Chapter 47 Divorce Agreement
Brittany knew Frederick well.
His journey had been a bit too smooth. He had never tasted the regret that follows a loss.
Even though she was Frederick's grandmother, she found herself wanting to see him make a mistake and witness his remorse.
She saw this as a lesson.
"Thank you, Mrs. Brittany," said Amelia, regaining her composure with a mild smile on her face.
Frederick wanted the divorce as well, being the one who initially proposed it.
He was the one who kept handing her draft agreements month after month.
He prided himself on keeping everything under control.
Perhaps it was because the divorce agreement wasn't drafted by his lawyer that he felt uneasy.
Taking Amelia's hand with a kind tone, Brittany asked, "Would you stay and have dinner with me tonight?"
Amelia nodded, "I'd like that."
Brittany beamed with joy and immediately instructed the house staff to prepare the meal.
"Make something Amelia likes. Not too greasy. Focus on light and nutritious dishes," she advised seriously, prompting a flicker of anxiety in Amelia.
Before her pregnancy, Amelia had a taste for richer foods, but since she became pregnant, she couldn't stand the smell of anything too greasy.
Did Brittany know?
Amelia avoided Brittany's gaze, feeling uneasy.
But Brittany seemed to sense her nervousness and patted her hand gently.
"I've been eating lighter meals recently. Sorry to trouble you."
Hearing this, Amelia breathed a sigh of relief and managed a smile, "It's no trouble at all. I've been preferring lighter meals myself lately."
Brittany chatted and laughed about various other topics at dinner, but she actively avoided mentioning Frederick.
After they finished their dinner, Rachel came to pick up Amelia. Amelia got into Rachel's car under Brittany's watchful eye. Despite the fact that she had filed for divorce from Frederick, Brittany seemed unaffected, leaving Amelia puzzled.
Rachel kept her eyes on the road as she drove.
"Did Frederick sign?" she asked.
Amelia shook her head.
"No."
Rachel's expression remained calm as if she had anticipated this outcome.
Seeing that Rachel didn't press further, Amelia took the initiative to explain, "Frederick said there are some loopholes in the contract that need to be addressed by Barry before I can sign it. He hasn't signed yet, but he generously offered me four billion dollars."
Rachel scoffed lightly, "Mr. Hastings sure is generous."
This was surely because Brittany had suddenly agreed to the divorce, leaving him no excuse to refuse but also not wanting to reveal his reluctance, hence the grand gesture.
"That's good," Rachel added. "In Fondaniss, you need money for everything. An extra two billion dollars will certainly make your life more enjoyable."
Amelia softly "hmmed" in response, showing no joy over the sudden windfall.
"I keep feeling like Mrs. Brittany already knows about my pregnancy," Amelia murmured with uncertainty.
Considering the things Brittany said at dinner, Amelia couldn't help but suspect.
If Brittany did know, then it would only be a matter of time before Frederick found out, too.
Seeing Amelia's worried expression, Rachel tried to comfort her. "Don't overthink it. If Mrs. Brittany knew about your pregnancy, she probably wouldn't approve of the divorce."
Amelia nodded in agreement. The child was, after all, her precious great-grandchild. How could Brittany tolerate a divorce while Amelia was pregnant with Frederick's child? Maybe Amelia was just worrying unnecessarily.
In the following days, Amelia stayed at Rachel's house. She had not yet received the divorce agreement Barry was supposed to send, so she decided to call him.
"Hello, Mr. Cole. This is Amelia."
Barry was polite but surprised to receive a call from Amelia.
"Mrs. Hastings, how can I assist you?" he inquired as Amelia, with a slight frown, quietly inquired back.
"I still haven't received the divorce papers, so I was wondering when you could get those to me," Amelia inquired with a hint of impatience in her tone.
Barry was known for his efficiency at work. In the past, Amelia had almost invariably received the divorce papers from Barry within a few days. This time, however, there was an uncharacteristic delay. Barry fell silent for a long while. He had not been informed by Frederick that he needed to draft a set of divorce papers.
Noticing Barry's silence, Amelia frowned. "Didn't Frederick tell you?"
Barry, upon hearing this, forced an awkward smile. "No, it's just that I've been really swamped with work lately and it slipped my mind."
"I'm really sorry about that. I'll draft the papers and have them sent over to you as soon as possible. Would that be alright?"
Amelia's frown deepened. "Please make sure to draft them promptly and provide them to me so I can sign them. There's a month-long process from signing to filing before I can get the divorce papers, and I don't want to prolong this any longer."
"Of course, Mrs. Hastings," Barry replied with utmost courtesy.
Amelia ended the call.
Inside the Hastings Group building, Barry pocketed his phone and made his way toward Frederick's office. He reached the door and knocked.
"Come in," came Frederick's deep and distinctly uninviting voice.
Frederick had been in a foul mood lately, and nearly all the executives and staff of the president's office were tiptoeing around their duties, afraid to make a mistake and become the first to be reprimanded.
Barry composed himself before stepping inside.
Frederick was sitting at his desk, poring over the documents before him.
"Mr. Hastings..."
Frederick looked up, his gaze turning steely as he saw Barry standing there. "What is it?"
Barry hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly. "I just got a call from Mrs. Hastings. She asked me to draw up the divorce papers for her."
"You didn't mention this to me, so I wanted to know your thoughts on the matter."
Frederick's grip on the papers tightened slightly. She really couldn't wait, could she? A sense of irritation rose in his chest, and his eyes grew colder.
"Then draft the papers and send them to her," Frederick said curtly, then snorted dismissively and returned his attention to the documents in his hands.
Barry asked once more for clarification. "Should I draft them with the same terms as before?"
Frederick nodded expressionlessly, then added in a cold voice, "Give her the Spring Villa, the houses in the western suburbs, and the storefronts in the business district. And throw in an additional four hundred million dollars."
Barry carefully made a note of the specifics.
After the agreement was drafted, Barry inquired whether he should deliver it directly to Mrs. Hastings or have it reviewed first.
With a darkening gaze, Frederick instructed, "Take it to her directly."
Barry nodded in acknowledgment. "Alright."
"I'll go handle this now," he announced before Frederick responded with an impassive "Mm."
As Barry turned to leave, he was unexpectedly called back by the man behind him.
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