The Ancestral heir system

Chapter 20: Divorce

Ethan, the sole witness present, was privy to the fact that the person who dispatched the deliveryman with the gift was Richard Jose.

It was evident that only the Sinclair family possessed the audacity to entrust a delivery person with an item valued at 1 million dollars.

The arrival of this gift at the event left all the guests in a state of astonishment.

"This emerald jadeite bracelet stands out as the most extravagant among today's birthday offerings!"

"Ms. Julia, to whom do we owe the pleasure of such a generous gift? You must make introductions later."

The guests approached Old Ms. Mimi seeking answers. Even she was perplexed, unable to fathom the source of the 1 million dollar gift.

"This is puzzling. Every family associated with the Reynolds is accounted for today. No one seems to have been overlooked. So, who could have sent this bracelet?"

The members of the Reynolds family exchanged uncertain glances.

Sophie's gaze lingered on the million-dollar bracelet, her curiosity piqued.

"Could it possibly be a gift from my admirer?" she ventured, the thought sparking excitement in the air.

Sophie's words ignited a flurry of speculation and conjecture among the guests.

With her alluring figure, Sophie had the kind of beauty that could captivate any man, causing sleepless nights with just a glance.

At the tender age of 20, Sophie was still single, drawing the attention of numerous affluent suitors eager to court her.

Klein chuckled and remarked, "That seems plausible! My daughter's beauty and massive online following attract attention from wealthy scions who are smitten with her."

Ms. Julia's gaze lingered on Sophie, recognizing and appreciating her exceptional beauty and figure, a quality she herself possessed.

"In that case, congratulations are in order, Mr. Reynolds. Your prospective son-in-law must be truly generous to send a gift of such extraordinary value," remarked Sophie mother.

Klein beamed with delight, responding, "You flatter me, Ms. Julia."

Maya, on the other hand, couldn't hide her envy. Witnessing Sophie potentially marrying into wealth left Maya feeling distinctly covetous and green-eyed.

Maya's gaze towards Ethan was laden with resentment and envy, her eyes reflecting her feelings.

Ethan found himself at a loss for words in the midst of the Reynolds family's interactions. Despite making a phone call in front of everyone to arrange the gift's delivery, no one suspected that the gift originated from him.

The prevailing belief among the guests was that the extravagant gift must have come from Sophie's potential suitor, a notion that seemed far-fetched.

Ethan set down his utensils and turned to Maya, asking, "Maya, have you finished your meal?"

Maya shot Ethan a look of disdain before responding, "Yes, I have finished. What do you want?"

Ethan rose from the table and declared, "Since we've finished eating and I've already presented my gift, let's proceed to the lawyer's office to finalize our divorce."

Startled, Maya exclaimed, "Wait, what are you saying? You've already given the gift? When did this happen?"

Maya's frustration stemmed from her perception of Ethan's ineptitude, especially in light of the confusion surrounding the gift, as even Sophie's potential suitor had managed to send a 1 million dollar gift.

Ethan, who had been the son-in-law of the Reynolds for three years, had failed to prepare a gift for the occasion.

He gestured towards the jadeite bracelet adorning Old Ms. Mimi's wrist and declared, "That's the gift."

Upon hearing Ethan's words, Klein slammed his hand on the table in anger and rose to his feet. "Ethan! You have no shame! How dare you claim that this bracelet is your gift! Its value of one million dollars is beyond your means, an amount you could never hope to earn in several lifetimes."

Sophie, incensed by the situation, lashed out at Maya, "Maya, can you please get your good-for-nothing husband to stop making a fool of himself? It's evident that this gift is from my admirer."

Alexander chimed in with a taunt, "Your family of four can't even manage to send a respectable birthday present, so you're resorting to claiming someone else's gift as your own. You're truly an embarrassment to the Reynolds."

Feeling a mix of awkwardness and embarrassment, Maya snapped at Ethan, "Hurry up and let's go to the lawyer's office. I refuse to remain your wife for even a moment longer!"

Maya grabbed her bag and headed towards the door. "Maya, let me walk you out!" Tony called out, rushing after her with a sense of joy.

Meanwhile, Ethan turned to Old Ms. Mimi and expressed, "Over the past three years, we've had our ups and downs, but we were still a family. This bracelet is for your daughter. Happy birthday to her."

Ms. Julia, Ethan's mother-in-law, responded in irritation, "Alright, enough of this charade. Leave now and stop pretending. Just go, there's no need for any more boasting."

Alexander touched the wound on his face, his resentment palpable as he addressed Ethan, "Ethan, once you're divorced, hop on a train and disappear from Los Angeles immediately! I don't want to lay eyes on you here again! Do you understand?"

Ethan chuckled lightly and retorted, "It's my choice whether I stay in Los Angeles or not. You have no authority to meddle in my decisions."

With that, Ethan turned and walked out of the door, leaving behind a tense atmosphere in his wake.

As he emerged from the Free-hand hotel, a sleek luxury sedan glided to a halt beside him. The window on the passenger side of the vehicle began to lower with a gentle whir.

Seated inside were Tony and Maya.

"Hey there," Tony remarked, "Maya mentioned you're more suited to hopping on those city bike shares than riding in a BMW. We'll be waiting for you in front of the lawyer's office."

With a swift press of the accelerator, the BMW surged forward, disappearing into the distance.

Ethan hailed a passing cab and discreetly trailed the BMW.

****

Upon arriving at the lawyer's office, they presented the household register, marriage certificate, and divorce agreement they had prepared in advance.

After swiftly completing the divorce procedure, the lawyer's office issued each of them a purple divorce certificate. With the official declaration, their marriage was dissolved, and they were no longer considered husband and wife.