He Asked Me To Divorce, I Said Yes Chapter 07
The file was brief.
Audrey had married abroad, but the marriage had ended not long afterward because she couldn’t have children.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
It explained why Julian—a man who despised children born outside marriage—wanted me to keep the baby, and why Audrey always looked at me with such hatred.
They intended to use my body to give Julian the heir Audrey couldn’t have.
The realization was so outrageous that I almost laughed.
Thank God I hadn’t hesitated. I had ended the pregnancy and cut my losses in time.
In the days that followed, I stayed home and recovered.
By the date the divorce was set to become final, color had returned to my face, and I had regained some weight.
As I reached the county courthouse, I saw Audrey waiting near the entrance to the County Clerk’s Office.
Her makeup was flawless. She wore a white dress and a veil, making it obvious that she was there for a civil ceremony.
She gave me a triumphant look, as though she were the winner.
I barely glanced at her before walking into the courthouse.
—
Julian was already waiting for me.
He handed me a revised settlement agreement. “I added a few things. See if you’re satisfied.”
I turned to the financial settlement page and froze.
Julian had given me a ten-percent stake in Prescott Holdings.
I hid my shock, kept my expression calm, and signed.
Once the divorce was finalized, we received the final decree.
The moment I walked out of the courthouse, Audrey hurried into the County Clerk’s Office.
While I was waiting at the curb for my ride, she and Julian came out together holding the certificate from their civil ceremony.
The moment Audrey saw me, she gave me a mocking smile.
“Nora, now you’re the other woman.”
I smiled back. “Don’t misunderstand, Ms. Collins. Now that the divorce is final, Mr. Prescott and I are strangers.”
Her gaze dropped to my stomach, and she scoffed.
“Nora, you’re carrying Julian’s bastard. As long as that child exists, you’ll be branded a homewrecker for the rest of your life.”
I widened my eyes in feigned surprise.
“Ms. Collins, what are you talking about? I would never destroy someone else’s marriage the way certain people do. We were getting divorced, so of course I ended the pregnancy. Don’t worry. After today,
—
you’ll never see me again.”
“What?” Audrey almost shrieked. “What right did you have to get rid of the baby?”
Julian’s reaction was even stronger than hers.
He crossed the distance between us in a single stride and caught hold of me, fury blazing in his eyes.
“Nora Bennett, who gave you the right to make that decision on your own?”
I pulled free, my expression turning cold.
“Julian, you really are your father’s son.”
“Your father brought his mistress into the family home, and you divorced me for yours. He raised a child with his mistress, and you expected me to have a baby for you while you married another woman. The two of you are exactly alike.”
The color slowly drained from Julian’s face.
He had never expected me to say something like that.
“Nora, let me explain…” His voice was hoarse.
My own heart hurt too. After all, I had truly loved Julian once.
Thankfully, my rideshare pulled up like a lifeline.
I pushed Julian aside and left without looking back.
After every asset in the divorce settlement had been transferred to me, I bought a house with a garden in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.
—
I spent my days tending flowers and looking after a cat. Life was peaceful.
The only annoyance was Audrey.
She kept calling me from different numbers. Whenever I answered by accident, she unleashed a stream of vicious curses.
I guessed she had realized how much Julian had given me in the divorce and wanted it back.
I had no intention of letting her get her way.
So I changed my number. After that, she couldn’t reach me again.
After living alone in Carmel for more than six months, I received a call from Mia.
“Nora, are you interested in dating again?”