Chapter 3: Departure
520 Words
"Leave me," Nicholas Sinclair ordered Robert Harris and Adam Clarke.
Once they had left, Nicholas's expression grew even darker. Leaning back against his leather chair, his cold eyes hardened further. He couldn't believe Emma Whitman was genuinely willing to divorce him. How could she have changed her mind so drastically in just one day?
Nicholas scoffed bitterly, ignoring the divorce agreement Robert had brought back. He tried to push aside the unfamiliar irritation gnawing at him, but for some reason, he couldn't concentrate on his work, something that had never happened before.
"Ma'am, are you going out?" the housekeeper, Mrs. Green, asked, seeing Emma carrying a suitcase down the stairs.
Everyone in the Sinclair household knew about the strained relationship between Emma and Nicholas. Even the other family members in the Sinclair estate knew that Nicholas had married Emma only under the old man's pressure. Now that the old man had passed away, Nicholas wasted no time in asking for a divorce. It was hard for anyone to be happy about it, especially knowing how deeply Emma loved Nicholas.
Recalling how the lawyer had bluntly mentioned divorce in front of the servants yesterday, Mrs. Green couldn't help but look at Emma with sympathy. The rumors that Emma was merely a stand-in for Nicholas's true love seemed painfully true.
"No, I'm moving out," Emma replied, smiling at Mrs. Green. "Thank you for your care over the past year."
Emma had never been a difficult mistress, except when it came to matters involving Nicholas.
"Are you really going to divorce Mr. Sinclair?" Mrs. Green asked.
Emma smiled and nodded, suppressing the sharp pain in her heart. She took a few steps towards the door but then stopped and turned back to Mrs. Green.
"By the way, please have the crabapple trees in the garden removed."
"What? But Ma'am, you planted those yourself..." Mrs. Green protested.
"Cut them down. Nicholas doesn't like them," Emma said firmly.
Now that they were divorcing, she wanted to leave nothing behind that could irritate Nicholas. With that, Emma walked away without a backward glance, leaving no trace of sentimentality.
When Nicholas returned home, he was greeted by the sight of an excavator uprooting the crabapple trees in the garden. His face instantly turned icy.
"What is going on here?!" he demanded.
"Sir, you're back," Mrs. Green said nervously. "Ma'am instructed it. She said..."
"She said what?" Nicholas snapped.
"She said you don't like them," Mrs. Green replied cautiously, watching Nicholas's face soften slightly before she continued, "And... Ma'am has already left."
Left?
Upon hearing the word "left," a wave of unfamiliar panic washed over Nicholas, the same panic that had troubled him all day at the office. However, he showed no emotion on his face and simply responded with a heavy "Hmm" before walking inside.
Before entering the house, he added, "Tell them to stop and restore everything to its original state."
"...Yes, sir," Mrs. Green replied, bewildered. She couldn't understand Nicholas's thoughts. Everyone could see he didn't care for Emma. Now that they were divorcing, why would he want to keep the flowers she had planted?
- Writer
