Filing for a Divorce

Theodore never returned to our room that night. I wasn't surprised, though. After all, Sabrina was carrying his child.

As for me, I finally decided to divorce Theodore after tossing and turning all night.

My mother had been completely unreserved in her favoritism toward Sabrina since my father died. Moreover, as they knew I no longer had someone to rely on, they oppressed me without the slightest hesitation.

Hence, I had no choice but to get it done myself if I were going to get a divorce.

At daybreak, I left with Grace under the pretense of taking my daughter, Esme Cloud, to kindergarten.

Grace was a housemaid my father had hired to look after me since I was a child, and she had just returned from visiting her relatives this month. After she learned what happened at home, she felt angry and sorry for me.

Still, she couldn't make it too obvious, for she was afraid my mother might kick her out. If that happened, I would be left with no one to support me.

For that reason, my mother would let her guard down, and having Grace with me gave me some peace of mind.

I drove Grace and my daughter straight to a law firm and consulted the best lawyer.

When I arrived home, my bag was filled with a bunch of relevant documents.

"Darling, what are you reading? You ignored me when I called you just now?" Theodore's curiosity-filled voice suddenly rang in my ears when I was hiding in the backyard and reading the documents.

I calmly pushed the documents aside and responded indifferently, "Didn't you have an emergency meeting today? What brings you home so suddenly?"

"The crisis has been solved, of course! Let me tell you, there was originally a project that was about to go up in smoke today. But thankfully, we received help from Sabrina's cousin. He had introduced a client to us, and another company directly took over the project.

"That project can generate a profit of over 10 million in the early stage alone. As long as it progresses steadily in the future, we can achieve Cloud Group's year-end target for this year. That's half a year ahead of schedule!"

His excitement was evident by how animated he became as he spoke. "So, tell me, darling, shouldn't I be rushing home to share such good news with you?"

No wonder he was stoked. Indeed, being able to secure such a big project would further solidify Theodore's status in Cloud Group. Furthermore, he could precisely gag the board of directors that had been picking on him incessantly some time ago.

"You're right. It truly is worth sharing." Disgust flashed in my eyes despite the fact that I was chuckling and praising him. I always knew he lacked business skills, but I didn't expect him to be so incompetent that he had to rely on a woman to negotiate a project.

As I thought of how he usually couldn't manage Cloud Group's business affairs without my help, I couldn't help feeling grossed out now that I heard he had to rely on Sabrina's cousin to secure this project.

"Honey, I'm helping Esme apply for kindergarten these days. The school needs proof of both parents' education and employment statuses, so here are your copies. Can you sign them?" I said while taking out a few photocopies and pointing at the blank spaces.

I hadn't talked much to Theodore in the past month. On top of that, this was the first time I took the initiative to discuss matters regarding our daughter with him.

As a result, Theodore leaned over happily, placed the papers on my lap, and used it as a table. Then, he set the photocopies on it and signed each one with a pen.

Just then, Sabrina opened the window to get some fresh air on the second floor. When she saw this sight, she was instantly filled with jealousy.

Catching a glimpse of her face, I deliberately placed my hands, which I had been about to pull away, on Theodore's shoulders. When he looked up, I smiled gently at him. Sure enough, it led him to pinch my cheek affectionately.

A maid and a bodyguard walked over from the front yard. Upon seeing the loving interaction between Theodore and me, they greeted us with a smile.

"Ms. Isabella and Mr. Cloud surely are loving!"

"Well, of course. Mr. Cloud and Ms. Isabella are very much in love. Didn't you see how Mr. Cloud had been staying here to keep Ms. Isabella company for so long when Madam was sick this time?"

Sabrina, who was upstairs, was green with envy when she heard these words.

Although she and Theodore had a child, they couldn't be seen being affectionate to each other publicly.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt nauseous. In the next second, she turned around and covered her stomach, pretending to be light-headed upstairs while calling Theodore's name.

At first, Theodore paid no attention to it. Unexpectedly, her voice grew louder and louder.

Worrying that something might happen to Sabrina, my mother called out from the first floor, "Theodore! Izzy! Go and check on Sabrina quickly!"

Theodore remained silent momentarily before saying, "Darling, I'll go and check on Sabrina." He couldn't sit still anymore, and his expression was somewhat constrained.

So, I seized the opportunity and promptly took out the divorce settlement agreement again. Before presenting them to him, I purposely folded up the words on the documents, left only the remaining blank space exposed, and held his hand tightly. "There are two more…"

Worry flickered across Theodore's face as he heard Sabrina let out an even more blood-curdling scream on the second floor. Thus, he signed his name hastily without even looking at the papers. Then, he jumped to his feet and strode toward the front yard.

Once he left, I ran my fingers over his signature and smiled.

Later, I took Esme back to Cloud Manor and started living my own life again, pretending not to notice Theodore's frequent visits to my parents' house to check on Sabrina.

Now that I had registered the divorce, the only plans I had in mind were to wait for the one-month cooling-off period to be over, get the divorce certificate, and travel far away with Esme.

At this point, I was so done with this rotten family of mine!

On the last day of the divorce cooling-off period, I received a call from Cloud Manor while packing my bags at home. The Cloud family had summoned me back for dinner, saying they had something important to discuss.

I rushed to Cloud Manor without knowing why. When I walked through the gate, I discovered a familiar car parked in the yard.

I froze at the sight. For some reason, a bad feeling crawled in my chest as I wondered why Sabrina would show up.

A Pre-planned Scheme

The living room was full of people. Apart from Theodore and my father-in-law, Benjamin Cloud, my mother and Sabrina were also present. The white dress Sabrina wore suited her well, making her appear even more elegant than usual.

Everyone looked at me as soon as I walked through the door. Sabrina even blatantly cast me an almost taunting and smug look.

