Two weeks had passed after my staged ‘accident,’ and I was discharged from the hospital with a divorce certificate in hand. When Raven’s lawyer appeared with the divorce agreement, Edmund had no choice but to scribble his signature, seeing my seriousness in the matter. The procedure went smoothly since both parties were determined to go through the process.
I was hobbling toward the parking area with Mrs Winfrey. The disappointment was written all over her face as she opened the car door for me.
“It’s okay, Mrs Winfrey. This is nothing. I will be fine,” I uttered reassuringly, giving her hand a little squeeze.
“How about you stay home until you are fully healed, Maggie? I’m sure Edmund wouldn’t mind,” she proposed somberly.
I smiled and shook my head. “I would love to stay with you. But I can’t. Edmund and I are nothing but strangers now. I can’t be living under the same roof anymore. We can’t stand each other.”
Mrs Winfrey sniffed. “My poor child. Where will you go after this?”
“Oh, come on! You know I’m a girl scout! I never make a move without prior preparations,” I joked, wiggling my brows as we settled in the back seat. “I’ll text you my address when I’ve settled down. You will visit me, right?”
“Of course, darling!” Mrs Winfrey replied, pulling me into a tight embrace.
Guilt gripped my heart when I felt the old woman shudder while sobbing softly in my arms. When Edith passed away, Mrs. Winfrey gave me the motherly love I never had. I was certain I’d miss her more than I would ever miss Edmund.
That afternoon, I packed the things I brought with me when I first moved in. I contemplated for a while whether to take the stuff I had bought with Edmund’s money but ended up rejecting the idea. They would only remind me of the horrible time of being his wife.
Then, my attention focused on the unopened shopping bags from several luxury brands in the corner of the walk-in closet. Those were the items I bought that day. I smirked in contentment when I recalled how Edmund had called me out for spending his money.
Thirty million. It wasn’t enough to compensate for the psychological and emotional damage he had caused me.
Clutching my crutches, I called for Mrs Winfrey and a few maids to take the bags to the living room. I gathered all the servants working in the villa and ordered them to pick whatever they fancied from the heap of expensive things.
I was a philanthropist to the core, for I had known what it was like to live in poverty. However, I was doing this to piss off my ex all the while thinking that it was better to give them to people who were in need.
Just the thought of the possibility that Violet would covet the stuff I had personally selected irked me.
“B-But Mrs Grant, each of these is worth hundreds of thousands. W-We can’t possibly take it,” said Gina, a maid in her late twenties. The glint of greed in her eyes betrayed her words.
It almost made me believe that Edmund's prejudice toward women without a background was not unfounded.
“No worries. These are all mine and I’m giving them away so you can make better use of them. If you are apprehensive, you can always take them to the shops and ask for a refund in cash. That would be more helpful. The receipts are intact for your assistance.”
The crowd gasped in awe. I was aware that, for people without wealth, cash was more practical. Only those born with silver spoons found those luxury items a necessity to display their fortune and status.
“Alan, I know that your daughter is undergoing chemotherapy. Please take this as my farewell gift and I hope she overcomes her illness and gets well soon,” I said sincerely, handing the most expensive piece of jewelry to the aged gardener.
Surprised, the man trotted to accept the velvet box with a tearful expression. “Madam, thank you very much. It is very thoughtful of you to even remember my family situation. You are the most down-to-earth and generous person I have ever met. May the Almighty bless you!”
I smiled and nodded politely. One by one, I called out the names of every worker, finding the smallest reason to encourage them to accept my presents.
The sun was already kissing the horizon when the event ended. I was pleased how it turned out and the grateful expression on the worker’s face made me feel warm. After giving my farewell speech, I reminded them that I would no longer be the madam of the house—no longer Mrs Grant as they used to call me.
For the last time, I went back to my room to take a little breather. There, I took off my wedding band, engagement ring, and placed it on top of the dresser along with Edmund’s black credit card. On a piece of onion skin paper, I penned a short poem while staring at the portrait we had taken on our wedding day.
[I longed for you like a breath of fresh air on warm summer eve;
Your voice, your touch, and your scent are seared in my bone,
I loved you the way the sun refused to set on a summer night;
Your eyes, your lips, and your heart rejects every shade of my tone,
I miss you as the earth yearned for water in a drought;
Twenty-four months later and I’m still alone.
Goodbye, Edmund.]
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I folded the parchment into a butterfly origami. I knew my ex-husband loved literature. And like a pathetic fool, I wished that it would reach him—for the first and the last time.
An hour later, I grabbed my handbag and went down the stairs. I saw Edmund’s familiar figure leaning by the doorway, his arms were crossed over his chest. His gaze was intense and there was an unfathomable amount of depth with the way he was studying me.
