Chapter 152 Divorce Sure Is Happy, Honey
They exited the courthouse together.
Winona asked softly, "Are you going to tell Mom?"
She couldn't bear to see Lydia’s disappointed face.
Zachary turned, giving her a weighty look, before replying emotionlessly, "She's not your mom anymore. Stop being sentimental."
Winona was speechless.
Brian pulled the car around, but before he could step out to open the door, Zachary had already let himself into the passenger seat. "Let's go."
It was a cold day. Although it wasn't snowing, the grey sky seemed menacing, the wind cutting to the bone. Brian looked at Winona, still standing there, "Aren't you going to help the lady?"
Zachary gave him a glance, saying nothing.
Silence wasn't a flat refusal - that meant there was hope. Brian, trying to gauge his thoughts said, "It's quite chilly today..."
But before he could finish, a jubilant voice called out from across the street—
"Winona!"
A fiery figure darted towards them - Rebecca Davis.
"Looks like you're happy about the divorce, honey!" She handed over a bouquet of red roses and gestured to her outfit, "Celebrating your freedom from that miserable, loveless marriage. Come on, let's go find you a new romance, you've got your pick!"
Winona accepted the flowers, looking at her friend's outrageous get-up with resignation. "You're exaggerating... I'm not looking for love right now."
Perhaps her marriage had left too dark a shadow; she felt she had developed quite an aversion to men.
"Just play it by ear, huh? If he's the one, great. If not, no big deal!" Rebecca Davis said, glancing at the Bentley parked by the curb, her chin raised defiantly towards its closed windows. "This time, I'm picking a man more carefully. I'll take my time and not be fooled again."
Zachary Bailey remained silent.
After a long wait, there was no rebuttal from Winona Sullivan. She clearly agreed with Rebecca Davis, but it was uncertain whether she agreed with the idea of finding new love or the notion that Zachary Bailey wasn't worth her time.
Across the street, a rugged, masculine SUV stood out—not Rebecca's style at all.
As the women approached, Austin Robinson stepped out of the SUV, opening his arms for a hug. "A moment worth celebrating, right? A hug is hardly too much to ask for," he said with a grin.
With his chiseled features and tall frame, he had an air of toughness about him, but the smile in his eyes softened his rugged demeanor.
Zachary Bailey watched the scene unfold with a sneer of contempt.
Inside the air-conditioned car, the temperature was too warm, yet Brian suddenly felt a chill. Glancing at Zachary Bailey in the rearview mirror, he asked, "Sir, are we heading to the office or back to Regal Oaks?"
"Regal Oaks."
The car left the courthouse behind. Zachary, worn out from a night without sleep and too many drinks, was ready for a nap and was about to close his eyes when his phone vibrated.
He frowned at the caller ID and answered, "What's up?"
It was Samuel Anderson.
"Where are you? Your assistant said you're not at the office. What, did a romp in the hay finally make you forget all about work?"
Under the influence of alcohol, in the company of the opposite sex, any man would have seized the opportunity.
Glancing at the cityscape flashing by the window, Zachary's eyes were dark, inscrutable. "Just left the courthouse."
There was a silence on the other end of the line before Anderson's perplexed response. "Didn't I send Winona Sullivan over to you last night? You were wasted. Couldn't you follow through without running your mouth? Are you really that ineffective, or are you just better at talking than performing?"
Silence.
"So what's the story now? You guys split?"
"Yeah."
"You really are... Well, good that it's over," Samuel retorted, not hiding his scorn. "When Winona remarries, maybe you can be the perfect best man, wishing her a lifetime of happiness."
Zachary Bailey's brow twitched with irritation. "Hell, why are you so fired up this early in the morning? It's my divorce, not yours. Since when does getting divorced mean we can't ever get back together?"
With that, he ended the call and tossed his phone aside, preferring it out of sight, out of mind.
The atmosphere in the car grew tense, and Brian couldn't shake the chill running down his spine.
Outside the courthouse, Winona Sullivan watched the car drive away. She pushed away Austin Robinson, who was trying to comfort her, and said with a wry smile, "Better keep your hands to yourself, Austin. I've just finalized my divorce. If anyone sees me hugging a man right outside these steps, do you really think that's the kind of attention I need right now? Trying to get me in the spotlight again, are you?"
Austin pulled back his hands and offered, "Fine, let's go have a big meal then."
The last thing Winona wanted was a feast. All she craved was the solace of her bed and sleep.
She was bone-tired, having not slept the previous night, and the shock of Zachary's scene with Fiona still hadn't settled in her mind.
Once they were in the car, with Austin driving and Rebecca Davis sitting next to Winona in the back seat, Rebecca noticed her best friend’s absent gaze and whispered, "If you're hurting, just lean on me and let it out. The bouquet I brought is big enough to hide us. Austin won't see..."
She knew Winona would be heartbroken. Despite their fiery fights, the love had been real, and a divorce, no matter how justified, leaves a bitter taste. But she didn't expect her to be so listless. "Why do you look so awful?"
With her eyes closed, Winona murmured weakly, "Just a sleepless night, believe it?"
Rebecca quietly responded, "I do."
Her sympathetic face clearly conveyed: I know you’re being stubborn, but I won't call you out on it.
Winona didn't need to see her face to know her thoughts and retorted, "Why did you drag Austin here?"
She had told no one about the divorce court visit except for Rebecca.
"He swung by my shop this morning to get some stuff. I rushed him, and sort of mentioned I was heading to court to pick you up."
Rebecca glanced guiltily at Winona and hurried to add, "Actually, I'd had a few drinks last night. I’m still not sober enough to drive, so I asked him to be my stand-in chauffeur. If you don't want him here, we can hop out and grab a cab right now."
Even with her eyes shut, Winona could feel their gazes on her. "It's fine, we're all friends here."
Austin's expression faltered for a second at the mention of 'friends.’ But, he thought, there was plenty of time ahead. After all, she was no longer someone else’s.
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