Chapter 11

Yet, two days later, there was still no word from Roxanne. By the third day, Brandon had started to worry. He kept checking his phone, hoping for a message or sign from her. Noticing Brandon's bad mood, his driver cautiously asked, "Did you fight with your wife, Mr. Slewman?" "No," Brandon coldly replied. The driver knew he probably shouldn't say more, yet he still tentatively added, "All of us can see how much your wife cares for you, sir. She's been changing herself for your sake all these years. And truth be told, we all think it's not easy for a woman to agree to a secret marriage. She must truly love you." Brandon frowned as he stared out the window. His driver's words made him recall his married life with Roxanne. She had practically sacrificed her social life by coming home early after work every day just to have more time to talk to him. She would sit quietly in the study while Brandon worked. Roxanne had even made an effort to learn about the movies he liked, despite not being interested in them. And while they had a housekeeper, she had still worked hard to learn how to cook just for him. She would personally brew soups and stews for Brandon and prepare all meals according to his tastes. Roxanne had given her all to be a good wife to him. Brandon's resolve began to waver because of these memories. Maybe he really had been too hard on Roxanne. Later that night, after much deliberation, he eventually gave in and called her. However, all Brandon heard was, "The number you have dialed is currently unreachable…" It was the same response call after call. Thus, he had no choice but to text Roxanne—he had only ever sent her emojis before. But as soon as Brandon hit send, his text was marked with a red exclamation mark. It made him wonder if Roxanne blocked him. Brandon's brows furrowed from unease, and he tried calling her again. But this time, the automated system notified him that he was making an international call and that additional charges might apply. This made him wonder if Roxanne had gone abroad on holiday. However, it was too short notice, so Brandon felt something wasn't right. As he got up to head downstairs, he noticed a small package on his table. He found it strange and wondered when it had gotten there. Opening it quickly, he found a divorce agreement inside, and Roxanne had already signed it. "A divorce agreement? She wants to divorce me?" Brandon uttered in disbelief as he stared at the papers in shock. Glancing inside the package again, he noticed a voice recorder. When he pressed play, he discovered it contained a conversation between Roxanne and Nicole. "I'm sure you've seen how irreplaceable I am in Brandon's heart. He's willing to forsake his own life for me. He only married you to hide our relationship. I showed you all this for your own good. This way, you can completely give up and stop clinging to any hope that he'll love you," Nicole said in the recording. Brandon felt his blood run cold when he heard this. His face drained of all color, and he felt as though his heart had stopped. He couldn't believe Nicole had revealed their relationship to Roxanne. He felt a chill run down his spine as he stood frozen to the spot. It turned out Roxanne knew everything all along. That was why she had taken off her wedding ring. It was also why she wanted a divorce and had chosen to leave him.