My Ex-Husband's Son Wants To Marry Me?! Chapter 2

He convicted me without even asking?

I looked up at Valerie in the car. She quickly averted her eyes, flustered.

From the moment she arrived, I was recast in Richard's story as the villain. My investment in his family firm became a scheme to force his hand in marriage. My ambition to excel was a plot to steal his empire. Even my choice of clothes was a calculated bid to stir his jealousy.

Now, even though Valerie had deliberately broken the bracelet, he still thought it was my doing.

But today, I was too tired to argue with him.

"Yes, that's right. I didn't want to give it to her. I wanted to spite her. Are you satisfied now?"

Gritting my teeth against the searing pain in my ankle, I straightened up and turned, walking away down the road without looking back.

He stood by the car, haughty. "Scarlett, since you admit it, don't blame me for punishing you! You can walk to the courthouse yourself today!"

Ha, leave me? Hadn't he abandoned me for Valerie enough times?

At our wedding, he received a message from Valerie and left without a word of explanation, right in front of all our guests. The night I had appendicitis, he also abandoned me to go see Valerie.

After all that, my heart had long since turned to ice.

By the time I reached the courthouse, my foot was incredibly swollen. I was leaning against a wall by the roadside to rest when someone suddenly rushed up from behind and forcefully swept me into his arms.

"Richard Sterling, put me down!"

Richard's face was taut. As if he hadn't heard me, he walked straight inside. As we passed Valerie, a flash of resentment flickered in her eyes.

The moment we entered, a staff member approached us. "Sir, madam, are you here for a marriage certificate?"

Richard's face darkened, and his grip instantly loosened, setting me down. "No, we're here for a divorce."

After the paperwork was done and I had my divorce certificate, I sat aside, waiting for my fiancé to pick me up.

"Scarlett, aren't you leaving? Your foot looks pretty bad. Richard and I can take you to the hospital after we get our marriage certificate!" Valerie said, smiling sweetly as she intimately linked her arm with Richard's.

I touched up my lipstick in my compact mirror. "No thanks, I'm waiting for my fiancé. He'll take me to the hospital later."

"Oh, what a coincidence! Richard, why don't we wait with Scarlett for a bit?" Valerie pulled Richard to sit next to me. "Once we're done with our marriage certificate, if Scarlett's fiancé still hasn't arrived, we can give her a ride."

Valerie probably thought I was fabricating a "fiancé" to maintain my dignity. Richard tenderly took her hand and put it in his pocket to warm it.

"You're always worrying about others, you know."

The sky was getting dark, and my fiancé still hadn't arrived. I reached into my pocket for my phone, only to remember it had been crushed by the car earlier. Annoyed, I stood up, about to leave.

Valerie, clutching her freshly acquired marriage certificate, walked over, smiling. "Scarlett, why isn't your fiancé here yet? You don't have to lie to us, you know. Where would you get a fiancé? Let us take you to the hospital!"

I checked my pockets again. I hadn't brought a single cent. So, I didn't refuse her offer.

Stepping outside, I carefully descended the steps, holding onto the railing.

"Scarlett, let me help you." Valerie hurried to catch up.

I was on the verge of dismissing her when-

"Ah!" A sharp cry. Her foot seemed to slip, and she fell backwards.

Richard caught her effortlessly. She clung to his chest, tears instantly welling in her eyes. "Scarlett, I only wanted to help. Why would you push me?"

Richard gently stroked her back, his face filled with tenderness. He turned and grabbed my hand, yanking me down the steps.

"You're truly ungrateful, Scarlett."

I was clutching my ankle. He saw it, and a flicker of hesitation crossed his face. He was about to tell me to get in the car when Valerie's lips parted slightly, and she murmured, "Richard..."

He immediately pulled her in his arms into the car.

They drove away, leaving me behind.