As for my biological mother, Melody Wood, she was hugging her precious eldest daughter, chatting away without even sparing me a glance.

Theodore approached me and held my hand.

His tone was filled with guilt as he said, "Darling, I happened to bump into Dad when I accompanied Sabrina to the hospital for her pregnancy checkup yesterday. So—"

Before he finished speaking, I was already standing before everyone else.

He remained silent as he pulled me to sit down. Still confused, I suddenly heard Benjamin's cold voice, questioning sharply, "Isabella Smith! Who gave you the nerve to have your sister get pregnant using Theo's sperm behind the Cloud family's back?"

When I heard that, I looked up in astonishment. "No, that's not…"

"What do you mean by 'no'? I've told you, haven't I? Sabrina could always seek the help of a sperm bank if she wants to get pregnant. But you insisted on letting Theo have a child with Sabrina, claiming that you have no son and we're a family!

"Yet, you actually want to pin all the blame on me and Sabrina now that the truth has been revealed?! Isabella, you truly are a cruel woman!" My mother raised her voice and interrupted me before I could finish explaining.

"Mom!" I gazed at her in shock. "I had raised my objections this whole time. You were the one who forced me to agree to everything, remember?"

"Nonsense! There was no way Theo could just stand there and watch me force you! You were the one who threw a tantrum and used Esme to threaten him into agreeing!"

My mother's confident look made me indistinctly believe I had heard it wrong. Even though I knew she always favored Sabrina, I never expected that there would be a day I actually met with the scenario of her sacrificing me for Sabrina.

But why? I was her daughter, too!

As I mused, the chill of my utter disappointment gradually spread from my heart to the rest of my body.

Then, I looked at Theodore with the last glimmer of hope, anticipating that he could defend me. However, he avoided looking at me and remained silent. I couldn't believe he would unhesitatingly acquiesce in my mother's lies.

Benjamin, who was sitting nearby, remarked impatiently, "That's enough. What's done is done, so what's the point of you even arguing about it now? Since Sabrina is already carrying Theo's baby, we should just let her deliver the baby.

"Once it's born, we will tell the public that it's your baby with Theo and have it raised under you. As for Sabrina… she should stay here in Cloud Manor for the time being and nurse her health."

As I listened to him talk, I simply found every word that escaped his lips nonsensical.

So, was he implying that after forcing me to let Sabrina use Theodore, I now had to be used again, just so they could legally register the child under my name? How absurd!

Unable to put up with them any longer, I abruptly stood up and prepared to snap back. But just as I was about to speak, a petite figure suddenly ran in from outside the door.

"Take that, you evil woman! You can't steal Daddy from Mommy!" Esme charged toward Sabrina like a skyrocket and pushed her violently.

When my mother saw that, she reacted by grabbing her and flipping her over. Meanwhile, Theodore rushed over, raised his hand, and slapped Esme hard.

Since Esme was only four years old, she naturally was no match for the two adults. As a result, she was thrown to the ground by her grandmother and father, and her forehead banged against the coffee table.

All it took was a moment for Esme's cheek to turn red and swollen. In fact, a big bump had formed on her forehead.

I immediately hugged the frightened and aggrieved Esme in my arms. My heart ached so much that my fingertips were trembling as I tried to comfort her.

Suddenly, Theodore exploded with emotion. "Is this how you raise our daughter? She's still so young. Yet, she already has a vile temper and goes as far as knowing how to use foul language!

"Did I ever condemn you for not giving birth to a son for the Cloud family, even after five years of marriage? And now, Sabrina is willing to put herself in a tight spot and give birth to a child for us to raise.

"I don't understand why you would still make a fuss when you can have a son at no cost?" he questioned me and Esme furiously.

"Mommy doesn't want a free son! She can give birth to one herself!" Esme retorted loudly.

"You're just a kid. Why are you meddling in adult affairs? Grace, come over and take her away," my mother commanded on the sidelines with her face full of utter disgust.

After shooting me a glare, my mother turned to lavish praise on Sabrina and Benjamin, "Please don't mind her. She has taken after her mother. Sabrina is much more tactful than Isabella, so the son she will give birth to later will surely have a promising future.

"Benjamin, just be ready to welcome your grandson!"

"Sure, sure. I will never treat Sabrina shabbily if she can really give birth to a son for the Cloud family," Benjamin said as he looked at Sabrina with satisfaction.

Sabrina gave a sheepish smile, her eyes brimming with affection as they met Theodore's. The two literally resembled a loving couple. In fact, they currently looked even more like a cozy family compared to Esme and me.

At this moment, a realization finally hit me.

It became painfully clear—they had planned this all along. The idea of letting Sabrina get pregnant using Theodore's sperm so that she could have a child of her own was just a way to fool me.

Once they found out that Sabrina was pregnant with a son, they would immediately stage such a family drama to force me to accept it.

No one asked for my opinion. Benjamin merely glanced at me before instructing calmly, "From today onward, you and Theo should move back here together. Let Theo spend more time with Sabrina.

"You should also reduce the time you spend outside, so that people won't notice anything wrong."

Confinement—the approach my mother had applied. Now, Benjamin also wished to use the same approach. Yet, the most preposterous part about their approach was that the one they confined this whole time was always me.

When I noticed that Esme was wriggling in my arms and trying to say something, I patted her tense back and calmed her down.

Before I left, Sabrina shot me a look of triumph.

She knew very well she had gotten the upper hand over me today.

If she could use the baby to force me to admit my defeat today, she could definitely use it to force me to divorce Theodore someday so that she could become Mrs. Cloud.

I walked behind her expressionlessly, ignoring her boastful demeanor. What she didn't know was that I had no desire to cling to a man who had betrayed me. Still, they had no right to assault Esme like that.