Chapter 8 Divorce

Wendy had always wanted to adopt a child. Maybe then Chase wouldn’t have so much time to be out working—maybe he’d stay home and focus on the kid. After spending these past few days taking care of Joy, she’d actually started to think adopting a child might not be a bad idea. At the very least, it could stop Chase from wandering around. To her, it wasn’t as important as a business deal. But to Chase, it was probably a major life decision. Wendy spoke about it so casually that Sam didn’t think much of it and nodded. But one week later, when Sam saw Chase standing outside the Civil Affairs Bureau, she was completely stunned. “This… this is the small matter Madam Wendy mentioned?” Sam stared wide-eyed, heels clicking as she approached Chase. She hesitated, then asked, “Sir, what is this?” Chase frowned the moment he saw it wasn’t Wendy. “Why are you here? Where is she?” Sam replied, “She went abroad last week. The Ocean Project. It’s a weeklong trip—she won’t be back until the weekend.” Of course. Her business was more important than his life. Sam quickly pulled out her phone and called Wendy. The voice on the other end was speaking some unfamiliar, foreign language. Sam couldn’t make out the words, but Wendy clearly sounded irritated. “Madam Wendy, this… this too? You want me to sign?” “If he lets you sign, just sign.” “But this… maybe we should wait until you’re back.” One hand pressed to her forehead, the other holding the phone, Wendy was distracted by someone writing something down on a sheet of paper nearby. Her attention shifted instantly. “No need. Just sign it. If you need money, pull it from the account. And don’t forget to pick me up from the airport this weekend.” Sam immediately returned to work mode. “This weekend is Madam Quinn’s birthday banquet, sir—should you still attend?” She wasn’t sure what to make of the current situation. As things stood, Chase and Wendy were here to get divorced. After today, Chase would no longer be the Quinn family’s son-in-law, and there’d be no reason for him to attend. “He’s still the Quinn family’s son-in-law. If he doesn’t show, it’ll be a joke,” Wendy said bluntly, just before another question came her way. She hung up. Sam gave a helpless smile. Chase stood next to her and had heard the whole thing. He had thought that he and Wendy could part ways peacefully—but she hadn’t even shown up to collect the divorce certificate herself. At this point, Chase gave up. There really was no future for the two of them. Since that was the case, there was no reason to waste more time. He turned and walked inside. Sam, struggling to keep up in her heels, chased after him carefully, wanting to say something. But knowing everything Chase had been through recently, she couldn’t find the words. As Wendy’s assistant, Sam of course knew that Henry had returned, and that Madam Wendy’s attention was completely consumed by him and his daughter. Meanwhile, Chase—still her legal husband—hadn’t even been home. To see a marriage end like this after all these years… it really was ridiculous. When their number was called, Sam tried one more time to call Wendy and explain the situation, but Wendy didn’t answer. The staff didn’t even turn around as they took the documents from Chase’s hand. They flipped through them, confirmed the details, and immediately pressed down the official seal. “Sir, maybe you should reconsider. This…” Chase said nothing. The staff worked quickly. Two copies of the divorce certificate were handed to them. Chase gave Wendy’s copy to Sam. Seeing the troubled look on her face, he said gently, “Don’t worry. She signed the divorce agreement herself. This has nothing to do with you. Even if you hadn’t come today, I would’ve found another way to collect it.” “But…” “I’ll be at Madam Mandy’s birthday banquet this weekend. Just have the suit delivered to the hospital. Thank you.” With that, Chase gave a polite nod and left, leaving Sam standing alone on the steps. The sunlight poured over him, but it didn’t bring him the slightest warmth. Back in the car, he tossed the divorce certificate onto the passenger seat and let out a cold laugh. Five years of marriage—not just a mistake, but a complete joke. Who gets divorced through a secretary? Chase was certain Wendy hadn’t even looked at the papers she’d signed that night. Maybe she didn’t even know they were divorced now. But what did that have to do with him? If Wendy wanted to stay stuck in that relationship, that was her business. But not him. He’d already lost five years—he was moving on. Back at the hospital, he jumped straight into surgery. The next few days were packed with back-to-back procedures, and slowly, he began to regain the rhythm he once had. The attending who’d taken him on was pleased. “I’ve heard your name before. When the hospital brought you in, I had my doubts since you’d been gone for years. But now? A genius is still a genius,” said Mr. Lance, nodding with satisfaction. “Keep it up. You’ve got a bright future ahead of you.” Chase sat beside Mr. Lance and nodded. He was satisfied with his own performance too. Even though he wasn’t the lead surgeon on these cases, he’d had plenty of hands-on opportunities. Nothing felt rusty at all. “Didn’t Lemuria save you a spot in their exchange program? Why didn’t you go?” Mr. Lance adjusted his glasses and put them back on. “I heard from your professor that you’d agreed to go abroad.” “I did. I was supposed to leave with the first group, but my passport had issues. So I’m stuck for now. But at least I get to learn from you in the meantime.” “There’s only so much I can teach. I’ve already reached the peak of my field. But you—you’ve got endless potential. I’m getting old. You young people are just getting started. Study hard. When you come back, maybe I’ll be the one assisting you.” “Don’t say that. I’d never dare. I’ll head out now—please take a break.” “Alright.” As soon as Chase left the lounge, he felt his phone vibrating. Wendy had been too busy abroad to reach out these past few days. It was Sam, reminding him that today was Mandy’s birthday. He and Wendy were officially divorced now. He was no longer Mandy’s son-in-law. But after everything she’d done for him over the past five years, he couldn’t let her down. He also needed to return a few things. He gathered all the bank cards he had once left at his mother’s grave. He hadn’t touched a cent from them. He knew exactly how much money the Quinn family had spent on him back then. One day, he’d pay it all back—with interest. “Dr. Chase, someone sent a suit for you. It’s in your office,” the head nurse said as she passed by, busy changing bandages. Chase changed into the suit and drove to the Quinn family estate. He used to visit often. Wendy was always busy with work and rarely had time to look after her parents, so he handled it on her behalf. He never minded. A son-in-law is half a son, and with his own parents gone, taking care of Wendy’s parents just felt natural. But Stella had always looked at him with disdain. Eventually, he started going less and less. It was usually Mandy who came to visit them instead. He parked in the back garden. The butler came to open the door and greeted him cheerfully. “Mr. Chase, welcome back.” “Louis.” Chase grabbed a bag from the passenger seat and handed it over. “Last time, mom said your wrist’s been hurting. I prepared some medicated patches for you. Try them out first.”