Chapter 192 Smooth Divorce
Finally, after Aria's relentless pushing, I signed the property division agreement.
The second she got my signature, Aria got even more smug. She smirked and said, "Diana, you've had it good for years. Now it's my turn."
I just shrugged, showing I didn't care. "You can have this life all you want. My only goal is to get divorced. Do whatever you want with the rest."
Aria arrogantly stuffed the signed agreement back in her bag and strutted out.
I tucked away my copy of the agreement, but I still had a nagging question: why did Edward transfer so much of his property to me? But since Edward wouldn't show up, I just signed the agreement for now.
All the divorce paperwork was confirmed by both sides. Now, I was just waiting for the final court hearing to make it official. Once the divorce was done, I'd be free and have more time to focus on work. Even though Stellar Legal Advisors wasn't officially mine anymore, for the sake of my friend and all the hard work David and Nolan put into it, I had to team up with Lila to bring it back to life. Even if we only got it back to its original state, it wouldn't be a waste of our efforts.
My divorce with Edward might actually be a great opportunity. Sure, it's not ideal for a lawyer to get divorced, but hey, any publicity was good publicity, right? In the crazy world of the internet, I was ready to dive into this case for Stellar Legal Advisors and win this big battle.
The court date came fast, and Lila and I got to the courthouse early. When I saw Edward sitting on the defendant's side with the top lawyers from the Howard Group, something inside me stirred.
Memories of the past came rushing back, like when I handled Alice's divorce case. Back then, I was the plaintiff's lawyer, full of energy, and Edward came just to watch me in action. Who would've thought our roles would flip so drastically, with Edward and me on opposite sides? The twist of fate made my heart ache a bit, with a mix of confusion and sadness. I thought I saw Edward's face twitch slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing like he wanted to say something but held back. Because of Edward's special status, our trial wasn't open to the public.
Soon, the judge and clerk arrived, and the trial kicked off. Throughout the process, we both stayed calm and composed, with no heated arguments. Since the key property division was already settled and there was no dispute over the divorce itself, the trial went smoothly and everything was handled in an orderly manner.
In just an hour, I went from married to divorced. After the judge announced the result, Lila and I felt a huge wave of relief. But to keep things professional, I didn't show much emotion. I just exchanged a look with Lila, and we walked out of the courtroom hand in hand.
I felt unusually strong today, moving faster than usual. As I stepped off the last stair, I unexpectedly saw someone—Alice's ex-husband, Eric. And with him were reporters with cameras.
As we walked over, the reporters swarmed us. Seeing this, Lila instinctively shielded me. At that moment, Eric stepped forward. About six feet away from me, he suddenly bowed deeply, which stunned both Lila and me. I quickly stepped forward to support him, only to see his eyes were red.
"Ms. Cooper, I want to thank you," he said.
I racked my brain for any connection with Eric and remembered our only interaction was when I defended Alice in her divorce case. I couldn't understand why he was thanking me now. I looked at Eric seriously.
He turned to face the reporters' cameras and began to speak slowly. "At the time of our divorce, my wife Alice was already terminally ill. She decided to face it alone to spare me from too much pain, so she hired Ms. Cooper to handle the divorce. Back then, my fans and I, unaware of the truth, caused Ms. Cooper a lot of trouble in her work and life. So, I want to apologize to Ms. Cooper and Stellar Legal Advisors." After speaking, he turned back to me and bowed deeply again.
I looked at him in disbelief and asked, "Eric, you know everything?"
Eric nodded and replied, "Yes, I know everything. After the divorce, I often fell into deep pain and missed Alice terribly. Now, I have finally found her." Eric's voice choked, making it hard for him to continue.
He took a pocket watch from his pocket, which contained a photo of Alice.
Eric carefully caressed the photo of Alice, trying to compose himself. Gathering his courage, he spoke to the reporters' cameras, "I didn't cherish her before and couldn't be with her through the toughest times. Now, I am going to find her. I plan to become a gravekeeper, to stay by her side forever, so she won't have to endure the pain alone. We can finally be together without being disturbed by public opinion. From now on, my account will be indefinitely suspended, and I hope my fans won't feel sad for me or blame Ms. Cooper. Ms. Cooper is a good person. Thank you." After speaking, Eric bowed deeply to the camera again.
I stood there quietly, looking at Eric's affectionate yet slightly weathered appearance, not knowing what to say. The doubts and distance I had felt toward him were gradually replaced by a complex mix of emotions. I was moved by his belated affection and relieved for Alice, who was deeply loved by Eric despite the misunderstandings and the passage of time. I also wondered, what kind of magic did love possess to cause such a significant change in someone after experiencing so much?
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
