Invalid Divorce

The rainy weather in May always brought a drizzle of sadness to every corner of the city.

The most luxurious Crown Hotel in Winston City was booked today. The parking lot outside was infested with various luxury cars. The scene was as attractive as a large-scale car exhibition. Lines of bodyguards in black maintained order and protected everyone in the venue. As soon as an outsider tried to draw close, he would be immediately asked to leave!

Everyone was curious about the upcoming grand scene, although they knew about the theme today. Clifford Gates, the only heir to the Gates Group, was going to marry Lori Sterling, the lady from the Sterling Family.

The grand wedding was covered by all major newspapers, magazines, and headlines. Some commented it as extravagant, and others took it for granted. Anyhow, all of them were envious!

They admired the Gates Group for its great fortune and Clifford for marrying such a pretty woman!

The largest banquet hall was furnished as the indoor venue for the grand wedding today. Under the lights, the pink veils, ball-flowers, and crystal ornaments reflected the dreamiest colors. On the large wedding photo, the bridegroom looked down at the bride gently. When the guests passed by it, they couldn't help but discuss with each other.

The wedding would start in ten minutes. In the venue, people chatted with each other with thoughtful smiles, but behind the stage, there was no joy at all!

Because the bridegroom still hadn't shown up!

In the dressing room, Lori was wearing a white wedding dress that represented innocence. At the sight of the perfect woman in the mirror, she forced a smile, but her hand was grasping a cell phone tightly, which betrayed her anxiety!

Why hadn't he come? It was just ten minutes to go. Why?

The phone suddenly rang!

But the call was hung up immediately after she answered it! It was like a game of ridicule!

Eight, five, three minutes to go...

When the music was played, everyone darted his glance at the entrance, where the spotlight was cast! To their surprise, the bridegroom didn't show up with the bride!

"What's going on?"

"Yeah, where's the groom?"

"Who knows? Could it be that the groom is reluctant and runs away from the wedding?"

"Miss Sterling is so pitiful!"

"Nah, why would she? The Gates Family is rich and powerful. If she marries into the family, she will be a phoenix on the throne, commanding everything."

...

Lori clutched a bouquet of white camellia with one hand and a white cell phone with the other. She walked the red carpet that was sprinkled with red rose petals. Amid the music and mocking voices, she tottered slowly towards the priest ...

While she was in a trance, her phone suddenly rang, and she held it up out of instinct. As soon as she saw the caller ID, her face was finally no longer that pale.

No sooner had the call been answered than the other party beat her to speak!

"Lori, I'll never go to that wedding. If you want to get married, guess what, the bridegroom will not show up! Since you long for marriage, I grant your wish! Only, you will suffer in the tomb of marriage alone!"

...

Four years later!

At 10:30 a.m., an international flight landed in the airport of Winston City.

In the first-class cabin sat a woman with a delicate face. Keeping her eyes closed, she looked very painful.

"Miss, Miss, the plane has landed. You can get off now!"

The pleasant voice of a flight attendant came into her ears. Noticing her painful look, the flight attendant wondered if she was not feeling well and thus asked.

"Miss, are you alright?"

Following a silent sigh, the woman opened her eyes under the inquiring gaze of the flight attendant. The corners of her mouth curving up, she replied, "Thanks, I'm okay!"

She raised her head for a glance out of the window. Winston City, here I was!

All these years, the dream of every woman was still a nightmare to her!

After getting off the plane, she headed outside down the VIP passage. From a distance, she saw a woman waving at her!

"Hey, here! This way!"

It was a pretty girl with short, neat hair. She walked up on ten-centimeter high heels in a floral dress and a beige windbreaker to greet the woman coming out of the VIP passage.

The woman had thick, seaweed-like, curly hair down to her waist. Under the large sunglasses, the outline of her face looked exquisite. She was wearing a white open-necked blouse and a black, V-necked, slim-fit, classic windbreaker. Under the coat's sleeve was a wide bracelet encrusted with diamonds on her wrist that looked incongruous to her style. Her legs exposed outside looked fair and well-proportioned, under which was seven-centimeter black high heels.

"Iron lady, finally you come back. I miss you so much! Come, let me check if you gain weight and your breasts develop!"

Like a tomboy, Clark Shaw grabbed and shook Lori's arm with a smile. Sizing the woman up with her crescent eyes, she commented, "Oh my, tell me, how did you preserve your body. Your figure is fantastic. Who would believe that you are already a mother? Guess what, you must treat me to dinner tonight!"

