Chapter 10
Mindful of the Langdon family and the Alden family, she had
refused at first. But then her colleague mentioned she could use
a beauty filter–with it, no one would recognize her.
She was pretty and spoke gently. The livestream went
surprisingly well.
Since then, she’d occasionally step in and host the clinic’s
livestreams.
“Alright. I’ll come pick you up after I finish working overtime. It
should be perfect timing,” Cecily said.
“OK.”
After chatting with Cecily for a few more minutes, Clarinda felt
much better.
She returned to her room and reviewed the basic medical
knowledge she was going to share on the livestream.
Come to think of it, the biggest advantage of marrying Corbin was the freedom she had gained.
He had never restricted what she did.
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As for the Langdon family, they could still prevent her from
making any major achievements, but they could no longer
scrutinize her every move. After all, she was now part of the
Alden family.
Over the past three years, she had continued to improve her
medical skills while seeing patients occasionally at the clinic.
By now, she had already built up a satisfying amount of savings.
At 10:00 p.m. sharp, the livestream ended.
In a good mood, Clarinda headed downstairs just as Cecily
finished parking the car.
Cecily arched an eyebrow from the driver’s seat. “Someone’s
cheerful. I take it the divorce is going well?”
“It’s going fine,” Clarinda smiled.
“It’s worth a little celebration with wine.”
By the time they arrived at the bar, business was in full swing.
Fortunately, Cecily knew the owner, who had reserved them a
table.
When Cecily returned from the restroom, Clarinda was already
drinking.
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Cecily couldn’t help but chuckle. “Does Corbin know you
drink?”
“Of course not.”
Clarinda tilted her head, faint dimples appearing at the corners
of her lips as she smiled. “It’s like I didn’t know before that his
beloved is…”
“Kiss him!”
“Just go for it!”
“Don’t be shy, Adrienne!”
Suddenly, a burst of hooting and hollering from the dance floor
cut Clarinda off. She looked over, and the smile on her face
froze.
Cecily followed her gaze and pulled a long face. “That’s Corbin,
right?”
In the center of the dance floor, Corbin himself stood out under
the neon lights, his chiseled features strikingly handsome.
The woman in his arms, in a red dress, was beautiful and
captivating.
He, always so calm and controlled, was now smiling at her with
Chapter 10
rare indulgence.
The corner of Cecily’s mouth twitched as she recognized the
woman. She gaped at Clarinda in disbelief. “His beloved is
Adrienne?”
“Yeah. Pretty surprising, huh?”
Clarinda gulped down the wine in one go, her voice turning
slightly hoarse. “It surprised me too when I first found out.”
Just then, Adrienne suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed Corbin.
He instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist.
They looked perfect for each other.
“Wow!”
“Bravo, Adrienne!”
“I bet Corbin isn’t going home tonight!”
The teasing laughter grew louder, almost raising the roof.
Cecily rose to her feet abruptly, but Clarinda quickly grabbed
her arm. “Calm down. Don’t go over
there.”
“I’m not stupid, OK?”
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After taking a few photos, Cecily pulled Clarinda to her feet. “I
know you have a plan. Well, this place’s tainted already. Let’s
drink somewhere else.”
Clarinda had never been able to hold her liquor, yet she’d
insisted on drinking anyway.
After hitting two different spots, she didn’t wake up until the
next afternoon. Her head throbbed faintly, and her eyes were
swollen.
Still groggy, she wondered if she was hallucinating when she
saw the notification for an enormous payment.
1 million dollars had been deposited into her account.
Rubbing her eyes, she saw it was from Adrienne. Slowly,
memories from the previous day resurfaced.
Adrienne had indeed transferred the money.
It seemed Adrienne really was terrified of Stacey.
But since Adrienne had been with Corbin last night, chances
were, it was actually Corbin’s money.
Not that it mattered–Clarinda was entitled to half of their
marital assets anyway.
Chapter 10
She accepted the payment with a clear conscience.
Then she went downstairs and poured herself a glass of water,
phone still in hand.
Sarah noticed she didn’t look well. “Mrs. Alden, would you like
something to eat or drink? Some soup, or milk perhaps? I could
also make you some pasta.”
All year round, Clarinda would give Sarah different soup
recipes tailored to her and Corbin’s health.
Still queasy from the hangover, Clarinda had no appetite. “Milk
is fine.”
She glanced around and asked casually, “Corby and Adrienne
didn’t come back last night?”
“I don’t think so.”
Sarah didn’t linger on the question and went into the kitchen to
prepare the milk.
Remembering Clarinda’s sweet tooth, she added an extra
spoonful of sugar.
Just then, Leonel trotted into the living room and made a face at
Clarinda, hands on his hips. “Uncle Corbin was with Mommy
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last night! He’s going to dump you soon! A bad woman like you
doesn’t deserve to be with Uncle Corbin!”
The more he spoke, the angrier he got. He even pointed a
chubby finger right at her.
“Really?” Clarinda nodded thoughtfully.
Gently pushing his hand aside, she asked, “Do you know what
you’ll be after your mommy marries Corbin?”
“What?”
“A drag.”
She bent over, caressed Leonel’s cheek with false doting, and
said gently, “Let me explain. It means you’re going to be a
burden. Soon, they’ll give you a little brother or sister. Then no
one will want you anymore.
“Are you happy, you little drag?”
Leonel cried at the top of his lungs immediately, tears streaming
down his cheeks.
He scrambled for his tablet and desperately video–called
Adrienne.
She didn’t answer.
Lateefa Khanam is a spirited writer who finds freedom in horse riding. She cherishes her mare and the newborn foal, calling them her little happy family.
