Chapter 3
The livestream went dead silent for a few seconds.
The chat froze like someone had hit pause. Then it exploded like a bomb.
[What?]
[Am I hallucinating? I must be seriously overworked!]
[Someone pinch me! Is this really the legendary Patricia who could make people cry with a single sentence?]
[This is so scripted. Even faker than Victoria's act. I don't buy it.]
I was confused, too.
After three years of marriage, I had seen Patricia no more than five times. Every time was at a family gathering. She had always been polite but kept her distance.
So what was she up to today?
Patricia didn't blink at everyone's shock. She grabbed my hand and checked me over from head to toe, fussing like a mom on a mission. "You are so thin, Anna, practically wasting away."
"Alexander, you idiot. I told you to look after her. This is how you did it?" She spun around and shot Alexander a glare that could cut glass.
His face got darker. He forced the words out through clenched teeth. "Mom, what are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here? If I hadn't shown up, my daughter-in-law would have disappeared right under your nose." Patricia let out a huff.
Then, she slipped a bracelet off her wrist and slid it onto mine.
It was a vivid green bracelet with top-grade clarity and luster. Anyone could tell at a glance it was worth a fortune.
"Anna, keep this on. Don't pay attention to that brat. If he thinks about divorcing you, I'll break his legs myself," said Patricia.
Victoria's eyes went wide, stunned.
As someone who spent her time in showbiz and high society, she recognized that bracelet in a heartbeat.
"Wait. Isn't that the Brooke from an ancient royal collection? I heard it went for a nine-figure price at a prestigious auction house a few years ago," she gasped before she could stop herself.
Then, she covered her mouth, realizing how out of line she sounded.
Patricia glanced at her with a cold, mocking smirk. "You do have some taste. But it wasn't bought at auction. This one has been in our family for generations."
Then she turned to me, her eyes softening. "Anna, do you like it? If you do, I have several more in the safe. Next time, I'll have Alexander's dad bring them over for you."
[I'm so shocked.]
[Did I hear something wild?]
[Several more... in the safe. I'm questioning everything I thought I knew.]
[So Anna isn't some Cinderella. She's her mother-in-law's favorite?]
[This twist nearly snapped my neck.]
I looked at the bracelet on my wrist. It felt like it weighed a ton.
This was unnecessary. I only wanted to get this divorce over with.
I tried to take it off and give it back to her. "This is too much."
"Who cares?" Patricia held my hand down, not letting me argue. "I gave it to you, so wear it. If anyone messes with you, hit them with this bracelet. If it breaks, I'll get you another one."
As she said that, she shot Alexander a look.
Alexander was speechless.
A vein was throbbing in his temple.
That night, Patricia's arrival turned everything upside down.
Victoria and Charles's carefully staged "loving couple" act was completely upstaged. The two of them sat there looking like they had swallowed something foul.
Meanwhile, I was trapped next to Patricia, getting pampered as she fussed over me and made sure I never stopped eating.
"Anna, eat more of this. It will help you get your strength back.
"Anna, this steak is overcooked. Alexander, are you losing your touch?
"Anna..."
[Honestly, this show shouldn't be called "The Final Journey." It's more like "Mother-in-Law and Her Absolute Favorite."]
[It's clear who runs that family now.]
[Seriously, why are they getting divorced? His mother treats her like a queen, and he might be cold, but he's attractive, and he can cook.]
Wild guess. Maybe Anna is seeing someone else? Who would want to leave with all these perks?]
[That's a stretch. Anna seems innocent to me. She isn't the type.]
The production team probably realized how off track things had gotten, so they hurried to wrap up the first day of filming.
Back in the room the crew had arranged, I finally let out a sigh of relief.
Alexander followed me in and closed the door.
There weren't any cameras in the room.
His tall figure loomed over me. The air felt heavy.
"So you would take whatever my mom gives you?" His voice was hoarse.
"What else was I supposed to do?" I shot back, looking up at him. "Start a fight with your mother on live television?"
Honestly, I wouldn't have minded. But I didn't think her heart could take it.
"Anna," he called out. His voice carried a hint of something I couldn't read. "Do we really have to go this far?"
I looked into his deep eyes. They reflected my small figure back at me.
For a second, I almost softened.
But then, I remembered those three years of our marriage.
He'd always been cold and distant.
We had been like strangers living under the same roof.
He had his career, his own world.
And me? I had been nothing more than a decoration he kept around to satisfy his family.
I was tired. Tired to the bone.
"Alexander," I said quietly, "I've signed the papers. Let's find a time tomorrow to get this done."
He went completely stiff.
A heavy silence filled the room.
Then, suddenly, urgent knocking came from the door.
A crew member's panicked voice followed. "Mr. Quinn, Anna! The... the emerald bracelet Patricia brought is broken."