Dark circles formed around her eyes as Shantelle packed her bags at five in the morning. She kept returning to the closet and deciding on what to bring. Evan bought her a few dresses. Even if they were in a loveless marriage, somehow, he had thought about her.
"I think it's better not to bring anything that would remind me of Evan," she mumbled and resumed packing only those she bought with her father's money.
When she was done, she called for her father's driver and asked him to pick her up. Only then did she read the terms of their divorce. She read it once and twice until it all sunk into her head.
"You are getting a divorce, Shanty. You are getting a divorce," she repeated. "No more crying. Cry later when you are at home."
"Ten million dollars." She reread. Evan would give her ten million dollars as alimony for accepting the divorce terms.
Shantelle marked out the alimony. She affixed her signature on the correction. Afterward, she cautiously signed her name on every page and at the last part.
She felt a knife stab her heart as she affixed her signature next to Evan's. For a moment, she wondered when he had signed this contract.
When Shantelle was done, her shaking hands placed the same document beside the table, and she sadly removed her wedding ring. Tears threatened to fall again, but she held back.
Shantelle allowed herself a few minutes to take it all in. Just as she was sitting on the bed, her phone buzzed. Immediately, she assumed it was her father's driver.
To her surprise, it was the same anonymous number that had been telling her about Evan and Nicole. However, the message was bolder this time, declaring herself.
Her eyes widened at what she saw, and her heart galloped!
On her screen was a picture of Evan having coffee at an unfamiliar dining area. From the photo, Shantelle could tell that Evan had just woken up. His hair was messy, and he wore his usual office attire, except it was all wrinkled.
The message on her phone read: [No matter what you do, he will come back to me. He never loved you. Give up.]
Shantelle's face turned ghostly white. She could not believe her eyes! Apparently, her mysterious tipper was none other than Nicole Lively herself! How brazen!
Her mouth fell open as she threw her head back on the sheets. She laughed and laughed while tears streamed down her face.
After what felt like ten minutes of laughing and crying, her heart out, she replied to the message, saying: [So it was you all along, Nicole. I would never have thought. Well, you can have him. I accept my defeat.]
Either way, Shantelle had already signed the divorce papers and earnestly accepted that Evan did not love her.
For seconds, she contemplated what to do. Still, she thought it was necessary to let Evan know what Nicole had done. She took a screenshot of Nicole's message. Then she sent it to Evan.
Shantelle typed her message: [I agree to the divorce. You can have your ten million dollars. I don't need the money, Evan. I am Shantelle Scott, daughter of the world-famous cardio surgeon, Doctor William Scott. Thank you for everything, Evan, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything.]
Before leaving, Shantelle made sure that Evan would get her message clearly. She wrote added instructions in her letter:
[By the way, I marked out the alimony and countersigned it. As I said in my text, you don't need to give me any money. And, I'm sorry about the picture message I sent you. I just thought you should know.]
The next call she received was that of her father's driver. She gave her room one last look before finally leaving her marital home.
***
Last night, in a private room in an exclusive club, Evan was spending time with his friends. His brown-colored eyes narrowed at his drink. His perfectly sculpted and slightly bearded jaws clenched before gulping down a full glass of hard liquor.
After settling the glass on the table, he ran his fingers through his dark brown hair and announced, "I'm divorcing Shantelle."
Dead air fell upon the room, but soon, one of his friends, Sean, asked, "I can't believe this. Are you serious, Evan?"
"He is dead serious, man. We all knew he was always envious of our single-blessed life," Wendell remarked before gulping down a full glass of wine.
"What's going on?" Keith arrived, curious about the purpose of their gathering.
Sean Ross, Keith Henderson, and Wendell Franco have been good friends with Evan since high school. They parted ways when they studied at different colleges, but they had always communicated with each other.
Sean and Wendell first glanced at Evan. Seeing he was seriously drinking his liquor, Wendell revealed, "Evan is divorcing our beautiful Shanty."
"What?" Keith asked with a frown. He sat next to Evan and poured himself a glass of wine. "Why?"
"Why not?" Evan said back. "I never wanted to get married two years ago. I was twenty-five then, at the prime of my life. I had many plans. It was all my father's doing, and she rode in on it. She is not that innocent!"
"But I thought you both were fine last year?" Sean asked. "Weren't you going out on occasional dates?"
"A few. A few dinner dates were just a front to appease my father." Evan scoffed. His response was his way of justifying his decision. "I just endured it. But now that father no longer has the stamina to run the corporation, and he has no choice but to hand me the full authority, I am free to make my own choices."
"Besides, I have had enough of her being constantly jealous and insecure!" Evan added.
There was silence between the four friends, but eventually, Keith sought, "Is this because of Nicole Lively?"
"I don't know, man. I mean, you have been spending time with Nicole lately. Plus, you kept that a secret from Shanty. It's natural for Shanty to be jealous," Wendell suggested.
"Who I make friends with is none of her business," Evan curtly pointed out and then indulged himself in another glass of alcohol. "Whose side are you on?"
The temperature in their room dropped instantly. It took minutes and a few more drinks for Sean to break the ice. He asked, "So you are only interested in becoming friends with Nicole? Or are you planning to make her your girlfriend after the divorce?"
Evan thought deeply about it. That was the plan before he was forced into marriage. Now, many things had changed, but of course, he still felt responsible for Nicole's well-being. Nevertheless, he wasn't sure how he felt about it.
Despite his uncertainties, he retorted, "Why not? I brought Nicole to Rose Hills two years ago with that intention."
Evan immediately noticed the varied expressions of his friends. Keith scoffed. Sean sneered. Wendell bit his lip. All the more irritation filled his heart.
"What the hell is wrong with all of you?" Evan cast them an intimidating glare as he questioned.
"Nothing, Evan. It's just that." Sean cautiously looked at Wendell and Keith. When he confirmed their minds were synched, he said, "We don't get you, Evan."
Keith nodded. He, for one, had known Shantelle and Evan since they were young. Evan used to cherish Shantelle, and their families always knew they would end up together. Everything changed when he came home one day and brought Nicole Lively.
"What do you mean you don't get me?" Evan, in his stern voice, sought.
"Sure, they have similarities, but if you look closely, they are so far apart. And it's not just the look; it's everything else; Shantelle's background, her character." Shaking his head, Keith said, "Let me show you, Evan." With his left hand raised above his head, he said, "This is Shantelle." Then, he lowered his right hand below his waist and suggested, "This is Nicole Lively."
"That's the difference between the two of them. Any man would want Shantelle over Nicole. We don't get how you like Nicole over your wife," Keith said in a sarcastic tone.
"Then!" Evan yelled, "Why don't you marry her?!"
Angered by his friend's idea, Evan pushed the liquor bottles off the table, spilling the contents on the tiles. He got up and fixed his coat and acted to leave.
Just when he had heard enough from his friends, Keith said back, "Are you sure about that, Evan? Because if you are not interested in Shanty, I'd be more than happy to pursue her!"
The thought of Keith wooing his wife filled his heart with fury. Keith was a known playboy. He dated women left and right! He did not deserve someone like Shantelle. He said back, "Don't even think about it!"
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