“You can stay until you find a place to move in,” he offered placidly, his eyes never leaving my face.
“Thanks. But I can manage Mr Grant. Staying in a place where I do not belong is not only an imposition to your kindness but also disrespect to myself,” I declined flatly.
“Stop being stubborn, Margaret. You refused everything I have offered you. Your pride will take you nowhere. Pearl City isn’t a place where you can survive without money and connections.”
My mouth curled into a smirk. I glanced at the luggage beside me then looked at him coldly. “I came with nothing but a few pieces of clothing so I’m leaving with what only belonged to me. As for the properties you promised to give me, you can donate it to the foundation I have established with your grandmother. It could support the studies of over a hundred of less fortunate kids. That way, you would be doing the world a favor of reducing illiteracy.”
Edmund’s eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly masked it.
“Did you honestly believe I married you because of all the material things you can give me? I hate to break it to you Mr Grant, but you don’t know anything about me. You are free now, and this is goodbye,” I added.
“You’re such a clown. I know you’ve gotten used to put on the act of being a philanthropist. Grandma’s no longer around, you can put an end to it.”
I scoffed and cocked a brow. “Of course, you always found my existence nothing but hilarious. But you are so wrong on so many things on so many levels. One day, your prejudice will come back and bite you in the ass. Now, please move, I have people waiting for me.”
He opened his mouth to retort, but I waved dismissively, pushing him aside slightly. Then I marched out of the villa without sparing him a second glance.
Mrs Winfrey and Alan assisted me to the driveway where Raven had already parked his BMW X5. My brother got off the vehicle and attentively opened the passenger seat.
“Welcome back, princess,” he whispered, leaning over with a proud and sly smile plastered on his lips.
Looking up, I saw him gazing in Edmund’s direction and I didn’t even have to squeeze out brain juices to understand what he was trying to do.
“Save it, Rave. You’re wasting your breath. He doesn’t give a shit about me. Let’s go.”
Rolling his eyes, Raven settled back behind the steering wheel and drove away after I gave Mrs Winfrey and Alan another round of goodbyes. He was chatting excitedly, but I was overwhelmed by exhaustion.
When I opened my eyes again, the car had already stopped. Right before us was a Victorian mansion with a glowing fountain infront the main door. The driveway was well-lit, and the building was illuminated by golden-yellow lights.
It was like a castle from a fairytale.
My jaws dropped when Raven unbuckled his seatbelt, saying, “Do you like it?”
“What the freak, Rave? This is too much?! How much did you spend on this?”
“Not much. Just a year's worth of dividends.”
11/01/2023 |
I spent the next two weeks redecorating the home Raven had gotten for me. With the help of the city's finest designer, Macy Partridge, the theme I had in mind gradually came to life—a regency motif in varied shades of blue, gold, and beige, precisely like the Bridgerton's common room. I've been doing anything and everything that could use up all my spare energy these days. From having meetings with Macy, shopping for necessities, learning to cook new dishes, and even overhauling my wardrobe—I did it all. There were several afternoons when I had gone to old bookstores to collect some books I’d been wanting to read when I was younger. Now that I wasn't required to show up to parties as Edmund's arm candy, I'd have all the time in the world to drown myself in those pages. Unfortunately, there were still those fleeting moments when recollections from my stay at Grant's estate would keep popping back into my mind, causing my mood to drop dramatically. But I never let it bog me. So inst
“I’ve worked with a lot of wealthy women in the past and most of them got an attitude, but Ms Wyatt takes the cake. Did you see her face when Mr Radcliffe firmly dismissed her?” Macy ranted in between small chuckles as she chewed on her Fiorentina steak. We were at my favorite Italian restaurant in the city, enjoying dinner while she chattered away, expressing her displeasure about the ugly encounter. And just like her, I was impressed with how Mr Radcliffe managed to drive that little whining princess away with only a few words. If the old man had not stepped in, I’m certain Lara would have continued harassing the saleslady and might even have gone physical like she had done in the past. “Lara has been spoiled all her life. The incident must have been a blow to her ego,” I answered with a silly grin playing in the corner of my lips. Macy paused. She opened and closed her mouth, but no words left them. Her eyes gradually widened as her attention was drawn to something behind me.
