CHAPTER 107: CHAPTER 107: TEARFUL PLEA TO STAY

Zinnia’s words caught in her throat, a lump forming in her chest.

She and Jenson had just filed for divorce. Did he already have to run and tell Crystal?

Even though she was determined to get a divorce, she didn’t want to see the mistress the moment she filed the papers. At least for today, shouldn’t she get the respect she deserved from Jenson?

"Since you’re in such a hurry, you should have just agreed sooner," Zinnia sneered and started to walk away.

Jenson, however, reached out and grabbed her wrist. "Do you think I asked them to come?"

Zinnia didn’t reply, simply trying to pull her hand away.

"Let go of me! We’re in the middle of a divorce. President Forrest, please have some self-respect."

Unexpectedly, as soon as she finished speaking, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.

"What are you doing?!"

Zinnia struggled, but the man just lowered his head, his deep voice laced with a mischievous tease as he spoke into her ear.

"Do I need to remind you that we’ve only *applied* for a divorce? We’re not officially divorced yet, which means you are still my Mrs. Forrest!"

Zinnia gritted her teeth. Unable to break free, she gave up the struggle.

Just then, Katherine and Crystal walked up to them.

"Jenson, are you two... divorced?" Katherine asked, suppressing her joy with a concerned frown.

Jenson glanced at them coldly. "Why are you here?"

"I went back to the old residence today and saw Timothy returning to get some documents. I was worried, so I followed him. Crystal called me on the way over. She was worried sick, so we came together."

Jenson let out a derisive sneer.

Katherine’s expression turned ugly. She clearly thought Jenson’s mockery was directed at her and that he was disrespecting her.

But Zinnia knew his sneer was meant for her, as the hand on her waist tightened.

She had indeed misunderstood him. Since he was angry, Zinnia decided not to provoke him further and obediently stayed in his arms. Besides, Crystal was so eager and excited; Zinnia didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of gloating.

"Jenson, you and Zinnia should both reconsider. Don’t act impulsively. It isn’t easy to be a married couple. Many couples live without love, but they can still support and understand one another. Zinnia, is it because of me? You’ve truly misunderstood. There’s nothing between Jenson and me, and I never intended to replace you..."

Crystal’s acting was far more polished than Katherine’s. She made her eyes redden and looked so distressed that anyone who didn’t know better would think she was the one getting a divorce.

Watching the two of them put on a show, Zinnia felt a mischievous urge and gave a coy smile.

She let her body go soft, nestling closer into Jenson’s embrace. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she interrupted Crystal.

"I’m so touched! Don’t you two worry. Jenson couldn’t bear to let me go. Just now, in front of the mediator, he was crying his eyes out, begging me to stay. So, we’re not getting divorced after all. I’ve decided to give him another chance."

For a moment, the expressions on Katherine and Crystal’s faces froze, as if they’d been struck by lightning.

Zinnia chuckled. "Sorry, I’m just kidding. Look how scared you both were."

Katherine’s expression turned to rage. "Zinnia!"

Tears welled up in Crystal’s eyes. She held onto Katherine, keeping up her act.

"Aunt Katherine, Zinnia is just angry with me. She’s only teasing me, so please don’t be angry. It would be all my fault if you got upset and it affected your health."

Zinnia couldn’t be bothered to watch their performance any longer. She unwrapped her arms from Jenson, stepped out of his embrace, and waved a dismissive hand.

"My business here is done. Go on, celebrate. It’s time for the successor to take over. I won’t keep you."

Without another glance at Katherine and Crystal, she turned and walked away with a brisk, carefree stride.

Jenson’s cold eyes were fixed on her retreating back. His hands, hanging by his sides, clenched slightly, and his handsome face was cold as ice.

"Jenson, look at her! Not a trace of grace or humility. It’s for the best that you divorced a woman like that. Crystal is pregnant! You two should hurry up and get your marriage certificate. It won’t look good if her belly gets too big. By the way, did you ask the staff when you can file the marriage paperwork?"

Having been so blatantly disrespected by Zinnia, Katherine dropped her pretense.

Crystal’s heart pounded in her chest. She blushed and lowered her head, her heart filled with anticipation.

Zinnia was just a fake heiress. Everything she had was because she had taken over Crystal’s life. Why should Zinnia get to marry someone like Jenson, a man born with a silver spoon, and always overshadow her? Now that Zinnia was divorced, Jenson would be hers.

