Chapter 2 You're The Other Woman Here!

Half an hour later, in the suburban villa.

Sebastian set down a steaming plate of spaghetti on the table, his voice laced with frustration. "That bastard Landen! If it weren't for you treating him all these years, he would have died long ago! But instead of showing gratitude, he actually cheated on you. He's just-"

"Enough," Kaelyn interrupted, her tone flat but firm. She massaged her temples, her exhaustion evident. "I don't want to talk about him anymore."

Sebastian softened at the sight of her weariness, his anger ebbing into concern. "Alright, alright. Let's change the subject." He paused before adding with a spark of interest, "By the way, during the three years you were out of the medical care, people were practically losing their minds trying to track you down for treatment. Now that you've divorced Landen, are you planning to make a comeback?"

Kaelyn leaned back, her gaze thoughtful. After a moment, she replied, "Spread the word. It's time for the renowned healer, Egret, to return."

Sebastian's face lit up with excitement, his voice almost cracking. "Finally! That's the best news I've heard in years!"

He couldn't help but smirk at the irony. The Barnett Group had been scrambling for any information on Egret lately, desperate for her skills.

And yet, Landen, married to her for three years, had been too blind to realize who she truly was.

...

The next morning.

Kaelyn was sound asleep when the shrill ring of her phone abruptly pulled her from her dreams. Groggy and disoriented, she fumbled for the device, pressing the answer button with a sigh.

On the other end, the sharp, scolding voice of Landen's mother Kathy Barnett blasted through the line. "You ungrateful wretch, where have you disappeared to this time? Get back here and do the housework!"

In the past, Kaelyn would have instinctively apologized, meek and submissive under Kathy's wrath. But today was different. Things were different now.

She replied coldly, her voice void of emotion, "Landen and I have decided to divorce. I have no obligation to do anything for your family anymore."

"What? Divorce?" Kathy's sharp tone bristled through the line, followed by a mocking laugh as if she had just heard an absurd joke. "I bet it's just your decision. Kaelyn, don't forget your place! You have no right to throw tantrums at me! Be back here within half an hour, or I'll throw all your things out!"

The line went dead with Kathy's decisive hang-up.

Kaelyn stood motionless for a moment, her lips pressing into a thin line.

Then, with deliberate calm, she got out of bed and dressed. There were still some important belongings left in her room in that house, and today seemed like the perfect day to retrieve them - once and for all severing ties with the Barnett family.

A taxi dropped her off at the Barnett Mansion. As soon as Kaelyn stepped inside, a shrill voice greeted her from the living room. "Well, look who dares to show her face! Didn't come home all night? Must've been up to something shady!"

Kaelyn's gaze flicked to the sofa, where Kathy and her daughter Verena Barnett sat side by side, elegantly dressed yet exuding the petty arrogance of common shrews.

Kaelyn's expression hardened as she met their disdainful stares. "Oh, quite shady indeed," she replied, her tone cutting. "After all, Landen was caught cheating with Claire - on our wedding anniversary, no less, right before my eyes. If this gets out, the Barnett family's reputation will be in ruins!"

"What? Claire is back?" Kathy's eyes widened in shock, only for her surprise to quickly morph into a contemptuous sneer. "Well, what else can you expect? You've always been useless. Three years as part of this family and not even a hint of a child. Did you think Landen would just sit idly by and let the family line die out?"

Verena chimed in with venom, "Exactly! If it hadn't been for Landen's accident and Grandma's dying wish, do you really think an orphan like you would have had the chance to marry into the Barnett family? Compared to Claire, your background and talents are laughable! A barren woman like you deserves to be ignored by Landen."

Kaelyn almost laughed out loud at the sheer shamelessness of the mother and daughter. The audacity of their words both infuriated and amused her.

Without saying a word, she reached into her bag and pulled out an old medical report Landen had handed her years ago. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed it onto Verena's lap. "Landen never got intimate with me, not even once. I can't have a child on my own!"

Verena, who had been ready to hurl more insults, froze when her gaze landed on the report. Her eyes widened, and her face paled as the bold word "impotent" stared back at her. "How... how is this possible?"

Her hands trembled as she clutched the paper, her disbelief evident.

Kathy, catching sight of the report, raised an eyebrow. But she was more composed than Verena, and her expression briefly flickered before she quickly regained control.

"Well, if Landen can be intimate with Claire, it clearly proves there's nothing wrong with him," Kathy declared, her voice sharp. "It's your failure that pushed him to lie about being impotent rather than touch you."

"Is that so?" Kaelyn's lips curled into a cold smile, her eyes glinting with mockery. "Have you forgotten who stayed by Landen's side, stabilizing the chaos in the Barnett Group when he had his accident - and when Claire fled abroad?"

Kathy's jaw tightened, her glare boring into Kaelyn. For a moment, she was speechless, but soon her expression hardened. "Don't think I don't know you planned all this! You had your sights set on marrying into the Barnett family from the beginning! You're no different from Claire - both greedy for our wealth!"

Verena, who had always felt a strong camaraderie with Claire, stiffened at her mother's comparison.

She bristled, quickly defending. "Mom, don't lump Claire in with this woman! She went abroad back then to find doctors for Landen, not because she was running away. She is nothing like Kaelyn!"

Turning to Kaelyn with a self-righteous glare, Verena spat, "If you hadn't interfered and married Landen, Claire wouldn't have been heartbroken or stayed abroad all these years! She's back because she still cares about him. Kaelyn, you owe Claire. You're the other woman here!"

Kaelyn let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head as though she'd finally reached the end of her patience. Without another word, she reached into her bag, pulled out the divorce petition, and showed it in front of the two women. "See this?" she said coolly, her tone dripping with finality. "I'm determined to divorce him. Have Landen prepared for this too and go to the courthouse with me. Then, he will be free, and this shameless couple can do whatever they want."

Not bothering to entertain further arguments, Kaelyn turned on her heel and made her way upstairs, leaving the stunned duo in her wake.