Chapter 57 Divorce, for the Sake of Reuniting You and the Kid
Rowan hesitated briefly before tasting the soup. Contrary to his expectations, the soup was more than palatable, it was quite delicious.
Ophelia's smile instantly brightened the room, "How's the taste?"
Truth be told, Rowan just couldn't say the word 'bad' about the soup.
Just then, the doctor came in to check Rowan's temperature.
Ophelia stepped forward with a look of concern, "Doctor, how's Rowan doing?"
The doctor glanced at the thermometer, "No worries, the fever's gone down."
Noticing the scallion and ginger broth Rowan was sipping, the doctor added, "This soup is good for sweating out toxins. It'll help alleviate the discomfort from the fever."
"Sure, thanks, Doctor. We'll keep that in mind."
Ophelia gave a gentle smile, her gaze discreetly checking Darian's expression.
Hearing what the doctor said, Darian's expression softened considerably toward Ophelia.
Filled with surprise and delight, Ophelia seized the moment to address him, "Darian, I'm not too busy with work, and since Rowan likes the soup, I can make it and bring it over every day."
Darian didn't voice any objections, which was as good as a silent approval.
Ophelia knew this meant Darian had forgiven her, and she couldn't help but feel a smile bubbling up inside.
Aware that Darian cared about the child, Ophelia realized her efforts weren't in vain.
Cecily also cared for the boy, a quick glint of calculation flickered in Ophelia's eyes.
Darian didn't linger in the hospital room. In contrast, Ophelia appeared earnest about staying and taking care of Rowan.
Once Darian left, Rowan put the hardly touched soup aside, his expression cold, "Daddy's gone, no need to keep up the act. You don't have to bring soup anymore, I won't drink it."
The tenderness vanished from Ophelia's face, replaced by a chill smile, "I'm bringing you this soup with the best intentions, hoping you'll get better soon. Don't be ungrateful."
Rowan looked at Ophelia squarely, "Auntie, don't take everyone for fools."
Ophelia huffed dismissively, in too good a mood to squabble with him today.
"If you can't appreciate what's in front of you, that's your problem, not mine. Enjoy your own company," she said coolly.
With that, Ophelia grabbed her purse and sashayed out of the room.
Once outside, she promptly took out her phone and called Cecily.
At that moment, Cecily was engrossed in her work at the perfume lab, her phone vibrating in her pocket. She glanced at the caller ID, her expression turning frosty as she cut the call short to continue her tasks.
"Miss Cecily, the conference room is ready for the meeting," chimed in her assistant at the company, Gavin.
"Alright," acknowledged Cecily with a nod, tidying up her materials and heading toward the conference room.
In the conference room, the chair at the head of the table was conspicuously vacant, with Aurelie seated beside Cecily's usual spot.
The senior executives had all met with Cecily the day before.
Despite her prolonged absence from the company, Cecily had kept a close watch and was thus well-acquainted with each of them.
Cecily took her natural place at the head of the table, ready to helm a meeting about the new face of the brand.
When the matter was raised, a hush fell over the room.
They had discussed this before, with all eyes set on the red-hot actress, Lucinda Sinclair.
Cecily's gaze swept over those gathered, reading their silence as she grasped the situation immediately.
They were all vying for the same celebrity endorsement as Flores Group.
This meant direct competition with the Flores Group.
Although their perfume sales had edged out those of the rival brands in recent years, they were ahead only in that domain. In all other respects, they lagged far behind the Flores Group.
Moreover, just a fortnight ago, Darian and Ophelia announced their engagement. With the impending alliance between the Flores and Fitzgerald families, Flores Group would grow even more formidable, deterring the average competitors from any confrontation.
Competing with the Flores Group was starting to seem like a colossal waste of time.
Cecily's expression grew contemplative. This was not going to be an easy challenge.
After all, the track record of the Flores Group speaks for itself, anyone sizing them up would naturally lean toward choosing them first.
