Chapter 13 Lost
Of course, she was willing to admit that she had deliberately used some schemes to win over Easton’s mother, to make his mother like her. But was there anything wrong with using a little strategy to gain the affection of your beloved’s mother? Afar better than offending Easton’s mother, right?
“You’re saying all this because you’re afraid I’ll pester you about getting back together.” She paused, swallowing the dryness in her throat with difficulty. “…” He won’t believe me anyway, so saying anything more would be pointless. So Ellis stopped speaking. She pushed the butler aside and took her documents out of the suitcase.
“Do you see now? These are my personal documents. I didn’t take your cards. They’re still in the room.” After showing her documents, she strode toward the door, flustered. She worried that if she stayed even one more second, her tears would start to flow uncontrollably. The embarrassment of being humiliated by the person you loved will break anyone.
Ellis ran out before the butler could thoroughly check the suitcase; he was unsure of what to do next, so he waited for Easton’s orders instead. However, instead of hearing orders, the butler heard Easton pull out his phone and dial a number, followed by Easton’s instructions to the person on the other end. “Cancel all the supplementary cards under my name!”
Gossip is one of humanity’s most primal instincts. The butler was dying to know why Ellis had returned, only to immediately start discussing divorce with Easton, including topics of asset division and even the possibility of a remarriage. At the same time, he was thinking about how to pretend he hadn’t heard anything, maintaining the facade that he had witnessed nothing tonight.
“When Ellis comes back next time, don’t let her in without my permission!” Just as the butler was about to zone out, Easton gave him a second command directly.
“Yes, sir.” responded the butler in a hurry.
After issuing the necessary orders, Easton glanced toward the direction Ellis had disappeared, his lips pursed in displeasure. He had cut off her access to all of his bank cards and banned her from entering their home and the company. He was curious to see how long she could keep this up. Three days, five days, a week? He estimated it wouldn’t take more than half a month before she’d be begging him for help.
That evening, when Maya got home from work, she found Ellis lying on the couch, staring vacantly at the ceiling, looking completely defeated.
“Ellis, did things not go well when you went to Hudson Group to submit your resignation today?” Before Maya could finish her sentence, Ellis shot up from the couch like a spring.
Frustrated, Ellis ruffled her messy, curly hair and fixed her eyes on Maya. “Maya, do you think I’m useless?” she asked in a serious manner.
Maya immediately sensed something was wrong. Did Ellis change her mind about getting a divorce after seeing Easton at Hudson Group? Instead of diving into her own assumptions, Maya asked, “Who told you that?”
“I just feel useless,” Ellis said, truly believing it. Easton had humiliated her twice, and it made her painfully aware of how insignificant she was in his eyes. Looking back, she realized that all these years, she had poured all her energy and focus into Easton, never actually doing anything for self-improvement or to secure her own future. Her mind had been totally consumed with trying to make Easton fall in love with her, believing that their one-sided love story would eventually turn into a mutual one. Now that she was away from him, she suddenly felt lost, unsure of what to do or who she was.
“Of course you’re not useless!” Maya sat down beside her. “First of all, you’re beautiful, you’re smart, and you graduated with both a bachelor’s and a master’s from top universities. With your qualifications, you can easily get a job that pays much better than the average person’s.”
“I may have an advantage over most people, but…” Ellis hesitated. “What am I going to do with my life after the divorce? Where do I go from here?”
In her ongmal life plan, once Easton fell in love with her, they’d have a child, he’d handle the business, and she’d take care of their home. They would live a happy, peaceful life as a family, and when the child grew up and became independent, she and Easton would enjoy a sweet retired life together, just the two of them. Now, that dream had been shattered into pieces, and she needed to rewrite her life plan.
Maya understood what Ellis was struggling with; she’s lost. After thinking for a moment, Maya suggested, “Why don’t you start by finding another job? That way, and you’ll have a stable source of income. Once you’re settled, you can start exploring what interests you; when you find something you’re passionate about, you can focus on that.”
“That makes sense.” Ellis nodded.
“How about you go to the study room and work on your resume?” Maya gave her a once-over, noticing her disheveled state. “Keep yourself busy, so you don’t overthink.”
Ellis had indeed been overthinking, spurred on by the anxiety brought on by such a major life change. Her life had been turned upside down in an instant. Without the glamorous title of Mrs. Hudson, from now on, everything would depend on her own efforts. She wasn’t incapable of supporting herself, but she feared failing, feared living a life so miserable that it would give Easton more reasons to mock her. Deep down, she was still holding on to some of her own pride. She wanted to prove that she could succeed on her own without relying on anyone else. She wanted to show Easton that she didn’t need him to thrive, and she was determined not to give him any chance to ridicule her for lacking independence or strength.