Chapter 7
It had never happened before. In the three years of their marriage, they’d scarcely even had a disagreement, yet now Mireille had vanished without a trace. Liam found himself unprepared–not only did he lack the experience to bring her back, but he was also at a complete loss on how to cope with the situation. The shrill beep of the unanswered phone call grew louder, only deepening his anxiety.
When he opened the door, he froze. The place where their wedding photo had once hung on the wall was now bare. Every trace of him had disappeared from the house.
His eyes stinging, Liam rushed to the bedroom, yanking open the closet doors. Only his suits remained.
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Frantic, he combed every inch of the house. The only thing left behind was a divorce agreement on the table. He picked it up, flipping through its pages. The section on property division struck him with cold finality: *Leaving with nothing.*
The words burned his eyes, lodging themselves deep in his chest. He collapsed onto the sofa, clutching the agreement in his hands, his chain–smoking fingers flicking the lighter with mechanical precision.
His mind reeled with memories from the last three years. Scenes flashed before him, each one more painful than the last, threatening to shatter the thin shell of composure he’d managed to maintain. The phone continued to redial, but no one answered.
Eventually, he broke free from the spiral
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long pause, he spoke again, his voice firm. “I warned you before. Using marriage as a means to secure a letter of understanding was never wise. When you made that choice, you should have known that your relationship with Mrs. Calder could never be uncomplicated.”
“This,” the lawyer continued, “is already the best possible outcome. I don’t understand why you’re still searching for her. What do you intend to say? Apologize? Admit that using her name to release the person responsible for her mother’s death was wrong? Beg for forgiveness for tricking her into marrying you?”
Liam’s body trembled as he swayed in his seat. His face turned ashen. “Seraphina was innocent. All of this…”
Before he could finish, the lawyer’s voice cut
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through the air, sharp and cold. “Mr. Thorne, as your lawyer, I’ll offer one final piece of advice: don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment. In the eyes of the law, feelings are irrelevant. A judge won’t care how you feel. Neither will the police. All the evidence from the car accident points to Seraphina!”
“How did she end up there? Who provided the faulty car? How did she know Mrs.
Calder’s mother would be arriving at that
precise moment? Why was she there to meet her?”
The relentless barrage of questions left Liam silent, his body sagging in defeat as he sank to the floor, eyes squeezed shut in anguish.
The lawyer continued, unrelenting. “And whose idea was it to issue that letter of understanding in the family’s name? Mr. Thorne, you’re no fool. Let me remind you of
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something imptant: only Mrs. Calder can truly be considered innocent in this entire mess. Your love shouldn’t be built on the tragedy of her mother’s death!” The lawyer’s words struck Liam like a slap, shaking him from his stupor.
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