Refusing to Remarry: Mr. Hawthorne, You Are Out-Chapter 1: He Said He Would Come Back

"Tick-tock! Tick-tock!"

The sound of the clock’s second hand filled the living room.

"Madam, it’s almost dawn. You shouldn’t wait any longer." Mama Chambers advised with some reluctance.

By the sofa, the woman’s figure was slender, draped in a plain white robe, sitting quietly.

The dim light illuminated her pale, almost translucent profile, with a hint of elusive haze.

Her dry lips opened and closed, "He said he would come back."

He had said so.

Raine kept repeating this sentence in her heart.

"But..." Mama Chambers wanted to say more, but the next second the door opened.

"Click."

The crisp sound of the door opening came, and Mama Chambers exclaimed, "Mr. Hawthorne is back!"

Raine turned her eyes, and the familiar, handsome face with its sharp features came into view, showing a bit of chilliness.

It was Jonas Hawthorne.

Her husband had returned.

In an instant, a smile spread across her face, and she quickly got up to greet him.

Perhaps the movement was too sudden, combined with having maintained one pose for too long; her body swayed slightly, nearly falling.

"Jonas..."

She called his name, her voice filled with joy.

But quickly, she saw a petite figure behind Jonas Hawthorne.

It was... Candace, Jonas’s first love from university.

Raine’s gaze fell on their entwined hands, the hopeful smile froze on her face, and it felt like she was plunged into an ice well, her limbs and soul shattered by the frost!

In petrification, Jonas Hawthorne’s deep voice echoed, "You can leave now."

These words were clearly directed at Mama Chambers.

Mama Chambers looked at the three in front of her, probably guessing what was about to happen, and bowed her head before leaving.

In the blink of an eye, only the three of them were left standing in the vast space.

The constant ticking of the seconds, time slipping away moment by moment.

The air seemed laden with the suspense of a horror movie’s climax.

Candace spoke first, breaking the silence filling the room.

"Jonas... should I leave first?"

As she spoke, she gently swayed Jonas Hawthorne’s hand, her large expressive eyes gazing at him affectionately.

Jonas Hawthorne looked down into her eyes, his dark gaze showing tenderness and pity, "You’re not the one who should leave."

These words fell on Raine’s heart like a thousand-pound boulder, making it hard to even breathe.

Sure enough, she soon saw Jonas Hawthorne’s gaze shift to her.

In an instant, it turned icy cold, devoid of any affection, as if he was looking at an insignificant stranger.

"You can move out now."

Without a hint of hesitation, he condemned Raine to a death sentence with those words.

At that moment, all she felt was an intense coldness in her limbs, and the world turned black and white.

She didn’t even know how she snapped back to reality, only hearing her own voice in a daze.

"Why... why?"

A meaningless question, like a final desperate struggle of a drowning person.

Jonas Hawthorne frowned in displeasure, his elegant brow furrowed, "This house was meant for Candace; you should have known."

Heh...

Raine tugged lightly at the corners of her mouth.

Of course, she knew...

All these years, he never forgot Candace.

She once thought her love could move him; in the end, she was too naive.

How could a heart that never belonged to her truly be warmed?

In the silence, Candace’s voice sounded again.

"Raine, don’t blame Jonas. I’m pregnant with his child, and he worries about me living alone outside, unable to take care of myself and the child, so he..."

That soft, weak voice reached Raine’s ears, and her mind buzzed in shock.

Unconsciously, she lifted her gaze, just in time to see Candace’s hand lovingly caressing her belly, a gesture proud as if showing off a trophy.

Only then did she understand, what it meant to hurt like a thousand arrows piercing her heart...

Perhaps because she was also pregnant, she too lifted her hand, wanting to gently touch her own belly, but bit her lip and held back.

The reason she insisted on waiting for Jonas tonight was because, during an afternoon hospital visit, she learned she was already two months pregnant.

She wanted to tell him personally that she was carrying his child.

But alas, the overwhelming joy was extinguished before it even began.

"I..." Raine opened her mouth to speak, but was coldly interrupted by Jonas Hawthorne.

"What? Unwilling? Or do you plan to stay as a servant?"

Those domineering words completely shattered the last thread of attachment Raine had for him.

Before she could respond, Candace tugged at Jonas, "Don’t be like this. Raine is your wife. I should be the one to leave..."

Saying so, Candace lowered her gaze, crystalline tears falling like priceless gems.

Jonas Hawthorne’s heart instantly filled with pain, "What wife? She’s just a stand-in for you. Candace, rest assured, I will give you and our child a rightful place."

That gentle tone ended the next second when he turned to Raine, "Here’s the divorce agreement. The alimony will satisfy you. Leave by morning!"

Soon after, Raine saw a document thrown at her feet.

Looking up again, Jonas Hawthorne had already disappeared out the door with his beloved.

The quiet returned to the living room.

She didn’t know how long she stood there before bending down to pick up the divorce papers from the floor, flipping to the last page.

There were the bold, cursive letters of Jonas Hawthorne’s signature.

Her vision inexplicably blurred.

She recalled the time when they got married, and he signed just like this...

In a flash, they were divorced.

Was time too fleeting, or was their bond too shallow?

Only when there was no longer any noise did Mama Chambers dare to come out, and seeing Raine crouched motionless on the floor, she anxiously raced over, "Madam?!"

She gently touched Raine, and Raine, like a shattered porcelain doll, collapsed instantly to the ground.

Raine bit her lower lip hard, not saying a word, but tears streamed incessantly.

Mama Chambers saw what she was clutching, saw the words "divorce agreement" emblazoned, and instantly understood.

All these years, she had seen how good the madam had been to him.

Unbelievable indeed...

Mama Chambers hugged Raine tightly, crying, "Madam, don’t be sad. It’s all in the past, it’s all over..."

Raine’s last bit of inner defense finally crumbled.

She burst into tears.

"It hurts so much... I don’t want to love him anymore, Mama Chambers. Let’s leave... let’s leave here..."

"Alright, alright, I’ll call the master right now..." Mama Chambers continuously stroked her back, comforting her with a sobbing voice.

Raine couldn’t recall exactly how long she cried that day. She only knew that when she left and looked back at the villa they had lived in for three years, its outline was already blurred.

In the sky, a light drizzle continued to fall.

Was even heaven lamenting the three wasted years?

Nearby, neighbors passed by, chattering and discussing.

"Did the neighbors fight last night? I heard they’re getting divorced?"

"I suspected all along! That husband seldom came home; he must have someone outside!"

"That Mrs. Hawthorne is pitiful, being swept out like that, alas..."

Before the words fell, a Rolls-Royce stopped behind Raine.

The driver quickly got out, bowed respectfully, and opened the car door for Raine.

"Miss, the master has sent me to take you home."