The CEO Gets What He Wants

“Look! Is that Weston Leigh?”

A female colleague at a neighboring table stared over at Avery as she drank her soup. She blinked in disbelief as she leaned over to her friend.

The other woman turned, and her eyes widened as well. “It really is him!”

They were not the only table gossiping. Soon, the occupants of all the other tables were doing the same.

Some of the girls at another table began taking photos of him surreptitiously. “He was voted most handsome man in gold-rimmed glasses of Chanaea last year!” they gushed. “He is as dashing in the flesh as they say!”

Though the staff cafeteria was not exceedingly boisterous, it was not silent either.

After listening intently to Weston, Avery learned a lot from him.

As a successful lawyer, his speech was eloquent yet concise.

Avery got into Dylan's car at the subway entrance that evening to claim a marriage certificate against her will. She did not think it was a big deal then.

I've survived this long and even became a surrogate mother in order to pay for Dad's liver and medical expenses. What's another marriage to me? My life is already in shambles anyway.

Avery occasionally lamented her fate and wondered if she had been a sinner in her past to live through so much pain in her present life.

It's all right. I'll overcome them one at a time with a bit of patience. There are limits to suffering, after all.

Avery decided upon obtaining the marriage certificate to hire an attorney the following morning to annul the marriage.

Though it's a complicated process, it's like overcoming any other obstacle. The divorce will go through at the end.

However, Jeffrey's condition had delayed her search for an attorney.

She was surprised to discover that Cayden had found her one who was that good.

Weston did not put on an ostentatious presence as a famous lawyer. Feeling hungry that afternoon, he opted to have lunch at the company cafeteria and discussed the case with Avery as they ate.

She did not touch her glass of unsweetened lemonade. “How shall we best approach him to end this? When can I be completely rid of him?”

“The organic cauliflower your cafeteria serves is delicious,” Weston recommended. “You should have it more often. Though no divorce is too difficult to attain, it's not a simple matter of having a judge grant you one whenever you want it. There is a whole rigmarole.”

Weston paused to take a sip of water. “Since all you have is a plea for divorce and that you are childless without any custody battle or alimony arrangements between you, the legal procedure for your case has been greatly simplified.”

Avery nodded.

After lunch, Weston gave Cayden a call before leaving.

Avery felt obligated to walk Weston to the door out of politeness and gratitude.

Upon entering the elevator, Avery pressed level one before standing diagonally behind Weston.

The elevator descended.

“Is that so?” Weston said to the man on the other end of the line. “Are you enquiring if this female employee of yours can afford my exorbitant legal fees and offering to pay out of mere concern, Mr. Moore?”

“Hey, I don't run the courthouse,” he continued after a pause. “Legal procedures must be abided by. For example, if you have a woman you fancy, Mr. Moore, there are steps to woo her, aren't there? Otherwise, it'll be a transaction without the process.”

The elevator arrived at the tenth floor.

She could not hear what Cayden said on the other end. All Avery heard was Weston's refrain. “Why do I sense that you're stealing another man's wife? You're more concerned about the proceedings than my client herself.”

Weston's suggestive remarks to torment Cayden made Avery's fair cheeks flush crimson.

Perhaps, I should not have stopped Cayden from taking Grandpa away. It is through Cayden's arrangements that Grandpa has a much nicer place to stay and it is a much safer place too. If I didn't take Grandpa back to my rented apartment, he wouldn't have been taken away by Dylan, and he wouldn't have a chance to force me to be his wife. Cayden would not have to suffer the indignity of “stealing another man's wife,” as Weston put it.

Weston appeared to be on good terms with Cayden, so that was only banter amongst friends.

Avery sent Weston down to the ground floor amid the chaos of her spiraling imagination. After a gracious conversation, Weston nodded at her one last time before turning and heading to where he parked his car.

When the elevator doors closed again, Avery pressed the floor of the design department.

Avery saw Yvonne in the office upon returning to the design department.

Without greeting her, Avery returned to her cubicle and kept her head bent over work. The sooner I get this done, the sooner I can head to the hospital to check on Dad.

Yvonne had only just shown up to work after lunch with her mother. Due to the influential background of her wealthy family, even Yulissa did not dare comment on her issue with punctuality at work