Chapter 3

Instinctively, my eyes flicked to Hayden, wondering if he would rebuke Quinn. Or had he completely forgotten he was still wearing a wedding band?

Joanna quickly intervened, her voice edged with frustration. "Quinn, don't talk nonsense. This is Ms. Jackson's husband."

Quinn's face blanked, his eyes wide with shock as he looked at me.

I ignored him, replying coolly, "Not for long."

Joanna's eyes bulged in surprise.

Hayden must have sensed the shift in me. His gaze, piercing and scrutinizing, bore into mine.

"Yvonne Jackson," he intoned, his voice a deep, almost warning rumble.

Back then, his anger would have chilled me to the bone. Now? I smirked. "I'll draft the divorce agreement tonight, and you can let your girlfriend take my place."

With that, I turned and strode through the gates, ignoring his reaction.

Despite the summer heat, a biting chill wind stung my skin. I touched my cheek, finding it damp. Stepping into the living room, I found Yosef conversing with Sophia, whose hostile gaze fell upon me the moment I entered. She favored bold, sometimes garish makeup, yet her vivid hues seemed to captivate my father's attention.

I greeted them and followed Yosef into his study.

"What? You want a divorce?" Yosef gaped at me, his expression a mix of disbelief and horror, as if I'd suggested something preposterous.

He continued, "Have you forgotten our family's fortune is tied to the Parkers? If you leave Hayden, what are we supposed to do?"

"And don't forget how you pleaded with your grandfather to marry him! You made fools of us all, and now you're talking about ending it!"

His words felt like sharp knives, slicing through tender wounds, draining the lifeblood from me.

"I made a mistake, and I'm correcting it. Trust me. Once Hayden and I part ways, he'll end up with Joanna, and your wealth and status will remain intact," I said, my voice steady.

"Joanna?" Yosef paused, his voice trailing off. Realization dawned, widening his eyes in disbelief. "They…"

I looked up at him. "Shouldn't you be the one to know? Remember how Sophia took you away from my mother?"

I'd struck a raw nerve.

"Oh, really?" I scoffed. "You remarried less than a month after my mother passed away. Quite the swift rebound, don't you think?"

"Don't you dare!" Yosef's hand shot up, as if to strike me. But after a tense moment, he hesitated. "From now on, you don't need to reach out. I won't disturb your family anymore," I stated firmly.

He seemed shocked by my resolve. "You're not coming back! You mentioned divorce, but where else can you go?"

I said nothing, turning and walking out of the study. The world was vast; surely, I could carve out a space for myself.

As I descended the stairs, Sophia and Quinn had vanished, and Hayden was conspicuously absent—perhaps he'd never even entered.

The only person I encountered was Joanna. Truth be told, I'd never had a one-on-one conversation with her before.

"I didn't expect your father to be Yosef," Joanna said first, her tone devoid of the deference she showed around Hayden, now tinged with a subtle coldness.

"Same with me, considering your mother is Sophia," I replied nonchalantly, turning to leave.

Joanna stepped in front of me. "Don't you have anything to say to me?"

I met her gaze head-on. "What would you like to hear? Should I beg you to leave Hayden and spare my marriage?"

For a moment, Joanna seemed taken aback.

"Or perhaps you'd prefer if I threw a punch as Hayden's lawful wife?" I added, a smirk playing on my lips.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You want to hit me?"

"Nah, that'd mess up my hands," I dismissed with a casual shake of my head.

"Your—" Joanna spat, her jaw tight, glaring as if she wanted to devour me. "Hayden doesn't love you at all. He married you because of his grandfather."

"I know," I replied, unfazed. "Are you trying to say this true love is you? Well, I wish you both a long and happy life together, with a house full of kids."

Joanna looked shocked, probably because she'd never met a wife like me before—I'd wished the other woman good luck starting a family with my husband.

Just then, Sophia sauntered over, her hips swaying. She cast me a sidelong glance and sneered mockingly, "Joanna's definitely expecting soon—unlike someone who's been married for a year and still doesn't have any news."

Joanna's spirits lifted. "Mom, I heard Hayden hasn't even touched her."

In an instant, the mother-daughter duo erupted into peals of laughter.

My jaw clenched. I couldn't believe Hayden had shared that. Was he trying to show some twisted sense of loyalty? That jerk! What had I ever seen in him?

Taking a deep breath, I turned to Sophia. "So, you married my dad only after you got pregnant with his child?"

Sophia's smile broadened as she caressed her belly. "Or what else would make your dad so eager to marry me? Your mother couldn't even give him a son, so why keep her around?"

I narrowed my eyes, the truth sinking in. No wonder Yosef had been so eager to marry Sophia. They must have been involved for a while. Suddenly, a thought struck me, and I scrutinized her. "How can you be so sure it's a boy? What if it's a girl?"

"Shut up! I'm definitely having a boy!" Sophia yelled, her gaze sharp.

I forced a sad smile. She acted all high and mighty, but she saw herself as nothing more than a baby-making machine. Shaking my head, I turned to leave.

Sophia trembled with rage. "That little brat's just like her mother—so annoying! Joanna, how are things going with Hayden? Hurry up and get pregnant!" She believed that as long as Joanna had a child, Hayden would divorce me. After all, Sophia had wormed her way into the Jackson family so quickly because of that little bun in her oven.

"Mom…" Joanna's voice faltered, her face clouding with uncertainty. "Hayden always wears that rosary bracelet. Everyone knows he's abstinent." Sophia couldn't tolerate Joanna's timidity. She raised her voice. "What's got you so scared? I've pulled strings to send you overseas, close to Hayden, and you're almost there. Stay focused. With your looks, he won't stand a chance."

Joanna's eyes flickered with anxiety, but she didn't dare argue. "But Mom, what woke Hayden from his coma was a piano piece, and he's asked me about it. The problem is, I can't play the piano at all."

"Then go learn!" Sophia interrupted sharply. "Don't even think about bringing this up again. The one who revived Hayden must be you."

As twilight descended, I made a brief stop at the law office before heading home. After discussing the divorce details with my lawyer, I drafted the agreement. They were just flimsy papers, yet they weighed on me like a ton of bricks.