My Ex Knelt and Begged to Remarry the Day We Divorced

Hillcrest Manor.

It was the most beautiful estate in North City.

In the master bedroom, the man rose from the bed and walked into the bathroom, his face blank.

A moment ago he'd been tangled up with her, and now the look on his face had changed completely. To Flora Jenner, this was nothing new.

She got up and slipped a robe over her shoulders. Beneath her loose hair, the flush hadn't yet faded from her cheeks. She was beautiful, sensual, the kind of woman who drew the eye, and right now she was more so than ever.

The man finished rinsing off and came out of the bathroom. His gaze passed over Flora, mild and cool, with a thin, indifferent chill between his brows. "Sign this."

As he spoke, he pulled what looked like a document from the drawer beside the bed and tossed it onto the mattress.

Flora lowered her eyes and glanced at it. A few words glared up at her: Divorce Agreement.

She lifted her gaze to him, asking in disbelief, "You want a divorce?"

"Wendy woke up. I have a promise to keep to her." The man lit a cigarette, his handsome face devoid of warmth.

Her face went pale, her eyes silent. Pressing her lips together, she gathered all her courage and asked once more, "There's no way around it? No room at all to work things out?"

"Flora, you know perfectly well why we got married. I've already failed Wendy once. I won't hurt her a second time."

He said it bluntly, without the slightest opening for discussion. It meant the divorce was final.

Watching the tenderness that flickered in his eyes when he mentioned the name Wendy, Flora envied her, and understood at last that his whole heart belonged to that Wendy Henson, the woman who had nearly given her life for him.

By comparison, she was nothing.

Her gaze stayed soft and calm. After several seconds of thought, a single clear word left her lips. "Fine."

The woman's mild, even tone made the man's brow tighten faintly, but it lasted only half a second before it was gone.

He asked, "If you have any conditions, name them. As long as they're not unreasonable, I'll agree."

Flora raised her head. Her expression was cold, yet her eyes remained gentle. "I only have one."

"Go ahead."

"After the divorce, we never see each other again."

There was nothing but finality in her eyes.

The man's eyes were dark and deep. His voice dropped low. "Flora, are you throwing a tantrum at me?"

Flora gave a faint smile. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

She meant it. There was no sulking in it at all.

But Herman Bell clearly didn't believe her.

His brow furrowed, a thin shadow crossing his black eyes. He lifted his gaze. "I told you to name a condition, not to use it to sulk."

"Never see each other again? Don't you think that's a little childish?"

"Childish?" She didn't see it that way. Her voice came cool and clear. "This is my condition. As for anything else, I don't need any of it."

Afraid she'd lose control and start crying, she quickly turned away, picked up the divorce agreement, and without so much as a glance at it took a pen from the cabinet top and signed her name.

Clean, decisive, without a trace of hesitation.

It ached inside her. No one knew she had loved this man for ten years.

She bit down hard on her lip, refusing to let the tears fall. She thought back over this past year of marriage. He had given her his every indulgence, the care a husband gives a wife. It was she who had sunk too deep and let herself imagine things, forgetting that from the very start, his heart had belonged to someone else.

Now it was time to return what was never hers.

She drew a silent breath, turned to Herman, and asked, "When do we file the paperwork?"

At that, Herman frowned.

A year of marriage, and he'd never once seen it: this gentle woman was this eager to cut every tie with him.

His eyes narrowed slightly. His voice came indifferent, his expression unchanged. "In such a hurry? And you know perfectly well that never seeing each other again is impossible. Grandfather and the whole Curry family dote on you. Can you really bear to cut off all contact with the Currys too?"

"Herman, you're the one who asked for the divorce." There was a helplessness in her, yet still she made her pale little protest. "And we're about to be divorced. Are you really still going to concern yourself with my business?"

Her heart was being cut to ribbons, yet she had to keep up the careless smile.

Don't you know this will make me misread it? Make me think there's some small part of you that can't let me go?

She didn't dare look straight at him. Smiling, she asked, "Or is it that you don't love Wendy, and you've fallen for me instead?"

Herman's pupils contracted, the darkness in his eyes deepening.

The two of them stared at each other in silence before his low voice finally came. "Flora, I don't care for jokes like that."

Falling for her could only ever be a joke.

Flora's expression stiffened slightly. "I'm sorry."

He looked at this woman who was, as always, so gentle, well-behaved, and understanding, and for some reason an inexplicable emotion stirred deep in his chest.

It was then that Flora's phone suddenly rang.

She picked it up at once, and the name on the screen sent a flicker of panic through her eyes. It vanished quickly, but Herman caught it all the same.

She hesitated. His low voice asked, "Aren't you going to answer?"

She nodded and pressed the button. "Hello?"

"Flora, the results are in. There's nothing wrong with your health."

There was a brief pause on the other end.

"But you're pregnant. Just over two months along. The baby's developing well. Do you... want to keep it?"

