Chapter 47: Playing the Long Game

“Are you sure my aunt told you that?” Easton’s gaze flickered past his mother, landing squarely on Ellis. “Not Ellis?”

Ellis shot him a glare. What the hell did this have to do with her? She was starting to see things clearly—this scumbag was really good at throwing dirt on her.

Sophia smacked Easton on the back again, this time harder. Her face was stern. “Ellis was kidnapped and hospitalized, and instead of taking care of her, you’re standing here acting like you’re in the right?”

“She looks fine to me.”

That response made Sophia furious. “Ellis is your wife! Taking care of her is your responsibility!”

Ellis had no idea how much Sophia had been told, but she had no intention of getting involved in their argument. She stayed silent, content to be a bystander. But before she could fully detach herself, Sophia turned around and firmly took her hands.

“Don’t worry. I know everything you’ve been through recently! I won’t let you be mistreated! And listen, regardless of what disagreements a couple has, you shouldn’t talk about divorce so easily.”

Ellis wasn’t naive. People had different levels of closeness, and blood ties were stronger than any affection for a daughter-in-law. No matter how much Sophia liked her, she would never put her above her son. Even if Sophia did scold Easton, it would probably just be a few words for show.

“Mom, I—” Just as she was about to speak, Easton’s sharp gaze cut toward her. His eyes were filled with open disdain, the same look he had given her the night she went back to the Hudson house to collect her things. She remembered every word he had said to her that night.

She quickly masked the storm of emotions inside her with a smile and changed her words. “Mom, you must be tired. Let me take you home to rest.”

The marriage agreement was a trap waiting for her to fall into. If she rushed to file for divorce, she’d be playing into Easton’s hands. No, he had to be the one to initiate it. As long as Sophia knew they were headed for divorce, that was enough. Easton had already made it clear that he wasn’t the same man from three years ago—his mother couldn’t pressure him anymore. He was determined to be with his beloved first love. No one could stop him from divorcing her. She just had to wait for him to hand Victoria the title of Mrs. Hudson himself.

“No!” Sophia cut her off. “We need to talk this through first.” She turned to glare at her son. “There’s no tradition of divorce in our family. If you dare to leave Ellis, I won’t forgive you.”

Easton turned fully to Ellis, brows furrowing in annoyance. “Are you not tired?”

How much drama could one person cause in a single day?

First, she swore up and down to his face that she wanted a divorce. Then, she went behind his back and played the victim, using his mother to pressure him into staying married.

Ellis ignored him completely. She had no interest in analyzing his words. Instead, she turned to Sophia with a slight smile. “Mom, let me ask you something. Do all marriages need a foundation of love?”

Sophia didn’t answer right away, silently waiting for her to continue.

“Easton and I never had that foundation. I don’t love him anymore. If we stay together, we’ll only grow to hate each other.” Ellis avoided emphasizing the word divorce too much—she didn’t want to give Easton an opening to make things difficult for her. “There’s no real point in maintaining a marriage like this.”

“You don’t love him?” Sophia looked genuinely surprised.

“What a joke.” Easton scoffed. Love? I hate—

He had never taken her so-called love seriously. What did she even love about him? She didn’t love him—she loved the wealth and status he represented, the luxury and security he provided.

Even though Ellis had completely let go of her past feelings for him, his mocking laugh still sent a sharp sting through her chest. See! This was what happened when you loved someone who didn’t love you back. Even if she had ripped open her chest and bared her heart, bleeding and raw, he would have only sneered at it like it was garbage.

At that moment, she truly wanted to curse him. Curse him to never get the person he loved. Or better yet, to be abandoned by his first love again. He shouldn’t end up with her. No—he deserved to be alone for the rest of his life.

Her words were cut off by the sudden ringing of her phone. Ellis gave Sophia an apologetic smile before picking up the call. It was Lois. Something urgent had come up at work. She had to cancel her leave and return to the office. She quickly explained the situation to Sophia, made sure she got into the car, and left without hesitation.

Watching her rush off, Sophia frowned in dissatisfaction and turned to her son. “Your aunt didn’t tell me why you and Ellis are divorcing. Explain it to me.”

“There’s nothing to explain,” Easton said bluntly.

At the end of the day, it was all Ellis’s fault for being childish. Now that his mother was back in Stonebridge, Ellis would have a pillar to lean on. She’d only become bolder, more reckless. The thought alone made Easton press his lips into a thin line.

“You two are giving me a headache. You’re not kids anymore!” Sophia huffed. “You’re both at the age to be parents already. Hurry up and give me a grandchild to hold!”

Just like Emma, she firmly believed that all of their issues boiled down to one thing—they needed a child as a buffer.