Chapter 171: She Dumped Him Hard

“Whoa, what the hell is up with you?” Cameron leaned in closer to Morty. They were just going through the motions at a business forum dinner, but he hadn’t expected to stumble upon Morty’s little secret.

Morty glanced up at Cameron. “The official ‘getting to know each other’ phase has begun. Get ready to call her your sister-in-law.”

“For real?” Cameron eyed him suspiciously. “You’ve never been in a relationship in over twenty years, and the first one you get is an absolute bombshell? The way you’re talking, it sounds like you’re headed straight for marriage. Who’s the goddess that descended from the heavens and managed to tame you?”

Morty just gave a faint smile and raised his brow slightly. To Cameron, that raised eyebrow was loaded with meaning. He wasn’t saying he didn’t want to talk about it—just that it wasn’t the right time yet. Cameron didn’t press further and decided to wait for the right moment. Instead of talking about love lives, the two shifted the conversation to business.

At some point, Cameron glanced around and said, “I saw Easton earlier, but now he’s gone.” Technically speaking, Cameron could call himself Easton’s friend, but only just. He wasn’t part of Easton’s tight-knit childhood crew, more like someone hovering on the outskirts. But when it came to Morty, he was a solid, ride-or-die kind of friend.

“He’s been gone for a while. You just didn’t notice.” A waiter passed by with a tray of drinks, and Morty grabbed two glasses, handing one to Cameron.

“Man, wherever Mr. Easton goes, he’s the center of attention. People swarm him, trying to kiss up. I can’t compete with that.” Cameron had only said a quick hello when he first spotted Easton and hadn’t paid much attention after that.

Morty took a sip of his drink without commenting. Cameron elbowed him and asked with a hint of gossip, “So, is it true? Easton and Ellis really got divorced?”

“You’re way behind on this. You’re just asking me now?”

“Hey, the second I heard about it, I came to ask you. Not like you’d necessarily know.”

“They’re divorced.” Morty paused before adding, “But it’s not how the rumors say. Easton didn’t kick her to the curb—Ellis dumped him. She dumped him hard.”

He didn’t know the full story behind why Ellis left, but judging by Easton’s reaction, she must’ve hit him where it hurt the most. Otherwise, why would Easton be so visibly affected every time someone mentioned their divorce?

Logically speaking, when someone reacts so strongly to a topic, it’s because it strikes a nerve—hard. The outside world thought Ellis was the one who got dumped. The rumors had gotten out of control, painting her in a bad light, full of disdain and mockery. Every time Morty heard them, he wanted to correct them: Easton didn’t throw Ellis out—Ellis was the one who threw Easton away.

“She dumped him hard?” Cameron was surprised by Morty’s choice of words.

“Yeah.”

“But wasn’t Easton rushing to divorce her so he could marry Victoria?”

“You believe everything you hear?” Morty shot Cameron a look like he was an idiot. “At least try to verify things.”

That useless, wishy-washy Victoria? She could barely handle the simplest tasks, let alone push Easton and Ellis to finalize a…

Cameron narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment. “Ellis must’ve lost her mind. What did she even get out of divorcing Easton?”

“Whatever she got, one thing’s for sure—she’s free of him.” Morty set his glass down. “Maybe she just got tired of being someone’s accessory and wanted to live life differently.”

Even from the outside, her old life looked exhausting. Why did she have to follow Easton around like a shadow? It was like she only had eyes for him, as if no one else in the world existed. As if her entire reason for living was Easton. The moment she lost him, life lost all meaning.

She probably never realized it before, but for most of her marriage, the only time her eyes truly lit up was when she looked at Easton. The moment his attitude toward her soured, her whole demeanor darkened—her eyes dimmed, her brows furrowed, her mood shifting with his every move. She lived as his accessory. That’s why people always called her “Mrs. Hudson.”

Not like now—now she had a new title, “Ms. Harper,” one that severed all ties to Easton. She was fully her own person again, completely different from before. This was the real her. The bright, shining girl he’d met in the beginning. While she was Mrs. Hudson, it was like she wasn’t even herself anymore.

Easton never treated her well, never loved her—so why did she keep circling around him? Throwing herself at someone who didn’t love her back? No matter how you looked at it, that was self-destructive. Even if you’re going to give, at least give to someone who’s worth it. And Easton? He was never someone who could reciprocate in equal measure.

Good thing she got out in time.