Chapter 83: Unveiling Motives

“Believe it or not, Carly was behind all this! She drugged both of us. Her plan was to get me pregnant with your child, to cement my status as your wife by having the Hudson family heir sooner. And the prenup? She wanted it gone so we could divorce freely, allowing her to grab a slice of your fortune.”

Ellis didn't feel like explaining anything to Easton, but having the blame forced onto her felt awful. She clarified a few things, not caring whether Easton believed her or not. As for why Easton could claim he wasn’t biased and that he understood her, she couldn’t be bothered to argue. Biases and misunderstandings aren’t something I can change in a deadbeat with just a few words. Besides, why should I waste my time when his change wouldn’t matter to me anyway?

“You were drugged too? To divide property?” Easton had never considered these angles. The stereotype of Ellis throwing fits shattered instantly as he stared at her unblinkingly. “What are you talking about?”

“Think about it with whatever analytical skills you have! That night at the manor, didn’t I reject you? Wasn’t I acting a bit off? I asked for a divorce, got Maya to draft the papers, moved out, and quit your company. Every time I’ve seen you since, haven’t I almost always urged you to finalize our divorce?”

Seeing that the deadbeat might actually be listening, Ellis found herself saying more. When she finished, she thought positively that once the divorce was finalized, they would be strangers going their separate ways. She casually said, “It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not. Call the butler and see how long it’ll be.”

All the things Ellis mentioned brought back memories, especially the times she talked about divorce, which left Easton’s mind in turmoil and his face showing disbelief; his throat suddenly felt dry. “You’re serious about the divorce? You’d leave even without a penny?”

As his hands loosened around her waist, Ellis seized the moment to break free from his embrace and took a few steps back to ensure Easton couldn’t pull her back.

“I am serious about the divorce. I’d leave even without a penny.” Ellis met Easton’s gaze squarely. “When I was kidnapped and my life was in danger, I realized that being your wife was meaningless.”

Ellis radiated a clear resolve from within. Watching her like this, Easton rubbed his suddenly aching forehead. “When you were kidnapped, I didn’t intentionally disbelieve it was real.”

Ellis always tested his patience, making it hard to blame him entirely for his initial disbelief. Now, it seemed like they were back to square one. The deadbeat still thought Ellis was only talking about divorce because he hadn’t believed the kidnappers. Ellis had nothing to say. The core issues were his lack of love, his indifference to her life, and his affair with Victoria—topics that were pointless to discuss with a deadbeat. And talking about them would only demean her.

There was no need to degrade herself further; she had done that enough in the past. Ellis shifted her gaze away, changing the subject. “It’s not important! What’s important is that I finalize the divorce with you today!”

The last thing Easton wanted to hear about was divorce papers. Divorce, divorce, that’s all she knew! His lips formed a thin line as he stepped closer to her.

Ellis had never realized how easy it was to form a reflex, but as soon as Easton approached, she instinctively stepped back, realizing how much she wanted to part ways. Just him getting a bit closer made her sick to her stomach.

Seeing her retreat again, Easton frowned deeply. “Are you sure you don’t want to be my wife, willing to throw away all the perks that come so easily to you? You—”

He paused for several seconds, unwilling to let her get her way and keep her distance, and grabbed her hand firmly.

“Meaningless? So tell me, what is meaningful? Are you really content to lead an ordinary life after a divorce leaving you with nothing?”

Mid-sentence, he remembered her current job, the people she poached for Lois, and her annual salary of 140,000 dollars; a mocking smile crossed his face. “If you’re willing to give up the perks, why use connections related to me to land a paycheck well above your market rate?”

The deadbeat’s grip was so strong that no matter how hard she tried, Ellis couldn’t shake his hand off; she barely restrained herself from swinging her other hand at him.

“People change, and right now, I don’t need the perks of being your wife!” Ellis met the deadbeat’s deep, dark eyes. “The salary I earn, whether it’s above market rate or not, is due to my own skills!”

People change, everyone knows that, but watching someone you’ve lived with for three years change so drastically, ready to divorce and forsake his wealth, weighed heavily on Easton’s heart.