My Ex Wants It After the Divorce

"I'm sorry, but we don't hire women over 30 here," the restaurant manager told Liana impatiently as he shooed her away.

As Liana walked away apathetically, she heard the manager murmur softly: "Who would want to patronize my business if I had an ugly old waitress?"

Liana frowned slightly. She thought about turning around and telling the manager that she was only 25 years old!

However, she restrained herself when she saw her reflection in the window next to her.

Her face had lost its youth and the glow that once decorated her eyes had long since faded.

An emaciated frame, dry hair, a wrinkled face, and outdated clothes added at least 10 years to her appearance.

She realized that she had become an old woman in recent years...even though she was only 25!

Liana smiled bitterly as the hardships of the past few years flooded her mind. As she dragged her tired body away from the scene, she noticed a car stopping behind her.

The arrival of a Maybach car did not go unnoticed by the restaurant manager.

"President White, welcome," the manager said obsequiously. Liana stopped abruptly in her tracks.

"Edward, can you accompany me to buy clothes after this? Today is the new arrival date for the Chanel counter," Betina said quietly as they got out of the car. Her hands were around Edward's arm, who just looked at her and replied with a simple "okay".

The single syllable froze Liana to the ground! Before she could stop herself, her head turned slowly... and her eyes fell on Edward's beautiful face!

It had to be him... Liana couldn't have predicted that this was how they would meet after their divorce 3 years ago.

She was so down, so out of luck. He was still her controlled self, far above the ranks of the commoners.

Betina next to him was also as elegant and dignified as she was 3 years ago. The two ended up staying together.

So, again, with her out of the picture, was it really a surprise?

"Liana?" Edward said when he saw her. Disbelief was clearly written in her eyes.

Betina's expression changed slightly and she choked: "Oh my God, is it really you, Liana? What happened to you?"

Liana snapped out of her daze. She quickly turned her head, muttering: "You've got the wrong person!"

Hurriedly, she turned to escape.

There was no way she could face them both today. No woman would be willing to face her rich ex-husband and her beautiful loving ex-rival in such an abject state. Especially after the two of them were together!

The comparison between winner and loser was all too obvious.

Edward caught up with Liana on the run, shouting: "Liana, stop right there!"

The moment his hand grabbed her arm, she screamed as if she had been poked by pins: "Let me go! I'm not Liana, I really am not!"

She was completely focused on her struggles to get away from Edward and didn't notice that a car was speeding down the road. Finally, she struggled to free herself and ran down the road.

"Liana, be careful!"Edward shouted, but it was already too late. The car hit Liana, and caused her to hit her head and was knocked out instantly.

She descended into a long dream... She dreamed of everything that happened before she turned 19. The memories she thought she had lost came back to her.

She realized that the Liana of the past was no softy; she would not have ended up in such a miserable state. She was once the pride of her family... but now... Reflecting on the adversity she was forced to endure, tears of sadness rolled down her face.

"The patient is still unconscious, but her condition has almost stabilized." She suffered a minor concussion to the head, but a week or two of rest should be enough to get her back on her feet.

However, she will need some supplements due to a long period of malnutrition...

Inside the hospital room, the doctor explained Liana's physical condition in detail to Edward.

The statuesque man frowned slightly. How could Liana be suffering from prolonged malnutrition? Edward turned his head to look at Liana, just in time to notice the tears streaming down the aging face of his ex-wife... His eyes trembled slightly as a cocktail of emotions surged in his heart.

Liana, what kind of life have you been living after our divorce? Simultaneously, Betina , who was standing next to Edward, also looked at Liana as she nurtured her own thoughts.

She looked at the woman who had once been with Edward, but was eventually thrown out by her; she was overjoyed. Her heart soared as she witnessed the miserable state Liana had fallen into.

Liana, you lost to me once...you will fare worse now that you are old and ugly. I can barely muster the energy to deal with you. I'm sure you'll wither away like the trash you've become.

