Sir, Please Sign Here to Get a Divorce-Chapter 54: Not Letting Her Go Because of Love
Ethan Yardley’s cold, heartless words were like thousands of sharp needles, stabbing viciously into Serena Yardley’s heart.
Her bloody, still-beating heart shattered in an instant, the pain leaving it broken beyond repair.
She fought back the agony and turned away from him.
Ethan Yardley slammed the door and left, giving her no further thought.
For days on end, Serena Yardley hid in her room, so withdrawn she was bordering on depression.
Until Raina came over to play.
The moment she got out of the car, the little girl, clutching her favorite doll, scampered into the house.
She shouted as she ran, "Niece-in-law! Niece-in-law, are you home?"
When she reached the living room, Mrs. Miller called out to her. "Miss Raina, you’re here."
Raina stopped. Dressed in a pristine white dress, her hair done in two French braids, she had a delicate, pretty face and looked both bright and clever.
She smiled and asked Mrs. Miller, "Auntie, where’s my niece-in-law?"
"You mean Miss Serena? She’s upstairs. She’s been in a bad mood the last few days. Why don’t you go and try to cheer her up? Maybe convince her to come sit in the yard and get some sun."
"Oh!"
The little girl chirped in agreement and hurried upstairs.
As was her habit, Serena Yardley sat on the rug beside the bed, her knees pulled to her chest, leaning against the mattress. She stared blankly out the window.
’Sometimes she wondered, where did she even come from?’
’Were her parents still alive?’
’If they were, did they ever think of her?’
’If she had her parents with her, she wouldn’t be in so much pain right now.’
’At least someone would be there to cherish her, to protect her, to stand by her side unconditionally, no matter what.’
’But there was no one.’
’She was just an unwanted orphan. What right did she have to dream of being loved by a man so far above her, a man at the very pinnacle of society?’
’She, Serena Yardley, was truly unworthy.’
’She was nothing but mud from a swamp, while he—her Uncle—was the bright moon in the sky.’
’They were never from the same world. Forcing them together would only backfire, dragging them both into a bottomless abyss.’
Feeling utterly drained, Serena Yardley decided to get up and lie on the bed for a while.
The door was suddenly pushed open.
The little girl’s clear, childish voice called out, "Niece-in-law! What’s wrong with you?"
Serena Yardley turned her head to look.
Seeing Raina, she did her best to hide her deep sorrow, shaking her head with a faint smile. "Nothing’s wrong. Did you come by yourself?"
"Yup! My little uncle isn’t around, so I had my mom bring me. Mommy always says I’ll be bothering you and Ethan, but I think you’re nice, so I wanted to come play with you."
Noticing her niece-in-law’s pale face and red-rimmed eyes, Raina frowned and asked with concern,
"What’s wrong, Niece-in-law? The auntie downstairs said you were in a bad mood. Did that trashy mistress come to bully you again?"
Serena Yardley shook her head. Thinking of Gabriel Galloway, she quickly pulled Raina closer. "Is your uncle not home? Can you get in touch with him?"
Raina shook her head. "I can’t reach him. I tried calling, but it wouldn’t go through."
Serena Yardley was left speechless.
’Could it be that Uncle really did... to Gabriel Galloway...’
’But murder is illegal! How could he have just killed Gabriel Galloway?’
Then there was the man who had kidnapped her. Serena Yardley called the police for an update, but they told her they had no leads whatsoever.
’It seemed relying on the police to find evidence for her was useless.’
’She couldn’t rely on anyone but herself.’
"Niece-in-law, you look awful. Let’s go outside and get some sun. It’s good for your calcium!"
Remembering what the woman downstairs had said, Raina took Serena Yardley’s hand.
Grateful to finally have someone to talk to, Serena Yardley agreed. She let the little girl lead her downstairs and into the villa’s backyard garden, where they sat and soaked up the sun.
