Chapter 2 She's Acting Strange
1006 Words
Warren's POV:
That evening, I returned to the villa from the hospital. The living room was dark, steeped in an unfamiliar, eerie quiet.
"Lynne?" I called out, shrugging off my suit jacket as I headed upstairs.
Usually, at this time, Lynne would greet me at the door with her gentle smile. She'd help me take off my coat and hand me my slippers.
I admit that I liked her warmth.
If it weren't for the fact that Shirley once bled for me, maybe my relationship with Lynne wouldn't be this strained.
That incident years ago—Shirley had been hit on the forehead with a beer bottle by a drunk man while trying to protect me, leaving a scar on her forehead.
For a woman, such a thing was rather cruel.
So, I had always felt a deep sense of guilt toward Shirley.
But tonight, the oppressive silence made me question if I'd come to the wrong house.
"Lynne, are you already asleep?"
I pushed open the master bedroom door, hoping to see her familiar figure, but the room was pitch black.
Flipping on the light, I found the bed empty. That damn woman. She wasn't even here.
A gust of night wind blew in through the window, and a piece of paper fluttered to the floor. Tossing my jacket onto the bed, I bent down to pick it up.
It was a divorce agreement. The bold words leaped out at me, making my heart jolt.
Was Lynne seriously planning to divorce me?
Frowning, I scanned the document quickly. The reasons for divorce were infidelity, emotional neglect, and irreparable differences.
As for the asset division, she claimed that she would voluntarily leave with nothing.
"Childish!" I crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it into the trash.
There was no way that woman would dare divorce me. She was just throwing a tantrum, expecting me to coax her.
Well, I didn't have the patience for that. She would come crawling back once she cooled down.
Scoffing, I grabbed my pajamas and headed for the bathroom. Just then, my phone buzzed.
I smirked. 'See? I knew it. She's calling to beg already.'
But when I glanced at the screen, my mood soured. It wasn't Lynne—it was Shirley.
Annoyed, I hesitated before swiping to answer.
"Warren, I feel dizzy all of a sudden. I'm scared. Can you come to the hospital and stay with me?"
Shirley's soft, delicate voice floated through the line, but it only irritated me further.
"I can't," I replied, exhausted. "I haven't even eaten yet. I just want to rest."
"But Lynne still hasn't come to apologize to me." Shirley's tone turned aggrieved. "She pushed me down the stairs, Warren. I could sue her for attempted murder!"
"Tomorrow," I said through gritted teeth. "Lynne isn't home. Tomorrow I'll bring her to apologize. Just rest for now."
"Lynne isn't home?" I thought I heard Shirley chuckling, but I hung up before giving it much thought.
*****
My gaze fell on the framed wedding photo on the bedside table. In the picture, Lynne was radiant in her white gown, her delicate smile glowing with joy. Her eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky.
I reached out, brushing my fingers across her lips in the photo.
I had always known Lynne was beautiful, but I had never told her that. My compliments have always been reserved for Shirley.
As I set the frame back down, unease crept into my chest. Unable to resist, I picked up my phone and dialed Lynne's number.
"The number you have dialed is unavailable..." She had actually blocked me!
A surge of anger flared within me, and I nearly smashed my phone against the wall.
My face darkened, my heart pounding. This wasn't like Lynne. She was slipping out of my control, and it was driving me mad.
I stormed downstairs and grabbed the landline, punching in her number again.
This time, she answered. Relief washed over me. Of course, she wouldn't actually leave—it was just a game of cat and mouse.
"Have you had enough of this nonsense?" I growled, letting my anger seep into my tone.
"Did you sign the divorce papers yet?" Lynne's voice was calm—too calm. Cold, even.
Her indifference stunned me, and I softened my tone instinctively. "Tell me what you wanna buy. A hundred thousand dollars. Is that enough?"
In the past, whenever I ditched Lynne to be with Shirley, I'd placate her with money. Yet, strangely, she never seemed to spend it.
"Divorce," she said firmly. "Warren, I don't want a single cent of your filthy money."
Her resoluteness left me speechless, and a heavy weight settled in my chest. "I'm giving you one last chance," I said darkly. "We can leave this behind if you stop acting out."
"Warren Sterling." Lynne sneered. "Are you a fool? I said I want a divorce. Divorce!"
"So now you want a divorce?" I snapped, my anger boiling over. "Who was the one clinging to me three years ago, desperate to marry me?"
"To be clear, it was your grandmother," Lynne retorted, her voice laced with sarcasm. "I saved her life, and she insisted I marry you. But you know what? I admit I was blind. I regret it, okay?"
"You regret it? Ha!" Fury surged through me, and the words flew out before I could stop them. "Fine. Come to the hospital and apologize to Shirley, and I'll sign the papers!"
"Is that a deal?" Lynne asked rhetorically. "One hour. Bring the papers to the hospital!"
The call ended with a loud clunk as I slammed the receiver down.
That damn woman! Who did she think she was?
I stormed back upstairs, digging the crumpled divorce agreement out of the trash. 'There's no way she'll go through with this,' I thought.
For three years, she had been living off me like a parasite. If I could play my cards right, she would be on her knees, begging for forgiveness.
- Writer