After all, even for an idiot, the choice between a beautiful woman and an old beggar would be exceptionally easy. Betina might have reservations against a young and beautiful Liana, but now... These thoughts brightened Betina's mood so much that she was feeling gracious for her former rival.

She nudged Edward and said softly: " Edward, don't worry, I'm sure Liana will be fine. How about we find a private nurse for her, or better yet, leave some money for her. I believe that's what she needs most right now ." Edward looked at his fiancée and nodded slightly.

"Edward, it's very late. We still have a family dinner to attend later to discuss our upcoming nuptials. Shouldn't we go?" Betina said, and Edward then realized that such an event was indeed on his itinerary.

Since the divorce, he had not been looking for a new wife, but as the only male heir of the White Family, he had had to marry to ensure that the White name would survive.

Betina was his childhood friend. The entire White Family was in love with her; her good looks and intellect were also definite advantages. Therefore, after Edward's divorce was finalized, the two families tried to bring the two together. Edward was warm to Betina , but he was not in love with her. Then again, there was not a single woman he was in love with.

Even his marriage to Liana was not out of love, for it was an arranged marriage.

To him, as long as his wife was biologically female, he was fine with anyone who filled the position.

His indifference only deepened after his failed marriage to Liana. He shrugged and agreed with indifference when his family brought up the idea of marrying Betina . And tonight was a dinner between the two families to discuss their marriage. In fact, that morning they went out looking for a restaurant to host their wedding reception and buy dresses... Who knew they stumbled upon Liana.

The ex-wife he hadn't met in three years.

Truth be told, Edward once wondered under what circumstances they would meet again, but none of the scenarios in his mind could fit today's bizarre event.

She was the ex-wife of the White family, how could she have fallen into such a deplorable state? He remembers leaving her a considerable amount of alimony after the divorce. The amount should have been more than enough for her to live the rest of her life in luxury, so why did he find her in such a situation? That question had been clogging his mind since he left the hospital.

"Edward, what do you have in mind?"Betina asked curiously, to which Edward replied dryly: "Nothing serious."

"You're thinking about Liana, aren't you?"Betina sighed: "I couldn't believe it was the same Liana we saw upstairs. Why did she choose to live like this when she has the resources for a better life? Why is she so dense?"Dense... this was exactly how Edward pictured Liana.

Sometimes dense can be cute, but Liana had the lethal combination of being dense and stubborn. Because of this, trouble tended to haunt the woman and the people around her. In fact, you could say that their marriage was ruined by his stubbornness and density. However, he did not expect her to be dumb enough to be unable to take care of herself, even with the large amount of alimony he had given her.

Simply put, his encounter with Liana that day left a great impact on him. Edward was lost in thought, so he didn't answer Betina's questions. Before long, the car arrived at the restaurant.

The two families were already there. Since the dinner was to discuss the nuptials, the attendees included his parents and their son, Dylan White. He had him with Liana.

The little boy was a baby when they divorced, so he was four now.

"Why don't we choose November 2 as the wedding date? It's an auspicious date and the national day of our country." Edward's mother, old Mrs. White, said, smiling.

Betina's mother nodded happily, adding: "That's certainly because I would suggest that day too. Edward, Betina, are you two okay with the date?"

"Of course. Arrangements like these were always left in the capable hands of the parents," Betina said shyly.

"I'm fine with any date," Edward shrugged.

"So the date is set. We can concentrate fully on preparing for the wedding now. Betina, God is still good to me because you will finally be my daughter-in-law." Said Mrs. White cheerfully as her hands clasped Betina's, and both of them smiled happily.

Betina practically grew up in front of her. She really liked Betina's personality, character and ability .

She had been haranguing Edward to bring Betina into the White Family, and finally her wish was about to come true. There was another woman at the table whose wish was about to come true and that was Betina.

Finally, Edward was within her grasp. The man would finally be hers.

At that moment, the glass of juice Dylan White was holding in his hands fell and broke. He also somehow managed to splash juice on his shirt.

"Dylan, you need to be more careful." Mrs. White scolded lightly.

