Chapter 148 Meeting at City Hall
Albert slogged through another afternoon of meetings.
During a quick ten-minute break, he stared at his phone—no messages.
It had been two days, and his wrist was almost healed, but Yvette still hadn't checked in on him.
Even when he called her, she was cold, like she'd forgotten about his injury.
Seeing Albert still upset, Victor asked, "What's up? Can't focus because you can't win over your wife?"
Albert kept a stern face, ignoring him. Victor got the hint.
Victor sighed. "I thought you could do anything, but you can't win over Yvette? Wow."
Albert finally glanced at him coldly.
Victor grinned. "If you need advice, just ask. I'll help you out."
"No need," Albert replied coolly.
Albert thought, 'Yvette pushed me towards Violet and is set on divorce. What can I do?'
Her determination left him feeling helpless.
Just as Victor was about to give more advice, the boss walked in, cutting him off.
Victor shook his head and patted Albert's shoulder.
The meeting continued, and it was Albert's turn to present the monthly report.
He grabbed his phone, went up, and opened his PowerPoint.
Despite his personal issues, Albert nailed his presentation, making the boss nod in approval.
After finishing, he asked, "Any questions?"
While waiting, his phone vibrated. He quickly checked it.
It was a message from Yvette!
Surprised, he unlocked his phone to read it.
[Apt @ City Hall @ 10 AM tmrw. Bring docs & divorce agrmt. I'll b there @ 9:45. Thx.]
Albert was stunned, gripping his phone tightly, his fingers turning white.
Everyone was shocked to see the usually composed Albert lose it.
Sensing trouble, Victor jumped in, "Mr. Valdemar, great PowerPoint. Can you send me a copy after the meeting?"
Albert snapped back to reality, realizing the meeting was still on.
He nodded. "Sure. If there are no more questions, I'll wrap up."
He stepped down. Instead of returning to his seat, he walked out of the room without a word.
Everyone exchanged confused looks. The boss was annoyed but continued the meeting.
Albert rushed out and called Yvette at the end of the hallway.
He thought she was just emotional when she signed the divorce papers, but she had actually set up an appointment at City Hall without telling him!
A pilot who always aced his training now found his fingers trembling as he dialed the number.
Yvette seemed to expect his call. No matter how many times Albert tried, her phone was always off.
He turned off his phone, pocketed it, and leaned on the windowsill, head down, silent and deeply sad.
When he looked up, his eyes were red, and his jaw was clenched.
Albert thought, 'Yvette's dead set on this divorce.'
The next morning, Yvette arrived at City Hall on time.
She looked up at the City Hall sign and smiled calmly.
It hadn't been long since they last met.
Albert, always punctual, showed up at 9:45, right across from Yvette.
They didn't speak but walked into City Hall side by side, swiping their IDs to sign in.
Oddly, there weren't many people when they got married, but today, the divorce office was packed. Even before 10 AM, several couples had already signed in for the same slot.
They sat side by side on the waiting bench, watching couples about to divorce, quietly waiting.
Finally, at 10:30, it was their turn. During the counseling session, Yvette calmly and firmly said, "We are sure we want to divorce today."
Albert frowned slightly, glancing at Yvette, his eyes filled with intense emotions.
Seeing the counseling wasn't working, the staff sighed and led them to complete the paperwork.
They thought it would go smoothly, but just like when they got marrie, the network system malfunctioned.
Yvette waited calmly as the staff worked on repairs, ignoring Albert's intense gaze.
Noticing Albert looking at Yvette, the staff smiled and said, "Seems like fate doesn't want you to divorce. Why not reconsider?"
Yvette shook her head slowly, her voice gentle, "It's okay. I'm willing to wait."
Finally, the system was fixed, but instead of a divorce certificate, they got a slip of paper.
Yvette saw it was a receipt for their divorce application, meaning they had a twenty-day cooling-off period.
As long as they got through these twenty days peacefully, they'd get their divorce certificate and officially end their brief marriage.
Yvette softly said, "Thank you."
As they walked out of City Hall, Yvette decisively walked in the opposite direction of the parking lot.
It was almost lunchtime, and Albert followed behind, asking, "It's noon. Let's have lunch, then I'll drive you home."
"No need," Yvette waved her hand, smiling. "I'll grab something quick. I'm meeting Sylvia to go shopping. You don't need to worry about me. Go back to work."
"Okay," Albert wanted to say more, but Yvette didn't give him a chance, turning and walking away without a glance.
Watching her retreating figure, Albert's Adam's apple bobbed, his fingers clenched tightly.
Albert thought, 'Is this really my Yvette?'
