Chapter 176 The Storm is Coming
Feeling guilty, Lauren gave Ethan a distant smile, avoiding eye contact. She hadn't exactly said no when Quentin came to get her today.
Seeing Lauren being so polite, Ethan felt a bit sad. "How many times have I told you? Don't be so formal with me."
Lauren smiled. "Okay, I won't next time."
Ethan forgave her after she promised repeatedly. He thought Quentin's attitude was odd today. Did something happen between them?
"Lauren, Kimberly mentioned you came today to sort out Matthew's ID and your residency proof. Did everything go smoothly?" Ethan asked calmly.
At his question, Lauren's hand on Matthew tensed. How should she answer?
"Well, it went relatively smoothly. Matthew's ID got processed, but my issue is still pending because their computer system broke down," Lauren said, feeling a bit embarrassed. It felt like she was lying, even though she wasn't.
It just happened that the system failed when she was there. Easy to misunderstand.
Ethan looked at her deeply and finally gave a weak smile. "I see. That's really unfortunate."
Lauren responded faintly, and the atmosphere in the car turned awkward.
Ethan tried to smile. "It's okay, don't get discouraged. Next time, I'll go with you."
Lauren looked at him gently and smiled. She knew he was trying to comfort her.
"Thank you, Ethan," she said.
Ethan chuckled. "So, how are you gonna thank me?"
Lauren blushed, not sure how to express her gratitude.
"How about cooking me a bowl of pasta? I went to Robinson Estate after work and haven't eaten yet!" Ethan rubbed his stomach, looking at her with a playful complaint.
Seeing him like that, Lauren burst into laughter. "Sure, no problem. I'll make as many bowls as you want."
Ethan smiled at her. What he really wanted was to taste her cooking forever.
That night, Lauren slept well. No one noticed the huge danger approaching her and Quentin.
The next morning, news of Quentin and Lauren's divorce was everywhere.
Lauren's image collapsed. She had long been kicked out of the wealthy family!
Quentin, once a company favorite, became a master actor.
Lauren and Quentin had been divorced for a while but hid it to trick the public.
Major media outlets reported on their divorce, even printing evidence.
Their Twitter accounts were overwhelmed. The public was frustrated that Lauren and Ethan's divorce date was early November, when she was just a few months pregnant.
Ironically, Wendy's public opinion event happened at the end of November, making Quentin and Lauren's passionate confession at the press conference seem like a performance. Lauren had insisted their love was perfect and divorce was unthinkable.
Back then, Lauren's confession moved and convinced many reporters. No one expected it to be false. Feeling duped, the reporters were furious and couldn't stand Lauren and Quentin's public lies.
The loud ruckus and knocking woke Lauren before she even got out of bed. The media had rushed in as Kimberly, unaware of the situation, opened the door.
"Is Lauren here? We have a few questions for her. Could you please ask her to come out?"
"Was Lauren kicked out by Quentin? Can you give us a definite answer?"
Kimberly was bombarded with questions. She was immediately surrounded by reporters. Hearing their odd and excessive queries, she grew anxious.
"What is wrong with you people? Breaking in without permission is trespassing. Get out now!" Kimberly shouted.
Even though Kimberly was outraged, she seemed insignificant among the dozen reporters, and her words were lost in the noise.
Kimberly was both angry and anxious, unable to move in the middle of the crowd. At that moment, Lauren appeared in front of the reporters, holding Matthew, completely unprepared.
"Mom, what's going on? Why is it so chaotic outside?" Lauren asked as she walked out of the room. She was then stunned by the scene.
Lauren's sudden appearance became new prey for the reporters, who rushed over and surrounded her.
"Quentin has been divorced from you for a long time. Why did you still act? Were you deliberately deceiving us? Why did you do this?"
Holding Matthew, Lauren was at a loss. When she came to her senses, she found herself cornered.
"Why are you here? I can't answer these. Please leave," Lauren said coldly.
The reporters refused to go without answers. They ignored Lauren's pale face and continued to press her.
"Lauren, are you admitting it? Was your and Quentin's previous hype just to boost Robinson Conglomerate's visibility?"
"Lauren, can you say something? Or are you admitting that what you said before was just an act?"
The reporters surrounded Lauren, not allowing her to leave. At that moment, Matthew, frightened, started crying loudly.
Lauren was both annoyed and anxious, but the reporters wouldn't listen to her. She couldn't break through the crowd and could only worry in the middle of them.
Seeing this, Kimberly was very anxious and helpless, so she quickly called Ethan, hoping he could come and protect Lauren.