"Dylan, are you hurt?" Betina moved with a handkerchief to wipe the juice on his shirt, but he quickly ran into Edward's arms, avoiding her completely. Betina's hands dangled awkwardly in the air.

"I'm going to clean him.", Edward said as he carried his son into the bathroom.

In the bathroom, Edward placed his son on the sink counter. Dylan White stared intently at his wobbling legs, his brain churning. Suddenly, he slapped Edward's hands that were wiping the juice from his shirt.

-"What's wrong?"

Edward said softly as he looked at his son: "You've been acting bad since the beginning of dinner, something is bothering you." Dylan White bowed his head wordlessly.

When Edward lifted his son's face, he saw a pair of determined eyes looking at him. Edward frowned and asked: "Dylan White, tell me what's wrong?"

"I don't like Aunt Betina." - Answered his son directly, and then, he understood what was happening to Dylan.

The boy was silent, so Edward took that as a yes.

"Why don't you like her?" Edward continued his line of questioning. "She's been extremely nice to you, hasn't she?"

One of the reasons Edward agreed to the marriage was because he saw how well Betina treated Dylan White. He didn't care who he married, but if he had to marry one, he might as well find one who could be a good stepmother to Dylan White.

Betina was the best candidate because her whole family approved and she was kind to Dylan. So it was a surprise to him that his son revealed that he didn't like his fiancée.

"She is nice to me because I am your son. I'm just a tool for her to get to you." Edward's face fell.

"That's not a nice thing to say."

"The truth is never good for the ears," Dylan White said with wisdom beyond his years.

"You never asked my opinion about who you should marry. I'm just the extra baggage." Dylan White jumped off the counter and stormed out in a fit of rage.

"Dylan White, who taught you to talk like that to your own father? Where are your manners?"Dylan was already upset, being reprimanded only made him more taciturn.

He turned stubbornly, his eyes filled with sadness and dissatisfaction.

"Nobody taught me, I don't have a mother to teach me, don't I?" Edward was stunned... When he woke up, Dylan White was already gone.

Edward ran out to chase his son. He caught up with him at the entrance to the restaurant. He turned Dylan White around and was surprised to see tears rolling down his son's eyes.

Dylan White had always been a quiet child. He could spend an entire afternoon in silence in the company of a good book.

He was in every sense of the word, an exemplary child. He was not given to fits and childish outbursts.

His behavior today was definitely out of the ordinary. This was also the first time Edward had seen his son so upset.

When he divorced Liana, Dylan was only one year old. His mother had not been a part of the boy's life for three years.

Edward thought that this meant that Dylan had gotten used to being raised in Liana's absence, but he didn't realize that his son was just hiding his emotions deep inside.

Looking at his son, Edward no longer had an appetite to continue dinner.

After a brief phone call to his mother, he brought Dylan home. In the car, Dylan kept his eyes on the scenery outside the window. His small figure spoke of loneliness and helplessness. Edward sat beside him in silence. As they passed the hospital, his thoughts went to Liana.

He wondered if she had woken up. Edward couldn't help but remember his current situation. He was sure that Dylan could not bear to see his mother like this. Edward decided not to let the two of them meet temporarily to spare Dylan the sadness...When they arrived at Purple Jade Villa, their home, Dylan was already asleep.

Edward was carrying his son into the living room when his cell phone rang.

"Mister, please let me carry the little one upstairs!" Said their maid, Mrs. Yu. After carefully passing Dylan to her, Edward picked up his phone. It was an unknown number.

"Hello," he began, and soon realized that it was from the hospital.

"Is this Mr. Edward? This is the First Hospital."

"Yes, Edward speaking. How can I help you?"Edward asked, although he was sure it had everything to do with Liana.

"Mr. White, I regret to inform you, but the patient you sent today has suddenly disappeared. We believe she left the hospital on her own! However, her body is still recovering, so she should not have left. Can you please contact her and take her back to the hospital?"

Edward was sure that it had to do with Liana, but even he couldn't predict that the woman would be crazy enough to leave the hospital against her doctor's advice!