The clear voice spilled into her ear word by word, slow and deliberate. Her eyes went vacant, the color draining from her face all at once, her whole body frozen.

She was pregnant.

She didn't answer. She only glanced instinctively at the man standing in front of her, unsure whether he'd heard at this distance.

Seeing her reaction, Herman asked with a trace of concern, "What's wrong?"

The person on the phone heard it too and said in shock, "Herman's with you?"

"Mm. I understand. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now."

She ended the call in a hurried, flustered rush.

Herman's gaze hadn't left her once this whole time, and now, seeing how shaken she looked, he pressed her. "Flora, tell me. What is it that's rattled you like this?"

She shook her head, her heart in agony.

What good would telling you do?

We're getting divorced anyway. Would you really stay in this marriage for the sake of a child?

No. She didn't want that.

She'd already debased herself enough.

She wouldn't use a child to chain him to her. If she did, she'd lose the last shred of her dignity.

She forced her emotions down and answered without a flicker on her face. "It's nothing. Just a problem at work. I can handle it myself."

Herman didn't call out the change in her. He only watched her, his gaze cool and assessing.

Flora managed a stiff smile, then seemed to remember something. "I need to go to the office. Let me know once you've set the time for the paperwork."

Then, without waiting for his response, she left Hillcrest Manor as fast as she could.

In that instant, the ache in her heart surged out like a rising tide.

Tears slid down from her eyes. Everything that had come before hurt so badly she could barely breathe, close to suffocating.

He'd never intended to see this marriage through from the very start, so why had he treated her so well?

He could pull away, clear-headed and rational. But what about her?

Flora raised a hand to her belly and murmured under her breath, "Baby, you shouldn't have come at a time like this. Mommy really doesn't know what to do."

This child was something she'd never expected, because everything that night had been absurd. Drunk, he'd held her, murmuring a name over and over. "Wendy..."

She'd refused him, but she was no match for a drunken man.

Afterward, all she had was endless shame and inner torment. And of all things, she'd forgotten to take the pill.

...

Flora drove to the architectural design firm she'd founded with her friend Mason Walters.

Recently one of their design drawings had run into trouble, reported on suspicion of plagiarism. She needed to clean up and handle the matter, or the consequences would be unthinkable.

When she reached the office, Mason saw how weak and drained she looked and asked, tense with worry, "Flora, what's wrong?"

She shook her head and only said, "It's nothing."

She checked the time and asked, "What's Concord saying?"

Concord Realty was the partner company on the disputed design.

"They want a reasonable explanation from us, or they'll sue."

"What time did you set? Should we go see them now?"

"Okay."

Mason nodded, talking with her as they walked out, then handed her a sheet of paper. "Someone's offering a fortune to bring you out of retirement. They want you to design a piece of diamond jewelry."

Flora took the paper and gave it a faint glance, then turned it down without the slightest hesitation. "Not for now. Let's talk about it after Herman and I are divorced."

"You and Herman are getting divorced?"

"Mm."

"He's the one who asked for it?"

A flash of grief crossed her eyes, and her voice came out flat. "Mm. The woman he loves woke up. He's going to marry her."

Mason's brows knit tight, his face grave to the extreme, but his eyes carried a deep ache for her and a clear displeasure toward Herman.

He said in a low voice, "Flora, why do you have to hurt yourself like this? A year ago you never should have..."

"Mason, if you really know me at all, then stop bringing up the past, all right?"

A year ago, she'd walked away from her own peak, her own fame, and come back to North City to marry Herman. All she'd gotten in return was a divorce agreement from him.

Mason thought she deserved better.

The shadows in his expression deepened, gloom settling over his brow, and a faint trace of resentment seeped into his eyes.

Flora caught it too. She said quietly, "Mason, no one can promise a marriage will end perfectly. I had a year as his wife, and that's enough for me. So don't ever feel I got cheated. You can't force feelings on anyone."

"You're right. Better to end it. Now I don't have to make things hard for myself anymore... and I won't have to hesitate over worrying that you'll be hurt."

Mason answered along with her words, but his voice dropped lower and lower.

Flora didn't catch the end of it. "What do you mean, you won't have to make things hard?"

"Nothing. It's just that I never liked Herman. Now I finally don't have to put on a polite face for him just to spare you any trouble."

Flora laughed. She'd never quite understood why Mason had bristled the very first time he laid eyes on Herman. Herman was no different, of course. The two men were like opposing magnets, hostile by nature. Maybe it was the same reason two beautiful women couldn't help sizing each other up.

When they reached Concord Realty, the project director refused to help with any investigation into the plagiarism, and made it clear he intended to pursue legal action and damages.

No matter how Flora and Mason explained, nothing came of it.

