After marrying billionaire Alex Thorne, he gave his heart to me, but his fortune to his childhood flame, Sera Maxwell. “You claim to like me? How am I supposed to know you’re not just a gold-digger?” “For three years, I won’t give you a single penny. I want you to prove yourself!” I never wanted Alex’s money, so I stubbornly set out to prove him wrong. For three long years, I worked three jobs, doing food deliveries under scorching 104-degree heat. To save every penny, when I gave birth to Leo, I couldn’t even afford an epidural. Until our wedding anniversary, when Leo was bullied by Sera Maxwell’s son, simply because we were poor. Caleb was shielded by Alex, with his soft skin, fancy clothes, and extravagant lifestyle. Alex, without question, took his side, no matter what. And Leo? He was bruised and miserable, huddled in my arms like a frightened kitten. That’s when it hit me. “Today is the last day. Mr. Thorne, let’s get a divorce.” Alex stared at me for a moment after I spoke, silent. Then, a scoff escaped his lips: “Divorce? You can actually bring yourself to do it?” “You’ve endured three years of hardship. Tomorrow, you’ll be the undisputed Mrs. Thorne, with a twenty-million-dollar monthly allowance. You’re really going to throw away such a good life.” “All because of this minor incident, you want a divorce?” I ignored him, lowering my head to gently blow on Leo’s wounds. He’d been pushed to the ground, his knees and arms scraped raw and bloody. The large dabs of antiseptic made the wounds look even more gruesome. Leo didn’t cry. He bit back his tears, as if he’d grown used to such injustice. It tore at my heart even more. I looked up and saw the culprit, shielded behind Alex. My anger flared, completely uncontrollable: “This isn’t a minor incident! You saw the security footage, Alex. Your own child was beaten, yet you’re protecting someone else’s! Alex Thorne, do you have any heart at all?!” I rarely lost my temper. My sudden outburst seemed to startle Alex. The atmosphere grew tense, bordering on hostile. And right then, Sera Maxwell stepped in to smooth things over. “Children are so young, what do they know? Caleb already realizes he was wrong. I apologize to your Leo on his behalf, Aria.” “Aria, please don’t be angry.” I looked at Caleb, clinging to Sera’s hand, still making defiant faces at us. He didn’t look sorry in the slightest. My face darkened, and I didn’t accept her apology: “He made the mistake, he should apologize himself. As his mother, you can’t do it for him.” Sera was used to her fragile act. At my slight harshness, her lips instantly drooped, and tears welled up. She turned to Alex: “Alex…” Alex was already annoyed by my outburst, and seeing Sera’s tears made him even angrier. He snapped at me: “Enough! Kids play rough, bumps and scrapes happen. Why are you making such a big deal out of a child’s antics?” “Besides, Sera has already apologized. Don’t be so relentless.” Before I could retort. Leo, in my arms, spoke up first. “Dad, why do you always take Caleb’s side? You saw it! Caleb called Mom names first. I couldn’t stand it, so I went to get the teacher. He aggressively pushed me, and I didn’t even push back.” “Dad, do you… do you not love me?” The raw disappointment in my child’s innocent eyes stung Alex. He instinctively moved forward to offer a few comforting words, but Caleb, from behind him, grabbed onto his leg. “You’re only just figuring that out?!” “Everyone in our class knows Mr. Thorne doesn’t like you, you little beggar son. Even my mom says it! Your mom’s a beggar, and you’re a little beggar. Beggars like you don’t belong in the same school as me, and you and your mom will be kicked out of the Thorne mansion eventually!” “Then Mom and I can move in and live a good life…” Caleb’s words were cut short. Sera’s hand shot out, smacking him hard on the back of his head. “Caleb Maxwell, what nonsense are you spewing?! Apologize to Leo right now!” Caleb opened his mouth to cry and throw a tantrum, but Sera shot him a warning glance. With tears still streaming, he reluctantly walked over to us, sniffling as he mumbled: “Leo Thorne, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you or made fun of you and your mom.” Leo glanced at him, softly responded: “It’s okay.” Then he buried his face back in my arms, his voice muffled: “Mom, I don’t want to go to school here anymore.” “It’s really expensive, and Dad doesn’t give us money, so you work so hard, Mom. The other kids here don’t like me either.” Leo’s words broke my heart. I stroked his head, comforting him in a low voice: “Alright, then we won’t study here. I’ll arrange your transfer later.” The bell rang for class. The incident was over, and the two children were led back to their classrooms by the teacher. Perhaps Leo’s words had stirred a rare warmth in Alex’s heart today. As he was leaving, he offered to give me a ride. “Don’t take the bus. It’s hot; I’ll drive you.” The man leaned out of his million-dollar luxury car. According to my previous mindset, I should have refused, should have continued to wait for the bus under the scorching sun. To prove to Alex that I wasn’t a gold-digger. But I looked down at myself, still wearing my worn-out delivery uniform, and remembered Leo’s faded sneakers. Meanwhile, Sera in the passenger seat was impeccably dressed, and Caleb was covered in designer brands. The stubborn lump in my throat suddenly dissolved. Alex, proving anything didn’t matter anymore. Love did. I pulled open the car door, something I’d never done before, and got in. Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise, letting out a soft laugh: “Not playing hard to get anymore? I knew it. With the three years up, and twenty million a month starting tomorrow, how could you bear to leave me?” “Alright, where am I taking you?” I looked at Alex, my voice calm: “To the courthouse. We’re filing for divorce.”
Alex’s pupils widened slightly. He thought I was just throwing a tantrum, and a furious laugh escaped him. “Fine, fine, fine! Don’t you dare regret this!” I said nothing, staying silent the entire ride. We quietly completed all the paperwork. It wasn’t until we walked out of the courthouse that I slowly spoke: “In thirty days, we’ll come back to finalize the divorce. I’ll go home and pack; Leo and I will be leaving later.” Before Alex could respond, I flagged down a taxi and left. Sera, standing nearby, seized the opportunity to fan the flames: “Alex, don’t chase her. It’s probably good for Aria to cool down. Once that twenty million allowance hits her account tomorrow, someone who’s lived such a hard life will surely never be able to leave. But for her to constantly bring up divorce, even forcing you to come here…” “It’s truly ungrateful of her!” Alex coldly glanced at Sera’s hand clutching his arm. He pulled away, his eyes narrowed as he warned: “Stay out of my business with Aria.” “Grandpa has old ties with your family, which is why he asked me to look after you and Caleb. So, stay in your lane. I told you before: you can try to ‘test’ or ‘provoke’ Aria and Leo all you want, but don’t you dare touch my son. I don’t want to hear Caleb say those things again.” “Otherwise, I’ll pull all my investments from Maxwell Enterprises.” Sera was furious, but she still had to maintain her pitiful facade: “Alex, don’t think that of me. Kids say silly things, they don’t mean it. I was just worried that Aria was a gold-digger and wanted to help you test her. I won’t do it again.” “Speaking of Grandpa, could you drop me off at the old mansion? We can have dinner with him.” Alex ignored her, getting straight into his car: “It’s not on my way. I’m going back to the office.” “It’s hard to get a cab near the school, that’s why you asked me to give you a ride. This is downtown; you can handle yourself.” He floored the gas pedal. Sera could only watch the receding taillights, fuming. After some thought, Sera finally dialed her phone: “Hello, Grandpa, it’s Sera. Do you know, Aria suddenly filed for divorce! And she said she’s taking Leo with her!” “She’s trying to keep you from seeing your grandson, trying to threaten the Thorne family…” Alex’s car stopped at the last traffic light near his office, watching the countdown. He inexplicably thought of our marriage, now counting down its final thirty days. We definitely wouldn’t divorce. Both my son and I loved him fiercely, enduring three years of hardship without a word of leaving. But then he remembered Leo’s disappointed eyes and my utterly cold expression at the courthouse entrance. The more Alex thought about it, the more agitated he became, a strange panic slowly rising within him. He slammed his fist on the steering wheel in frustration, then turned the car around, heading home to find me. When Alex returned, I was tossing our wedding photos into a box. Calling them wedding photos was generous; they were just selfies taken with a veil. Because we had no money, I couldn’t afford proper wedding photos. I bought a cheap veil for a few bucks on Wish, then dragged Alex to take a quick selfie in front of the courthouse. In the photo, Alex’s face was stone-cold, and even though he seemed reluctant, he obediently let me rest my head on his shoulder for the shot. Later, when he saw that awkward photo hanging on the wall, he didn’t say anything. I thought then that Alex loved me. But his love was tinged with doubt and suspicion, and I just needed to try harder to make him believe. So later, no matter how much I suffered, a glance at that photo was enough to make me endure it all. I reached out, gently touching Alex’s face in the photo. “I knew you couldn’t let me go.” “Aria, let’s withdraw the divorce application.”
