Private Marriage, Secret Love-Chapter 79: Let’s Get a Divorce

Ethan’s arm tightened, pulling Raina to her feet. He walked over to the sofa and sat down, holding her.

A sob from Mrs. Hale came from the room, but it was quickly suppressed. Raina clasped her hands together. Ethan felt uneasy watching her, his hand gently rubbing her shoulder.

"When you first saw her, did you already recognize her?" Raina lowered her head, staring at the nail marks she had dug into the back of her hand.

"No, I really didn’t know who she was."

A cold smile touched Raina’s lips. "You told me Cameron Fairchild had found her. You said you’d help me move her somewhere else, but it was all just to control us better so your friend could come over, wasn’t it?"

Ethan was at a loss for words. Raina’s gaze was fixed on him. "Then why not just negotiate at the hotel? Cameron Fairchild had already found it, hadn’t he..."

As she spoke, understanding suddenly dawned on her. "Ethan Lancaster, you’ve hidden your true intentions so well!"

The look in Raina’s eyes held both unfamiliarity and disbelief. "You just wanted to see what Minnie Hale had, and you must have also known that I was going to get something tested, right? That was your real goal. That’s why you brought people with you today, isn’t it?"

Ethan saw she was still digging her nails into the back of her hand. He reached out to pry her fingers open, but she dug her nails into him instead, scratching down hard.

After a long moment, the door to the room opened. Cameron Fairchild was the first to walk out.

Raina looked over. The man had a relaxed expression, wearing a knee-length, handmade black coat—the very picture of a well-dressed beast. Cameron Fairchild was carrying a bag, which he tossed to a man beside him as if in disgust. "Burn it."

"Yes, sir."

Raina tried to stand up, but Ethan’s hand on her shoulder forced her back down.

Following him, Mr. and Mrs. Hale came out, with Minnie Hale walking last.

Cameron Fairchild glanced at Ethan Lancaster and said lightly, "It’s settled."

’Making such a scene, wasn’t it all just for money? He’d seen women like this before, but none were as troublesome as Minnie Hale.’

Raina moved her stiff legs. "Things have already come to this. What can I possibly stop now? I just want to say a few words to her. Let me go."

Ethan slowly withdrew his arm. Raina stood up but didn’t dare to walk forward.

’She felt a pang of guilt. She had betrayed someone’s trust.’

"Minnie..."

Minnie Hale looked up at her without a word, but tears welled in her eyes. Pained, Raina’s eyes reddened as well. "I’m sorry."

Minnie Hale stood there, sobbing, constantly wiping her tears away. Raina started to step forward but was blocked by Mrs. Hale. "Raina, I don’t know what on earth you were thinking. Minnie is young and doesn’t know any better, but... don’t you?"

A sharp sting filled Raina’s nose. Seeing Minnie like this, her own tears started to fall.

"If this whole thing gets blown out of proportion, how could we ever show our faces in public again? How is Minnie supposed to find a boyfriend?"

Raina’s lips moved. "But..."

’But what? For parents, was that line of thinking wrong?’

"She worked so hard to get into college. Do you want people to point fingers at her?"

"Mom, this was my idea," Minnie cried, grabbing her mother. "I’m the one who wanted to sue."

Mrs. Hale swung her hand. Minnie instinctively shielded her face with her arm, but the slap still connected. "Sue, sue, sue! What good would it do you even if you won? You’d just be dragging your own name through the mud!"

"Why?" Minnie just couldn’t understand. "I didn’t do anything wrong, so why do I have to bear all the consequences in the end? Shouldn’t he be the one people are pointing fingers at?"

As she said this, Minnie pointed her finger at Cameron Fairchild.

Cameron Fairchild stood nearby and gave a careless smirk. Furious, Mrs. Hale grabbed Minnie’s shoulders and shook her hard. "Because you’re a woman, do you understand? Do you?!"

Raina gently wiped the corner of her eye. ’Cameron Fairchild had already achieved his goal; he had no desire to stand here and watch their phony act.’

’They took the money, so they should just shut up. What’s the point of this sob story?’

He waved a hand at Ethan Lancaster. "I’m leaving."

As Cameron Fairchild left, he had all his men withdraw. Mrs. Hale wiped her tears. "Let’s go. Back to school."

"Minnie, I’m sorry."

Minnie Hale looked toward the man sitting on the sofa. "Raina, sometimes the people closest to you are the ones you should trust the least. Just because you let your guard down around him doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to hurt you."

After saying this, she walked straight out. Mr. and Mrs. Hale left as well.

Seth Sinclair went to wait outside, gently pulling the door closed.

Raina turned to look at Ethan Lancaster with a self-deprecating smile. "She really hit the nail on the head. Turns out you never know if you’re sleeping next to a man or a monster."

"Raina."

"I have to go to work. I have patients this afternoon."

Seeing that she was about to leave, Ethan stood up and quickly moved to block her way. "You saw it yourself. The Hale family doesn’t want to sue, and they certainly don’t want this getting out. If you had helped Minnie, do you think they would have been grateful?"

"Yes, they wouldn’t have been grateful. They might have even resented me. I can’t make decisions for other people. But Ethan Lancaster, for the sake of your friend, you didn’t hesitate to turn the knife on me. I overestimated my own importance." By the end, Raina waved a hand, exhausted. "I’m going to be late for work. Please move."

"Raina, this matter is already over."

"Yes," she said, her smile growing more sarcastic, "it’s over."

"Something like this will never happen again."

Raina almost laughed so hard she cried. "Ethan Lancaster, move."

"Don’t go to work today."

"On what grounds?" Hearing this, Raina’s anger flared up again. "On what grounds do you get to make decisions for me?" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"I know you’re upset. Take half a day off, and we can have a good talk..."

Raina shook her head. "I have nothing to talk to you about."

She took a step forward, but Ethan still blocked her. "Minnie Hale is just a childhood playmate. Is she more important than me? Raina, I’m your husband."

"When there’s no conflict of interest, you’re my husband. You protect me, you’re good to me—I see it all. But the moment someone close to you is involved, you don’t hesitate to sacrifice me."

Ethan knew she had always been insecure, but he never thought she would twist his intentions like this. "I wouldn’t. I really wouldn’t."

Raina’s gaze shifted to the dining table not far away, where the water glass Minnie Hale had used was still sitting.

She wasn’t an impulsive person, but this time, the words tumbled out before she could stop them. "Ethan Lancaster, let’s get a divorce."

The color drained from Ethan Lancaster’s face, his gaze turning vicious. "Raina Reddington, you have the guts to say that again!"