In the end the director seemed to waver a little, and let one thing slip, his tone flat. "It wasn't easy for our company to land a partnership with the Currys. Now this mess of yours has come up, and the Currys are not happy about it. Unless you can talk them around, there's no chance whatsoever."

The Currys?

The Curry family's company.

The one Herman ran now.

That was out of the question.

Coming out of Concord, Mason tried to reassure her, his face heavy. "Don't worry. I'll handle it. It'll be fine, okay?"

Flora only smiled. What was there to handle?

There was just one way.

Go to Herman.

But they were about to divorce. Why would he ever agree?

She wasn't in any mood to go back to the office, so she let Mason drive her home to Hillcrest Manor.

The whole way there, her thoughts stayed low and heavy.

She'd fallen into a confusion she'd never known before. About the baby. About work.

What was she going to do?

Back at Hillcrest Manor.

She stepped out of the car, radiant and lovely in the glow of the setting sun. She told Mason, "I'll decide what to do once I've thought it through. Drive safe."

Mason smiled too. He was about to say something when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a tall figure standing on the second-floor balcony of the manor.

His eyes narrowed slightly. He waved Flora over. "Flora, there's something I want to tell you."

Flora leaned down to the driver's window, and the man reached out and gently smoothed her hair. "Take care of yourself."

She blinked, caught off guard, not understanding what had gotten into him.

The two of them were close, close enough that it looked, for all the world, like they were about to kiss.

Every bit of it was taken in by the figure on the balcony, that handsome face cold and grim, as if a thin layer of crushed ice had settled over it.

Flora watched Mason drive off before she turned and walked back into the manor.

She'd barely stepped through the door when a displeased male voice rose. "So you were in such a hurry to go out just to see him?"

Flora looked up to see Herman coming down the stairs. Their eyes met. She neither flinched nor looked away, her tone even. "I just went to the office."

"Heh." His dark, deep-set eyes glinted with cold. "Flora, we're not divorced yet. So I'd like you to keep your distance from other men and do your part as a wife."

Flora's expression stiffened.

What right did he have to say that to her?

She'd only ridden in a friend's car. And what about him? Every so often he went to the hospital to see Wendy, and these past few days he'd gone every single day. Just because she said nothing didn't mean she didn't know.

Her gaze went thin and pale, mocking, turned on herself as much as him. "I know. But I'd like you to manage the same. The magistrate doesn't get to light his lanterns while the rest of us aren't even allowed a candle, does he?"

Her retort left Herman Bell with nothing to say.

But those deep, dark eyes, clouded with a thick, sullen displeasure, stayed fixed on her. Flora had no wish to keep squaring off with him. She turned to go upstairs, and as she passed him, a hand clamped tight around her wrist.

The man's voice came low and rough. "Flora, are you trying to keep me on a leash?"

"I only hope you can treat everyone the same way."

"For someone with a sharp tongue like his? Is all that gentleness, all that sweetness and good sense you show me every day just an act?"

She wrenched hard, trying to pull her hand free, but his grip was too strong. She had no power to fight it.

When she kept struggling, he simply gave a hard tug, and her whole body fell into his arms. That cool, faint scent of his rushed up at her, and she froze, not daring to move.

He pressed on. "Flora, answer me. Hm? Is it because of him?"

She kept her lips pressed tight. He was too close, and the position was far too intimate. It left her deeply unsettled.

But silence would solve nothing. This man wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted.

She could only say, low, "No. You're reading too much into it. He and I are just friends."

"Really just friends?"

"If you don't believe me, why bother asking?"

"Flora, Mason Walters isn't your kind of person, so keep some distance from him, all right?" He delivered the opinion from a man's point of view.

A flare of anger rose in Flora. She gave a cold laugh. "We're already getting divorced. You can order me to keep my distance from him now, but after the divorce, that becomes my business. Whoever I'm friends with, whoever I see, has nothing to do with you. Don't you understand"

"Mm"

Watching those faintly pink lips part and close, going on and on without stopping, he wanted nothing more than to make this maddening mouth go quiet at once. So without a second thought, he bent down and stopped it.

Flora's eyes went wide, her whole body rigid. She felt the thin press of the man's lips against hers, clear and unmistakable. In this past year, they had been intimate countless times, yet never once had they shared a kiss as simple as this.

To Flora it was unfamiliar, and it left her at a loss.

She lifted her hand at once, trying to push him away. But she didn't realize that, in a moment like this, it would only stir the man's hunger and his need to possess.

He kissed her with full, invading force, their breath tangling, hot as the thick of summer.

His dominance brought tears to the corners of her eyes, and the brutal plunder drained her strength until she could only let her whole weight fall against him.

Just as the kiss too began to spiral out of control, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang.

And in that instant, Herman stopped.

His lips slid to the corner of her mouth, his breathing fast and held in check, his forehead resting against hers. Those deep, low eyes looked straight into her, and only when the phone was about to cut off on its own did he fish it out and answer without so much as a glance.