Liana had been involved in a car accident. Her injury was not that serious, but the doctor said it was necessary for her to stay in the hospital for observation for at least a few days.

Who would have thought she would escape after regaining consciousness... The nurse also found $3,000 on Liana's bedside table after she left. When she woke up, the nurse handed her the money, saying it was Edward's. When she escaped, she left it behind, an obvious rejection of his kindness. This meant that she had no money and her body was still in a state of convalescence. Edward could not understand why she would leave like that.

Doesn't she care about her own health? Edward was a little inflamed by her density, but he still jumped in his car to find her.

Not that he was worried about her, but at the end of the day, she was still Dylan's mother, and he couldn't just leave her on her own for the sake of his son. While Edward was in town looking for her, Liana went straight to the police station to file a report.

With her head bandaged, face bruised, skin pale and body frail, the police thought she was there to report a physical assault.

However, she wanted to report a car accident that happened six years ago.

"Mrs. Legrand, let me get this straight. You mean that the car accident that happened to you six years ago was a premeditated attempted murder?"

Liana nodded, her eyes steady, adding: "That's right! Six years ago, I rushed back from abroad because my father had fallen seriously ill. Someone made an attempt on my life and pretended it was a vehicular accident. Fortunately, I did not die, I just lost my memory. Today I had another accident and everything came back to me."

"How can you be so sure that it was premeditated?"

"I remember noticing that the car had been following me since I landed at the airport. It was waiting for me!"

The police became serious and asked: "Can you remember anything else?"

"I remember that the last two digits of the car's license plates were 53 and it was a black SUV."

The police replied with a hint of disbelief: "But Mrs. Legrand, this was 6 years ago and you said yourself that you suffered from temporary amnesia, so how can you be sure that the things you remember are in fact correct?"

Liana replied softly: "As the man wanted to kill me, how can anyone confuse the details of his killer? Besides, even during my amnesia, my retentive memory was perfectly fine."

The police were quick to believe her.

That's because he pulled Liana's records and realized that she was a top student at Academy S, one of the top ten universities in the world.

"Miss Legrand, do you have any suspects in mind or have you harmed anyone in the past?"

"The only suspects are my stepmother and her daughter. After my father passed away, they quickly cut me out of his will. Everything fell to the mother-daughter pair, even though I am my father's only biological heir!"Animosity colored Liana's eyes as she spat out those words. Liana's parents had also divorced when she was young. She grew up abroad with her mother.

After her father remarried, Liana would spend some time in the country with her father annually. She got along well with her stepmother and her sister. They were always kind and nice to her.

Liana treated them like her extended family, but who knew that the pair had an ulterior motive all along.

When her father was on his deathbed, they feared that Liana claimed most of his property, so her cruel nature finally showed its ugly head.

He smiled and said: "What wonderful news! It's great that you have recovered your memory! Let's forget all about the past and start over again. Sis, after my graduation this year, I promise I will work hard to support our family. Your body is still weak, so stay at home and rest. Leave everything to me, I'll bring plenty of money to support the three of us!"

Liana answered with a smile, "I believe you, but please stop worrying about me, I assure you I'm fine," Liana understood Jack's words and realized how worried he was about her.

"Sister, you're still human, so how can you be okay with the drastic changes? You were a star student at the S Academy, heading for a bright future if not marred by that godforsaken accident".Liana's encounter, if experienced by anyone else, would be extremely disheartening. Anyone would be frustrated if their bright future was forcibly taken away.

However, Liana was not just any random person. She believed that her ability was not defined by a certificate from Academy S. She believed that she could survive a divorce and lift herself out of poverty. She was no longer afraid of the things that once held her back. She would get her life back and this time no one and nothing could stand in her way.

"It's very good, don't you have faith in your sister? By the way, what kind of job are you looking for," Liana asked changing the subject.

"My degree is in computer science, so I plan to join a technology company, but don't worry, it won't be the Xi Empire". Jack said with some enthusiasm.

