Chapter 7N
Richard slumped helplessly onto the cold floor, feeling dizzy and utterly drained of energy.§
Deep down, he knew exactly what he had done. Out of the corner of his eye, Richard caught sight of the words on the paper: [You’ve always loved Margaret; You two can be together openly now.] Instead of feeling any relief, it pierced his heart like a knife. For most of these years, his heart had truly belonged to Margaret. Every smile and frown of hers had tugged at his emotions. Meanwhile me? I had simply been a decoration in his life, brought in out of guilt, always present yet never truly valued.
But now, as he glanced around the once–cozy home that felt so empty, even the only photo of us together had vanished from the wall.” Memories came flooding back–me cooking his favorite meals, helping him plant vegetables in the yard and ironing his suits to perfection.
These little moments crashed over him like a tidal wave, leaving Richard feeling hollow and broken. He couldn’t sit still any longer. Grabbing his car keys, he headed straight for the Registry Office.
Fifteen minutes later, Richard stormed in, holding the divorce agreement, demanding answers from the staff.
“I’m in a military marriage. Without the army’s approval, this divorce doesn’t mean a thing, right?” Richard shot back, his face dark with anger.&
The staff member, completely bewildered by Richard’s outburst, didn’t know how to respond.”
“No, Commander Harrison. There’s a new policy that was enacted at the beginning of the year. As long as both parties willingly sign the divorce agreement, it’s effective.”
“Oh, and your divorce certificate? Ms. Brooks picked that up yesterday. This is yours; we were just about to mail it to you…”
The staff continued speaking, but Richard was deaf to their words.”
He snatched the divorce certificate, flipping it over and over, muttering, “This can’t be happening. How could this happen?“}]
But the glaring stamp on the document forced him to face the bitter truth.”
In that moment, he felt a profound sense of loss, as if he had let go of something incredibly valuable that he could never get back.
Without wasting another second, he dashed to the factory manager’s office.
“Mr. Manager, is Evelyn around? I need to talk to her.“>
Inside the office, the manager looked taken aback. “Commander Harisson, Evelyn resigned just a few days ago. Didn’t you know?”
As he spoke, Madame Dubois, the manager’s wife, stepped into the room.
When Richard walked in, she looked a bit taken aback.
“Commander Harrison, just a couple of days ago, I was bringing some postpartum meals to my daughter and I saw Evelyn at the hospital. But there was another woman there who told her that you were the one who caused her to lose the baby.”}]
“I could tell Evelyn was really upset. Is there some kind of misunderstanding between you two?“!
Richard’s head shot up at her words, his voice turning icy. “What? Who dare spread such a nasty rumor? Do you remember what that woman looked like?”
Madame Dubois flinched at his tone and shook her head. “I didn’t catch her face; all I remember is she was in a hospital gown.“>
“But… she called you ‘Rick‘ if not mistaken…”
In an instant, everything clicked for Richard.
He turned and hurried toward the hospital, gripping the divorce papers so tightly that they started to crumple in his hands.
As he reached the ward’s door, he spotted Margaret inside with the driver from the accident a few days ago.
“You did good; the baby’s gone,” she said, pulling three bills from under the pillow and handing them to the driver.“]
The driver frowned. “Ms. Carter, we agreed on five hundred. Why only three?”
Margaret snorted. “I said I wanted her to lose both the baby and her life, but you only managed to get rid of the baby. Three hundred is generous enough; now get lost!“}
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