"Hello?"

"Herman, I'm scared"

The woman's voice, soft and frail, carried clearly to Flora's ears, and only then did she realize what she had just done with him.

She had already signed the divorce papers. They were getting divorced. How could she let this happen?

Her face went cold. While the man was on the phone, she shoved him away hard and fled up the stairs.

Herman caught the pallor on her face, the sight of her back as she went. His eyes were black and grim, his whole face strained to the breaking point.

His brow knit faintly, and he said, flat, "Wendy Henson, what is it? Isn't the caregiver with you?"

"Herman, I'm scared. I keep feeling like there are people walking back and forth out there. Is someone trying to hurt me again? Can you come and stay with me?"

The man stayed silent.

Wendy sounded a little panicked. "Herman, I think that night just came back to me all of a sudden. I think I'm starting to remember what that man looked like"

"I'll come over right now. Let the nurse stay with you for now, all right?" Herman's jaw was tight, his tone gentle and even as always, but the moment Wendy finished speaking, his eyes went dark, deep as a bottomless pool no one could see into.

His answer delighted Wendy. "Okay. I'll wait for you."

The call ended. He lifted his gaze toward the staircase, his eyes darkening further, then told the housekeeper to remind Flora to eat dinner before he turned and strode out.

The engine roared to life soon after. Flora stood at the window of the master bedroom, watching the black car shrink into the distance.

That fair, soft face wore a remote, cool indifference, a self-mocking smile slipping from the corner of her lips. All she could see in her mind was the worried way he'd rushed out the door for Wendy.

He really did love Wendy. So what was she still daring to hope for?

.......

That night, Herman did not return to Hillcrest Manor. There was no need to wonder why. He'd surely stayed at the hospital with Wendy.

In the year and more they'd been married, this was the first night he hadn't come home, business trips aside. She didn't text him, didn't call to disturb him. She made herself into a dignified, gracious, gentle, and forgiving wife, and she succeeded at it.

Because from the moment she learned she was to marry Herman, Mrs. Jenner of the Jenner family, her own mother, had told her again and again how to be a wife a man would never tire of.

She'd followed every instruction. But she didn't understand. She'd done everything so well, so why hadn't Herman felt even the faintest stir of feeling for her?

She turned it over and over, and there was only one explanation.

It was that he loathed her too much, loathed her as a person, and so there was no room left for any affection at all.

Flora had no choice but to face reality. She told herself, over and over, "He doesn't love me. He never will."

A dreamless night, and she slept badly. Only when the sky paled did she finally drift into deep sleep, and not long after, the ringing of her phone jolted her awake.

She picked it up and looked. It was Herman calling.

She pressed answer, her voice a little hoarse. "Is something wrong?"

"You're up?"

"Mm."

"Get two outfits ready for Wendy and bring them to the hospital. She doesn't want anyone seeing her the way she is right now, so you'll bring them yourself, all right?"

A question phrased like a statement.

Flora's soft, fine lashes trembled. Her whole face was pale and colorless from the poor sleep. She blanked for a moment before asking, "You want me to bring them to the hospital?"

"Mm. You bring them."

"Miss Henson and I hardly know each other. By rights I'm an outsider too. Would she really want me seeing her like this?"

"She won't mind, so bring them as soon as you can, all right?"

Flora pressed her lips together. Her heart felt as if something had clamped down hard on it, and the pain was sharp. She told herself, again and again, that this was the last time she would do something she didn't want to do for his sake.

Her eyes were cold, her tone gentle and even. "I'll be there in an hour."

She ended the call before the man could respond.

She forced the feelings down with everything she had, but the suppressed ache only sank deeper, leaving her in unbearable torment.

Was he really going to punish her this way, just because she'd ridden home in Mason's car last night?

But whether it was that or not, she wanted to end this marriage more desperately than she ever had.

Wendy had woken up. This was only the beginning. From now on, every single day, he would set his heart on Wendy, and things like this would happen at every turn, without end.

She couldn't imagine what days like that would be like.

She took two outfits from the wardrobe in the dressing room, clothes that were replaced every season but that she had never worn, and drove to the hospital.

When she reached the door of the ward and was just about to raise her hand to knock, a conversation came through clearly from inside. "Herman, I must look so ugly right now, don't I? If Flora sees me, won't she laugh at me?"

Herman's voice was gentle as he soothed her. "How could you be ugly? You're still recovering. Don't let yourself get discouraged, all right?"

"Really? You won't start to find me repulsive?" The woman's voice was soft and coaxing, threaded with hope.

He answered without a moment's hesitation. "Of course not. Once you're well, we'll get married."

"Really? You're not just saying that to comfort me?"

"I'm not. Now eat something."

"Herman, I love you." Her voice came soft and tender, sweet as a stirring run of piano notes, enough to melt a heart.

