# Chapter 21 - Secret Hideout
1499 Words
"What's so great about her? She's just a vixen. Do all the men in the world have to revolve around her?" Lina Sterling had completely lost her mind, shrieking hysterically.
"Miss Sterling, before you talk about others, you should take a good look at your own ugly face in the mirror first," Willow said, looking at Lina Sterling with contempt in her eyes.
"Don't get cocky. You'll be dumped soon, I'm telling you. My cousin..." Lina Sterling's eyes were bloodshot as she roared, but before she could finish-
"No need. Let me tell you - I'm already in the process of filing for divorce with Adrian. Tell Olivia not to be in such a hurry. Have a little patience," Willow said softly, staring at Lina Sterling.
Agreed to a divorce.
The room suddenly fell into a deathly silence.
Adrian's hand, hanging at his side, clenched into a tight fist. So she had just announced it like that? Without leaving any room for either of them?
"Miss Sterling, have I been too generous to the Sterling family, letting you humiliate my wife in front of everyone like this?" Adrian stepped forward, looking down at Lina Sterling with disdain, deliberately emphasizing the word "wife."
Lina Sterling was stunned. Adrian was actually still defending her... But her cousin had said...
"Or do you want Olivia to get lost Right now and crawl back to your Sterling Corporation?" Adrian tilted his head, thinking carefully.
Lina Sterling felt the blood in her veins turn to ice, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.
Was he joking?
Right now, the Sterling family's ability to maintain ties with the Ashford Group depended entirely on her cousin's connections. If those ties were severed because of her, Lina Sterling didn't even dare to think about the consequences.
"N-no, that's not it, Mr. Ashford, I..." Lina Sterling panicked.
How could this be? Her cousin had clearly told her that she was about to succeed... Otherwise Lina Sterling wouldn't have dared to be so brazen. Could there have been some misunderstanding?
"Alright, enough. Let me take you home," Lucas couldn't watch anymore. He put an end to this farce and reached for Willow, ready to take her away.
"I say, you're being a little too blatant about this," Adrian didn't let go of Willow.
Lucas looked straight at Adrian, also holding onto Willow's arm without releasing her.
"An agreed divorce means we are not divorced yet, understand? And I. Don't. Agree." The last four words were spoken through gritted teeth as Adrian looked at Willow.
The two men each held one of Willow's hands.
What was going on? What was happening right now? Everyone present was busy spectating, not daring to make a sound.
"Enough!" Willow forcefully shook off both their hands.
Were they making a clown show of her for everyone to laugh at?! She had had enough.
Shaking off the two of them, Willow turned and walked away.
She should have known she shouldn't have come to this reunion today!
Seeing Willow leave without looking back, Lucas wanted to go after her.
"Mr. Harrington, Willow is still my wife. Your actions seem rather inappropriate," Adrian gave Lucas a warning look, then turned around with his hands in his pockets and brazenly followed Willow.
Watching the two of them leave one after the other, a barely concealed rage flickered in Lucas's eyes.
She won't be for much longer, Lucas thought to himself.
"What's going on?" Sophie scratched her head in confusion as she turned to Zane.
"What else? A love triangle," Zane shrugged.
"Who? Who and who?" Sophie's eyes went wide.
Zane shook his head. Only four words came to mind: dumb as a pig!!!
---
Willow quickly fled the auditorium. The moment she stepped outside, the breeze brushed against her face, and she took a deep breath.
She could barely breathe in there just now.
Halfway down the path, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around - Adrian was still following her.
They walked on and off, with Adrian keeping his distance from Willow.
"What do you want?" When they reached the small river by the school, seeing no one around, Willow stopped and demanded unhappily.
Adrian stopped and looked at Willow without saying a word.
Seeing that Adrian wasn't speaking, Willow turned to leave.
But suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her tightly from behind.
"Willow, do you miss me?" As proud as Adrian was, even though he missed Willow to the point of going crazy, the first thing out of his mouth was still that familiar rhetorical question.
Willow paused.
