Chapter 8

The next morning, when the first rays of sunlight hit the ground, Sebastian arrived to unlock the warehouse door. He looked down at Eloise, his gaze ice cold. "Do you realize your mistake now?" Eloise's voice was soft as she said, "I know now." She really did realize her mistake. From the start, her feelings for Sebastian and her insistence on marrying him had been a mistake. Sebastian's expression eased slightly, and he turned to leave. "Let's go. I'll send you home." The car ride back home had been quiet, and he dropped her off at the door. As she got out of the car, he suddenly said, "Stop doing all of these meaningless things. Eloise, my promise to you will never change. As long as you do your duty as my wife and the kids' mother, no one will be able to threaten your place." "I got it," Eloise replied flatly before heading inside. As she walked past Benjamin and Elijah's room, she heard voices coming from inside. "Ms. Jones, do you think our plan would work?" Benjamin asked. "Will Mom really move out and stop controlling us?" "Ms. Jones, once Mom leaves, I don't want to do any more homework," Elijah said. "I want to eat a bunch of snacks and watch TV all day…" Eloise paused before she smirked and returned to her room. She then grabbed her luggage and returned to the Windsor residence. After explaining the whole situation to her parents, she said her goodbyes. She planned to head to the courthouse to retrieve her divorce certificate before heading straight to the airport. Since the weather was pleasant, she walked slowly along the road. Suddenly, Sebastian's car pulled up beside her, and he rolled his window down. Iris was sitting in the passenger seat with a bouquet in her hand, staring at Eloise. "Get in," Sebastian ordered. Eloise didn't move. Sebastian got down and grabbed her luggage with a frown. "Where are you going with your luggage?" Seeing that Sebastian had placed her luggage in the car, she had no choice but to get in the back seat. "I'm planning to visit my parents for a few days." Sebastian fell silent for a few seconds before he started the car. "That's good. You can take the time to reflect on your actions and calm down." The ridiculous thing about the whole situation was that Sebastian hadn't even realized Eloise had been walking in the opposite direction of the Windsor residence. Eloise remained quiet, planning to come up with an excuse to get him to drop her off. Not long after they set off, a cab ahead had suddenly lost control and veered toward them. The shrill honking pierced the air as Sebastian jerked the steering wheel. However, the cab collided with their car. The sound of shattering glass echoed in the air, and Eloise felt a sharp pain in her arm and forehead. Warm blood began gushing out. As Eloise's subconscious slowly faded, she saw Sebastian get out of the car anxiously as he rushed toward the passenger seat to carry Iris out. His voice was trembling with fear as he asked, "Iris, are you alright?" Iris gave him a reassuring smile and answered, "I'm fine. I just got cut by the glass, but it's just a small wound. Eloise watched as Sebastian's eyes turned red, and he hugged Iris tightly. "It's good that you're fine. Iris, I can't lose you again. I'll send you to the hospital and send someone to take care of the car." Sebastian kissed her forehead before carrying her away. From the beginning till the end, he hadn't even turned to look at Eloise. Perhaps, maybe, he had already forgotten all about her. … When Eloise woke up again, she was in the hospital. Her forehead and arm had been bandaged, and her suitcase was placed right next to her. She sighed in relief and was soon informed by a nurse that the cab driver, who had hit Sebastian's car, had been the one to send her to the hospital. Eloise grabbed her luggage and checked herself out of the hospital despite the doctors' and nurses' attempts to persuade her to stay. Then, she rushed to the courthouse and managed to get her divorce certificate before the staff got off work. Holding the certificate in hand, she gave Sebastian's copy back to the staff. Then, Eloise gave the staff Sebastian's work number and said, "I'm sorry to trouble you, but could you help me inform him to pick this up when he's free?" When she left the courthouse, the sun was slowly setting, casting long shadows onto the people in the streets. Eloise stood by the entrance for a long time, watching a young couple return from work, each holding a child in uniform with a backpack. Their laughter echoed into the distance. Suddenly, she broke down. She crouched on the ground and sobbed. … In the middle of the night, a plane heading south slowly took off. Sitting by the window, Eloise watched the dark city below and sighed in relief. The shackles that had bound her for 60 years were finally broken. In this life, she would only live for herself.