Outside the door, Flora heard every word, not one of them missed. A faint, self-mocking smile touched her lips, the grief beneath her eyes endless. She had no wish to eavesdrop on someone else's sweet nothings, but knocking and intruding would only make her more of a nuisance, so waiting quietly seemed the better choice.

Only once she was sure the two of them had finished talking did she knock.

A low, indifferent male voice followed. "Come in."

Flora pushed the door open and walked in, and the first thing she saw was the man standing by the hospital bed. He was still wearing the same suit he'd left Hillcrest Manor in yesterday. So he really had spent the entire night at the hospital, watching over the woman he loved.

That handsome face wore a remote expression, and when his deep eyes turned on her there was no warmth in them, no flicker of feeling, as if he were looking at someone of no consequence at all.

Her hands tightened without her meaning them to, and her steps stiffened to a halt where she stood.

It was the woman in the bed who spoke then. "Flora's here. I'm so sorry, troubling you to bring my clothes all this way. Come, come sit for a while."

At the sound of the woman's voice, Flora finally lowered her gaze.

The woman in the bed was pale, drained of color, her chin-length black hair spilling loose on either side. Perhaps from sleeping so long, there clung to her a fragile, sickly beauty, the kind that made anyone who looked at her want to shield her.

She was eating her breakfast, a bowl of soft, silky steamed egg. Newly awake, she could only manage liquids and things easy to digest.

But the smell of the egg rose thick and heavy into Flora's nose, and her brow knotted at once.

In an instant she felt something churning in her stomach, surging up, and the next second she couldn't hold it back at all, clapping a hand over her mouth as she gagged.

All at once the air in the room went silent.

Herman's gaze fixed on her, his voice low. "What are you doing?"

Wendy's face had crumpled too, and she said softly, "Does Flora think the way I look now is disgusting?"

The retching seemed to have finally pushed down that wave of nausea. Flora's face was cool, her eyes remote, and she said flatly, "I didn't mean anything by it. I just don't like the smell of the antiseptic."

She carried the clothes over, holding her breath as best she could to keep from smelling the egg. "Here are the clothes you wanted. They're all new."

Wendy reached out quickly to take them. She opened the package, glanced inside, and a delighted smile spread across her face. "Flora, you're so kind. You even knew the style I like."

The style she liked?

So all those clothes in the dressing room at Hillcrest Manor, the ones swapped out every season, had been prepared for her?

Flora looked at Herman, a cold smile curving her lips, her eyes brimming with self-mockery.

"If there's nothing else," she said coldly, "can we talk?"

Wendy's chest went tight, and she spoke up at once. "Flora, are you upset? I know you're Herman's wife now. I shouldn't have called him out so late last night, but I..."

As she spoke, Wendy began to weep, wronged and guilty in equal measure, her explanation low and hoarse. "I didn't want it to be that way either, but I really had no choice. Herman's the only one I have in North City, I..."

"Wendy, don't say any more. Have you forgotten what the doctor told you? You can't get worked up right now. You need to rest." Herman bent down quickly to stop her, his brow furrowed deep, his clean profile all worry.

Only after Wendy had her emotions under control did he straighten up, knit his brows, and look at Flora, his eyes a tangle of feeling. "Wendy isn't well. Why do you have to pull a face and make her feel awful?"

Flora stared at the man in disbelief. She hadn't done a single thing. And in the end, she was still the one in the wrong?

She pressed her lips together, a faint smile curving them. "Does the look on my face really matter that much? If Miss Henson truly cared, why would she have called at that hour? But since the call's already been made, there's no need for guilt. Besides, we've already signed the divorce agreement. In name, we're as good as divorced."

Her tone was flat, without a trace of reluctance.

Watching her reaction, Herman's dark eyes grew deeper. This was exactly the outcome he'd wanted, yet for some reason, an emotion he couldn't name brushed across the tip of his heart. It was faint, too light to stir even a ripple, and still it refused to be ignored.

His brows snapped together, his voice edged with displeasure. "Flora, if you're upset because I had you bring the clothes over, you can take it out on me. But Wendy's health is fragile. She can't be hurt or upset."

He ached for Wendy, unwilling to let her suffer the slightest grievance. So Flora was the one who could be hurt and upset.

Seeing the mood sour, Wendy quickly reached out and tugged at Herman's sleeve. "Herman, don't be like this with Flora. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have troubled her."

Then she turned to Flora, her voice earnest, as if it came straight from the heart. "Flora, I really am sorry for the trouble I've caused you."

Flora's face stayed cold, no reaction at all, her eyes just as remote.

Her silence made Wendy's expression stiffen, the words dying for a moment.

Once again Flora saw the man's heart with perfect clarity. Without a flicker of expression, her eyelids gave a faint tremble, and she lifted her gaze to him, her voice level. "Let's settle on a time and finish the paperwork."

Herman's brows drew in slightly, his eyes deep as a frozen pool and laced with a chill, his voice cold as frost. "Monday morning."

