Chapter 226

In this day and age, getting a divorce is far more complicated than one would expect. Her lawyer had told her more than once that, if possible, a mutual agreement was the quickest and most civilized way to proceed. If they had to go through the legal process, just getting a court hearing could take up to six months. And if she wanted to divide the assets, considering the complexity of the O’Brien family’s estate, it could drag on for nine months. Before even heading to court, there would be a mandatory mediation session that could take about a month. If mediation failed, they could then file a formal case.

Her lawyer gently explained, “If it gets to that point, even if both of you agree to the divorce, because you have a child and Mr. O’Brien hasn’t committed any major faults, there’s a high chance the court won’t grant it.”

“I know this sounds crazy, but that’s the reality. I’ve handled divorce cases for years and seen it happen more times than you’d believe.”

“If you want a quick divorce, Ms. Cameron, negotiating is your best bet.”

Stella asked, “Do the things I have on him prove that he’s the one at fault in our marriage?”

The lawyer shook his head, replying, “First off, your evidence doesn’t prove infidelity. Even if he did cheat… it doesn’t really affect the division of assets. Unless you catch him in the act or living with someone else and presenting themselves as married, which could be considered bigamy, you might get a little more.”

“But getting him to leave with nothing? That’s not gonna happen.”

Before all this, Stella hadn’t realized how the divorce laws worked. It was only now that she understood that the idea of bad people getting what’s coming to them was, in reality, just a fairytale. Those bad people might just end up better off.

Half an hour later, Stella found herself at the hospital. She’d already gotten the room number from Abby where Rachel was staying. The elevator slowly glided to the top floor. As she stepped out, she was immediately halted by two bodyguards flanking the elevator doors.

“Sorry, Ms. Cameron, this floor is off-limits to unauthorized personnel.”

Stella paused, “Who booked the floor?”

The bodyguard, clearly instructed beforehand, answered without hesitation.

“Mr. Wilkinson.”

Jasper Wilkinson? Jasper really went all out to keep her from finding Haynes, even going so far as to reserve the entire floor. Glancing down the hallway, Stella noticed more guards stationed at the stairwell entrance, clearly to prevent her from using the stairs. She chuckled silently, deciding not to push her luck, and turned to leave. Jasper was determined she wouldn’t see Haynes today, no matter what.

Instead of waiting around at the hospital, Stella headed back home. She knew Jasper was keeping tabs on her; if she stayed at the hospital, there was no way he’d let Haynes leave through the main entrance. When she walked through the door, Abby was lounging on the living room couch. Seeing Stella’s less-than-happy expression, Abby quickly put two and two together.

“Haynes stood you up again today?”

“Yeah,” Stella nodded wearily, “But it’s mainly because of Jasper.”

“Jasper?”

Stella recounted the day’s events to Abby. Abby couldn’t help but curse. “Damn it! Jasper’s such an idiot!”

Stella leaned back on the couch. “I’ll reach out to Haynes tomorrow. I can’t believe Rachel’s sick every single day.”

After a few more choice words about Jasper, Abby suddenly remembered why she was there.

“Oh, right, Star, I’ve got some good news for you!” she said, her face lighting up.