bChapter /bb12 /b

Jessica closed her eyes for a moment. She hadn’t nned toy it all out bso /bsoon. “Brian, you want to know who he is, right? Fine, I’ll tell you. He’s the divorce attorney I hired.”

Brian’s cold expression faltered slightly, as if he doubted what he had just heard. He pondered, ‘She really wants to divorce me? Is this some kind of jokeb?/bb‘ /b

“The printed divorce papers will be delivered soon. All you have to do is sign them, Brian,” Jessica said, then turned and walked straight toward the door. Before leaving, she gave a cold nce at Madeline, whose eyes were flickering with poorly hidden excitement.

After bJessica /bleft, Brian’s expression shiftedpletely. He thought, ‘bJessica /bactually told me she wants a divorce? This is ridiculous!

Brian had thought about a lot of things, but he had never considered the possibility that Jessica would want a divorce.

Even when those photos of her with another man were ced right in front of him, even when he saw how close they looked and felt sick with jealousy, divorce had never crossed his mind.

“Mr. Atkinson, are you alright?” Madeline tried to suppress the joy bubbling inside her.

She mused, ‘All my nning these past few days wasn’t for nothing. I finally pushed Jessica to ask for a divorce on her own. I used to think she was shameless enough to cling to Brian no matter what. Turns out, I was wrong!

Madeline put on a concerned look. “Why would Jessi suddenly want a divorce? Mr. Atkinson, you’re such a great man.”

As she spoke, she seemed to realize she’d said something inappropriate and blushed shyly. Watching Brian’s expression carefully, she asked in a soft voice, “Mr. Atkinson, now that Jessi wants a divorce, what are you going to do?”

“Divorce? Not a chance.” Brian paused. “She’s just saying that out of anger.”

Clearly, he didn’t take Jessica’s words seriously.

Madeline felt her heart sink a little as she realized the one who didn’t want a divorce wasn’t Jessica–it was Brian.

“By the way, why are you here during work hours?” Brian asked.

“Oh, I…” Madeline’s expression shifted slightly.

In her arms, Jacob clung to her neck and mumbled with a pout, “None bof /byou came to see me. I asked Maddie toe.”

Brian’s eyes darkened slightly, but he didn’t say anything more.

At night, in Jessica’s bedroom, her best friend Gabri’s voice came through the phone with a yful whine. “Jessi, bcan’t /byou just book a flight for tomorrow ande back?

“Why do you have to wait for more than ten days? It feels like forever. I miss you so much, you jerk.”

Jessica’s eyes turned slightly red. She knew she had neglected her true friends over the bpast /bfew years. She immediately promised to make it up to Gabri when she got back and apologize properly for not being there all this time.

The conversation started with some heartfelt sharing, then naturally shifted to work.

“No matter what, bJessica/b, wee back. Youreback is going to shake up the international illustration world for sure.” Gabri sounded genuinely excited on the other end of the call. She knew how talented bJessica /bbwas /bin this field.

bJessica /bhad risen to fame with ba /bsingle painting when she was just a teenager, winning the b24th /bInternational Illustration Championship in one go.

After that, each of her works had drawn more attention than thest. Unfortunately, she had suddenly disappeared from the scene bseven /byears bago/b.

Jessica’s lips twitched. “Gabi, I’m afraid with thiseback, I’ll have to stay behind the scenes for a whileb./bb” /b

She ran her hand over her belly. The words about the pregnancy reached her lips but didn’te out. She wanted to tell Gabri in person when they met. This baby would belong to bJessica /balone.

“No way. Staying behind the scenes would be such ba /bbwaste /bbof /byour talent.” Gabri didn’t understand. In her eyesb, /bbJessica /bwas meant to be a rising

starb. /b

The bedroom door violently burst open with ba /bloud bang. Brian stormed in like a bgust /bof cold wind.

His bface /bbwas /bgrim as he threw the divorce papers in front of bJessica/b. “Jessica, bwhat /bis this supposed to mean? A divorce agreement that bsays /byou’re not btaking a /bsingle cent, bjust /bwalking baway /bwith nothingb?/bb” /b

1

b5:58 /bbAM /b

Brian bgave /bba /bcoldugh and spoke icily, “You’re not even taking Jacob?”

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