Lilian's heart crumbled to bits. She went down on her knees, trying to pick up the pieces of paper, but he had shredded them beyond repair.
Her eyes burned with tears. She dug her nails into her flesh.
And then she looked up at him, feeling the large lump in her throat. "Why?" Her voice came out as a strangled cry.
His jaw hardened, somehow pissed or annoyed about her teary eyes or the fact that she had dared to question him.
"You can't just ask for a divorce, Lilian," he said, his voice stern.
Yes, she could. She was a human, a living, breathing human with emotions, and she had a right to make her own decisions.
She slowly stood up, her eyes glaring at him like she intended to burn him to a crisp. She would if she could.
"I'll have the lawyer draft up another contract." She turned to leave, but his words stopped her from taking a single step.
"And you think I'll sign it?" he scoffed. "Listen, princess, I didn't come all the way here just to push through with the damn divorce."
She squeezed the pieces of the shredded divorce papers in her hand, crumpling them. A lone tear rolled down her eyes against her wish.
"And why wouldn't you push through with this?" she croaked. "This isn't marriage; this is hell."
Her throat tightened. He had given her a roof over her head, luxury she could never have afforded even if she sold her soul, yet she felt lonelier than ever. She felt like a commodity that had been bought.
His rule was simple: she was forbidden from meddling in his life, and she wasn't allowed to call or text him when he was away either. Throughout their three years of marriage, she had only seen him twice. This wasn't the life she wanted, but she had been grateful for being rescued from her family.
Now it was up to her to rescue herself from him and her cruel family, and most importantly, rescue her mother.
This divorce would happen whether he liked it or not.
A look of surprise dawned on his face, one she failed to catch with her back still facing him.
"Hell?" he repeated, cold brush through her spine.
She pinched her fingers, feeling his hard stare on her back. Now she wanted to run. She had never talked back to him before; she had never talked back to anyone before.
"I'm leaving," were her last words before ascending the stairs and heading back to her room.
She took a deep breath and then she picked up her luggage, taking them out of her room. She took the elevator and arrived back at the living room.
She tightened her grip on the handle, seeing him still standing at the exact spot as minutes ago.
She tore her gaze away from him. "The lawyer would send the divorce papers again. Please sign them."
She dragged her trolley, walking past him to the large double door.
"Lilian," he called her. She halted, refusing to stare at him.
The sound of her own name caused a rush of goosebumps on her skin.
His footsteps echoed, mixing with the drumming of her heart in her eardrums. He stalked towards her, his hand slammed against the door frame, right beside her head.
And then he leaned in, his breath fanning her neck.
She stilled, her heart racing.
His breath brushed her neck. "Even if you decide to push through with the divorce, you are still mine, Lilian." His tone was calm, with a cold sharp edge.
His words didn't sound like a threat; rather, they sounded like a promise.
Her breath hitched. Even if she had been married to this man for three years, she still didn't know anything about him, nor did she know what he was capable of.
She managed to calm herself. His words would only materialize if he was ever able to find her. He wouldn't; she would make sure of that. She would escape his clutches and that of her family.
"Goodbye, Xavier," she swallowed. "See you in court."
She pulled the door handle, and thankfully, he stepped back. She didn't waste another second before stepping out of his house and possibly out of his life.
She took a cab to a hotel where she intended to stay till the divorce was over.
She had some savings. Could she hire someone to find her mother? She didn't have the resources; she didn't know anyone.
Even though her husband, Xavier, was the biggest and richest CEO in Hong Kong, she barely got to leave the house, and when she did, she had guards tailing her.
After the divorce, she would finally get what she wanted, freedom.
Her phone buzzed. She pulled it from her purse. Her hands trembled at the text she received from her father, Yhuan.
It was a picture of her mother, a cloth tied over her mouth and bruises on her face.
Tears clouded her vision immediately. She took a deep breath in and managed to blink them away before reading his text:
'Hasten up with the divorce, else the next picture might be her corpse.'
Her heart squeezed in her chest, quiet sobs pushing past her lips.
She tried hard to keep calm. She called the lawyer once more, asking him to draft another divorce paper as soon as possible.
It took two days this time, and now it was ready.
She had texted Xavier to meet her in court. She had broken his rule for the second time, but it didn't matter now. She was no longer his wife; she was no longer obligated to bend to his wishes.
She dressed smartly, wrapping her hair in a low bun, and then she stepped out of the hotel, taking a cab to court.
She stared at the divorce papers. She had signed every one of them, and the empty spaces left were for Xavier to sign.
Today, this divorce would happen.
Her eyes blazed with determination.
The cab stopped in front of the courthouse, and it was then she noticed it had begun to rain.
She stepped out nevertheless, but she took no more than two steps before a black umbrella suddenly hung over her head.
Her eyes fell on the black polished shoes first, and then her gaze slowly trailed up to land on him.
Xavier.
His cold gray eyes bored deep into hers.
Her heart hammered against her ribcage. His lips tilted up into a sinister smirk, one that promised to break and destroy her resolve.