Chapter 2
The day after the surgery, Clayton slowly woke up from the anesthesia.
Sharp pain stabbed through his lower back and abdomen, forcing a muffled groan from his lips.
The hospital room was quiet.
He struggled to move his eyes, finally making out the figure sitting by his bed.
It wasn't Yvonne. It was his mother, Sylvia Carter.
Sylvia had been dozing off, but the sound of his voice jolted her awake. "Clayton, you're awake. How are you feeling? Does it hurt?"
Clayton nodded weakly, his voice hoarse. "Mom, where's Yvonne?"
The first thing he did when he woke up was ask for me.
It wasn't out of longing but habit.
He was used to me always showing up whenever he needed something, waiting on him hand and foot.
Sylvia's face immediately fell, her tone full of annoyance and displeasure. "Don't even bring her up.
"Ever since you went into surgery yesterday, she's been completely missing in action. I can't get through to her phone, and God knows where she ran off to.
"What an ungrateful wretch. If it weren't for Jasper, I would've told you to divorce her ages ago. She has no sense at all. Her husband had major surgery, and she disappeared."
Sylvia kept on ranting.
Clayton frowned, feeling a twinge of irritation.
He thought I had really gone too far this time.
Even if I was upset, I shouldn't have thrown a fit at a time like this.
But he didn't think much of it. He assumed I was sulking, and once he got out of the hospital, he'd buy me a purse to smooth things over.
Right now, he was more concerned about someone else.
"Mom, where's Iris? How is she?" he asked.
At the mention of Iris, Sylvia's face instantly lit up with a smile. "She's doing great.
"The doctor said the surgery was a huge success. Once she's fully recovered, she'll be like anyone else. That poor girl has had such a tough life, but thanks to you, Clayton, you really saved her life."
A faint, relieved smile appeared on Clayton's pale face.
It was totally worth it.
As long as Iris was safe, all the pain he endured was totally worth it.
He struggled to sit up, but Sylvia gently pushed him back down. "Don't move. You had just had surgery. Lie down and rest."
Clayton lay back down, reaching for his phone on the bedside table with shaky hands, planning to call me.
He was ready to lecture me, make sure I remembered my boundaries.
But before he could even dial, the door to the hospital room swung open.
Clayton's eyes lit up, thinking it was me.
But it was a delivery guy in a uniform. "Excuse me, is Mr. Clayton Grant here?"
Clayton froze, and Sylvia got up, grumbling. "What do you want with him? Can't you see he had surgery?"
The delivery guy held a document envelope, his face showing a practiced professional smile. "I have an urgent document for him. It requires his signature."
Clayton had a sinking feeling in his gut. "What kind of document?"
The delivery guy walked over and placed the envelope on Clayton's bedside table. "Take a look for yourself. Oh, and by the way, it's from Ms. Sullivan."
Clayton's heart sank.
He and Sylvia looked at each other, confusion written all over their faces.
Clayton's hands trembled as he opened the envelope.
A sheet of paper slid out.
The bold letters at the top of the page felt like a punch to the gut.
It was a divorce agreement. At the bottom, the glaring red court seal was impossible to miss.
This wasn't up for discussion. This was a verdict.
The delivery guy's voice rang out again, like a death knell from hell. "Please sign for this. It's the divorce decree, stamped by the court and now in effect. From this moment on, you and Ms. Sullivan are no longer legally connected."
It was like a bomb went off in his head.
Clayton felt the whole world spinning, a deafening roar ringing in his ears.
His eyes went wide, staring at the document like he could burn a hole right through it.
No way, this couldn't be happening. How dare Yvonne do this? How dare she divorce me?
She was smiling at me yesterday, acting like everything was perfectly normal.
Sylvia leaned in for a look, and the next second, her shrill scream shattered the silence of the hospital room. "Divorce? How dare she? Clayton is lying here after saving someone's life, and she pulls this kind of stunt?
"What? Does she think she can run off with our family's money? Over my dead body."
She snatched the document and was about to tear it to shreds.
The delivery guy quickly stopped her. "Ma'am, you can't tear this up. It's legally binding. Tearing it up won't make a difference.
"There are three copies. One was for the court, one for Ms. Sullivan, and one for Mr. Grant."
Sylvia was shaking with rage, jabbing her finger at the delivery guy. "You're in cahoots with her. Get the hell out."
The delivery guy shrugged helplessly and placed the receipt on the table. "Whether you sign or not, it's all the same. I've done my part."
He turned and left, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
The room was eerily quiet, like all the life had been drained out of it.
The only sound left was Sylvia's harsh, heavy breathing.
Clayton felt completely hollowed out, gripping the sheets so tightly the veins on his hands stood out, pulsing with tension.
He grabbed his phone and quickly dialed my number.
This time, the call actually connected.
He was practically shouting into the phone. "Yvonne, what are you trying to do? What's with these divorce papers?"
On the other end, my voice was utterly emotionless. "It's exactly what it looks like, Clayton. We're divorced."
"Have you lost your mind? I won't allow it. Absolutely not," Clayton roared, his anger making his stomach wound throb so badly he had to gasp for air.
"Clayton, this isn't up to you." I let out a light chuckle, and through the phone, it pierced right through his heart like an ice pick. "When you signed that surgery consent form, you should've seen this coming.
"When you threw me, our son, and this family aside for Iris without a second thought, you should've known. You're out."
I hung up on him.
The cold beeping echoed in Clayton's ears, and in that moment, his whole world shattered.