Chapter 3
1075 Words
My blood seemed to turn cold in an instant.
"Give it back," I said, staring straight at her, my tone firm.
Cassiel frowned, his voice sharp with impatience and blame.
"Lorelai, there is no taking back something you have already given away. It is just a pendant. If you want one, I will buy you ten better ones tomorrow."
"It was given to me by my mother."
My eyes remained fixed on Margaux, who stood watching with a faint smile playing on her lips. She lifted her hands in a show of graceful concession.
"Well, well, well, since you care about it so much, I shall return it to you."
She reached up, unclasped the jade pendant from around her neck, and held it delicately between her fingers.
But just as she extended her hand to pass it to me, her fingers seemed to loosen by accident.
The pendant fell straight to the floor, shattering into several pieces with a sharp, cracking sound.
My vision blurred with rage and grief. I lunged forward toward her, but Cassiel moved faster.
He caught me firmly by the arm and shouted harshly, "Lorelai, have you lost your mind? It is only a pendant!"
"It is far more than just a pendant!" I cried out, trying to pull free.
I saw the utter despair in my own reflection in the glass panel nearby, and Cassiel paused for a moment.
His tone softened slightly, though his grip did not loosen.
"It is broken now..." he said quietly, glancing down at the shattered item with a furrowed brow. "But she did not do it on purpose."
He turned toward Margaux and patted her shoulder gently, his voice turning soothing.
"Do not worry. I will find the finest craftsman to repair it."
He added with a promise, "I swear it will be restored to exactly how it was before..."
"It will not be the same!" I cut him off sharply.
How could anything ever be the same again?
Margaux stood nearby, pressing a hand to her mouth and shaking her head slowly as she spoke.
"I am so sorry, Lorelai. I truly did not mean to break it. My hand slipped..."
I turned my back on them both.
I crouched down and, with trembling hands, began to gather the fragments from the floor.
The sharp edges cut into the palm of my hand.
Blood welled up and dripped onto the white shards of jade, a stark and painful sight.
Cassiel cursed under his breath.
He pulled out a few tissues and pressed them hard against my bleeding hand, then turned quickly and walked toward the office storage area to look for a first-aid kit.
Taking advantage of his absence, Margaux slipped the signed divorce papers into my uninjured hand.
"Do not blame me," she said calmly, her expression remaining perfectly composed as she met my eyes.
"I only wanted to help you face reality sooner, so you could let go faster."
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and continued in an even tone.
"Now, I have given you exactly what you said you wanted."
She took a step back, looked at me coldly, and gestured toward the door.
"Please leave as soon as possible, and do not ever come back to disturb us again."
I gripped the papers tightly in one hand and the broken pieces in the other, and turned to walk away.
But before I could take a step, my arm was seized again.
Cassiel had returned with the first-aid kit.
There was a faint, unrecognizable edge of panic in his voice.
"Your hand is still bleeding. Let me dress the wound first."
I looked directly at him.
"Some wounds, no matter how you treat them, will never truly heal."
I saw the look on his face shift back to irritation.
He appeared to take my words as nothing more than bitterness.
"Lorelai, how long do you intend to keep making a scene?"
I spoke softly, clearly, "This ends now."
I pulled my arm free from his grasp with all my strength, and walked away without looking back.
He called out after me, his voice rising sharply.
"Lorelai, my patience has limits. Do not push me too far!"
I did not answer. I walked straight into the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor.
When I arrived home, I packed my bags without hesitation.
I blocked every single contact number associated with him, and handed over all legal matters regarding the separation to my lawyer friend.
I returned fully to the life I had lived before.
I took a long red dress out of storage, one I had not worn in years... and threw away every plain, muted piece of clothing I owned.
End of Lorelai's POV
Several days passed.
Cassiel likely only finished dealing with his affairs later, or perhaps only then began to wonder why things had felt so strange that day.
He got back to the house.
He pushed open the door, but the place was silent and still.
"Lorelai?" he called out.
There was no answer.
He paused, his posture stiffening as a strange, heavy feeling of unease settled over him.
He raised his voice. "Lorelai, don't play games with me. Come out here now!"
He hurried through the rooms one by one... the living room, the bedroom, the study.
Every single space was empty. He rushed down the stairs and called the house manager.
"Where is she? Where has she gone?"
The manager looked at him, surprised.
"Sir, did you not know? You and Mrs. Voss are already divorced. She packed her things and left a long time ago..."
"Divorced?" Cassiel let out a short laugh, as if he had heard something ridiculous.
"She could never divorce me. She said that only out of anger. How could you believe such a thing?"
He loosened his tie with an irritated tug, and his eyes fell upon the coffee table in the living room.
There sat a plain, noticeable document envelope.
He strode over and tore it open, almost roughly.
At the top, the words Divorce Agreement were printed clearly, standing out against the white paper.
Below, in the space marked Signature, the name Lorelai Voss was written in clear, decisive strokes.
Next to it was his own signature... familiar, yet now painful to look at.
He stared at the paper, his pupils contracting sharply.
"She actually... went through with it?"
- Writer
