Chapter 6 Preparing for Divorce

"That way Lavinia can be my mommy!"

Watching four-year-old Jessica's face light up with excitement, Eleanor felt her heart turn cold.

This was the Jessica she had raised with so much effort and devotion.

Eleanor's heart ached uncontrollably. She took a deep breath, suppressing the lingering pain in her chest, and said with a light sneer, "That's right. As long as Harold agrees to divorce me now, Lavinia will be your mother."

Harold stared at Eleanor intently. "Are you serious?"

"Of course." Eleanor forced a smile. "Too bad it's nighttime. How about this—we'll go handle the paperwork first thing tomorrow morning."

Eleanor paused. "Jessica hates me, so you can have custody. I'll send the child support payments to you every month."

Even though my daughter doesn't want to acknowledge me as her mother, I'm the one who brought Jessica into this world. So even though I'm utterly disappointed in Jessica, I won't forget my responsibilities as a mother.

But beyond child support, there won't be anything more.

At this thought, Eleanor gave a self-mocking smile. Even though she had given Jessica all her love, to Jessica it was just a burden, a shackle. Jessica didn't want her love... and neither did Harold. They had given all their love to Lavinia.

Eleanor no longer held any hope.

Whether it was this carefully maintained home, Harold whom she once loved deeply, or Jessica whom she had raised with so much love until age four—Eleanor wanted none of it anymore.

Hearing Eleanor arrange the divorce so neatly in just a few sentences, Harold's expression grew even darker.

He had thought about divorcing her more than once before, but now that Eleanor suddenly brought up divorce, he didn't feel the happiness he'd expected. Instead, he felt strangely uncomfortable.

Lavinia's heart lifted. She gazed at his profile with deep affection, hoping to hear him personally agree to Eleanor's divorce request.

"Daddy, say yes!" Jessica kept urging.

Eleanor laughed lightly. "Jessica can't wait. Just agree already. After the divorce, you can be with whoever you want."

And with each word she spoke, Harold's expression grew colder.

Just when all three of them thought Harold would agree to the divorce, Harold dropped a single sentence.

"I won't agree to a divorce. Don't bring it up again."

With that, he walked straight into the house.

Disappointment spread across Lavinia's face.

Jessica noticed her disappointment and quickly comforted her. "Lavinia, don't be sad. I'll go talk to Daddy."

The small figure turned and chased into the house.

"Daddy, Daddy, why won't you agree to divorce the bad mommy..."

Jessica's innocent yet cruel words reached her ears.

Eleanor's heart went numb with pain.

Lavinia stood up, no longer pretending, and spoke with a triumphant expression. "Eleanor, don't think that just because Harold didn't immediately agree to divorce you, he still has feelings for you. He's only doing it for Jessica's sake. Let me give you some friendly advice—don't flatter yourself."

Eleanor said nothing, but her hands slowly clenched into fists.

Lavinia's words were blunt.

For Eleanor, who had loved Harold for over ten years, they were especially cruel, but they were also the naked truth.

Lavinia's eyes filled with mockery. "Back then, you used dirty tricks to trap Harold. He hated you for it... Later, you shamelessly used Jessica to manipulate the Hernandez family and Harold, making Harold's parents force him to marry you. But unfortunately, his heart was never with you. From beginning to end, the person he loved was always me."

"You lost. Completely."

Eleanor forced down the pain in her heart and sneered coldly. "Ms. Saunders, as a homewrecker, what do you have to be proud of?"

"In love, the one who isn't loved is the real homewrecker!"

Lavinia threw out these words and turned to leave.

Eleanor stood there as the night wind blew past.

It wasn't even winter, but her body still trembled uncontrollably.

After standing outside for a while, Eleanor finally stepped into the house.

Not seeing Harold and Jessica on the first floor, Eleanor went straight upstairs. Passing by the children's room, she heard Harold and Jessica talking quietly inside.

Eleanor didn't pay attention and went straight to the master bedroom to wash up.

That night, Harold didn't return to the master bedroom.

For once, Eleanor slept deeply.

The next morning.

There was a guest at home—from his clothes, he appeared to be a doctor. Harold was also unusually at home.

"You're up?" Harold spoke first.

Eleanor glanced at him but didn't respond.

She wasn't planning to cook today. Just as she was about to order takeout, she noticed a sandwich and a glass of milk on the dining table.

"This is for you. Jessica and I already ate." Harold explained with a slight smile.

Surprise flashed in Eleanor's eyes.

Still, she didn't refuse. After finishing breakfast, she prepared to return to her room.

In the living room on the sofa.