*Thud.* The moment Alex spoke, I dropped the photo into the box. I frowned, looking at him: “Why are you back so early?” “Didn’t the teacher say you took Caleb to the old mansion to see Grandpa?” My words caught Alex off guard. I looked at the empty space behind Alex and immediately realized something. I called the teacher, and after my repeated questioning, the teacher reluctantly revealed the truth: “It was… it was Mr. Thorne Sr. He took the child.” “He told us not to tell you, and said Leo would never live with you again.” No way! Leo was my entire world. I didn’t care about anything else now. I told Alex to drive me to the old mansion. When I arrived, Leo was crying pitifully. “I want my mom, I want to go home. Grandpa, she’s not my mom!” Grandpa Thorne pressed Leo into Sera’s arms: “This is your home.” “What’s so good about that mother of yours? She’s so common, so petty. She only married Alex for his money.” “Grandpa will get you a new mom. Sera is educated and gentle. She’ll not only be good to you, but she’ll also nurture you. You’ll have a bright future!” I rushed forward, pulled Leo out, and hugged him, whispering reassurances. Then I looked up, glaring fiercely at Grandpa Thorne: “Leo is my son! No one can take him from me!” “Grandpa Thorne, aren’t you going too far?!” Grandpa Thorne had always looked down on me, and now he felt it was beneath him to even speak to me. He simply looked at Alex, his face cold, and commanded: “Get rid of her. Give her some money and send her away. Consider it compensation for her youth and for having a child these past few years.” “If Sera hadn’t told me you two were fighting about divorce, I wouldn’t have known!” “Let me tell you, I’ve seen countless women like her. She’s ‘demanding a divorce’ now, but it’s just a tactic to use the child’s custody to extort money from you, endlessly!” Alex shot Sera a furious glare. Then he turned to his grandfather, trying to explain: “We’re just having a small disagreement, Grandpa. Aria isn’t like that.” Grandpa Thorne only grew more impassioned: “Not like that? Not like that, then why did you ‘test’ her for three years? You still doubted her, didn’t you?” “Alex, you don’t love her, you just pity her. If that’s the case, don’t let this woman monopolize the Mrs. Thorne title. Leo stays, and you give her some money for a divorce.” “I’m your father, I wouldn’t harm you. Listen to me!” The bodyguards on the side stepped forward, ready to snatch Leo from me. I looked at Alex, tears streaming down my face: “Alex, say something!” “These three years of marriage, am I a gold-digger or not? Don’t you know, deep down?” “I was sincere with you, and even more so with Leo!” Alex remained silent. He still doubted me. I stared at him in disbelief, my heart aching as if it had been ripped from my chest. “You… you still don’t believe me after all this time?” “These three years, have I spent a single penny of your money, Alex Thorne? Even when I gave birth to Leo, I couldn’t afford an epidural, so I endured the pain without it. Delivering packages, cleaning offices—I literally let my dignity be trampled on for those jobs. Yet I never once reached out to you for help.” “Alex Thorne, you truly have no heart.” I didn’t want to say anything more. I took Leo and turned to leave. The bodyguards weren’t thugs. The child was small; if anything happened, Grandpa Thorne would surely blame them. Just as I was about to walk out the front door. Sera’s startled cry suddenly came from behind me. “Oh no, Grandpa Thorne fell!” Although I didn’t like Grandpa Thorne, he was still an elder. I held Leo and accompanied him all the way to the hospital. I just didn’t expect that the mess he’d caused by falling would have to be repaid with my son’s blood.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298738”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic
Leave a Reply