Xi Empire was the number one in their country, the most famous internet company, and back in the day, technology business was tops. Xi Empire used to limit its business ventures to hotels and real estate, but Edward saw beforehand how lucrative the online business would become.

Under his expert leadership, today's Xi Empire was the largest company in Europe, and Edward had made it onto Forbes' list of the ten richest people in the world several times.

Liana said gently: "Xi Empire has the best technology, good management and favorable benefits, it's a good platform for aspiring programmers like you. You should go."

Jack replied firmly: "Over my dead body. They treated you so badly that I couldn't work for them!"

-It's okay, I won't force you if you don't want me to. In the future, we'll have our own technology company.

"That's always been my plan. Sis, believe me, I'm sure I'll make you proud," Jack said with great enthusiasm. With Jack's potential, Liana believed that her cousin could really succeed in the world. Not that he needed to, but if the worst happened, he still had her to lean on.

While Liana talked all night with Jack, Edward was looking for her.

He had been searching for two hours, but it was in vain.

He only realized how ridiculous he was acting when Betina called.

"Edward, are you in bed?" It was Betina's habit to call him every night. Honestly, Edward didn't have many topics of conversation in common with her and he had no interest in hearing her recapitulate his daily life, so the nightly calls rarely went beyond the superficial hello and goodnight.

"I'm still awake, is there anything you want to discuss?" Edward asked without enthusiasm.

"How is Dylan? He didn't look so good over dinner," Betina asked cautiously. She knew Dylan was averse to her presence, but to preserve her image, she had to pretend she didn't notice.

"He's fine. He's sleeping now."

Betina said with a smile in her voice: "It's good to know. It's late. Edward, go to bed soon."

"Ok ."

"Good night," Betina concluded warmly.

Edward put the phone away, stopped the car at the side of the road and lit a cigarette. As crowds of cars passed by him, he chuckled to himself. So what if Liana had disappeared, why was it his responsibility to find her? She was a grown woman, she could find her way home.

Edward returned home with the car, but as a security measure, he ordered some men to investigate Liana's current situation. At least this way he would know that she was still alive and would finally have an idea of what had happened to her over the past few years.

He was interested in finding out how a woman with such a large amount of alimony could end up in that state.

The next morning, Edward received updates on Liana for the past 3 years.

After the divorce, she was taken in by her uncle. Through family connections, he understood that her uncle had a son and the three kept each other afloat. Their lives took a turn for the worse when Peter was diagnosed with kidney disease. To earn money, Liana had to do various jobs, such as cleaning, dishwashing, waitressing ... She spent her time doing all kinds of manual labor.

However, she was bullied and isolated in every workplace due to her reticence and reluctance to socialize. This meant that none of her jobs lasted more than a month. Three years jumping from one difficult work environment to another took a heavy toll on her.

Edward was still surprised when he thought about yesterday's meeting. It seemed that she had aged tremendously since the divorce.

He could hardly recognize her anymore.

If it weren't for yesterday's chance encounter, he wouldn't know how much pain and cruelty she had endured... However, there was one thing that puzzled him. Why didn't she use her alimony?

He knew Liana was not a spendthrift, but even if she was, it was impossible to burn through the amount he had given her in a short period of time. Edward leaned back in his chair with a serious expression. It seems that there were some details that were hidden from his knowledge... When Edward entered the dining room, the whole family was already seated, eating breakfast.

Dylan was the first to wake up, as he had slept early the day before. He had already finished breakfast when Edward sat up.

"Take Dylan to school for me", Edward ordered one of his maids.

"Yes, sir," the maid agreed. She took Dylan's hand and led him out of the room.

Mrs. White took a gentle bite of his barley porridge with a porcelain spoon before asking, "Why did you leave so suddenly yesterday? You're the reason we're gathered here, you know. How awkward you made your father and mother look.

"I called to tell you that Dylan wasn't feeling well, didn't I? By the way, Mom..." Edward looked at his mother, the rest of his question stuck in his throat.

