Chapter 231 You Don't Have to Get Divorced
Silence filled the car. After a moment, Fiona turned to Darwin, her eyes were slightly red. "Darwin, years have passed. We can't go back. I'm living a peaceful and happy life now, and you know how hard that's been for me to achieve... If you have even the slightest bit of sincerity towards me, please, I'm begging you, don't disrupt my tranquil life again, okay?"
Darwin's heart felt as if it were being twisted by a thousand knives.
Fiona speaking to him so calmly, so candidly—it threw him off balance even more than an impassioned outburst would have.
It wasn't words spoken in anger.
They were the sincere words of a calm heart.
She... truly wanted nothing to do with him anymore.
Watching Darwin's figure seemingly crumble before her, Fiona felt a storm of emotions churning within.
"Let me take you home. To your apartment, right?"
"Yes."
Where else could he go, if not back to his apartment?
Without her presence, those houses couldn't be his home.
Fiona started the car and headed toward the apartment.
The whole ride, Darwin was shrouded in gloom, silent as the grave.
Halfway there, Janna Rhoads was calling.
Fiona put on her headset and answered.
"What's up?"
"I just heard you put the Ashton family's deals on hold. What happened?" Janna's voice came through, tinged with concern.
Fiona kept it brief, filling Janna in on the situation with the Shaw family —of course, omitting Chris's part.
"The nerve of some people!" Janna exploded with indignation. "No wonder Ashton's been so distracted lately, sometimes I'd catch him with puffy eyes in the mornings!"
"And the baby?" Fiona asked, her voice laced with a hint of mischief.
Darwin's hand, resting on his knee, twitched.
"Mama, Chicago's here, and brother's on the phone!" Chicago's sweet little voice chimed in from the other end.
A tender smile spread across Fiona's face.
"Did you have fun today, baby?" she asked, her voice warm with maternal affection.
Chattering away eagerly, Chicago recounted a full day of conversations with the family's pet turtle and goldfish.
"Mama, baby's doing well, I just miss you!" Chicago's voice was full of longing.
"I miss you so much too, honey. Mama will come home right after work, okay?"
"Okay!"
Deep down, Chicago wanted to say she could help with Mama's work, but...
"Okay, baby, Mama's driving; let's talk more tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay! Be careful driving, Mama."
"Will do, sweetie."
Chicago blew kisses to the phone before finally hanging up.
The call ended, and silence filled the car once more.
"Your daughter?" Darwin's question cut through the quiet.
"Yeah." Fiona nodded with a smile. "She's adorable."
Darwin's eyes fell, and the silence returned.
Fiona was surprised. The usually petulant Mr. Solomon was showing restraint, not throwing a tantrum for not getting his "candy."
Five years had passed, and maybe he had grown up a bit.
The car quickly arrived at the base of the apartment building. Learning from past experiences, Fiona didn't head for the garage.
"We're here." She unlocked the car door. "Mr. Solomon, take care and try to get some rest."
Darwin looked at her, his eyes redder than before.
"If I said... you don't have to get a divorce, could you possibly..."
Fiona's gaze flickered.
Did Darwin even know what he was saying?
“Mr. Solomon, don't be ridiculous!”
“You could hide me away, tell no one about me. I wouldn't seek out that guy; I wouldn't cause you any trouble. I’d only seek you out when you're back in the country…”
Even Darwin thought he must be insane.
Five years of an open heart.
Having regained what he lost, how could he bear to lose it again?
He couldn’t...
He just couldn’t...
“I’m sorry, I can’t,” Fiona refused without hesitation.
The spark in Darwin's eyes slowly extinguished.
“I understand.”
An inexplicable unease crept through Fiona, making her skin crawl.
Soon after, Darwin pushed open the car door and walked away without looking back, heading into the apartment building.
Fiona stayed seated in the car, her gaze lingering on his receding figure for a long moment.
Darwin, so proud, had humbled himself time after time, only to be rejected time after time.
This time…
He would probably give up for good, right?
Fiona withdrew her gaze.
She started the car and headed for home.
When she arrived in her garage and turned off the engine, she was about to get out when something caught her eye beneath the passenger seat.
Leaning over, she picked it up.
It was a wallet.
Inside, Fiona found a photo of herself with Darwin.
It was one of the few candid shots from the years they were photographed together.
The sunlight that day was perfect.
Darwin, rarely so public, stood close to her.
It seemed like he was talking to her.
He must have been in a good mood, a faint smile on his lips. Her own face wore a gentle, peaceful smile.
Looking at the photo now gave Fiona a peculiar sense of a world turned upside down.
She sighed.
Closing the wallet, she texted Darwin: “Your wallet ended up in my car. I’ll have someone drop it off at Solomon Building tomorrow.”
The message was sent, and then there was silence.
Fiona thought that perhaps this concluded the entanglement with Darwin.
But little did she know.
A new storm was brewing.
The story takes a turn.
Compared to Darwin's heart-wrenching pursuit, the atmosphere was much lighter with Kenny and Ashton.
“Mrs. Walker, you called me Mr. Kenny twenty-one times today,” Kenny said, exasperated.
Ashton was astonished. “That many times?”
“Yep.” Kenny nodded.
Ashton grumbled, “Who's counting?”
Kenny smiled, “If ‘husband’ doesn't roll off your tongue, or you're not comfortable with my first name, how about Mr. Walker?”
Mr. Walker, Mrs. Walker – it did have a nice ring to it.
"Alright, Mr. Walker it is!" Ashton declared, sealing the decision with a clap of his hands.
"Hmm, now that's settled... when do you plan on moving in with Mr. Walker?" Kenny's elegant fingers tapped the steering wheel lightly.
"I'll pack up my things as soon as I get back," Ashton replied without any hint of hesitation.
To her, there was no awkwardness. Living together after marriage was just a matter of time, nothing to fuss about.
"Great, once you're all packed, let me know. By the way, Mrs. Walker," Kenny's voice mellowed, "there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"What is it, Mr. Walker?"
" Since we got married so quickly, we haven't had the chance to set up our home. I'd like to take you to check out some of my properties in the next few days. You can pick any that you'd like us to decorate. However, until our marital home is ready," Kenny turned towards Ashton, "could we possibly stay at the house your father left us?"
Kenny understood.
That house was more than just bricks and mortar to Ashton.
It was truly her home.
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