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Novel Catalog
Chapter 15: Lainey Scolds Cason
Cason’s cold expression twisted with irritation. “I’m still—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Ainsley cut him off, her voice unusually cold. “You’re still in a meeting, right?” she said sharply. “Mr. Baldry, no one will wait for you forever. Since you’ve decided to divorce, let’s finish the paperwork as soon as possible. You’re preparing for a wedding, right? What’s the point of delaying the divorce? Do you want to look good in front of others? But honestly, I think that’s boring.”
Her words were sharp, biting with the exhaustion of everything that had happened. The constant testing from Kaliyah and the endless back-and-forth with Cason had worn her down.
Ainsley had always been decisive, a person who didn’t dwell on what-ifs. When she loved, she loved fully. But when she walked away, it was clean. And she couldn’t waste any more of her time on Cason. She was no longer deluded into thinking he cared about her—he was just the last person she mattered to in his choices.
Cason’s jaw clenched as he held the phone in his hand. His sharp features tightened, and his lips pressed into a thin line. He thought of the man who had sent her home that day, and a flare of anger ignited in his chest. With a sneer, he said sarcastically, “Ainsley, you make it sound so good. It’s just because you have someone else in your heart that you left without hesitation.”
Ainsley couldn’t believe it. She almost laughed at how insane Cason sounded.
She replied slowly, choosing each word carefully. “I can’t do anything if you think that way. But it has nothing to do with you. After all, you’ve already found your new wife. I’ll be at the local court entrance. If you don’t show up today, don’t bother begging me to divorce you.”
Without waiting for a response, she hung up, her mind already shifting away from the conversation.
Lainey, who had been waiting in the car, asked, “Aisy, where are you going?”
Ainsley smiled, the weight lifting off her shoulders. “To the local court.”
Lainey beamed with excitement. “Finally!” she cheered, her enthusiasm infectious.
Twenty minutes later, Ainsley stood at the entrance of the local court, the familiar heaviness in the air making her feel restless. She glanced at her phone just as a new message popped up on Line from Manuel.
“You can ask Roman about the apartment,” it read, followed by Roman’s Line account information.
Curious, Ainsley added Roman to her friend list. Moments later, he messaged her back warmly:
“Hello, Ainsley! I have an apartment on the floor above Serina’s. It’s about the same size as hers, 2,152 square feet. Rent is $700 a month. What do you think?”
Ainsley blinked in surprise. $700 for a 2,152-square-foot apartment? Roman was practically giving it away. She paused, wondering if Roman even knew the market price for apartments around there. She was about to ask when she heard footsteps approaching.
Cason appeared in front of her, his cold gaze sweeping over her. Without a word, he simply said, “Let’s go.”
Ainsley quickly ended the call with Roman and followed him into the building. The whole process felt like a blur, and before she knew it, she was standing with Cason in front of the divorce clerk, waiting for the paperwork to be completed.
The moment the divorce certificate was handed over, Ainsley felt a strange sense of relief wash over her. This was it—she was truly done with Cason, the man she had loved for seven years. There was no going back now.
As they stepped out of the courthouse, Cason called out to her, his voice tinged with something she couldn’t quite read. He stared at her for a long moment, as if weighing his words. Finally, he said, “About the things I promised to give you… the paperwork will be done in a few days.”
Ainsley nodded, her face expressionless. She didn’t need to say anything in response; she had already moved on. Cason might be speaking, but to her, it was nothing more than a faint echo of a life she was leaving behind.
Cason hesitated, his thoughts seemingly racing, before he spoke again, this time in a gentler tone. “Ainsley… don’t just be with someone else out of spite. Take care of yourself.”
Ainsley felt the bitterness rising in her chest, but before she could respond, Lainey’s voice cut through the tension.
“Stop showing up in front of Aisy!” Lainey’s voice was sharp with anger, and her eyes were blazing. “That’s the best thing you can do to help her! Cason, are you insane? Yesterday, your future mother-in-law and your mother drove Aisy out, causing her to have a fever, and now you’re pretending to be gentle and considerate? What’s wrong with you?”
Ainsley had never seen Lainey this furious. Lainey continued, her words laced with scorn. “You treated Aisy like crap because you knew she would just take it. The house was always meant to be hers, but now she has to find a place to stay. Is that how you think a marriage should end?”
Cason’s face turned red, a mixture of guilt and defensiveness flickering in his eyes. But Lainey wasn’t finished.
“Don’t come around here acting like you care,” Lainey spat, her voice rising with each word. “You never cared enough to take responsibility. Now you’re acting all concerned? Aisy deserves so much more than you!”
The air was thick with tension, and Cason stood there, visibly uncomfortable, trying to avoid meeting Lainey’s fiery gaze. He opened his mouth to say something, but Lainey wasn’t done.
“You should’ve given Aisy what she was owed a long time ago,” Lainey added bitterly. “But instead, you played games and let her suffer. You don’t deserve her sympathy.”
Cason’s face twisted, clearly caught off guard by Lainey’s outburst, but before he could respond, Lainey grabbed Ainsley’s arm and pulled her away, her eyes still flashing with anger.
“Let’s go, Aisy,” Lainey muttered, her voice calming but still tinged with frustration. “You don’t need to be around him anymore. Let’s get out of here.”
As they walked away from Cason, Ainsley felt the finality of their broken relationship settle into place. She was free, and though it had taken too long to get here, the sense of liberation was undeniable.
