CHAPTER 153: CHAPTER 153: AWAKENING FROM THE DREAM (PART 1)

Seraphina Thorne clutched a tissue, standing motionless like a sculpture for a full five or six seconds.

"You... you’re saying... divorce?"

Her lips trembled slightly, the girl’s face full of disbelief.

She must have misheard.

How could Ethan Sterling possibly want a divorce from her?

Stunned for a moment, Seraphina chuckled lightly and playfully pushed Ethan Sterling.

"You’re so annoying, are you teasing me on purpose?"

Ethan Sterling clenched both hands, lowered his lashes, avoiding looking at her expression.

"I’m sorry, Seraphina."

The man’s expression was as solemn as his tone.

Seraphina withdrew her hand that was still in the air, finally realizing that she hadn’t misheard and he wasn’t joking.

He wanted a divorce, and he was serious.

"Why?"

She almost instinctively asked.

Ethan Sterling lowered his lashes, his tone stiff.

"I don’t want to ruin my career because of you. As long as I divorce you, I can return to the Sterling Family. With their power and financial resources, I can smoothly navigate through the current crisis and make a comeback."

Seraphina nodded, "I understand, I’m sorry I couldn’t help you. Then I... I’ll leave first."

Turning around, she walked towards the exit of the hospital room.

Seraphina opened the door, only to realize she hadn’t brought her bag.

She walked back and hastily grabbed her bag from the table.

The backpack knocked over the thermos on the table, spilling porridge all over it.

Grabbing her bag, Seraphina hurriedly rushed out of the hospital room.

Outside the door, Sean Hale had just returned from the doctor’s office. Seeing Seraphina, he stopped in his tracks.

"Madam..."

Seraphina said nothing, quickly rushing past him.

Sean Hale was momentarily stunned, took large strides to catch up, but was still a step too late; Seraphina had already rushed into the elevator.

Sensing something amiss, Sean Hale turned and rushed back to the hospital room.

"President Sterling, why did Madam leave so urgently?"

On the hospital bed, Ethan Sterling lowered his head, leaning against the bedhead, his right hand supporting his forehead, brow furrowed.

Upon hearing Sean Hale’s voice, he took a deep breath and slowly raised his face.

"Arrange for her return to the country." Not hearing a response from Sean Hale, Ethan Sterling suddenly lifted his face, raising his voice, "What are you standing there for? Go quickly!"

"Oh!" Sean Hale snapped back to reality, turned around, and rushed out of the hospital room.

Ethan Sterling furrowed his brow, taking a deep breath.

Turning his face, he looked at the thermos on the bedside cabinet.

Reaching over with his bandaged hand, he pulled the thermos onto his lap, grabbed a spoon, and began to spoon the porridge into his mouth, swallowing it in large gulps.

Nathan Foster walked into the hospital room and saw this scene.

The man sat cross-legged, head lowered, gulping down the porridge.

Like a dangerous beast, his entire presence exuding an air of hostility.

"Ethan Sterling, you..." Nathan Foster noticed his odd behavior and cautiously walked over, "What are you doing?"

Ethan Sterling gripped the spoon, lifted his face from the thermos.

"Call Arthur Sterling and tell him I accept his terms to leave Seraphina. Ask him to come see me."

Nathan Foster’s brow twitched violently, "You... what do you mean?"

"Did you not understand what I said?" Ethan Sterling suddenly lifted his face, "Seraphina and I are divorced, got it?"

The man’s eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse, barely squeezing it out from his throat.

Nathan Foster stood stunned in place.

Having known Ethan Sterling for so many years, even when his company faced its greatest dangers and he was on the verge of bankruptcy, Nathan Foster had never seen this expression on his face.

Taking a deep breath, Nathan Foster nodded slightly.

"I understand. I’ll contact Arthur Sterling immediately."

Ethan Sterling said nothing more, only lowered his head and continued drinking his porridge.

Nathan Foster watched him for a moment, turned around, and walked out of the hospital room, taking out his phone to dial Arthur Sterling.

"Mr. Sterling, this is Nathan Foster, Ethan wants to see you."

...

...

Seraphina Thorne walked frantically out of the hospital, only to realize once she stood roadside, that she had nowhere to go.

Since Ethan Sterling wanted a divorce, she had no reason to go back to his place.

In this unfamiliar city, she had nowhere to call home.

Standing by the road, she opened her bag to check, ensuring her passport and documents were inside. She pulled out her phone, intending to make a call, but opening her contacts, she realized she had no one to call.

Her father was in a rehabilitation center, her brother in prison, and with a time difference of thousands of miles, Ivy Langley should be sleeping right now.

Holding her phone, standing on the streets of a foreign country.

Seraphina was completely enveloped by an unprecedented loneliness.

Even when the Thorne Family was in trouble, in her darkest times, she had never felt so alone.

In the span of just one night, everything had changed.

The person who gently told her "don’t worry" last night, the one she thought she could fully trust, suddenly, without any warning, let go of her hand.

She was utterly caught off guard, her entire being in a state of chaos.

Her eyes stung as she looked up at the sky, trying hard to restrain her tears.

If there was no pain, who would she cry for?

"Madam..." Sean Hale caught up, grabbing her arm, "Let’s go, I’ll take you back home."

"No need." Seraphina lightly coughed, trying to make her tone sound calm, "I’ll head straight to the airport. All my documents are with me."

"Then..." Sean Hale gritted his back teeth, "I’ll take you to the airport."

"It’s okay, I can just take a cab." Seraphina tried hard to pull the corners of her mouth into a smile for him, "Thank you, Assistant Hale."

"Madam, you and President Sterling..."

"Don’t call me madam anymore." Seraphina gently coughed, clearing the frog in her throat that almost rendered her voice inaudible, "We’re about to divorce, I’m no longer Mrs. Sterling."

Hearing the word divorce, Sean Hale was momentarily stunned.

"But, you and President Sterling had just reconciled, hadn’t you?"

"He brought it up, just now." Seraphina gently shook her head, "Don’t misunderstand, I’m not blaming him. I know I’ve always been dragging him down."

"It’s not like that. President Sterling must have some unspeakable reasons." Sean Hale grabbed her arm, "He can’t possibly divorce you, there must be some misunderstanding. Come, I’ll take you back to the hospital, I’ll ask President Sterling to clarify."

"No need." Seraphina gently withdrew her arm, "Please, let him know I don’t blame him, he’s already helped me enough."

Nodding to Sean Hale, Seraphina turned around, hailed a cab, and got in the back seat.

"The airport, please."

The taxi started, merging onto the express lane.

Seraphina glanced sideways, watching the rear-view mirror reflecting the hospital’s white building.

The modern building gradually blurred, eventually dissolving into a haze of light and shadow.

Seraphina raised both hands to cover her face, finally unable to hold it in, and burst into tears.