Sir, Please Sign Here to Get a Divorce-Chapter 129: There’s Trouble

There was a chill in the air tonight.

Nina Thorne had dressed lightly, and as she followed Quinn Gardner through the garden of their residential complex, a cold gust of wind made her instinctively pull her arms in.

Quinn Gardner took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

Nina Thorne didn’t refuse. They walked side by side, their shadows stretching long under the dim lights of the night.

The entire residential complex was tranquil, and with no one speaking, it felt even more silent.

Spotting a gazebo nearby, Nina Thorne spoke up. "Let’s go over there."

"Alright."

Quinn Gardner gestured for her to go first.

They entered the gazebo, one after the other, and sat down.

Nina Thorne said faintly, "Time flies, doesn’t it? In the blink of an eye, we’re all grown up. Of course, I never imagined that the boy I used to clash with constantly would one day become my husband."

Quinn Gardner lowered his head, his face filled with sorrow.

Nina Thorne turned her head to look at him.

The light was too dim for her to clearly see the expression on his face.

But as she looked at him, the thought of all he’d done filled her with a pain so deep it was hard to forgive.

She continued, "Is it because I used to tattle on you, stuff sanitary pads in your backpack, and accuse you of having crushes when we were kids? Is that why you held a grudge and felt you had to get revenge on me?"

Quinn Gardner raised his head to look at her.

His eyes were filled with pain. He gazed at her, his voice low. "Nina, would you believe me if I told you I’ve had a crush on you since I was thirteen?"

Nina Thorne was speechless.

’Thirteen... he had a crush on me?’

Nina Thorne found it laughable.

She didn’t take him seriously and said,

"Quinn Gardner, if you really like me, then let me feel your sincerity. Prove to me you didn’t marry me just to torture me."

"What do you want me to do?"

He looked at her, waiting for her answer.

’Anything but a divorce. He would do anything else she asked.’

"I’m in so much pain right now. Let’s get a divorce. Don’t worry, I won’t take Leo away. After that, we can try starting over as friends."

Nina Thorne tried her best to explain calmly,

"If I can’t move on, we can just co-parent Leo. But if I can, and if I come to feel that your intentions are genuine, then... could we get remarried?"

’A hard approach wasn’t working, so she had to try a softer one.’

’She believed that if Quinn Gardner was telling the truth, he would surely be willing to take this risk for her.’

But it was as if the man hadn’t heard a word she said. He stated faintly,

"Nina, if we divorce, you won’t be mine anymore. It took me so much to finally marry you. I don’t want to go back to living without you."

"I know I’ve wronged you and our son. I know I’ve failed Leo. But I don’t want to let you go."

Nina Thorne was at a loss for words.

The look in her eyes hardened, her gentle expression turning to one of hatred.

She ground her teeth, suppressing the rage in her heart as she spoke again.

"Are you trying to drive me to my death? You keep saying you love me, but you can stand to watch me suffer like this every single day?"

Quinn Gardner gazed at her. "Is it really so painful to be with me?"

"Do I look happy to you? Do you want me to go back to how I was before, to be pushed to the point of suicide? Would that finally satisfy you?"

Quinn Gardner remained calm.

’He knew his Nina was strong. She wouldn’t do something so foolish.’

’She still had her family.’

He stood up and said, "You can’t divorce me. Because right now, I’m the only one who can protect you and your family."

Nina Thorne was stunned. "What did you say?"

Quinn Gardner took a step forward, then turned back to face her.

"Your parents have been reported for bribery and for participating in some shady dealings in the entertainment industry. Some of Julian’s old scandals have also been dug up. I’m the only one who can make those stories go away.

"And I’m the only one with the power to keep your father out of prison.

"Nina, I’m sure that for the sake of your family, for our child, you’ll be willing to give me a chance."

He knew there was no point in saying more, so he turned and walked away.

Nina Thorne was left standing there, feeling as though she’d been struck by lightning.

’What on earth had happened to her family?’

’No wonder her parents looked so grim when she went home. When she told them she wanted to divorce Quinn Gardner, they kept trying to talk her out of it.’

’And she’d occasionally spotted reporters hiding near the house, trying to get photos.’

’Could her parents really be in trouble?’

’And her brother... what kind of scandal could he possibly be involved in?’

Nina Thorne shot to her feet and ran after Quinn Gardner, blocking his path. "You tell me everything, right now. What’s happened to my family?"

Quinn Gardner took out his phone and handed it to her.

When she saw the evidence of her parents’ crimes, Nina Thorne was stunned.

When she saw her brother with a group of men, she couldn’t believe her eyes.

She couldn’t hold back the tears that welled up in her eyes.

"You did this, didn’t you? To stop me from leaving, you framed my family to force me to stay with you."

Quinn Gardner gazed at her, his eyes filled with pain. "These things happened a while ago. My people just intercepted the news before it broke."

"Or you can go ask Julian whether he actually did those things."

"..."

Nina Thorne froze, her mind a complete blank.

’Her brother... he actually...’

Quinn Gardner added, "Go back and be with Leo. I’ll take care of your family’s affairs, and then I’ll come back to you both."

With that, he turned and strode away.

Nina Thorne remained frozen in place, unable to accept what had just happened.

Finally, unable to contain her anguish, she sank to the ground, hugged her knees, and began to cry.

Serena Yardley had eaten too much, so while Ethan Yardley was working in his study, she slipped out of the house to see if Nina was anywhere in the neighborhood.

She hadn’t gone far when she spotted a figure huddled under a nearby streetlight. Faintly, she could hear the sound of crying.

Serena Yardley hurried over, her heart aching as she called out, "Nina!"

Nina Thorne looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, and sobbed, "Serena... Serena..."

"Nina, what’s wrong? Did he hit you?"

Seeing that it really was Nina, Serena Yardley quickly knelt down to hug her.

Nina Thorne shook her head, crying uncontrollably. "He’s using my family to threaten me... to keep me from divorcing him. My parents are in trouble, and so is Julian."

Serena Yardley was shocked. "But wasn’t Julian just with us? What happened to him? And your parents?"

"I can’t even bring myself to say what it is... and now I can’t get a divorce. But am I really supposed to let him ruin my entire life?

"I won’t accept this! I hate him! What right does he have to control my life? What right?!"

Nina Thorne clenched her jaw, fighting to hold back her tears.

’She wouldn’t just resign herself to this fate.’

Serena Yardley quickly helped her up, her own voice choking with emotion. "Nina, let’s go home first. We’ll deal with your family’s situation, and then we can talk to him about the divorce.

"Besides, you have Leo. You can afford to wait him out."

’That was the only way,’ Nina thought.

Serena Yardley helped her walk home. At the door, she gently wiped the tears from Nina’s face before they went inside together.

Julian Thorne had just put the child to bed. When he came downstairs and saw his sister was back, he hurried over to ask,

"How did it go? Did he agree?"

The sight of her brother immediately brought back the images from the videos and photos she’d just seen on Quinn Gardner’s phone.

Without a word, she walked right past him.

Seeing the strange look on his sister’s face and her red-rimmed eyes, he knew she had been crying.

Julian Thorne started to follow her, but Serena Yardley stopped him. "Julian, are you okay? Nina said something happened to you."

The man’s heart skipped a beat. He looked back at Serena Yardley. "Me? What could have happened to me?"

He was obviously flustered.

"Nina said she couldn’t bring herself to talk about it. Did you do something?"

Serena Yardley was curious.

Julian Thorne said nothing.