Divorce... Divorce!

Walker Grant forcefully clenched the ice in his hand. He’d been holding it so long it was melting, water trickling down between his fingers.

His dark eyes were fixed on her. "Weren’t we fine before? This isn’t the first time something like this has happened."

"Because I’m done putting up with it." Chloe Reed looked him straight in the eye. "Have I not been direct enough? I don’t want you anymore."

The corners of Walker Grant’s eyes reddened, and his breathing grew ragged. "Eight years, and you’re just throwing it all away?"

"Ha..." Chloe Reed found it laughable. "To me, these past eight years have been nothing but a joke."

She moved closer to him. "Do you know why?"

A dull ache throbbed in Walker Grant’s chest, and he furrowed his brow. The look on her face was so unfamiliar.

"Because eight years together doesn’t mean a thing next to one cry from Noah Grant, or one panicked phone call from Sunny Reed."

Chloe Reed slowly backed away, as if trying to permanently exit his world. "Walker Grant, you know full well I can’t turn a blind eye to this."

CRACK!

The ice shattered in his palm.

Walker Grant stood up, looming over her. "That’s all in your head. There has never been anyone else between us."

He turned and left the old house without another word.

’He still wouldn’t agree to the divorce.’

Chloe Reed ran a hand through her hair in frustration.

’What would it take to make him understand?’

’Staying together like this is just mutual torture!’

The sky slowly darkened.

With hollow eyes, Chloe Reed watched the stars begin to light up the square patch of sky. Her stomach was growling with hunger.

The door opened again, and Autumn Linton walked in, her eyes red. "Chloe, are you hungry?"

Chloe Reed’s gaze shifted to her. "Are you going to make me admit I was wrong before I get to eat again?"

Autumn Linton smacked her arm. "Why are you so stubborn? Why did you hit your sister? She didn’t do anything to you!"

Chloe Reed’s face dripped with sarcasm. "She stole my husband. You don’t call that provocation?"

"You’re reading too much into it!" Autumn Linton retorted. "Walker is just taking care of Noah."

"And I’m not okay with it."

Chloe Reed said firmly, "And that’s why I’m going to divorce him, no matter what."

"How can you be so unreasonable?" Autumn Linton’s eyes widened as she stared at her. "Growing up, Sunny always let you have whatever you wanted. Now, all Walker is doing is taking care of Noah for a bit. Can’t you just put up with it?"

"’Let me’?" Chloe Reed looked like she’d heard the funniest joke in the world. "I am your daughter. It’s my right to have what I want. Why should she have to *let* me have anything? Who the hell is she?"

Her gaze was sharp, and Autumn Linton’s expression turned uglier. "If you won’t admit you’re wrong, then you can just stay in here!"

She turned and left in a huff.

Chloe Reed gave a silent, cold sneer. ’I didn’t do anything wrong. Why should I have to apologize?’

But after the sneer faded, she hugged her knees, trying to draw some warmth from the gesture.

...

「Blue Night Club.」

Inside the private room, lights swayed, the air was thick with the smell of alcohol, and endless laughter rang out.

Walker Grant was drinking, downing one glass after another.

Beside him, Nathaniel Monroe watched anxiously. "Walker, you have to stop drinking. Your back is still injured."

Walker Grant just looked at him. "Want one?"

Nathaniel Monroe forced a pained smile. "Walker, your wound could get infected. What are you going to do if it gets serious?"

"Dying wouldn’t be so bad," Walker Grant said, completely unfazed.