CEO's Caged Ex-wife

Chapter 5 Light Extinguished in the Dust

"Why are you crying?"

In a checkered suit, black leather shoes, and a bow tie, the young Nathan exuded an air of noble handsomeness. His cold, handsome face showed no emotion, yet it carried a hint of the commanding presence and wisdom beyond his years.

At that time, Florence, who had just been slapped by Mr. Miller, felt the care for the first time that someone was holding an umbrella for her. She was fifteen that year, and Samantha had just returned to the Miller family. Samantha had torn up the painting Florence would submit to a competition. When she pushed Samantha in retaliation, Mr. Miller slapped her. She ran out of the house in the rain and hid under a laurel tree.

Then Nathan appeared like a beam of light illuminating her entire world!

From then on, she had been chasing after him and got to know Eleanor and Michael. Eleanor, who was doted on by everyone, was three years older than Florence and two years younger than Nathan. Michael, who was two years older than Nathan, was his half-brother.

Back then, everyone considered Eleanor and Michael to be the perfect couple. Eleanor was even seen as the future daughter-in-law of the Brooks family. They were meant for each other.

At that time, Nathan's gaze would often linger on Eleanor.

At that time, Florence didn't understand.

Now, she understood. Nathan had always admired Eleanor, and she was just his shield. Not long after Eleanor and Michael married, Nathan asked her if she would marry him. She agreed, thinking at the time that he liked her.

Now, she realized that he didn't like her.

He married her only to reassure his elder brother so he could openly gaze at his sister-in-law without anyone criticizing him. She was just a tool, a cover for the secret he harbored in his heart.

After Michael died in a car accident and Eleanor's child passed away unexpectedly, all the obstacles vanished in an instant. The secret Nathan had buried deep in his heart could finally come to light while she, the tool, was cast aside like a piece of old clothing.

The Brooks family's mansion was huge.

A garden, pavilion, lake, and bamboo grove were in the front. In the back stood a three-story ancient-style building where Old Mr. Brooks and his wife lived, along with Nathan's father, Brandon, and his stepmother, Isabella. On either side of the building was a courtyard: the east courtyard, where Michael lived, and the west courtyard, where Nathan resided.

When Florence entered the mansion, several servants trimming the garden flowers from a distance cast looks of disgust and hatred toward her.

Florence smiled bitterly.

There was no denying that Eleanor was a master of manipulation and deception. Over the past three months, she had been extremely cautious with her pregnancy—eating light, nutritious meals, listening to soothing prenatal music, drinking plain water, and abstaining from makeup and manicures—all under the noble pretense of preserving Michael's last bloodline.

Because of this, no one would believe that the baby was deliberately lost when Eleanor fell down the stairs.

Florence didn't go to the mansion. She returned to her courtyard, which was eerily empty, devoid of any presence. Without even thinking, Florence knew that Nathan hadn't returned. She went upstairs, pushed open the door, and saw the wedding photo on the bed—romantic yet cold, sweet yet heartless.

Florence took a shower, re-bandaged the wound on her arm, put on a grey tracksuit, pulled out a suitcase, and began packing her things.

During the year of her marriage to Nathan, she hadn't kept many belongings. Aside from the few clothes she had brought from the Miller family, there were only the books she used daily. She didn't take any of the clothes, designer bags, jewellery, or shoes that Nathan had bought for her. When everything was packed, the suitcase wasn't even full.

After packing, Florence went to the study to print two copies of the divorce agreement. She was leaving with nothing.

As she signed the agreement, Florence paused for a moment. Ten years of chasing, one year of marriage—the light that had entered her life was extinguished in the dust on the blood-stained rainy day...

Just as Florence placed the agreement on the bedside table, the bedroom door was pushed open from the outside.

Nathan walked in, looking exhausted. Seeing Florence standing in the room, he showed no surprise. He glanced at her indifferently and headed toward the bathroom. Just as he was about to enter, he seemed to remember something, stopped, and turned to look at the woman sitting by the bed.

"Weren't you kidnapped?"

Yes, she had been kidnapped!

Florence laughed softly and looked up at the man not far away.

The story was somewhat surreal, yet also laughable and pitiful!

When she became the target of everyone's scorn, when she was forced to kneel by her husband, when she had a miscarriage and was abandoned in the hospital, she was kidnapped.

When she was feverish and unconscious, her husband was by another woman's side, buying her medicine and fever patches and bandaging her wounds. It was the kidnappers who took care of her. When thunder roared, and she was on the verge of self-destruction, it was the kidnappers who snatched the glass from her hand and took turns watching over her.

Seeing Florence laugh, Nathan coldly glanced at her and turned to enter the bathroom.

The tear finally slid down her cheek. Florence wiped it away.

When Nathan came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, Florence was on the balcony watering the plants. The sunlight cast a faint glow, making her seem real and illusory. Nathan glanced at her and then walked into the walk-in closet.

Seeing the suitcase in the closet, Nathan paused for a moment. He grabbed a suit, got changed, and walked out. He instinctively walked over when he saw the white paper on the bedside table. His brows furrowed tightly as the words "Divorce Agreement" came into view.

Florence walked in from the balcony, about to bring up the divorce, when Nathan's voice echoed in the room.

"Ellie is emotionally unstable. Go take care of her."

"What did you say?"

Florence looked up, thinking she had misheard.

The two copies of the divorce agreement were thrown onto the bed. Nathan coldly looked at the woman not far away and spoke indifferently.

"Ellie lost her child because of you. Go to the hospital and take care of her. Atone for your sins."

"No!"

Florence instinctively took half a step back, her face paling bit by bit. Her eyes were filled with resistance and rejection.

Ever since her child had been slowly stripped away from her body, she had stopped trying to explain. When she realized that everything was just deception and manipulation, any explanation was futile. What was the point? No one would believe her. Her child was gone, and the light in her world had been extinguished.

"You don't have a choice!"

Nathan spoke coldly, strode over, grabbed Florence's wrist, and dragged her toward the door...