Chapter 3

"Nope, I don't want a divorce," I replied hoarsely, the words slipping out before I could think.

"Good girl," George murmured, his hand rubbing my waist and slowly sliding lower.

I held his hand tightly, tears blurring my vision as I pleaded, "I said I wouldn't want a divorce."

"Let me give you your reward," George said, his voice low and husky as he leaned over me.

Disgusting! What a jerk!

I decided to leave him for good.

If I stayed, I would be as good as dead.

After George left, I barely managed to drag myself out of bed around lunchtime, feeling half-dead. I'd missed breakfast, so there was no way I was skipping lunch either.

I never really had any hobbies, but if I had to pick one, it'd be eating good food.

The Hopkins family had two chefs. One specialized in classic cuisine, the other in new dishes, and both were absolute masters.

I held onto the stair railing and slowly made my way down, then shuffled over to the dining table and sat down.

Bonnie shot me a look. "Just because you're young doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. Try to control yourself a little."

I chomped angrily on my chicken leg. "It's not on me. That jerk George crossed the line. I couldn't do anything about it."

"He actually forced you? What a piece of trash! You need to leave him right now!" Bonnie shouted.

She slammed her hand on the table, then snatched up her phone and urged her friend to bring the divorce papers over today.

I was scarfing down all the gourmet food, feeling a pang of regret at the thought of losing it.

I knew meals like this were numbered, and I had no idea when I'd get to eat like this again.

Honestly, Bonnie and I were disasters in the kitchen. Even a half-cooked chicken would taste better than anything we could whip up.

Not long after lunch, Bonnie's friend burst in, waving two sets of divorce papers like it was an emergency.

"You really sure about this?" her friend asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah, quit stalling. Whoever wants that cheating loser, take him," Bonnie said, snatching her copy and scribbling her signature at the end without a second thought.

I copied her and scrawled my own name.

"Bonnie, let's get out of here. I'm scared George will come back any minute," I said, my voice trembling.

"Alright, grab your stuff, and let's go," Bonnie said, her tone decisive as she headed upstairs.

"Ladies, please reconsider! If you leave, how am I supposed to explain this to Mr. Hopkins?" Hector Johnson, the butler, was practically running in circles, panic written all over his face.

He'd seen Bonnie and me signing the divorce papers and knew things were about to go south.

He tried to call Jeffrey, but couldn't get through at the worst possible moment.

As for George, Hector didn't even bother with him. George was useless in a crisis anyway.

So when George finally got home and found the house empty, everyone gone, he totally blew up.

Bonnie took me to the luxury penthouse we'd bought together. The floor only had two units, so we were technically neighbors, but honestly, it was like living together.

We kept our doors open all the time, so any little noise meant we could drop by and gossip whenever we wanted.

Over the past two years, Bonnie didn't just sit around. She used Jeffrey's name to grow our fashion business, recruited some famous designers, and went full-on luxury with our brand.

For the past year, the company had been doing well and raking in cash every day. Bonnie and I split the profits fifty-fifty.

Bonnie knew I wasn't really into design, so last year, she set up a little gourmet spot for me, only ten minutes away on foot from our penthouse.

Honestly, Bonnie had our getaway figured out. She covered every last detail.

She always said, "Never count on a guy. If you want something done right, do it yourself."

I was just a little nobody trailing after her, totally deadweight.

Bonnie handled everything, so I could chill under her wing and not worry about a thing.

With George out of the picture, my days felt so much brighter. I was finally free to do my own thing, and whenever I had some downtime, I'd wander over to the fancy restaurant for good food.

Bonnie hooked me up with an anonymous food livestream. Every time I went to the place, I'd go live, totally focused on eating, making everything look mouthwatering.

Bonnie even found me a foodie partner. She handled all the dish commentary, while I just stuffed my face.

It was a feast for the eyes, the nose, and the taste buds!

Just a few days after we started streaming, our little spot went viral overnight. We were fully booked for weeks ahead.

I absolutely loved this gig. I couldn't cook to save my life, but eating was my superpower.

Sometimes, I'd hang out in the kitchen, chatting about food with the chefs, while my stream buddies flooded the chat with suggestions. Then I'd get to taste-test their wild new creations.

Our restaurant blew up with loyal fans in no time, and even out-of-towners were coming to get a taste.

When Jeffrey returned from his business trip to Lepolia, he spotted the divorce papers on the table. He glanced over at George, sprawled on the couch with a drink in hand, looking miserable.

With a sigh, Jeffrey took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly at his wits' end.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, his voice full of exhaustion.

The butler, Hector, stepped up respectfully. "Mrs. Hopkins said you cheated on her and wanted a divorce. Della signed the divorce papers, too."

"Cheating? Which tabloid cooked that up?" Jeffrey frowned, looking genuinely baffled. He'd been out of town on business the whole time.

"There are pics of you wining and dining with Giana in Lepolia. They're everywhere online. And you still say you didn't cheat?" George shot back.

George tossed his bottle aside, clearly pissed. "Jeffrey, come on, is your old flame really that special? Why are you still stuck on her after ten years? Now I'm getting dragged into your mess too!"

Seeing those photos on his phone, George was sure Jeffrey had cheated.

After all, Giana was Jeffrey's first love. Back then, their romance was the talk of the town, and their breakup was a total trainwreck.