"Mrs. White encouraged him with a smile, adding a -Yes?"

Edward continued: "Liana accepted alimony after our divorce?" Old Mrs. White froze in midair and her face fell...Based on her reactions, Edward knew instantly that the answer to his question was no.

"Why didn't you tell me if you didn't give her alimony?" He thought Liana was living well on the money. That was why he didn't think to check on her. If it hadn't been for yesterday's chance encounter, he would still be in the dark.

Edward's mother's face froze, so she just shrugged. - It's not that I didn't give her alimony, but she didn't want it!

"And yet, you could have told me."

"Why should I? She had nothing more to do with the White family. It's better that the relationship was severed cleanly. If she didn't want our help, good riddance, I'd say."

Edward said quietly, "Anyway, Liana is still Dylan's mother. Yes, we are no longer legally married, but we can't just turn a blind eye to her suffering."

Mrs. White frowned slightly as she retorted: "It is the woman's decision to slap our friendly hand. You, yourself, are familiar with her strange and stubborn attitude. It's been nothing but trouble since she joined the White Family. She is unwilling to admit her mistakes and refuses to communicate with the rest of the family, causing us all to tiptoe around the house. I did the best I could, offering her help once, but she refused. We are not running a charity here, I'm not going to beg her to accept our help."

"Independent of that, you should have at least told me..."

"Edward, your marriage to her was a big mistake from the start. Your father obviously wasn't thinking straight when he allowed that woman to marry into our family. I know it couldn't have been easy for you to have to live with that horrible woman. It was a blessing that she filed for divorce, so I won't give her any chance to squirm her way back into our family. Besides, she's a grown woman, she's not going to starve to death."

True, but she's not living much either... When the truth is revealed to Dylan in the future, he will definitely be angry with them.

Without waiting for breakfast to arrive, Edward got up and said: "I'm going to the office."

"But you haven't had your breakfast yet." Old Mrs. White called out to him, but Edward left the house without turning his head once.

"See, didn't I tell you not to hide this from our son? I said he would be angry when he found out." Edward's father, Charles White, scolded his wife.

Mrs. White glared at him. "Are you blaming me now? This is entirely your fault. If you hadn't agreed to the marriage in the first place, we wouldn't have ended up in this hot soup. Now you see, neither of the parties involved is happy."

Charles sighed. "I owe my life to Liana's father, and that was his dying wish, so how could I say no? Besides, how could I know that the two don't go together. Anyway, I've learned my lesson. I will stay out of our son's wedding in the future. He can choose whom he wants to marry."

"What nonsense are you talking about this time? That person has been chosen, and it's Betina. I have known this girl since she was a baby and have always treated her as my own daughter. She is perfect for Edward," Mrs. White curved into a smile at the mention of Betina's name.

Liana woke up as tiredness washed over her.

The sudden appearance of her old memory must have added some pressure to her mental state. The fact that she had been hit by a car did not help her situation either. She decided to stay home that day to take care of her health.

It was a school holiday, so Jack also stayed to help take care of his sister.

"Miana, are you sure you're feeling all right? Let's go to the hospital?" Jack asked worriedly.

Liana shook her head, saying: "I'm fine. Doctor's orders, I should stay home for a few days to rest. The injury isn't that serious or they wouldn't have let me out."

"But you're looking frighteningly pale."

"This is how a recovering patient usually looks..." Liana said with forced lightness. She didn't want to go back to the hospital.

Their family had no money to spend on her medical bill. Edward obviously let the driver who knocked her down leave. She didn't want to owe Edward, so she chose to remain silent.

Jack couldn't bear to see her like this, adding: "Sister, I think we'd better go to the doctor. We still have some money to spare. Even Dad said to take her to the hospital before she left for work, so please, listen to us!"

Liana insisted that her injury was not serious and refused to leave her room.

Jack, of course, knew why she wouldn't go. Just as he was losing his mind, someone knocked on the door of his house. It seemed slow and deliberate, a great contrast to the rushes usually made by his ruffian neighbors.