Mrs. Miller thoughtfully prepared a fruit platter and brought it out to them.
The two of them bathed in the sunlight, eating fruit and sipping drinks. It was actually quite pleasant.
At dinnertime, Serena Yardley sat down to eat in the dining room with Raina.
Just as they were eating, Ethan Yardley returned with Sylvia Schuyler.
Serena Yardley didn’t turn around. She kept her head down and focused on her own food.
’Out of sight, out of mind.’
Or perhaps, her heart was already dead, and their presence meant nothing to her anymore.
But Raina was different. She held a grudge.
When she turned to look at the doorway and saw Ethan returning with that trashy mistress, she was furious.
She slammed down her bowl and chopsticks, jumped up, and charged toward them, yelling,
"Ethan, why did you bring this woman home? She hit me before, and she cursed at Niece-in-law! You’re not allowed to be with her! Tell her to get lost!"
Ethan Yardley’s expression was blank as he glanced toward the dining room.
He noted that Serena was finally willing to come downstairs to eat, but his attention quickly shifted to Raina.
"Who brought you here? Did you have nowhere else to play all day?"
"Ethan, why are you talking to me like that? I’m your aunt!" Raina pouted, looking deeply wronged.
"Even if you’re my aunt, you can’t throw a tantrum. I can either have someone send you home right now, or you can shut up and behave."
Ethan Yardley gestured to Sylvia Schuyler beside him. "Go on and eat."
"Okay."
Sylvia Schuyler walked into the dining room without a shred of courtesy.
Just as she was about to pull out a chair and sit down, Serena Yardley shoved her own chair back with a loud clatter and stalked coldly up the stairs.
Watching Serena’s outburst, Sylvia Schuyler smiled smugly to herself.
Ethan Yardley couldn’t stop his gaze from following her retreating figure up the stairs, an inexplicable tightness filling his chest.
With a cold expression, he went to the dining room, sat down, and began to eat.
Raina stood to the side, fuming as she yelled,
"Ethan, you are so dead! I’m going home and telling my dad that you’re a total scumbag, bringing shameless women home when you already have a wife! I’m never playing with you again!"
With that, the little girl angrily ran out the door.
Showing a rare flicker of concern, Ethan Yardley gestured to Mrs. Miller. "Go with her. Tell the driver to take her back to the old family residence."
"Alright."
Mrs. Miller hurried out after her.
With the dining room suddenly quiet, Sylvia Schuyler spoke with feigned concern. "Ethan, am I making things difficult for you?"
Ethan Yardley didn’t say a word, keeping his head down and eating.
Sylvia Schuyler continued, "I can see Serena has been in a bad mood lately. Maybe you should let her go out for some fresh air. Keeping her locked up like this will make her sick."
Ethan Yardley lifted his gaze to look at Sylvia Schuyler and retorted, "Since when have you been so concerned about her?"
Sylvia Schuyler’s expression faltered for a moment, but she quickly masked it, saying,
"Of course I’m concerned about her. After all, you want her to bear your child, don’t you? The baby she has will belong to you, and since we’re going to get married, your child will be my child too."
"Who said I want her to have my child?" Ethan Yardley shot back icily.
Sylvia Schuyler gave an awkward laugh. "Well, if you don’t want her to have your child, why are you still keeping her around?"
Ethan Yardley was silent.
’That’s right.’
’What was he keeping her around for?’
’He should just send her back to wherever she came from.’
’But he was miserable.’
’And if he was miserable, no one else was allowed to be happy.’
"Just eat."
Tossing down his chopsticks, Ethan Yardley stood up and headed upstairs.
Sylvia Schuyler watched his retreating back, a sinister coldness glinting in her eyes.
’She wasn’t a fool. She could see Ethan Yardley’s love for Serena Yardley.’
’It was because of love that he was unwilling to let her go.’
’But as long as she, Sylvia Schuyler, was here, those two would never know a moment of peace in this lifetime.’
