After Divorce, No Longer Waiting for Him

Chapter 6

The night of Master Carr's birthday banquet was extravagant, exactly what you'd expect. I showed up, but strictly in a professional capacity.

My aunt had once helped me, partly out of family loyalty, partly because she wanted access to the Carr Group's resources to enter the domestic market. She's always been ambitious. Her light luxury brand overseas has been doing well, but never really broke through.

She didn't have an invite to the banquet, so I brought her as my plus-one. It was the least I could do.

I dressed the part and walked her inside. Not far off, I spotted Tom. He was checking his watch and scanning the room like he was waiting for someone. When his eyes landed on me, surprise flickered across his face.

"Amber? I thought you weren't coming."

"I'm here on business," I said flatly. "This is my aunt, she's the founder of GE, the luxury brand."

"Oh, your aunt?" He smiled politely. "Amber's mentioned you before, said you were always traveling for work."

Tom didn't seem to care much about the "business" part. He nodded and courteously led my aunt to meet Master Carr. After all, we were technically still in-laws. I'd told him once when we got married that my aunt was busy designing for the Miss World runner-up, clearly, he remembered.

My aunt had brought a rare antique she'd won at an overseas auction as a gift. Master Carr took to her immediately.

Tom used the moment to pull me aside, lowering his voice. "Shouldn't you wear something else? You're part of the Carr family now. Dressing like this… it's a little too plain."

I shook off his hand. "Tom, our daughter wants us to get divorced."

He froze.

Our daughter had always seen through the cracks in our marriage. Near the end, she knew she wouldn't have much time left. She held my hand and whispered, "I don't want Daddy anymore, Mommy. Find someone who really loves you."

She wasn't just craving a father's love, she wanted her mom to be loved.

Even now, thinking of her makes my heart splinter.

Tom looked stunned, but stubborn as ever. "Tonight, I'm telling everyone here you've been my wife, Mrs. Carr, for six years."

"Go ahead. Announcements and divorce papers don't cancel each other out."

"I don't agree to the divorce."

His eyes were red, but I didn't care. I didn't flinch.

Soon, I'll be heading into a two-year research project, off the grid, minimal contact with the outside world, high confidentiality. If I file for divorce and we're separated that long, the court will grant it.

Just then, River strutted over like she owned the place. She gave me a smug once-over, then turned to Tom.

"Tom, how do you like my dress?"

She was wearing the exact same dress I once refused to accept.

Tom's face clouded instantly. "Who invited you?"

He turned quickly to me, panicked. "Amber, don't get the wrong idea. I didn't invite her. I don't even know how she got that dress, there should only be…"

He trailed off as a group of business partners came over to greet him. I used the opportunity to step away.

Why he still bothers trying to explain anything to me, I'll never understand. We're getting divorced. No need for damage control.

River, however, was furious. Her face turned an ugly shade of green. She snapped, "Amber, what are you doing here?"

"Talking business," I said casually.

She clearly didn't believe me. Neither did Tom, for that matter.

"How shameless can you be?" she hissed. "You know Tom loves me, yet you still won't let go."

"Your daughter's gone now, you've lost your only bargaining chip. Let's see how you plan to compete with me now!"

"I'm the one who truly belongs with Tom! I'm the real future Mrs. Carr!"

I looked her dead in the eye. "First of all, my daughter was a person, not a pawn. Second, I'm divorcing him. Whether you can take my place depends entirely on your ability."

The word mistress hit a nerve. Her expression twisted.

"If you hadn't ruined everything back then," she snapped, "I would've been the one spending the night with Tom!"

"Oh? So it was you who drugged Tom's drink that night?"

"So what?" she laughed. "It was just a little romantic prank."

"You really think threatening divorce will win Tom back? Please. He only pities you. He never loved you. The only reason he married you was to get back at me."

She said it all, right to my face.

I didn't even blink.

The day our daughter passed, something inside me broke for good. There was no saving this marriage. No more hoping Tom would change.

I didn't come here to argue. I came to help my aunt close a deal.

River must've felt like she was swinging at air. The more composed I was, the more enraged she became.

She tried again. "You should walk away from Tom while you still can. If not, I'll make sure you can't stay in Astriad!"

I sipped my wine slowly, amused. "If you had that kind of power, you wouldn't have failed to get rid of me in the past six years."

I was still Tom's legal wife. She wouldn't dare make a real move.

"You!" she growled. "Just wait! The Carr family is going to throw out a woman like you, especially after giving birth to a child with a genetic disease!"

I turned to her with ice in my voice.

"River, you got a master's in medicine and you still don't know hemophilia usually passes to male offspring? My daughter's condition was a rare mutation."

Then I added, coolly, "And if it weren't for me, someone as fragile as you would've never even stepped foot into the Carr estate."

Tom had run to her more times than I could count, every time she staged another dramatic episode with her so-called heart condition. She was the classic delicate beauty, soft coughs, pale skin, eyes full of tears. A living Lin Daiyu.

"I wasn't really sick!" she snapped. "I faked it! And that just proves how much Tom cares about me! He even walked away from million-dollar deals for me. What do you have? Just an empty title."

I smiled faintly.

No more words were necessary.