Replaced by His First Love, I Found a Better Match

Chapter 3

Layla had nothing more to say. She took the ointment and applied it to her scraped palm herself. She had always relied on herself—and the future would be no different.

Gavin's phone rang—his assistant was reminding him about a meeting. With a weary sigh, he turned and headed downstairs.

As far as Gavin was concerned, a quiet woman like Layla became a bad liar whenever jealousy got the better of her. Yet for reasons he couldn't explain, a dark sense of control stirred in his chest. After all, she was only acting this way because she loved him too much.

Layla left the house. She had barely walked beyond the gates of Briar Cove when Olivia called. "I'm almost there. Which house is yours again?"

Layla was surprised. "Why are you back?"

"What do you think? My best friend is getting divorced. Of course I came back to be with you."

Layla looked around, spotted Olivia's car, and waved. Once she was inside, Olivia opened her contacts. "These are the best divorce attorneys I could find."

Layla smiled. "I won't need them. I have a way out." Better yet, she could do it without Gavin's cooperation.

They drove out of Briar Cove and soon arrived at the Weston estate.

Layla got out, and Olivia rolled down the window to call after her. "Call me if you need anything. Don't try to handle everything alone."

Layla knew negotiating with Vivian—her mother-in-law—would be an exhausting battle.

"Madam, Mrs. Weston is here."

Layla greeted Vivian with a polite nod. Vivian had never liked her, and since Layla had come to talk divorce, she saw no reason to force herself to be respectful. Layla had only ever had one mother, and she had died when Layla was 15.

Vivian coolly motioned for her to sit. "Have a seat. I heard Sabrina and her son moved into your new home."

Layla answered obediently. "Yes."

Displeasure sharpened Vivian's voice. "You're useless. You can't even keep your own husband's attention!"

That was Vivian Weston. In her eyes, her son was flawless. If anything went wrong, someone else was always to blame. Layla had once been willing to swallow every insult for the sake of her marriage. But now that she no longer wanted Gavin, why should she keep enduring it?

Layla lowered her eyes. "I could never compare to you, Mrs. Vivian Weston. You've been married to Mr. Richard Weston for 25 years, and he's remained completely faithful the entire time."

She had hit Vivian's most sensitive nerve! Everyone in Bayhaven knew Richard had been a notorious womanizer when he was young. Shortly before Gavin took over the company, a ruthless illegitimate son had nearly stolen the inheritance out from under him!

Vivian stared at her. "Keep talking like that, and I'll make Gavin divorce you!"

"I believe you. But before you do, I'm filing for the divorce myself."

Vivian thought she had misheard. Then Layla placed a stack of printouts in front of her, the photos and messages Sabrina had sent. Gavin had deleted them with one tap, but Layla had used her technical skills to recover everything.

Vivian's chest heaved with anger as the pages crumpled in her grip. "You're divorcing Gavin over this?"

Layla gave a humorless laugh. "You may be willing to tolerate an unfaithful marriage, but I'm not. Besides, I never married Gavin for the Weston family's money. I've known what your family did since 3 years ago."

When Gavin and Layla registered their marriage 3 years earlier, Vivian immediately made Gavin transfer every asset out of his name. She also forced them to sign a prenup ensuring Layla would receive nothing in a divorce. Gavin had never hidden any of it from Layla, and Layla had never wanted the Weston fortune, so she hadn't cared.

Vivian's face flushed again. She slapped the papers onto the table. "You want a divorce right after the wedding? Have you thought about what that will do to the Weston family's reputation? What if Weston Group's stock crashes? Can you take responsibility for that?" More than anything, she feared that if the divorce became real, her son would marry Sabrina.

Layla spoke frankly, "You don't need to worry. We can finalize the divorce now and wait until the timing is right to announce it. If you need me to, I can still attend important events as Gavin's wife."

Vivian's eyes widened as she studied Layla from head to toe. "You're sure you want a divorce? I heard you've been in love with my son for years."

'In love with him?' That had all been a misunderstanding, but Layla saw no reason to explain herself to an outsider.

She sighed softly. "I've finally realized he doesn't love me at all. Instead of holding on and making both of us miserable, I'd rather let go."

That answer earned a flicker of approval from Vivian. Then another thought occurred to her, and her brows drew together. "You and your stepmother aren't trying to scam the Weston family out of that $6 million wedding budget, are you?"

When she remembered the scene Diane Bennett had made before the wedding, Layla's face burned with embarrassment. "Don't worry. Since I've decided to divorce him, I'll reimburse every wedding expense."

After leaving the Weston estate, Layla filled Olivia in, who had been waiting for her. She would have to repay every cent spent on the wedding.

Olivia's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "You're divorcing her son. She should be thanking you! How can she demand the money back? And Sabrina obviously plans to marry your soon-to-be ex-husband and bring her kid along."

Layla had no interest in Gavin and Sabrina's mess. All she could think about was how she would ask the Bennett family for the money that afternoon.

30 minutes later, Layla stood outside the door of the Bennetts' newly purchased luxury condo. It was next to Bayhaven's most prestigious private school, making it convenient for her younger half-brother.

When Layla was 15, her mother had died in a car accident. Her father had used the insurance payout from her mother's life to marry Diane and have a son with her.

Layla looked away, rang the bell, and stepped inside. Taking in the expensive decor, she asked, "How much did you pay for this place?"

Diane's smile stiffened. "Not much. Gavin arranged an incredibly low insider price for us."

Layla's mind went blank. During her 3-year marriage to Gavin, the vast gulf between their backgrounds had always made her deeply insecure. She was painfully sensitive to the possibility that people might call her a gold digger who had slept her way into an old-money family. She had watched every step she took, strictly forbidden her parents from asking the Westons for favors, and repeatedly warned Gavin to turn down the Bennett family's unreasonable demands. Yet while she had been fighting desperately to leave the marriage with her dignity intact, her own father and stepmother had gone behind her back and bled Gavin for an entire condo.

Diane's temper flared as well. "Don't think marrying Gavin made you somebody. Gavin walked out on you after one phone call on your wedding day. You know what that means? You mean nothing to him!"

A grim smile tugged at Layla's lips. Her family always knew exactly where to drive the knife.

"You're right. He doesn't love me, so I'm divorcing him and paying back every expense from the wedding." Layla's voice remained calm as she looked coolly at Diane.

The announcement landed like a bomb. Diane's eyes flew wide.

Just then, Layla's father, Michael Bennett, came home. Diane's eyes immediately filled with tears.

"Layla, apologize to Diane!"

The last of Layla's hope died. "Forget the money. Consider it my contribution toward your retirement. From today on, nothing that happens to the Bennett family has anything to do with me. And don't ever go to the Westons again."

She walked straight to the storage room and took the safe her mother had left her.

Inside were two gold bars and a vintage green-stone pendant.

There had once been a matching pair. Layla had one. The other...

She shook her head and tucked the pendant safely against her body. This was no time to dwell on the past.