She took off the large sunglasses over her eyes with her slender fingers, unveiling a delicate face with no make-up on. Her porcelain skin looked exceptionally clean and elegant. A pair of cat's eyes looked bright with a hint of a smile.

Curling the corners of her mouth, Lori patted her best friend's hand and said nonchalantly, "Sure, but you need to provide me lodging. Tonight, I'm staying at your house!"

"What!" Clark widened her crescent eyes, "For real, Lori, are you kidding me? Winston City is your turf, and you are the lady from the Sterling Family. Your family owns such a big house, and you have so many properties. You don't stay in those houses, but mine?"

"What's the problem?" She put the sunglasses back on and moved her fair calves. While walking, she said, "If I don't stay in your house, you should welcome me to dinner and pay the bills!"

Paying for dinner mattered!

"You won!" Clark pouted and caught up.

She hadn't been back for over half a year, but the city remained the same. When they got in the car, Lori sighed inwardly.

"Your man seems to be doing a good job. Are you well-prepared for this trip back?"

"Heh... prepared or not, it makes no difference. I've been used to it!"

"Lori, you are such a fool!"

Tilting her head, she looked out of the window. It was all wet. She didn't want to but came back at last. Only she had no idea how long she would be tortured again...

The Gates Group.

At 9:30 a.m., after the morning briefing, she got into her office and sat down in the boss's chair in front of the desk.

After throwing a file on the desk, she held up a cup of already cold black coffee and gulped down half of the content.

Leaning deep in the big chair, Lori slightly let out a breath.

Rather than fragrance and sweet taste, her mouth was filled with bitterness.

Just like her marriage, it was nominal. Except for bitterness, she gradually forgot the other feelings of loving a person.

The office door was knocked before Yule, a secretary, walked in with a pile of documents.

"Ms. Sterling, this is the planning department's marketing plan on our cooperation with the Rockefeller Group. For your review."

The Sterling Family had their own businesses. But after Lori returned home from studying abroad, she immediately joined the Gates Group rather than her family business. Starting her career as the planning department manager, now she worked as the deputy general manager. She earned it by virtue of her capabilities, so no one could argue about it.

She picked up the files from the table, flipped through them, and put them aside. Raising her head, she looked at Yule and asked, "Is Mr. Gates here today?"

"According to Mr. Gates's secretary, he is on a business trip to Stone City."

Business trip?

The corners of her mouth curved up. Just like before, whenever she was at the company, he rarely showed up!

"Okay, I see!"

No sooner had the door been closed, and two pages of the file were read than an internal call came in.

"Lori speaking!"

"Hello, Ms. Sterling, a message from the hospital. You are asked to go there!"

...

In Winston Hospital, the black figure of Lori showed up outside a room. At the sight of the woman on the sickbed, she pursed her lips tightly.

She couldn't ignore the gossip of the nurses passing by and the sympathetic gaze of the doctor!

The hospital called and told her that a friend of her husband had an abortion, and she was hoped to keep her company!

Heh, friend?

As soon as she got back, he dealt her a head-on blow. Clifford, this was great!

She turned around, walked into an exit passageway, took out her cell phone, and called Clark.

"Clark, help me investigate a person."

"Who? Did your husband fool around again?"

Lori narrowed her charming cat's eyes and hummed.

"Damn, Clifford is worse than a beast." In a huff, Clark flipped up from the sofa and continued bluntly, "Why are you so obsessed with this man? Just divorce him. There are many good men out there!"

There were indeed good men, but there was only one Clifford!

"I'll send you her basic information. When you get her background, send it to me via email."

"Where are you? Do you need a hand?"

"The hospital!" Lori thought for a while, "I don't need help for now cuz I don't think she dares to play tricks!"

Clifford asked her to keep this woman company as ridicule. If she acted now, wouldn't the man lose his toy to torture?

"Hospital? What are you doing in the hospital?"

"This woman had an abortion!" Lori pursed her lips, "I accompanied her!"

After hanging up, she went back to the ward. That woman already woke up.

Lori pushed open the door, got in, and walked straight to the front of the sickbed. Her black high heels clicked on the floor.

Despite her pale face, the woman in sickbed looked provocative. The corner of her mouth curved up in a biting smile, and her gaze was filled with sarcasm.

"What? Is it satisfying your queenly spiritual quest to accompany me to abort this child on behalf of your husband? But guess what, your husband is so awesome in bed that I have to beg him every time!"