As Zinnia’s figure vanished from sight, Jenson finally turned his gaze to Katherine.

"Didn’t you hear what Zinnia just said? I cried my eyes out begging her to stay. The divorce is off. Since we’re not divorced, what marriage are you talking about?"

His face was like an ice sculpture, showing no hint that he was joking. His words were completely serious.

Katherine was stunned once more. Even Crystal looked up in astonishment.

Jenson’s gaze was distant and unreadable.

Crystal bit her lip, suppressing her impatience. Suddenly, she noticed his right hand hanging at his side and cried out in alarm.

"Jenson, your hand is hurt! Let me see, how did that happen?"

Katherine looked over as well, her expression changing slightly.

Jenson’s right hand was indeed dripping blood. He was clenching his fist, so it was impossible to see the extent of the injury.

"What happened?" Katherine asked, her motherly concern showing.

Crystal anxiously stepped forward to grab his hand, but Jenson pulled it back, avoiding her touch. A flash of self-mockery crossed his eyes before he turned and strode briskly outside without another word.

The wound on his palm was a cut, neither deep nor shallow, from the broken credit card. The bleeding had stopped while he was in the car, and without the reminder, he had already forgotten the pain.

Now that it had been pointed out, he felt the sting again and realized he must have clenched his fist too tightly, tearing the wound open.

And yet, Zinnia had walked beside him this whole time without even noticing the injury on his hand. Perhaps now that they were getting divorced, she really would turn a blind eye to him.

"Hey, Jenson!?"

Katherine called after him, but he walked away, his back a rigid line, and didn’t turn around. Katherine frowned.

"It must be because of that Zinnia, that jinx of a woman! But what did Jenson mean just now? Did they actually get divorced or not?!"

This was driving her crazy!

Crystal’s mind was in turmoil, but she comforted Katherine as well as herself, "With Jenson’s personality, how could he possibly cry and beg Zinnia to stay in front of a mediator? They must have gotten the divorce. Wait here, Aunt Katherine, I’ll go to the service window and find out."

Ten minutes later, Crystal returned, having received the answer she wanted.

She sent Katherine home, sweet-talking her the entire way. Crystal left, satisfied, only when Katherine was so delighted that she nearly asked her to start calling her ’Mom’.

On the way back, however, the thought of Zinnia’s arrogant expression made Crystal’s face darken.

Why did Zinnia still have the right to smile? How dare she say Crystal was just ’taking over’? Did that mean she, Crystal Sutton, was only fit to pick up what Zinnia had thrown away? That bitch!

Her gaze turning cold, Crystal took out her phone and called Gloria Grant.

"Mom, Zinnia and Jenson submitted their divorce application today. And you probably didn’t know this, but Zinnia has already applied to study with the world-class dancer Lise. She’s about to go overseas."

As expected, Gloria’s sharp, anxious voice erupted from the other end of the line.

"What? A divorce? Studying abroad? That damn girl! She didn’t breathe a word of this to me! The ungrateful little thing, is she planning to ditch me and go enjoy herself abroad?!"

Crystal sighed. "Mom, Zinnia might not care about you, but she can’t just abandon her older brother, can she? If she leaves the country and never comes back, what will happen to him...?"

Gloria was already getting ready to go out and find Zinnia. She absolutely could not let Zinnia just fly away like this.

Without the connection to Zinnia, how would she ever enter the Forrest family’s home again? Where would she get money? But Zinnia wasn’t easy to manipulate. That damn girl was cold-hearted and stubborn, completely indifferent to whether Gloria lived or died. Getting money out of her was harder than climbing a mountain.

Hearing Crystal’s words, an idea sparked in Gloria’s mind.

「The next day」

Zinnia arrived at the hospital early. She had called Alaric Hawthorne the previous night and arranged to come today to handle her brother’s hospital transfer procedures.

Mason had also contacted a medical team in Y Country. They were going to send personnel immediately to monitor his vital signs throughout the entire transfer to their medical facility.

To her surprise, the transfer procedures did not go smoothly.

Gloria, who rarely bothered to visit Mason, had brought her younger brother’s entire family to the hospital ward early in the morning. They were blocking the way, preventing Zinnia from taking Mason.