Chapter 13

Mason had initially arranged for dinner but he canceled it after learning about this. Josephine's current state required more rest at home. Since their meeting, she had been listless. She would hardly speak, wear a tired smile, and at late hours, she would sob alone. How could he let someone like her accompany those big bosses for drinks? As soon as night fell, Mason lit her favorite scented candles in the villa and took out a bottle of melatonin, asking her, "Do you want to take one?" Josephine was about to say it wasn't necessary, but after a brief hesitation, she took one. For once, she slept peacefully. In the Crestwood apartment suite, Nadine was cuddling with Zayn while watching a movie, but Zayn's attention was clearly elsewhere. In just a few minutes, he had checked his phone 20 times. Nadine's attention was also drifting from the movie. She squinted slightly, her anger rising in her throat, but she didn't dare to act on it. Now was not the time for her to act out. "Honey." She suddenly turned around, wrapping her arms around Zayn's neck and nuzzling against him. "Mm? What's up, babe?" Zayn responded absentmindedly, his eyes still fixated on Josephine's chat window. He repeatedly checked her profiles and socials. She did not reply to his messages nor did she post anything. This made him anxious, and he even felt nervous for some reason. It had been a long time since she last threw such a big tantrum. The last time was when she found out he lost 70 million was when he gambled overseas. She was so mad at that time that she even slapped him and asked him to swear that he would never gamble ever again. She even gave him the cold shoulder for three entire days before forgiving him. This time, who knew how long it might take her to come back? Maybe he shouldn't argue with a woman. No matter how angry she got, it was because she loved him and cared about him. All he had to do was soften his tone and comfort her with a few words. Why bother fighting with her? But when he thought about how she destroyed the acacia tree and how she ruined the gifts he had spent so much effort choosing for her, his anger flared again. He stared at her profile picture, unwilling to say a kind word. Seeing his distracted behavior, the fire in Nadine's chest grew stronger. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and stood up. "Are you here to be with me, or are you just glued to your phone? You've been holding your phone all night, Zayn. Don't you remember what you promised me? When you're with me, you should only think about me, not her!" Zayn slowly lifted his gaze, his intense eyes locking onto hers. He stared at her for a moment, but Nadine quickly swallowed hard and obediently sat on his lap. "You always bully me. When you're with Josephine, I don't believe you'd ignore her." At these words, Zayn's brows furrowed deeply. "Didn't I tell you never to bring her up? And don't compete with her or try to make her jealous. She's my wife. Besides, for this period, you've been trying to put her down at every turn, and I've indulged you. What more is there to fight for?" What more was there to fight for? Of course, the title! Even though she became a top star and worked hard for an entire year just to earn one billion, being Mrs. Forbes was different. She wouldn't need to do anything, and her assets would already be in the billions. Why shouldn't she fight for her own life? "I'm not jealous of her, I just want you to spend more time with me when we're together. You always ignore me, so what's the point of being with me?" Zayn's gaze was complicated. After a long silence, he finally curled his lips into a faint smile. "Okay, I won't look at my phone anymore, alright?" … When Josephine woke up, the room was bright. She sat up lazily and looked outside the window. She saw a man watering the grass. When she took her phone to check the time, she noticed it was off. So, she switched it on. It was 10:30 am. At the same time, she noticed the large number of messages from Zayn. She sighed softly. It seemed that he hadn't been home these past few days, and hadn't returned to their shared room. Just as she was thinking about it, her phone suddenly rang, and it was Zayn calling. She didn't hesitate and pressed the answer button. "Josephine, if you were an executioner in ancient times, no criminal would survive three days under your hand. I give up, I admit my fault. I don't want to argue with you anymore. I just want to see you immediately. Tell me where you are, okay?" His voice was incredibly gentle, with a hint of pleading. This was the tone she had always found impossible to resist, but at this moment, all she felt was exhaustion. "Zayn, going home would be much more useful than saying all this nonsense." "You took all your things and still want me to go back? Do you want me to suffer? Fine… I'll satisfy you. I'll go back now. I'll experience loneliness, and I'll experience pain, as long as it helps you vent your anger." His voice carried a hint of indulgence, as if no matter how much she tortured him, he would tolerate it for her. "Josephine, I told you before, no matter what you do, I'll spoil you for the rest of my life. I keep my promises." Keeping his promises… These words coming from his mouth were truly ironic. Josephine sighed. Although she had a thick blanket, she still felt cold. "Zayn, are you home?" "Yeah." Not at all surprised by her sensitivity, Zayn casually tossed the car keys to the servant and, under Luke's concerned gaze, went upstairs. He plopped down onto the bed where they had once held each other tightly. "Go ahead, tell me how you want to punish me. I'll do whatever you want today, as long as it makes you happy." Josephine closed her eyes for a moment and thought, "Zayn, oh Zayn. Should I say you're too slow or just overly confident?" She had already gone this far, and yet he still hadn't noticed her intentions. "Do you remember the blind box I gave you on Valentine's Day?" "Of course, I remember." Zayn casually opened the drawer on the bedside table and pulled it out. "You told me to wait three days before opening it. Should I come get you now, and we can open it together?" "No need, just open it yourself." Zayn sighed. "Fine, fine, as you wish." The blind box was thoughtfully decorated, with red ribbons wrapped around the outer layer. He had no patience to admire it, plus he had a phone in one hand so he could only tear it open. To his surprise, inside the box was not a tie, jewelry, or anything he had expected, but a single sheet of paper. He took it out and carefully examined the inside of the box. There were no hidden compartments or secret mechanisms, just the paper. What was this supposed to mean? "Josephine, your Valentine's gift to me is a bit special. A piece of paper? Is it a love letter you wrote by hand?" Josephine chuckled. "Maybe." Hearing it was a love letter, Zayn felt a stir in his heart. He casually tossed the box onto the bed and spread the paper out on his lap. The words "Divorce Agreement" were clearly written on the page.