Chapter 8
“That means half of that 2 million is marital property.”
She pulled out her phone and typed something. “Adrienne, I’d
appreciate it if you would transfer 1 million dollars to this
account by midnight. Or I’ll ask the money from Madam Alden.”
Just then, Adrienne’s phone buzzed with a WhatsApp message.
It was a bank account number.
Adrienne was instantly furious, all the blood rushing to her
head at once.
Glaring at Clarinda, she nearly cursed out loud.
Clarinda was such a bitch, using Stacey to threaten her all the
time!
1 million dollars? For real?
The Alden family hadn’t yet divided the estate. She only had
800,000 dollars in inheritance from Duncan’s death!
But Clarinda didn’t care whether Adrienne had the money or
not.
Chapter 8
After showering and with nothing else to do, she began to purge
unnecessary belongings.
It’d save her a great deal of trouble when she left.
With a trash bin in hand, she tossed out practically everything
she laid eyes on. She was never the hesitant type.
She even packed away the wedding dress and asked Sarah to
take it downstairs to be thrown out.
Corbin happened to at that moment.
A wave of uneasiness surged through him as his gaze fell upon
the dress, now casually crumpled into a ball. “Why did you take
the wedding dress out?” he asked.
Clarinda looked him in the eye, unflinching, her tone utterly
calm. “To get rid of it.”
She’d get rid of everything useless.
The indifference in Clarinda’s voice needled Corbin, pricking his
heart.
He couldn’t help but frown. “Get rid of it? But why? You loved it,
didn’t you?”
you?
Clarinda didn’t deny it.
Chapter 8
For the past three years, she had always saved a special spot for
the wedding dress in her walk–in closet.
Every year, without fail, she would have it professionally
cleaned and preserved.
She did this because she believed the dress, representing the
happiest moment of her life, was something to be cherished
forever.
However, her marriage was now ending.
Maybe Corbin would marry Adrienne shortly after their
divorce.
Much like herself, the wedding dress was unwanted.
She offered a faint smile. “It’s ruined. I found a tear just the other
day!”
“But even so, you can’t just throw it away like that…”
Seeing the forced smile on her face, Corbin assumed she was
reluctant to part with the wedding dress. “How about this? I’ll
have someone from the bridal shop come to collect it. We can
see if it’s possible to repair-”
“Forget it.”
Chapter 8
She shook her head and looked at him calmly. “Some things are
not meant to be mended once broken.”
She was no longer talking about the dress.
It was her heart and their marriage that were beyond repair.
After that, she entered the villa without waiting for Corbin’s
response.
Upon seeing her limping gait again, Corbin finally remembered.
He strode to catch up with her. “Are you hurt? You’ve been
limping for the last three days.”
He felt guilty now?
Didn’t he think it was a little too late for that?
Nevertheless, his guilt was precisely what she needed.
She lowered her head slightly and said truthfully, “It was
getting better. But last night, Madam Langdon made me stand
barefoot in the snow for four hours.”
“What?”
Corbin was dumbfounded. His pupils constricted as his gaze
inadvertently fell upon her red and swollen palms. “And your
hands…”
Chapter 8
She blinked. “Thanks to the ruler.”
Her tone was casual, devoid of even a trace of grievance.
Corbin frowned. “Four hours? Why? Why did she do that to
you? How could she…”
He dreaded to think further.
Everyone thought Clarinda was part of the Langdon family.
How could she be treated with such brutality?
Meanwhile, Clarinda looked up at him. For some reason, she
remembered the time when she had genuinely wanted to
marry him.
She had been so earnest, so ready to share a happy life with him
until the end of their days.
For a long moment, she remained silent, using the time to
suppress the bitterness welling up from deep within. Then,
finally facing his relentless pressure, she answered with a faint
smile, “Because you didn’t come back with me.“”
Corbin’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, trying to hold back a sudden, inexplicable surge of irritation. “How can you smile about that?” he asked. “Doesn’t it hurt?”
Chapter 8
“It does.” She nodded.
“But I’m already used to it.”
“You’re used to it?”
“Yes”
She clenched her fingers slightly, her voice so flat and detached
it was as if she were discussing a stranger’s misfortune. “It
happens every time I go back without you!”
In fact, she had understated it.
Since her childhood, any act that failed to satisfy Rowena would
be met with discipline.
The path of edged stones had been designed especially for her.
She had learned to appease Rowena within a year of arriving at
the Langdon’s mansion.
To this day, whenever she was forced to stand on that path, she held a rigid, military posture, her body forming a straight, unyielding line from head to toe without the slightest bend.
Corbin crouched down and gently lifted the hem of her long dress. He carefully removed one of her shoes, his breath catching at the sight of her sole, still red and swollen from the
Chapter B
cold.
Her calves were a mosaic of bruises, standing in horrifying
contrast against her otherwise fair and tender skin.
Compared to what Clarinda had endured, Adrienne’s suffering
a few days prior was nothing.
Corbin was seething with rage. He scooped Clarinda into his
arms, carried her to the sofa, and set her down, his brow
furrowed in a deep frown. “Why didn’t you call me?”
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.
