Chapter 13

I stared at the familiar Divorce Agreement on the table, my breath quickening as I struggled to keep my temper in check. Coldly, I asked, "Have you been to Imperial Court?" Sophia took a sip from her teacup before answering, "Yes." "What were you doing there?!" I lowered my gaze, radiating an oppressive aura. "Why can't you just enjoy your life at home? Why do you have to interfere with mine?" Sophia smiled faintly. "I’ve been reading the news lately. You and Aurora seem to be getting along just fine, don’t you? I always said you two should’ve gotten married. What a perfect couple! It would’ve saved so much trouble. Look at Arabella’s family, it’s a complete mess..." "Enough!" I stood up, looking down at my mother. "Please leave, Mother. Don’t interfere with my life anymore." Sophia bit her lip, unwilling to let go. "Didn't you lock her in the house to keep her from embarrassing herself? Didn’t you know she’s been wanting to divorce you for a long time? This is the Divorce Agreement she wrote…" "Please leave now!" I interrupted, pointing toward the door, clearly not wanting to hear another word. Sophia slowly stood up and was about to take the Divorce Agreement from the table when I cut her off. "Leave the Divorce Agreement. Don’t worry, I’ll sign it when the time comes. Please leave now." Hearing that I would sign it, Sophia finally seemed reassured. She smiled, her voice trembling with excitement. "Ah! I understand! I’ll leave now." I watched as Sophia left, then turned to pick up the Divorce Agreement. My face darkened as I stared at the paper for a long moment, before curling my lips into a smile and tossing it into the shredder. I watched the Divorce Agreement shred into pieces, letting out a quiet laugh. "You want to leave me? Dream on." Arabella’s POV In a modest apartment. I had been staying in the apartment Isabella had temporarily arranged for me for the past two days. I switched my phone number, took two days off from William, and spent those days resting and regaining my strength in the apartment. So much had happened recently that the pressure was almost suffocating. I rubbed my forehead, having rested for two days. Today, it was time to return to work. Before I switched my number, I had seen dozens of missed calls from CEO Caldwell. I quickly called him back to explain, of course, leaving out a few details. Once he knew I was safe, he told me to rest well and reassured me that I wouldn’t lose any pay for these days off. And then… there were Jasper’s missed calls... I sighed, patting my face as if to shake off the thoughts. We... are divorced now. At the Office When Isabella saw me, she rushed over to hug me, almost stumbling over her words in her excitement. "Arabella! You’re back to work! Are you okay? You don’t know, these past few days, CEO has been terrifying, like he’s been eating gunpowder! You’re finally back to save us!" I chuckled, patting her head to calm her. "How could our boss, so kind and gentle, get angry? It must be that you guys weren’t doing your jobs properly. Keep up the good work, don’t be discouraged, just keep going! I’ll go report to the boss first." Isabella pouted and let go, reluctantly saying, "But... CEO Caldwell is different with you..." I tapped her on the head, laughing as I scolded her lightly, "Go back to work! Stop gossiping!" Isabella covered her head, sticking out her tongue playfully, and went back to her desk. I shook my head helplessly and turned toward William’s office. Standing at the door, I took a deep breath before raising my hand to knock. "CEO Caldwell." Inside, William’s calm, smooth voice answered, "Come in." I pushed the door open and walked up to his desk, standing still, and gave a small bow. "CEO Caldwell, I’m back to work." Upon hearing my voice, William lifted his head from his papers. He always wore gold-rimmed glasses while working, which made him look even sharper and more capable, though the glasses added a softness to his features. But no matter how gentle he appeared, I couldn’t help but tense up in his presence. His clear, gentle eyes curved behind the glasses. "It’s good to have you back. Have you rested well? Are you feeling better?" I nodded, adopting a serious expression. "I'm fully rested now. I apologize for causing any inconvenience to the company. I’ll work overtime these next few days to catch up on my tasks." William chuckled lightly. "Don’t be so serious, Arabella. You haven’t caused any trouble for the company. In fact, I should be thanking you for helping me manage it so well." I smiled faintly. "Yes." William pushed his glasses up and handed me a few documents. After giving me my instructions, he gestured for me to get to work. I nodded with the files in hand and turned to leave. William watched my retreating figure, a mysterious smile forming on his lips. Later that night I lifted my head, gently massaging my neck with my right hand to ease the tension. The office was empty, with only William and I remaining. I sighed. William was truly a workaholic, always the last one to leave the office. In that regard, we were very much alike. Suddenly, a hand landed on my shoulder, making me jump. I stiffened, ready to stand up, but then I heard a cool voice. "It's me." "CEO Caldwell, it's you," I exhaled in relief, relaxing my body and turning to face him. "Is there something work-related you need to discuss?" William looked at me, half-amused. "Does it always have to be about work when I seek you out?" I blinked, confused. "Then what?" William pulled me up from my chair and took the coat draped over it, slinging it over his arm. "Come on, it’s already past eight. You’ve just recovered, right? Let me treat you to dinner—consider it a welcome back to work and a reward for all your hard work." "But I..." I started to decline. William interrupted me. "I know you're divorcing Mr. Jasper. You're staying in that apartment now, right? I found that place for you. Do you really think Isabella had the time or resources to find you a place that quickly?" I stared at him in disbelief. "How do you know all this... and the apartment...?" William sighed, his eyes softening behind his glasses as he looked at me. "Arabella, when we're at work, we have a boss-employee relationship. But after hours, I'd like us to be friends. You've been working with me for so long—don’t you trust me by now?" "No, that's not what I meant... CEO Caldwell..." I waved my hands in a flustered attempt to explain. "It’s just that so much has happened recently, and I’m a bit... It’s nothing, I trust you." William chuckled lightly at my flustered expression, his eyes curving into a smile. "I know. After work, just call me William. No need to keep calling me CEO Caldwell." "But..." I hesitated. Our relationship had always been formal, and aside from asking him for help last time, I had always been respectful toward him. "We are friends, aren’t we?" William’s tone had a hint of playfulness, almost as if he were hurt. His lashes cast a shadow over his eyes as he lowered his gaze. Seeing him like this, I was suddenly reminded of my ten-year-old brother, Gabriel. He would always cling to me and pout, and when I ignored him as a joke, he’d make this exact same expression. It always made my heart soften, and I had no defense against it. "Alright. William," I relented.