"Did you sign the papers?" Willow didn't turn around. She just asked quietly.
Adrian held Willow tightly, opting in her scent.
"Let's not get divorced, okay?" Adrian buried his head in the crook of Willow's neck, nuzzling gently.
"No." Willow tried to remove the hands locked around her waist, but his grip was too strong. She couldn't pry them loose.
"Willow, do you still remember this place?" Adrian asked, a smile in his voice.
Willow looked up.
How could she forget?
By the small river at school, under the willow tree. Every time Willow got in trouble or the old teacher called her parents, she would always hide here. Sometimes lying down, sometimes sketching, until the sun set. Few people ever passed by. It was Willow's secret hideout to escape from everything.
She remembered one time when her exam results were at the bottom of the class again. Willow didn't dare give Grandpa Arthur another single-digit math test to sign, so she hid here - in her secret hideout - hugging her knees and crying her heart out. By the time she cried herself out and looked up hiccuping, the sky had already grown somewhat dark.
That was when-
"With a voice like that, it's a waste you're not singing with my mom," a familiar voice came from behind the willow tree.
Willow jumped, turning around with red-rimmed eyes.
Sure enough, there was Adrian, leaning against the willow tree with a foxtail grass in his mouth, laughing as he picked at his ear.
"Your voice sure carries. No wonder you don't dare go home."
"B-big brother... y-you, why are you here?" Willow asked between hiccups.
"The driver called me and said he didn't pick you up," Adrian said.
"Th-then how... did you know I was here?" Willow wiped her tears and asked.
Every time, Adrian was the one who found her.
Adrian shrugged without answering.
"So, why are you crying? Were you bullied?" Adrian tilted his head and asked.
Willow shook her head, tears shimmering in her eyes again.
"I got a nine on my math test this time," Willow said, and burst into tears again.
What was she going to do? She just couldn't do math.
Thinking about Grandpa Arthur lying on the sofa with an oxygen mask, Willow felt so guilty!
The corner of Adrian's mouth twitched.
"Hand it over," Adrian extended his hand.
Looking at Adrian's outstretched hand, Willow looked at him in confusion.
"The test."
Willow reluctantly took out the test paper and handed it to Adrian.
"Pen."
Willow reluctantly took out a pen too.
Adrian took the pen and, with a bold flourish, signed Grandpa Arthur's name on Willow's test paper.
Willow's eyes went wide watching Adrian's smooth move. She completely forgot to cry.
It looked exactly the same!!
"Let's go. Go back and take the test to my room and wait," Adrian handed the paper back to Willow and turned to leave.
---
"You've grown up so much, and you still like coming here," Adrian recalled the past, unable to hide the smile at the corner of his mouth.
Willow lowered her head and kicked a pebble by her foot, as if kicking Adrian.
"Willow..."
"?" Spit it out.
"You've really gained weight."
Adrian pinched the flesh at Willow's waist.
"!!!"
"Looks like you still prefer Mrs. Wright's cooking," Adrian continued.
"So... come home, okay?" Adrian asked.
"Adrian, I'm serious about the divorce. Stop joking around with me. I hope you sign the divorce papers and give them to me soon," Willow forcefully pried open Adrian's hands and turned to face him.
Looking at the unusually determined Willow, Adrian frowned.
"So..." Willow wanted to say something else.
"It hurts..." Adrian cut her off.
"What hurts?" Willow looked at the bent-over Adrian and asked.
"Stomachache..." Adrian frowned, looking like he was in a lot of pain.
Because of his irregular eating habits, Adrian had a chronic stomach problem. Before, thanks to Willow's attentive care, he hadn't had an episode in a long time.
"Haven't you been eating properly?" Willow asked with a frown.
"How could I eat... Mrs. Wright is at your place," Adrian looked at Willow with a slightly accusatory expression. The implication was: isn't it all your fault?
"Then go eat," Willow raised her voice.
"Mrs. Wright is at your place..." Adrian reminded her again.
"......"
So it wasn't like he never ate when Mrs. Wright wasn't around before!!
- Writer
