After the Last Tear: Rising from the Ashes of a Broken Marriage By Cassila K

Chapter 2

Early the following morning, when she descended the staircase, only to catch Alistair by the front door, car keys in hand.

She paused mid-step, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. "Isn't today your day off. Where are you going?"

"Taking Vivian to her ultrasound scan." he replied without a hint of remorse or discretion.

She watched his Bentley disappear down the driveway, unable to suppress a bitter smile that twisted her lips.

After Alistair leaving, Elaine quietly finished her breakfast and left the house herself.

Her car cut through Manhattan traffic with practiced efficiency, quickly arriving at the sleek downtown offices of Davidson & Partners. The attorney was waiting, leather portfolio already open on the conference table.

"After both parties signed, you can get the divorce certificate after sixty days." Davidson explained, sliding the documents toward her.

Elaine examined the papers and nodded decisively. "Well. I'll have Alistair sign it and return them today."

When she returned to the estate later that afternoon, she heard unusual commotion before even entering. Pushing open the front door, she discovered not only Alistair in the living room, but Vivian as well.

she could process the

during her pregnancy-it's not safe. I've moved her in," he stated flatly. "She'll be staying here

faintly. She reached into her bag and extracted the

document," she said, watching his face carefully, her heart racing despite her

couldn't predict

his side, effectively blocking his view. "Alistair, darling," she purred, "the

merely a credit authorization. Vivian's interruption erased any inclination

second glance, then casually handed the papers back

want to buy something, just get it. If you

carried Vivian upstairs, leaving Elaine alone with the

he discovered he'd signed so carelessly

all, he had never loved her. Their marriage had been nothing but a convenient solution to family

from that day forward,

as both shield and weapon,

discovered her carefully cultivated roses brutally uprooted, the once-pristine beds reduced to chaos. The perpetrator stood

"and those ugly things made me unhappy, so I had them removed. You're not upset, are you,