Cecily noticed the defeatist attitude around her and clapped her hands to draw everyone's attention. "Let's liven up, folks. Sure, going head-to-head with the Flores Group is a tough challenge, but we aren't to be underestimated. Anything's possible."
Aurelie chimed in confidently, "Exactly. Our brand's reputation has been stellar for years, not to mention the quality and sales of our products. What we need now is to boost our visibility."
"Raising our profile is key, sure, but Miss Cecily, Miss Aurelie, Lucinda has caught Flores Group's eye. Can we compete with that?"
"Lucinda is the rising starlet, the newly crowned Best Actress. By all accounts, she fits the bill perfectly. However, Miss Cecily, squaring off against the Flores Group, it feels like we're fighting a losing battle," others in the room voiced their concerns.
Aurelie nodded, "Yes, we're aware. Leave Lucinda to me, I'll handle the negotiations personally. However, regarding the endorsement fee..."
Her glance shifted to Cecily.
Endorsements from a movie star don't come cheap.
"Don't worry. Go ahead with the talks. I'll take care of the endorsement fee," Cecily reassured her.
"Alright."
They moved on to other topics, and after the meeting, Cecily turned her previously silenced phone back on. It had blown up with several missed calls, all from Ophelia.
Cecily curled her lips in a slight smirk, not in the least inclined to engage with her.
Busy until the end of the workday, Cecily swung by to pick up her son, Griffin, and head home. Then, Ophelia's call burst in again. This time, Cecily answered directly.
"Cecily, why aren't you taking my calls?"
"Am I obligated to answer every call?"
Casually placing her phone aside, Cecily poured herself a glass of water and took a leisurely sip before asking, "What do you want?"
"I'd like to propose a deal. It's about your son. Interested?" Ophelia's voice carried an intriguing tone.
A deal? About Rowan?
Cecily pondered briefly, sensing Ophelia's usual ulterior motives.
"I'm at the coffee shop next to Fitzgerald Group. Come over, let's sit down and have a real conversation."
Without waiting for a response, Ophelia hung up.
Cecily clutched her cellphone, her brow furrowed.
In the coffee shop, Ophelia stirred her steaming coffee and eyed the seated Cecily. "What'll you have?"
"Nothing, I'm swamped. Just get to the point."
Cecily wasn't inclined to waste her time, but when it came to Rowan, she couldn't just ignore the situation.
"Busy with what?" Ophelia asked with a mocking tone. "If I'm not mistaken, you're currently unemployed."
"Cut the crap. It's none of your business, is it?"
Unaffected by Cecily's unfriendliness, Ophelia cut to the chase.
"Do you want your kid back?"
Cecily looked at Ophelia, puzzled by her question.
Ophelia pulled out a stack of photographs from her purse and laid them before Cecily.
"Take a look."
There were images of Rowan, pictures of the child enduring punishment and injuries.
Some showed kneeling while copying lines, and some showed being punished by having to stand in the searing sun.
As Cecily sifted through them, each photo felt like a dagger to her heart, leaving her struggling for breath.
The life her child was leading at Fitzgerald's Family was apparent in those cruel images.
After viewing them, Cecily’s grip tightened on the photos and she hurled them at Ophelia.
With a shriek, Ophelia recoiled. "Cecily, have you lost your mind?"
"Where do you get off showing me these? You’re surely not innocent in this."
Cecily's icy gaze bore into Ophelia, startling her.
Surveying the scattered photos, Ophelia bit her lip fiercely. "I had nothing to do with this. I've told you that Darian despises your child. Every punishment Rowan has faced came directly from Darian's orders. No one else would dare touch Rowan."
Cecily scoffed. "You think I'd believe you?"
She knew exactly the kind of person Ophelia was.
Unrelated to her?
Bullshit!
If there was anyone in this world who despised the idea of mistreating a child daily, it had to be Ophelia!
Clutching her hands tightly, Ophelia confessed, “Look, I can't stand to see a child suffer like this. Just divorce Darian, and I'll help reunite you with your son.”
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