Pursuing her lips, Lori stared at her pale face, took a step forward, bent over, and pinched her chin, forcing her to raise her head. At close range, she gazed at her.

"Since you enjoyed it so much, I'll make more of your days! I tell you what, don't try to play tricks; otherwise, you won't know how you die!"

After she fiercely let go, the woman in bed turned her head away.

She already did the formalities for her hospitalization and arranged a nursing worker. Whether the woman would stay in the hospital or go home, it had nothing to do with her. Now she still had a lot of business to deal with and didn't have the time to wrestle with her!

She turned to leave, and when the door was just opened, she heard a taunt from behind in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Lori, what do you have? You can't even restrain your husband. Except for money, what do you have?"

Like a needle, her words pricked Lori's heart fiercely. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm down.

"At least I have money. With money, I can make you suffer!"

Ever since she realized the hard truth, she would not be soft or humble again!

After coming out of the inpatient department gate, Lori walked to the parking lot while lowering her head to text.

The moment when the message was about to be sent, her right hand was shoved by someone, and the phone fell to the ground.

Her neatly-trimmed eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she reached out for the black phone. But it was picked up by another hand and delivered to her.

"I'm sorry, I..."

When she raised her head, she saw a man wearing a black suit and a pair of silver-rimmed glasses. The man was instantly dazed. Arching her eyebrow, she thought, what a coincidence!

After so many years of marriage, Lori almost forgot the academic senior who had been secretly in love with her since their college days.

Without a word, she took the phone from his hand, ready to bypass him.

"Lori!"

Following the cry, her arm was immediately gripped. Roger Law hadn't expected he would meet Lori ever again.

"Sir, anything I can help?"

Without a doubt, her cold and distant voice damped over the man like cold water. A flicker of sadness crossing Roger's eyes, he said hysterically, "Don't... don't you remember me?"

She indeed intended to say no. Bygones should be bygones.

"Excuse me, sir. If you don't have a business, please let go!"

"Lori, it's Roger. Can't you remember me?"

"Mr. Law, this is a public place, so please behave yourself!"

Forcefully Lori drew back her arm, ready to turn away. Just then, her cell phone rang.

"You've got it?"

"Mm, just a nonentity. I've sent it to you via email, but Lori, how long are you planning to put up with Clifford. You'd better stay away from such a man as soon as you can!"

"Mm, catch up with you later, gotta go!"

"Alas..." Clark heaved a sigh of relief, "You may not like to hear this, but if you continue like this, you are just torturing yourself!"

What was the difference?

If the sign of maturity was learning to be cruel, independent, and discard unworthy feelings with a smile,

Lori was still a child. She hadn't fully grasped how to dig out a tumor in her heart!

"Lori, you really don't remember me?"

The voice behind carried infatuation. Without looking back, Lori cast her eyes down and spat, "It doesn't matter whether I remember you or not. Roger, I'm married!"

"I'll wait!"

"Waiting?" Lori turned her head and looked sarcastically at the man with glasses, "Sorry, I've never given anyone a chance to wait! Duty calls gotta go!"

As soon as she bypassed a black Mercedes and held the key to unlock the car, she raised her head and saw a man in a black business suit leaning against the door of a black Maserati sports car. Folding his arms before his chest, he slightly frowned. It was unknown if he was gazing at her or the other man with his eagle's eyes. There was a smirk on his sculpted face, and the corner of his mouth curved up scornfully. Full of innately awful air, he could still bring bitterness to her heart.

That man was her husband, GM of the Gates Group, and an all-powerful mogul in Winston City.

What was he laughing about? Was he proud of catching adultery in the act?

The man was brilliant in her mind and admired by countless women. The moment when she met him at the age of ten, she swore she would be his bride.

Although she earned the wedding, this wonderful man had no feelings for her!

Her love all these years was discarded by him, and her self-esteem was trampled ruthlessly!

She didn't forget the sympathetic gaze of the doctor and the gossip of the nurses!

They were saying, "Alas, this woman is so pitiful. It's said that the woman in there is a lover of her husband! The woman is pregnant with her husband's child, and she has to accompany her to have an abortion. Rich families are really chaotic!"

She knew this was his retaliation for the forced marriage back then and for the sake of that woman who was in love with him for three months. It was she who drove that woman away!

He told her, "Cancel the wedding; I love her!"

Loving her? Did he love that woman? What was she in his heart?