Chapter 4. Parting Ways
A divorce?
Alec couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
Those words were the last thing he exp ected to come out of Vanessa’s mouth.
Yes, he wasn’t the most affectionate man in the world, but he cared about her and he had foolishly thought she cared about him, that’s why he married her, to keep her by his side and away from other men.
Now she was saying she never cared about him?
He glanced down at the documents in his hands. Sure enough, they were divorce papers along with her resignation letter.
He shot her a hard look, his expression hardening. “Is this some sort of joke? Are you throwing a tantrum just because of earlier?” he demanded.
Vanessa shook her head, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. “No, Alec. I’ve wanted this for a long time. Now that Isla is back, you’re free to be with her.”
Alec scoffed, tearing the papers in half without a second thought. “What do you think this is? You think you can just waltz in here and demand a divorce?”
“And Why the hell not?” Vanessa’s voice cracked with frustration. “You don’t love me. Just let me go!”
Desperation filled her words, and she felt her heart race as she spoke. Over four good years of marriage, and Alec had never opened up to her, never shown a hint of affection.
They had started as normal boss and secretary, but she soon developed a crush on him, and to her shock, he had kissed her one day and told her he wanted to marry her.
Yes, she knew he probably only wanted sex and ownership of her since it was clear that he didn’t love her, but She had loved him deeply, convinced that her devotion would one day win his heart.
But here they were, four years later, and Alec’s heart remained as icy as ever. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t thaw him.
“Please, Alec. Just set me free so you can be happy with Isla,” she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper as tears threatened to spill.
“Not a chance. Divorce? You think you can just stroll in and dictate terms after everything you’ve done?” Alec’s voice dripped with contempt. “You must be delusional, Vanessa.”
“Isn’t that why you spent the night with her? To be with the woman you truly want?” Vanessa shot back, unable to suppress her anger.
Alec stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. He seized her chin, forcing her to meet his cold gaze. “I’m the only one who gets to decide when this marriage ends, not you. So Don’t ever mention divorce again.”
Vanessa couldn’t hold back her tears now.
“The woman you love is back. You’ll never love me, so why prolong my pain?” Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her heart felt like it was being crushed.
Despite her pain, Alec remained steadfast, his expression unyielding.
His eyes softened slightly as he wiped her tears with his thumbs, but his words cut like ice. “No one is getting a divorce. My grandfather cares for you, and I won’t burden him with our problems.”
Just as Vanessa opened her mouth to respond, a sickly sweet fragrance hit her nostrils, unmistakably a woman’s perfume—likely Isla’s.
The scent made her stomach churn, and she felt nausea rise. Without a word, she pulled away and rushed to the kitchen, unable to bear it any longer.
Alec furrowed his brow in confusion, trailing after her. “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”
He held her hair back as she leaned over the sink, retching. “Did you go to the hospital or rest at all?” he asked, concern tinged with annoyance.
“Yea, It’s probably just stomach flu,” Vanessa muttered, hoping he wouldn’t press further.
“Stomach flu?” Alec’s eyes narrowed. “In all the years of our marriage, I’ve never seen you puke even when you were really sick. Tell me the truth, are you hiding something?”
Vanessa’s heart raced and she broke into a sweat. Did he know? Had he somehow found out about the baby?
As Alec studied her, she could see the gears turning in his mind. He looked at her, his gaze piercing, noting the paleness of her skin and a slight weight gain.
“Maybe we should go to the hospital and test you for preg—”
Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief when Alec’s phone suddenly rang, cutting him off.
“Hello?” he answered, irritation creeping into his voice.
“Mr. Hudson, we’ve lost track of Miss Johnson, we can’t find her where you left her!” came the frantic voice on the other end.
Alec’s expression shifted from annoyance to alarm. “What? I’m on my way!”
He didn’t spare Vanessa another glance before bolting out of the house, worry etched into his features.
Vanessa couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Here she thought he might actually care, but it turned out his priorities lay elsewhere.
As he raced out for Isla, she wondered if he would even blink if she were the one who suddenly disappeared.
With a depressed sigh and heavy footsteps, she moved toward the stairs, intending to lock herself in the bedroom until Alec finally came back. But before she could take another step, she suddenly heard quick footsteps behind her.
She froze in surprise and tried to turn around, but before she could even get the chance to do that, a large hand suddenlyclamped a cloth over her mouth and nose, forcing her to breathe in some sharp unpleasant chemicals.
Vanessa panicked and tried to scream, but before she got the chance to fight back, a wave of dizziness hit her, and everything faded to black.