It was Saturday. Two days left.

She gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, then said, "All right. I won't keep you two any longer."

Herman gave no answer at all, his face icy, as though he were deeply displeased. Had she said something wrong?

Flora let out a silent, self-mocking laugh inside, turned, and walked out of the hospital room.

Behind her came Wendy's voice, smoothing things over. "Herman, go explain things to Flora. Whatever it is, talk it out, don't lose your temper."

The man answered coldly, "There's nothing to explain."

He said it that way, but his face stayed icy and remote, without a hint of warmth, and something seemed lodged in his chest, leaving him angry and irritated all at once.

She had always been gentle as water. When had she turned this stubborn?

Flora came out of the hospital room, tears slipping from the corners of her eyes.

She'd thought that after Herman brought up the divorce last night, she'd already braced herself to face this moment. But when she actually saw him there with Wendy, her heart still twisted with pain.

It felt as if something kept gnawing at her heart, until it went numb.

From the hospital she drove back to their marital home, Hillcrest Manor. It was the wedding gift the Curry patriarch had given them, and she'd lived here from the very first day of the marriage. A full year. Countless memories all came to their full stop here.

Once the paperwork was done, she'd have to move out, which meant finding a place ahead of time. After all, the Jenner family wasn't exactly eager to take her in.

Thinking of the Jenners, she realized the divorce was something she'd have to tell them in advance.

She tidied a few things, then drove back to the Jenner house.

Since the wedding, she hadn't come back often.

Because she'd known for a long time that her mother didn't like her.

She had only just reached the door when she heard a worried voice from inside. "Mom, I heard Wendy's awake, and Herman won't leave her side for a second. Are we really just going to sit here and wait for the worst? If Wendy remembers..."

"Jade Jenner, don't bring up another word about this. The most important thing for you right now is to go study at the Jenner firm and get ready for the next design competition." The gentle, beautiful woman lowered her voice, her words full of doting and concern.

When Flora heard Wendy's name, a flicker of surprise crossed her face, but she didn't keep listening. Instead she lifted her foot and walked toward the living room.

"Mom, I'm back," she said quietly.

She raised her eyes to Susannah Jenner, seated on the living room sofa. Susannah carried herself with a dignified, gentle air, her features bearing a faint resemblance to Flora's own.

Flora's sudden return drew a faint look of surprise from both Susannah and Jade beside her. Jade smiled slightly. "You're back, little sister? Why didn't you make a sound? You weren't eavesdropping on Mom and me, were you?"

Susannah's expression cooled the instant she heard it, her voice turning stern. "Flora, how many times have I told you? You don't do anything in secret. You're not that country girl you used to be. You're a debutante, the second daughter of the Jenner family, Herman Bell's wife."

Flora lowered her gaze, her face cool and still, no excess of feeling rippling across it. She nodded and answered quietly, "Yes, Mother. I understand."

Only then did Susannah's face soften a little. "Come, sit," she said evenly.

Flora walked over and sat down, her back straight, her posture refined and graceful. That stunning face of hers stayed unforgettable no matter what she wore.

It was the one thing about her Susannah ever approved of.

A faint warmth seeped into Susannah's eyes. "What brings you back at this hour?"

"Mother, I'm divorcing Herman Bell."

Flora lifted her head and met Susannah's gaze, her eyes set with a resolve that didn't waver in the slightest.

Susannah was stunned speechless.

Jade was startled too.

But Susannah recovered quickly. She frowned and pressed her, "What did you say? You want to divorce Herman Bell?"

"Yes. We're divorcing. We sign the papers on Monday."

"Flora, do you hear yourself? This is a marriage your grandfather fought for with his own life, and you'd throw it away just like that?"

The marriage between Flora and Herman was no simple match between great houses. The Jenner and Curry patriarchs had been friends who'd risked their lives for each other, and years ago, in an accident, old Mr. Jenner had given up one of his legs to save Brandon Bell's life.

Brandon had proposed binding the families closer right then. But it wasn't until Herman's generation that there was finally a boy and a girl to match.

The intended bride had never been Flora. It was Jade, the most cherished daughter of the Jenner family.

By then old Mr. Jenner had fallen gravely ill, and it was he who insisted on bringing Flora back from the countryside to marry into the Curry family. He'd even threatened Brent Jenner with dying with his eyes open before he got his way.

Flora was Susannah's own daughter too, but Susannah had wanted a son with all her heart. Bearing Flora had damaged her womb and left her unable to have more children. She never healed from it, and laid all the blame at Flora's feet.

At ten, Flora was sent away to the countryside. She didn't come back until a year ago, to marry Herman Bell.

Susannah, livid, rose and stepped right up to Flora, staring her down. "Answer me. You're only throwing a tantrum, saying things you don't mean."