“Stop it!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. I tried to get in between the brawl but Zayn managed to pull me away from the fighting men. “They’ll stop when they’re exhausted,” Zayn stated, wincing as he watched his best friend beating my brother like a punching bag. “Edmund!! Stop it!” I shouted again. Panic rose to my throat when I caught a glimpse of Raven’s bleeding nose. He may have been an athlete and had a fair share of fistfights with his fellow players back in the day, but he was not a trained fighter. Edmund, on the other hand, was a black belt holder in both karate and taekwondo. He even boxed whenever he had the spare time. Undoubtedly, he could easily beat my brother to death if he were to get serious. “He’s drunk. Nobody can stop him,” Zayn mumbled, heaving a deep sigh. “Don’t worry, he’s not going to murder your man.” My face contorted into a deep scowl. I jerked away from Zayn and ran closer to the fighting duo. Never in my whole life had I imagined that I would ha
The incident by the river convinced me to take a break from the tedious and pretentious city life. After the much-needed venting of my heartbreak and frustration, I booked the next flight back to Westingwood—the small town where Raven and I grew up—and entrusted Macy with the final stages of the renovations for my home. I was a withering rock. The pain and disappointments I was feeling that filled the crevices were trying to keep me in this fragile form. But I have learned to acknowledge and accept my own rough and imperfect edges. So, I did— Going away to experience new things and meeting new people have yielded good results on my end—both psychological and emotional. Some people may label it as cowardly to run and avoid the inevitable, but I've always believed that stepping back from a losing fight was an act of self-respect and self-preservation. Over the past six months, I've dedicated my time to securing sponsors for the Westingwood Orphanage in partnership with the charity fo
“Right. Raven and I grew up together, while Violet is one of my good friends. Now you know two people within my circle,” I confirmed. Smiling gracefully, I held Edmund’s wrist to make him stop his awkward gesture. To my surprise, he didn’t avoid my touch. I stole another glance at Violet. She was biting her lips, her hands clenched into fists, and her eyes plastered on our hands—a clear indication of her displeasure. This made me secretly smile, knowing that I’d successfully pissed the shit out of her. “It seems like I’m going to have to get to know your friends better,” Edmund answered. He even stroked my cheek, almost making me shiver in disgust. What the freak? This wasn’t the man I knew. The Edmund Grant I married was an indifferent human being who saw me solely as a gold-digger, a desperate wife, a pretentious clown. Most importantly, he detested physical contact. Who was this clone, and where did he hide that cheating prick? Or was this one also his minion? I scoffed inw
"You’re back!” I chirped the moment I caught sight of the figure standing by the doorway. Breaking into a bright smile, I felt my heart skip a few beats as I locked my gaze into the person’s deep obsidian orbs. It was my husband—Edmund Grant, looking oh-so-gorgeous in his well-pressed custom navy blue suit. He looked extremely attractive without his eyeglasses, and his loosened tie gave off a bit of a rugged image. With his broad shoulders, lean muscular arms, and long legs, he looked nothing less than a movie star. He was a man with beauty, brains, and charisma. To me, he was perfect, and I was blessed to have him in my life. However, that familiar emotionless and icy stare that lingered on me told me he thought otherwise. Not once had I ever seen him smile or respond positively to anything involving me. “We need to talk,” he replied flatly, advancing to the carpeted living room. I gulped. This line had been used a gazillion times between couples in real life, books, and movies—a
The following day, I met up with my older brother, Raven Delamar, in a café we used to frequent when we were younger. After I married Edmund, we were unable to catch up together since I was too ashamed of my willfulness. Now that my eminent divorce was just around the corner, I felt like a child running back to Mommy with tears in my eyes, voicing out my grievances and the pain that had been plaguing me. In my case, Raven was a dependable person who would willingly take on the world for me without questions asked. “Edmund wants a divorce,” I said numbly. A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips as I recalled how impassive Edmund had been when he broke the news yesterday. I had already recovered from the shock, and my mind had absorbed the reality of the impending doom of my marriage. Momentary disbelief flashed in Raven’s face which was then replaced with a knowing grin. He had warned me several times that a loveless marriage like ours would certainly end in shambles. Back then, I
I left the café with a heavy heart. The knowledge of Edmund’s affair had evaporated the sliver of hope I had unknowingly held onto. With Violet’s return and pregnancy, earning my husband’s sympathy was next to impossible; let alone saving our marriage. Cracking a bitter smile, I drove straight to the mall, feeling like an invisible hand was meticulously tearing off my flesh one piece at a time. And so, just like any other lady, I shopped until I dropped, swiping away Edmund’s card while hoping that it could lessen the pain gnawing at my insides. Truthfully, this was the first time I had ever spent so lavishly since I married into the Grants. But after prancing about for three hours in the expensive designer shops, my phone started vibrating. Sneering, I answered the call, chuckling drily the moment the line connected. “Are you doing this to spite me?” Edmund’s cold, baritone voice rang out. His tone was dripping with annoyance and it had me grinning from ear to ear. The string of m