Chapter 124
Before she could finish her sentence, I interrupted coldly, “You really should’ve gone into acting.” Alicia’s expression instantly shifted. “You’re probably dying for me to misunderstand you, aren’t you? Best if it leads to another fight between me and Jonathan,” I added sharply.
“How can you say that?” she said, looking wounded. “I know you’re upset about how close Jonathan and I are, but we’re like family! Back at the pool, he saved me, and you’ve been bitter ever since. Maybe to him, family just comes first. Why do you always twist things?”
I tilted my head slightly, staring coldly at her. “Do you really think I didn’t care, or did you just assume there weren’t any cameras by the pool? Should I pull the footage and let Jonathan see exactly how you provoked me and then pushed me in?”
Jonathan looked at me, then at Alicia. His face clouded over, like a storm brewing beneath the surface. Alicia started to panic. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand! Why would I ever push you? Elise, stop trying to frame me!” she stammered.
“We’ll see if it’s a lie once the footage is out,” I calmly said.
All I wanted was a quiet divorce. I didn’t want the humiliation to get any worse, and I definitely didn’t want to become an even bigger joke. But since Alicia kept flaunting herself in front of me, I no longer cared. If she were so eager to play the other woman, I would be more than happy to make that role official. The least I could do was rip off that sweet little mask she always wore in front of Jonathan.
She cared most about maintaining her image in front of Jonathan, so I figured it was time he saw the truth. He needed to see what kind of person he had been blindly protecting.
As expected, Alicia started to panic. She fumbled through a few weak excuses before leaving in a rush. I figured she must have gained a lot in the past from her innocent act and sweet-talking of Jonathan. But now, I wasn’t falling for it. I wasn’t playing along with her anymore.
No matter what she said, I hit back with the truth. She couldn’t handle it, and I could see she had no idea why I suddenly seemed like a different person. She knew that if she stayed any longer, she would eventually expose herself, so she left.
I was more than happy to see her gone. I really had no desire to look at her any longer. Jonathan gave me a long, heavy look.
Chapter 124
“Get some rest,” he said. “I’ll stay with you.”
I closed my eyes and sharply said, “I can’t sleep with you here. If I can’t sleep, then I can’t rest properly.” He paused, seemingly at a loss for words.
If this had been before, he would’ve forced himself into bed beside me, wrapped an arm around my waist, and made me fall asleep in his arms whether I liked it or not. Now that he knew I had really tried to take my own life, something in him seemed to shift. He started holding back, treating me more gently.
“Alright,” he finally said. “I’ll be in the room next door. Call me if you need anything.” With that, he stood up. “I’ll come check on you tomorrow,” he added before leaving.
I didn’t argue. I simply opened my eyes and said, “Bring the divorce papers. If you won’t draft them, I’ll have a lawyer do it.”
He was wealthy beyond belief. If he drafted the agreement, it would save us both trouble and avoid any suspicion that I was after his money. Jonathan’s expression darkened slightly. After a moment, he said, “I’m not divorcing you.”
“Why not?” I asked, feeling genuinely confused. “Are you really that desperate to hold onto a bit of money? Jonathan, I know you feel guilty, but if you truly do, can’t you at least let me go? I tried to kill myself. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
I never wanted to use my suicide to gain his pity. But now that he knew, I might as well use it for what it was worth.
“Jonathan, let me go. This marriage has already taken half my life. Do you really want to take what’s left of it too?”
Chapter 125