Chapter 2 The Ross Family Goes Bankrupt
The room was dimly lit. Shelby sat on the couch, not bothering to turn on the lights.
At midnight, the car lights pierced through the darkness, penetrating the glass and casting their glow within the room.
Quickly, the door swung open and Donovan walked in.
He reached out to turn on the light and immediately noticed Shelby sitting there in silence.
He averted his gaze, loosening his tie as he walked, ready to head upstairs.
“Donovan.” She called out to him.
He never halted his steps.
Shelby’s fingers clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palm. After a long while, she lifted her head, watching his retreating figure, a smile spreading across her face.
“Let’s get a divorce,” she said.
As she had hoped, Donovan finally stopped and turned around. With his back against the light, it made him seem even more aloof and distant.
Shelby’s gaze traced the contours of his face, the man she had loved for a decade. Ten years of affection, only to provoke his disgust and leave her covered in emotional scars.
She shouldn’t have held him back either.
“Would
you die if you didn’t cause trouble for a day?”
Donovan reckoned she was merely playing hard to get.
Shelby stood up, reaching into her bag to pull out the divorce agreement. Her hand brushed against a bottle of painkillers inside, causing her to pause momentarily.
Subsequently, she silently closed her bag and placed it aside.
She walked up to Donovan and handed him the signed divorce agreement.
She made every effort to mask her emotions. “You intended to marry Lila, didn’t you?” With a forced smile, she said, “I’ll gladly grant your wish.”
Had she known earlier that he was fond of Lila Brock, there was no way she would have married him, dead or alive.
They had to marry each other for some reason. The marriage was like a deal, but it was also a result of her unrequited love.
Donovan glanced at her signature, then took the divorce agreement from her.
He grazed his tongue against his cheek, slapping the divorce agreement onto her shoulder.
“Ms. Ross, true to her finance background,” he leaned in, a chill in his eyes, “How much of the Mayer family wealth are you hoping to claim in our divorce?”
Shelby was momentarily taken aback, her lips pressed tightly together. She softly said, “I never wanted your money.”
Donovan remained silent, just giving her a cold stare.
Three years ago, a crisis befell the Mayer family. His father was imprisoned, and he was forced to sell off all their businesses to repay their debts.
Back then, he was penniless. The woman who constantly professed her love for him, vanished the day after his misfortune
1/2
struck.
Later on, he heard that she had gotten together with Kyler Gosling.
The Gosling family was the main culprit behind his father’s unjust imprisonment.
Despite the kindness his father had shown to Shelby, she was just the kind of woman who could sell herself for money. Was there anything she wouldn’t do?
Then, Shelby, having said something to his father, somehow compelled him to insist on their marriage.
“Get lost.” His eyes were filled with coldness.
He turned to leave, but Shelby spread her arms, blocking his path.
“Don’t you have feelings for Lila? I’ve stepped aside for you. I can even sign a guarantee. I won’t ask for a single penny from you!”
“Indeed, I love Lila.” Donovan’s eyes narrowed, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “That’s why I will give her a grand wedding, letting everyone know she is my Mrs. Mayer.” He squinted his eyes. “But that will have to wait until I’ve settled things with you and severed ties.”
The sound of a slammed door echoed as Donovan entered the bathroom. Cold water cascaded down, causing him to purse his lips and clench his fists.
Shelby turned around, picking up the divorce agreement that lay on the ground.
The phone rang, and the sound on the other end was of her mother’s sobbing.
Her father had fallen seriously ill and was taken to the hospital.
Shelby hurried over, only then learning from her mother that their family was on the brink of bankruptcy, and her father had fallen critically ill due to the stress.
Suddenly, she remembered what Donovan had said about the divorce settlement. He doubted she wanted his
No wonder he said that. He must have known about the Ross family’s impending bankruptcy all along.
money.
