Chapter 21: Trapped Between Duty and Independence

She had hoped the tension would blow over and that Ellis would come to her senses. But when she found out they were living apart and things had gotten ugly, she rushed over to intervene.

“I won’t be Mrs. Hudson for much longer. It would be inappropriate for me to help prepare for the banquet,” Ellis said. She knew she was only Carly’s adopted daughter, not really part of the Hudson family, and her grandfather had never fully approved of her marrying Easton.

“If you don’t help, are you expecting me to do it with Victoria?” Carly’s tone grew sharp. She had heard that Victoria’s family was invited to the banquet, and the thought of her getting too close to Easton in public made her furious. She didn’t want to lose face, nor did she want anyone mocking Ellis.

Ellis pulled her hand back and frowned. “Ms. Carly, can’t you at least respect what I want?”

“I don’t care what you want! Keep those thoughts to yourself!” Carly warned. “If you don’t help me… fine! But you better show up at the banquet and make sure Victoria doesn’t steal the spotlight. You need to remind everyone who Mrs. Hudson really is and keep Easton in check!”

The way Carly commanded her, it felt as though she was some kind of obedient pet, expected to follow orders without question. Ellis knew she couldn’t rely on Carly to respect her wishes, so she stayed silent.

Thankfully, Maya, sensing the tension, came in to rescue her and gently guided Carly out of the apartment.

Even though Carly had left, Ellis still felt suffocated.

Maya studied Ellis’s expression for a moment before saying, “Ms. Carly is really difficult.”

Maybe it was because Carly had been speaking so loudly, or maybe it was because the apartment’s soundproofing wasn’t great, but Maya had overheard parts of their conversation.

Ellis sighed, “She’s more than difficult.” She was downright impossible to deal with.

The day before Scott’s birthday banquet, Carly started panicking at the thought of Ellis not showing up. The idea of Victoria attending the banquet, possibly acting like the future Mrs. Hudson, nearly gave her a heart attack. So she called Ellis, issuing a cold ultimatum: “If I don’t see you at the banquet tomorrow, don’t ever call me again!”

When the call came, Ellis was busy working with the lawyer who had helped her and Easton draft their prenuptial agreement. She had just found the electronic copy and sent it to Maya.

As Carly hung up abruptly, Ellis could only focus on Maya’s reaction. She couldn’t figure out the meaning behind Carly’s words, so she impatiently asked, “What do you think?”

Chapter 22: Caught in a Web of Control

“Ellis, you’re doomed,” Maya said, frustrated, giving her a light punch. “This agreement is a complete surrender. What kind of spell did Easton put you under to get you to sign something this ridiculous?”

“I never thought I’d be divorcing him one day, so I didn’t bother looking closely at the details.”

“In this agreement, you really can’t get any of his money, but he can take half of yours.” Maya had suspected there might be risks in the agreement but never imagined it would be this bad.

Ellis felt as if she had been hit by a truck and couldn’t find her voice.

“And here’s the worst part,” Maya continued, lightly tapping her forehead. “It says if Easton incurs any debts, you’ll be jointly responsible. Even after the divorce, you’ll still have to help him pay. With his power and connections, it’d be all too easy for him to fabricate some bogus debts. So, tell me, aren’t you completely screwed?”

Ellis’s vision darkened, and she closed her eyes in despair.

“Oh, and if you have kids during the marriage, the custody automatically goes to him,” Maya added, glancing at Ellis’s still-flat stomach. “Good thing you didn’t get pregnant.”

It was only now that Ellis realized walking away with nothing might have been the best-case scenario.

“What should I do?” For the first time, she truly felt the massive gap between her and Easton. He could crush me like an ant if he wanted to.

“Stall,” Maya thought carefully. “People tend to have reverse psychology. The more you rush to divorce, the more Easton will want to make things difficult for you. But he’s got that old flame, Victoria, waiting for him, so he won’t want to stay married for too long. Eventually, he’ll be the one pushing for the divorce, and then you’ll have the leverage to negotiate in your favor.”

The person she had once loved with all her heart had now become a towering tree, controlling her future, impossible to shake. A small wave of regret washed over her. She regretted ever falling in love with Easton, and even more, she regretted insisting on becoming his wife.

As she absentmindedly glanced at her phone, which showed a new message, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of discomfort. It was from Sophia: “My darling. I saw a beautiful set of jewelry in Estruclia that would suit you perfectly. It’s already on its way to you and should arrive tomorrow. Be sure to sign for it.”

Given the way things had gone with Carly, Ellis now feared Sophia might also find out about the impending divorce. She tried to talk to her as little as possible. But that jewelry was undoubtedly being sent to the Hudson house, and she wasn’t about to take it, nor could she even get it if she wanted to.

She had tried two days ago. While Easton was away on a short business trip, she had hoped to sneak into the house to retrieve the physical copy of their prenuptial agreement. But she hadn’t even made it past the gates of the villa. When she asked security, they told her that since she was no longer listed as a resident, she was banned from entering.