Tonya was taken aback by this, “Are you in such a hurry? Have you talked to Isabel and Liam about it?”
“| have.”
“While you were away. Isabel and Liam began to grow rather attached to Odell,” Aunt Tonya muttered before asking, “How did you tell them?”
Sylvia answered truthfully, “I didn’t tell them about the divorce, | just told them that we'll be moving to a new place that would make it easier for me to get to work and for them to go to their kindergarten.” “I see, | suppose that’s fine.”
It was getting late already Sylvia looked at the time and said, “Aunt Tonya, why don’t you get some rest? I’ll accompany Grandmother for a while.”
“Okay, I'll go and pack my things.” Aunt Tonya got up and left. The room fell silent. As Sylvia sat by the bed and looked at the old lady who was still sleeping, the look in her eyes softened.
She took Madam Carter’s arm and gently massaged her arm the same way she used to do when she had been imprisoned here by Odell. “Grandma, | just got divorced from Odell. Please don’t be angry or feel bad for me, we were just never meant to be together.”
None of this would have happened if she had never gotten together with him.
Whether it had been their first or second marriages, both had been an endless torment for her. Enough was enough. Even Madam Carter had ended up in a vegetative state. She and Odell were simply incompatible. Sylvia continued, “It'll be a good thing for us to be apart. Don’t worry, he’s still Isabel and Liam’s father and | won't stop him from visiting them. I’ll also bring them to visit you from time to time as well.”
She said sostly Just on the other side of the door. Odell’s tall figure was standing right in front of it. Through the wooden panel of the door, he had heard every word that Sylvia had said to
Madam Carter and he tightened his lips to a line. After some time passed, his phone suddenly vibrated. He turned around and walked to the end of the corridor before putting the phone to his ear,” What is it?”
cliffs voice was trembling on the other end of the phone, “Master Carter, Miss Tara...” It took him a couple of seconds to structure his sentence properly before continuing. “She just cut her wrists. She tried to commit suicide.” Odell's eyes were like a pool of still water, “Is she dead?” “No,” Cliff informed, “She was found just in time and saved. She just called me and begged me to look for you. She wants to see you.”
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Odell’s eyes gleamed with ice, “No.” “Alright.”
“Wait. Cliff prompted, “Sir, do you have any other orders?”
“There is no need to report her to the authorities any longer. Also, you no longer have to update me about how she’s doing. | don’t need to know whether she’s dead or alive.”
She must have had a breakdown and chosen suicide when she had been fired from the art academy and had her name taken down from the board of the art association.
This was what she deserved for what she had done to Sylvia.
He would not continue to prosecute her, seeing as he owed her for what she had done for him more than a decade ago on that fatelul rainy night. However, he would have nothing to do with her from this point on.
Cliff answered dutifully, ‘Understood, I'll make the arrangements.”
The next morning, after sending Isabel and Liam to kindergarten, Sylvia and Aunt Tonya packed their bags and moved into Sylvia’s new place. The children’s luggage was packed and taken there as well. After everything had been unpacked and tidied up, it was already evening. Aunt Tonya bought groceries and made dinner at home while Sylvia went to the kindergarten to pick up Isabel and Liam. The two of them still came out behind most of the other children. When they saw their mother, they smiled in unison.