"Wait." Harold stood up and walked toward her.

Eleanor raised an eyebrow. "Are we going to get divorced now?"

"I don't want to hear you say that again!" Harold said in a low, stern voice. He reached out and pulled her to sit on the sofa.

"This is Dr. Oscar Howard. He has a lot of experience with stomach problems." Harold explained briefly, then instructed Oscar, "Oscar, please give her a thorough examination."

Last night at midnight, Harold had coincidentally heard from a friend about Eleanor's hospital visit yesterday.

After having his assistant Knox Palmer investigate at the hospital, he found out that Eleanor's stomach problem had flared up.

Hearing this, Eleanor looked at Harold in surprise.

So Oscar was someone Harold had asked to come treat me?

How did Harold know my stomach problem flared up?

While Oscar was examining her, Harold looked at her with reproach. "Why didn't you say anything when your stomach problem acted up?"

"There was no need to say anything." Eleanor's voice was cold.

Harold's phone suddenly rang.

Eleanor glanced at it—it was a call from Lavinia.

Harold didn't answer immediately. He asked Oscar, "Oscar, how is it? Her condition..."

Before he could finish, the phone rang urgently again.

Harold had no choice but to get up and walk to the floor-to-ceiling window to answer. "What's wrong, Lavinia... What? Don't worry, I'll be right there."

Whatever was said on the other end of the line.

Harold hung up, his face full of urgency. He glanced at Eleanor and quickly made a decision.

"Oscar, I need you to come with me to another place right now."

Oscar was surprised. "What about here?"

"The situation there is more urgent." Harold said in a deep voice.

Oscar was hired by him, so naturally he would listen to him. He quickly packed up his medical bag and left.

Only the two of them remained in the living room.

Eleanor's expression was calm.

Harold frowned, pressed his thin lips together, and still opened his mouth to explain. "Lavinia is sick, quite seriously. I need to take Oscar there first. I'll arrange for Oscar to come back another day to examine you..."

"No need." Eleanor interrupted him flatly.

"What are you making a fuss about now?" Harold looked irritated.

Eleanor looked up at him expressionlessly and asked back, "What am I making a fuss about?"

From beginning to end, I haven't said a word. I watched him answer Lavinia's call and directly take away the doctor he claimed he specially hired for me...

Eleanor thought she had done very well—not fighting, not competing. Which wife could be as considerate of her husband as she was?

Harold's eyes filled with displeasure. "Aren't you upset because I'm taking Oscar to treat Lavinia? You're always like this!" "Can't you be more understanding? Lavinia is sick..."

Eleanor hadn't said anything, yet he always found reasons to blame her unfairly.

Lavinia was sick, so he didn't hesitate to take Oscar away. Eleanor considerately told him there was no need for another examination, but he thought she was making a fuss!

A small figure coming downstairs happened to hear Harold's last sentence.

"Daddy, did you just say Lavinia is sick? Is it serious?" Jessica rushed up and hugged Harold's leg, pleading, "I want to go see Lavinia too!"

The phone rang again. Harold decided not to argue with Eleanor anymore. "Eleanor, stay home and reflect on yourself. Stop making trouble out of nothing. We'll talk when we get back."

"Bad mommy, you heard what Daddy said. Can't you just behave? Why do you always have to go after Lavinia? Lavinia is sick and you're still like this. You're so annoying!"

Jessica complained disapprovingly.

Harold and Jessica accused Eleanor together, then left her alone at home and hurried out to see Lavinia.

Inside the villa, it suddenly became quiet.

Eleanor sat on the sofa for a long time, until her phone dinged. She opened it to look.

It was Lavinia posting on social media with a photo: [Sick, but it feels so good to be taken care of.]

In the photo, Harold only showed a blurry side profile, along with Jessica's small figure. Harold and Jessica's eyes seemed to only see Lavinia, pale-faced in the hospital bed.

Looking at this post, after a long while, Eleanor laughed quietly, her heart dead as ashes.

She gripped her phone tightly, finally seeing reality clearly.

Looking around, the home that once felt so warm to her had somehow become an ice cave.

There was no trace of attachment in Eleanor's eyes. She stood up and went upstairs.

That day, she quietly prepared divorce papers at home alone, and also ordered several mini cameras for same-day delivery, installing them in various places around the house.

Since she had decided on divorce, she naturally needed to collect evidence of Harold's infidelity during their marriage to win the final battle of the divorce.

After installing the cameras, she returned to her room and packed up all the gifts Harold had given her over the years, throwing away what should be thrown away and reselling what couldn't be discarded.

It was time for her to leave.