Chapter 5

"Aaron!" Esther screamed, her voice reverberating throughout the entire house. "Did you actually betray me?" But Aaron rose to his feet and said in a frigid voice, "Esther, you look really ridiculous right now." The pot was calling the kettle black. This was such a joke. For some reason, the mocking smile on his face made Esther panic deep down. She felt as if he had seen through her. "Aaron!" Before she could say anything else, Aaron had already slammed the door shut and left. Right after, his hands were still quivering. He took a deep breath, feeling the cold air of fall entering his lungs. Even so, the coolness of the air could not extinguish the rage within him. "Mr. Blackwood, shall we have a chat?" Russell's voice came from behind him. Aaron spun around, only to see Russell leaning against his black Mercedes-Benz, playing with the car keys in his hands. "Fuck off!" Aaron marched straight toward his car. "Don't be so angry." Russell stood in his way. "I'd suggest that you leave Esther as soon as possible. You're not right for each other." Aaron sneered, "So? Do you think you're right for her?" "At the very least, I won't embarrass her." As he straightened his sleeve, Russell continued, "Esther and I are from families of the same level. Plus, I'm younger than you are." In this day and age, women loved men who were young and fit. "Families of the same level?" Aaron suddenly let out a laugh. "Russel, that trash company of yours is closing down soon, isn't it? If Butterfield Group hadn't given you their support, you would've gone bankrupt by now." Aaron had already looked into Russell in detail. After a few failed fundraising attempts, Stringer Group was already on the brink of closing down. If Russell hadn't gotten connected with Esther, the Stringer family would have already ended up in bankruptcy. They might even have had to be imprisoned. Nevertheless, it was after Russell became involved with Esther that he chased off his then-girlfriend, who was already expecting and with whom he had been discussing marriage. He even forcefully brought his then-girlfriend to the hospital to get an abortion. Russell's face dropped. "You even abandoned your expectant girlfriend for the sake of money." Aaron took a step forward toward Russell. "A scumbag like you doesn't deserve to be in a relationship." "Aaron!" Russell flew into a rage. "Do you think you're more noble than I am? Didn't you also marry Esther because of money?" Everyone chased after things that would benefit them. No one was nobler than anyone else. Aaron slammed his fist on the hood of the Mercedez-Benz. "Bullshit! Back then, in order to marry her, I begged her parents and swore that I'd be good to her for the rest of my life! What about you? What else can you do other than coax women?" Russell took a step back, his face looking pale. Aaron turned around and walked toward his car. His hands were still shaking when he started his car's engine. Through the rear-view mirror, he could see Russell scurrying into the manor like a clown who was escaping from danger. … Back at work, Aaron tidied up his office. After he was all done, he took a glance at the photo on his desk. In it, he had a cast on while Esther leaned against his shoulder, smiling. That was a photo taken after his accident six years ago. That accident happened too suddenly. Esther said that she wanted to take that particular route, but in the end, their car skidded while they were traveling down the mountain. Their car almost crashed through the guardrails. Esther passed out from the impact while Aaron's leg was stuck in his seat, so he was unable to move. Even so, he forced himself to withstand the pain as he freed his leg. Then, he carried Esther on his back and ran for four hours along the winding roads, limping. In the end, both of them ended up in the hospital. After Esther regained consciousness, she smiled at him and said, "We're people who have lived through life and death together. So, let's not separate till death do us part." … "Mr. Blackwood?" Aaron's secretary knocked and entered. "This is the document you asked for." "Okay. Just leave it here." After his secretary left his office, he slipped the document into his briefcase. With these items, he would be able to negotiate with Dolores with more confidence. He took out his resignation letter, which he had prepared ahead of time, and placed it on his desk before leaving the company without looking back. Aaron had just parked his car at the workshop when he spotted a white Maserati being slowly driven into the establishment. That car looked rather familiar to him. A technician next to him checked the body of his car, then frowned. "Mr. Blackwood, the scratch on your car isn't too severe. We'll just need to touch it up with some paint. But since the paint for the model of this car is custom, we'll only be able to get the paint a week later." "No worries. I'm not in a rush." At this moment, the door of the Maserati opened. A woman in a beige-colored coat got out of the car. Her long hair fluttered gently in the wind, highlighting her gentle elegance. "Sir, I'll be paying for his car's repair fees," she said in a crisp voice. Aaron was puzzled. Sierra Thorne smiled slightly. She went up to him and explained, "It was my driver who scratched your car on the road previously. So, it's only right for me to compensate you." Aaron was caught in a daze for a moment before he recalled the incident. "Oh, so that was you. What are you doing here?" Deep down, he was mesmerized by Sierra's beauty. He couldn't believe that there was actually such a gorgeous woman in the world. Sierra gave her car a tap. In a helpless voice, she answered, "Of course, I'm here to repair my car." With a twinkle in her eyes, she continued, "Let me introduce myself formally. My name is Sierra Thorne." "Aaron Blackwood," said Aaron while handing her a name card stamped with gold foil. Sierra accepted the name card. Her gaze lingered on the wedding ring on his hand for a moment. "Where do you work, Mr. Blackwood?" Aaron took a brief glance at the ring on his hand, and the look in his eyes dimmed. "I just resigned." Sierra was about to respond when an ear-piercing screech from a car that came to an abrupt stop interrupted her. A Porsche had dashed into the workshop. Esther emerged from the car, her heels clacking as she strode toward Aaron. "Aaron! So, you do actually have a mistress!" Aaron's expression turned gloomy in an instant. "How did you know that I was here?" Sierra frowned. "This is—" "I'm his wife!" Esther linked arms with Aaron aggressively. "Please stay away from my husband, miss." Aaron shoved Esther's hands away in disgust. "What the hell are you doing, Esther?" "What the hell am I doing?" Esther pointed at Sierra and continued, "You're both being so intimate with one another here. Did you think that I was blind? If I hadn't hired someone to follow you, I wouldn't have found out about your mistress!" A frigid expression came across Sierra's face. "Ms. Butterfield, I'm afraid that you've misunderstood." "I've misunderstood?" Esther scoffed. "Women like you are only after my husband's riches. Well, guess what? I'm the one who gave him all he has!" "That's enough!" Aaron interjected in a stern voice. "Esther, are you done making a fuss?" All of a sudden, Esther's eyes welled up with tears. "Aaron! Are you yelling at me because of this woman?" Aaron couldn't take it anymore. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Esther, let's get a divorce." In that instant, the air around them came to a standstill. Esther staggered backward. Wondering if she had misheard, she asked, "What did you say?" "I said, let's get a divorce," Aaron repeated in a soft yet clear voice. "I've had enough." Suddenly, Esther burst out laughing. With a maniacal smile on her face, she questioned, "Aaron, have you forgotten what you swore when you begged my parents seven years ago? You promised that you'd never ever leave me!" "I've installed surveillance cameras in the manor." Staring at Esther coldly, Aaron continued, "Esther, don't make me utter harsh words." Esther froze. That came like a bolt from the blue. "Esther, let's end things here." Upon saying that, Aaron turned around and left with an air of determination. Sierra hesitated momentarily before she went after him. The sun was setting. Aaron stood by the side of the road outside the workshop, watching the stream of cars go by. Sierra walked to his side. "Shall I drop you off somewhere?" Aaron shook his head. "I'm fine. Thank you." "About what happened earlier…" "I'm sorry that you had to witness something so embarrassing." Sierra fell silent for a moment. "Mr. Blackwood, if you need a job, I can—"