Flora tilted her head up at her. "Herman wants to marry Wendy Henson. I've already signed. This isn't something I'm just saying..."

Crack

A sharp slap landed hard across Flora's cheek.

Her softly curled lashes trembled, and a ringing filled her ears. For a moment she thought she'd gone deaf.

Susannah had lashed out in fury, and only the sound of the slap brought her up short.

But she didn't regret it. She pointed at the door, her voice fierce. "Get out. Get out of this house. The Jenner family has no daughter like you."

Flora stood and walked out, lifting her feet like a puppet on strings.

Susannah notified her husband at once. The marriage between Herman and Flora was hardly a matter between the two of them. It concerned two families and two companies.

A divorce wouldn't be that simple.

...

Outside the Jenner estate, Flora stood beside the car, holding her feelings in.

What worried her most was the child in her belly. She was deeply grateful the blow had landed on her face and nowhere else.

As for whether the slap hurt her heart?

No.

Not in the least. Only a silent coldness.

It was the first time Susannah had ever struck her, but the cold cruelty over the years had long accustomed Flora to her mother's treatment.

If one slap could buy her the divorce, she'd take it gladly.

Her face was grim as she reached for the car door, when Jade's voice came from behind her. "Flora, are you really divorcing Herman?"

Flora said nothing, only gave her a faint glance.

Jade frowned. "If you don't value him, why did you marry him in the first place? Do you have any idea how far the Jenner family has fallen these past years? Father was counting on leaning on the Curry family to take the Jenners further. You're being too selfish."

"And so?"

There was no warmth in Flora's face. She could tolerate Herman, because she loved him, and she could endure Susannah, because Susannah had given birth to her and had no other choice. But that didn't mean anyone was free to interrogate her or lecture her.

Jade was taken aback. "What?"

"So I should beg Herman not to divorce me? Even knowing full well he's in love with Wendy Henson, I should throw away every shred of my dignity and beg him not to leave?"

"It must be that you failed as a wife. That's why Herman's in such a rush to divorce you."

Jade gave a cold snort.

"Whether we divorce or not has nothing to do with you, so there's no need for you to trouble yourself, sister."

"You think I want to bother with you? If it weren't for you, I'd be Herman's wife right now. It's all your fault. You'd already left, so why did you have to come back?"

Jade pressed her with rising emotion, her eyes rimmed red. She was the one who should have been Herman's wife, and Flora had snatched it from her. It galled her.

Flora's face stayed calm and cold, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Coveting your own brother-in-law with such a clear conscience. You really have shown me a new side of yourself, sister."

"You..."

"If you truly want him, sister, by all means go beg Mother and Father. Wasting more breath on me won't get you anywhere."

"......"

Flora shot her a cold look, then pulled the car door open and got in.

The car sped away. Jade stood where she was, lips pressed tight, and stamped her foot hard, a cold and tangled look filling her eyes.

No one knew how much she hated this little sister of hers.

Hillcrest Manor.

Flora had barely eaten all day, so the moment she got back, she asked the kitchen to make her a bowl of noodles.

She looked at the noodles, topped with greens and a fried egg, and she should have been starving. Instead a wave of nausea rose in her, sudden and sharp, an urge to throw up.

She thought it was just from going too long without food. The instant she lifted the chopsticks to her mouth, that violent feeling broke past her control.

She rushed to the bathroom, retching again and again.

It was a wretched feeling, as if her insides were being wrung out of her.

It took a long while before it eased. She straightened up, and her eyes met a pair of deep, jet-black ones.

Her gaze went blank. Shocked, she spun toward the man. "When did you get back?"

She hadn't heard a sound.

His face was calm and cool, those brooding eyes fixed hard on her. "What's wrong with you?"

Panic flickered in her eyes, but she forced her voice steady. "Nothing."

"You're sure it's nothing?"

He pressed on, his brow knitting.

Flora only smiled. "Of course. What did you think was wrong?"

Something like dread flashed deep in her eyes, but she buried it fast, sealed it tight.

Herman caught it anyway. Those deep black eyes stayed on her without blinking, as if they meant to see straight through to whatever was in her heart.

A long moment passed before he said, cool and even, "Flora, you couldn't be pregnant, could you?"

What he said was, "You couldn't be pregnant, could you?"

Not, "You aren't pregnant, are you?"

One word apart, and the difference between them was vast.

Flora's eyes trembled, her heart aching fiercely, as if something had it in a crushing grip.

He had dismissed the very possibility of a child outright, without a flicker of hesitation, not even a moment's pause.

Flora didn't look away, didn't flinch from his gaze. A faint smile sat in her eyes. "If I really were pregnant, would you let me keep it?"

"You couldn't possibly be pregnant." His tone was utterly certain, that deep gaze just as resolute.

His reaction settled into the bottom of Flora's heart and turned into a pain that would never fade. So in his mind, he had never once believed there could be a child between them.

