Chapter 5
Alistair thought he had everything under control.
But he never imagined I'd refuse to follow his script.
"Is this really necessary, Elsie?" Alistair's voice even carried a hint of desperation.
He was scared.
He wasn't afraid of losing me.
He was afraid of losing the backing of the Williamson family that came with me.
He was terrified that being known as the man his wife left behind would make him the laughingstock of the whole kingdom and ruin any chance he had at claiming the throne.
I looked at him, my heart frozen with indifference.
Even now, after everything, all he cared about was his ambition and his future.
"Alistair Williamson," I said.
It was the first time I'd ever called him by his full name.
"This was the path you chose," I told him. "Sign this Divorce Decree, and we'll both be free; no more ties between us, no more regrets.
"Or you can wait for my father to petition the King and accuse you of being unfit as a husband. By then, it won't be a Divorce Decree; it'll be an official letter of repudiation."
My words cut deep, like the sharpest knife, stabbing right into his heart.
A Divorce Decree meant both sides walked away clean—no hard feelings, just a fresh start.
But a repudiation meant the man was kicking his wife out, all on his own.
But if the wife's family asked for the repudiation, the shame would fall squarely on him.
He'd be the first prince in the Aurelia Kingdom to be dumped by his wife's family, right in front of everyone.
That mark of shame would haunt him for the rest of his life.
Alistair's face turned pale as a sheet in an instant.
He stared at me, his eyes bloodshot, like he could devour me alive.
After a long silence, he finally forced out a few words through clenched teeth. "You really want to leave me, your prince, that badly?"
"Yes," I replied, my voice steady and without hesitation.
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all that remained was icy hatred.
"Fine," he said.
"Elsie, you really are ruthless," he spat.
He turned away, looking like he was finally about to cave.
Not even a flicker of joy stirred in my heart.
I knew things were never that simple.
Sure enough, he took a couple of steps, then stopped and turned back to me, a sinister smirk curling on his lips. "If you want my signature, that's possible. But you have to beg for it."
As soon as he said that, everyone present erupted in shock and outrage.
Jayden was so furious, he drew his sword right then and there.
"Alistair, you're asking for death!" he shouted.
But Alistair just stared at me, his eyes icy and filled with vindictive pleasure, like he was savoring his revenge.
He wanted to use this moment to regain his lost dignity.
He was convinced I'd endure the humiliation for the sake of the Divorce Decree.
I looked at him, a slow, mocking smile spreading across my face.
"Did you forget something?" My voice was soft.
Each syllable struck him like a hammer to the heart.
"Right now, I'm the one who doesn't want you, not the other way around," I said.
I lifted my chin, my eyes full of icy contempt, like a queen surveying a fool performing for her amusement.
"Sure, you can have my Divorce Decree. But first, you need to beg me to bless your grand, legendary romance with Alana," I said.
My words dropped like a massive stone into a calm lake.
They stirred up waves of shock that rippled through everyone present.
The crowd went wild, buzzing with disbelief.
"She's gone crazy! Miss Williamson has totally lost it!"
"Did she just ask the prince to kneel and kowtow? Am I hearing this right?"
"She's basically grinding the royal family's dignity into the dirt!"
"That's bold! That's the kind of spirit you'd expect from the Chancellor's trueborn daughter!"
Murmurs, exclamations of awe, and cries of fear all tangled together.
The uproar was deafening, assaulting everyone's ears.
It was enough to shake what little sanity Alistair still clung to.
"Elsie!" Alistair forced my name out through gritted teeth. "You're signing your own death warrant!"
Jayden pressed his sword forward another inch, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Alistair, watch your mouth!" he barked. "Didn't you hear what my sister just said? Beg her!"
Jayden commanded, his voice unwavering and full of authority.
The Williamson family's guards stepped forward in unison, every move sharp and disciplined.
A metallic clang echoed as their swords were drawn all at once.
The sound of blades sliding from their sheaths was sharp and intimidating.
A murderous vibe instantly swept through the crowd, chilling everyone to the bone.
This was the stance of the Williamson family
We never went looking for trouble, but we'd never back down from it either.
The guards Alistair brought with him were so rattled by the fierce aura of the Williamson family that they instinctively stepped back, not even realizing it.