A Divorce He Regrets

Chapter 21:

Any sign that this meant as much to her as it did to me. But there was nothing—just that maddening calm.

Her voice was steady, her words clear. “Think whatever you want, Alex. I signed because I want to save my son.”

I felt my jaw clench. “If you care so little, why even fight me on this?”

For a moment, her gaze softened, a shadow of something else flickering there before disappearing. “For Liam,” she said, the words barely audible but carrying enough weight to make me hesitate, if only briefly.

She handed back the papers, and I took them, folding them neatly as if this wasn’t the most consequential thing I’d done in years. Then, with a nod to Dominic, I turned, leaving her to the echo of her own calm defiance.noveldrama

As I exited the room, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d walked into a trap. I’d told myself time and again that I was in control, that she wouldn’t be able to get under my skin. But her words lingered, lacing themselves through my thoughts, tainting my certainty.

The party felt like a haze by the time I got back to the office. Papers stacked up on my desk awaited my attention, reminders of the deal I’d been working tirelessly to secure. But no matter how many hours I poured into the project, my mind wandered back to Raina, to her unsettling calmness as she signed the custody agreement.

By the time I left the office, the night had swallowed the city in silence. When I finally returned home, Vanessa was waiting, an expression of dissatisfaction plastered across her face. She’d clearly been drinking, and her typical sharpness had a new layer of bitterness to it.

“So,” she started, her voice tinged with disdain. “You’re really doing this? All for that… Raina bitch?” The word hung in the air, venom-laden, as she used it like a weapon.

I exhaled, not in the mood to entertain her tantrums. “It’s not about her, Vanessa,” I replied, weariness coating my voice. “It’s about Liam.”

She scoffed, shaking her head. “You can justify it however you want, but we both know you’re just giving her what she wants.”

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Her words hit harder than I cared to admit. “And what exactly do you think that is?”

“To ruin your life,” she shot back, crossing her arms with a smug smile, as if she’d hit the nail on the head. “You’re handing her everything she wants, Alex. Don’t be so naive.”

I met her gaze, unamused. “There’s no point in marrying Eliza just for Liam. Raina agreed to the transplant. There’s no need for anything else.” I was not going to be locked in another marriage with no purpose.

Vanessa’s smirk faded, replaced by a flash of anger. “So that’s it, then? You’re willing to give her everything, just because she’s agreed to this one thing?” My mind churned with the memories, the betrayal that had shattered my trust. The thought of Raina having this much sway over me made my blood boil. But Vanessa didn’t understand—no one could. This wasn’t about ego or revenge; it was about my son’s life. “I’m doing what needs to be done,” I replied curtly, brushing past her. Her voice echoed after me, laced with bitterness, but I paid it no mind. I had to believe that, once this was over, Liam would be safe. That was the only thing that mattered.

I headed to bed, forcing myself to sleep, but sleep was far from me. My thoughts drifted back to Liam, his face pale and fragile, a shadow of the lively boy he once was. Anxiety gripped me, refusing to let go, and I had to remind myself, over and over, that he was going to be okay—that finally, after all of this, he would wake up and be himself again. I held onto that thought, repeating it like a mantra, willing it into existence.

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