She swallowed the ache and gave a faint smile. "Since you're so clear on it yourself, then what are you doubting? After all, every single time, you used protection. Or have you forgotten?"

Except, of course, for that one drunken night, which he remembered nothing of afterward, and which she would never bring up herself.

Her expression didn't shift. There wasn't a single crack to give her away.

Her answer was exactly what he wanted to hear, yet when he saw the mocking curl at the corner of her mouth, that handsome face tightened a little. His heart felt as if something sharp had brushed lightly across it, stirring an emotion he couldn't name.

Herman's brows drew faintly together, the feeling in his eyes thickening. They held each other's gaze for a long while before he asked, his voice remote, "If you're not feeling well, you should still see a doctor. I'll have Anthony Powell arrange it?"

Anthony was his secretary.

Flora shook her head and refused. "No need. I'll go on my own."

"It's your body. Don't let other things drive you into a corner over it. Or I'll go with you myself. Hm?"

"Herman, I told you, I'll go on my own. We're getting divorced anyway. Am I supposed to keep leaning on you? And are you sure Miss Henson won't mind?"

At that, Herman said nothing more. His eyes darkened, that proud, refined face cold as still water, without a trace of warmth.

Flora warned herself in silence. Did you see it clearly? He doesn't feel a thing for you, doesn't care for you at all. You're nothing. The only one he cares about is Wendy Henson.

His silence pulled a bitter, self-mocking laugh out of her.

The quiet settled over the room with it. After a good while, Herman asked, brows faintly furrowed, "About our divorce. Have you told the Jenner family yet?"

Would She Go Back to Her Ex After the Divorce

She lifted her eyes to him. "Yes, I told them."

"Why didn't you discuss it with me first?"

His expression soured, something complicated stirring deep in his eyes.

Flora didn't understand why he was reacting so strongly. Was it because she'd taken it upon herself to tell the Jenners about the divorce?

"I didn't think this was something that needed discussing," Flora said. "Aren't we about to finalize the paperwork anyway? So my telling my family clearly wouldn't affect you in any way, would it?"

"You're in such a hurry to draw a line between us?"

Herman's voice was cold as he pressed her, an icy edge in the set of his brow.

Flora blinked, completely lost as to what he meant.

She gave a faint, helpless smile. "Herman, have you forgotten you're the one who asked for the divorce?"

If anyone was in a hurry to draw lines, it was him.

He frowned, the emotion in his eyes heavy, his voice dropping to a chilly register. "Even so, there's no need to rush like this. You could've waited until the divorce was actually finalized. Your parents already went straight to my grandfather with the news. We'll have to make a trip back to the old estate soon."

So his earlier interrogation was because Brandon learning about the divorce had thrown off his plan?

Flora gave a quiet, bitter little smile inside.

She really had been flattering herself. He wanted the divorce, but he didn't want a single obstacle in the way of it.

She drew a soundless breath, her tone level. "Don't worry. I'll explain everything to your grandfather. He's very fond of me. He'll agree."

Herman's eyes narrowed slightly. Watching her face stay cool and remote without a trace of reluctance, the thick thing in his eyes deepened, and an inexplicable displeasure ran through him, leaving his chest a tangled, numb mess.

He couldn't understand how a person could change their face so fast.

Before he'd ever brought up the divorce, Flora had been gentle and considerate, doting on him, the two of them always courteous as guests, never a single quarrel or clash between them. But ever since he'd raised it yesterday, she was either coldly mocking him or shutting him out with indifference.

Was it really just because he'd been the one to say it first?

He looked at that bright, exquisite face of hers, lovely as ever yet veiled now in a thin mist that hid her true self from him. He'd always known she was beautiful, the undisputed first lady of their circle, lovely without being gaudy, never showy, yet with a pull to her, the kind of presence that stopped a gaze on first sight and stayed in the memory.

A question rose in him despite himself.

What kind of man was this ex of hers, that she'd been willing to lay down her own marriage for him?

When they married, they'd stated it plainly: he was doing it to placate Brandon, and she was doing it to cut all ties with her ex.

The thought wasn't new. It had surfaced more than once. But this time, an uneasy edge spread quietly through his chest.

His jaw tightened, his voice low and rough. "Flora, after we divorce, will you go back to him?"

Flora paused, not catching his meaning at first. When it landed, the expression on her face slowly turned cool. "No."

"Why?"

he asked.

"No reason. We already broke up. Why would I go back? Besides, by now he's probably long since fallen for someone else."

Her face was as calm as still water, every expression and look as though she were merely discussing someone else's business.

Herman kept his eyes fixed on her, missing nothing that crossed her face. "Wasn't it that he didn't want to break up with you? Maybe he's still waiting for you even now."

"Everyone changes. No one stays rooted in one spot waiting forever, right?"

The words were for herself too.

If fighting for it had led nowhere, what was the point of holding on?