Chapter 11 Signing the Divorce Agreement
The tension in the room was unbearable. Vincent’s hand moved lower, searching. Then suddenly, he stopped. His expression changed completely.
Queenie let out a quiet breath of relief. She looked at him calmly. “Still want sex?”
Vincent’s face went dark. He looked furious enough to explode.
“I already told you. I’m on my period,” Queenie said.
“How boring,” Vincent said coldly. He got up and strode out. The door slammed shut behind him.
Queenie lay on the bed. Her clothes were a mess. She felt tears burning in her eyes. After a moment, she pulled herself together and went to the bathroom to clean up.
Now, she didn’t want any trace of him on her body. She refused to let those marks drag her back into this nightmare again.
After her shower, Queenie grabbed her phone and texted Vivian. [When will you let him sign the divorce papers?]
Vivian replied right away. [Are you really divorcing Vincent?]
Queenie: [Why? Are you worried I’m playing games? I guess I gave you too much credit. No wonder you’ve been his mistress for two years.]
Queenie was trying to push Vivian’s buttons. They’d been best friends for nearly ten years. She knew exactly how to get to her.
Vivian was always careful. She never took risks unless she was totally sure.
It had been two days without news, so Queenie knew Vivian still hadn’t handed the divorce papers to Vincent. She was stalling, trying to see how serious Queenie was.
But Queenie was done waiting. All she wanted now was to leave.
Vivian stared at Queenie’s message. She was so angry that she threw her phone down.
*****
At StarVision Media, Vivian knocked on Vincent’s office door, holding a file.
“Vincent, I’ve just been cast in a new show. Could you take a look? If you think it’s worth it, sign off on it,” she said, handing over the papers.
Vivian was a popular actress who could usually choose her own roles, but in the end, the company had the final say. Everyone at StarVision knew that Vincent handled all of her business.
It was no secret that Vivian owed her entire career in the showbiz to StarVision Media, which made her a star.
Vincent took the file and skimmed through it. “Heiress?”
“Yeah, it’s based on a super popular novel. I read the script, and the story is really gripping. If I land this role, the hype and my fanbase will go through the roof,” Vivian said.
She had plenty of fans, but not many stand-out roles. If she could land this part, it would be her big break and give her a real highlight in her career. Plus, she’d heard the male lead was Mason, the hottest young actor right now.
Without hesitation, Vincent signed the papers, barely pausing.
Vivian’s face lit up. She quickly flipped to the next page. “You need to sign here, too.”
Vincent didn’t even bother to look. He signed wherever she indicated.
Vivian tucked the file away. “Vincent, thank you for always supporting my career. I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. Tomorrow is my birthday. How about we have dinner together?”
“Sure,” Vincent replied casually. “Archie has a gift for you.”
Vivian grinned. “He must have something special planned. I’ll finish up early tomorrow and pick him up.”
Vincent said nothing, but his silence was as good as a yes.
“I won’t keep you any longer,” Vivian said, leaving the office with the file. Once in her lounge, she pulled the divorce papers from the stack, looked at Vincent’s signature, and smiled in satisfaction.
She texted Queenie. [Vincent has already signed. Where are you? I’ll bring you the divorce papers.]
Queenie, just leaving the lab, got Vivian’s message. ‘Guess a little provocation really does speed things up,’ she thought. [I’m at work. I’ll text you at lunch.]
Vivian was surprised. ‘Queenie’s actually working now? What is she doing? Waiting tables?’ she thought, a mocking smile crossing her face.
*****
At noon, Queenie got a text from Vivian. They agreed to meet at a restaurant.
Vivian slid the divorce papers across the table to Queenie.
Queenie picked them up and glanced at Vincent’s signature. The strokes were bold and sure. It seemed he hadn’t hesitated for a second.
Queenie had no idea what Vivian had done to get Vincent to sign, but seeing his name there made it clear how much Vivian meant to him. ‘I should’ve faced the truth a long time ago,’ she thought.
She expected to feel some regret, but instead, seeing that signature only brought her relief. Letting Vincent go also meant letting herself go. ‘Yeah, this is good,’ she thought.
Vivian gave her a long look and asked, “So, when are you moving out of the Melendez residence?”
“Relax. I’m not planning to stick around. Once the cooling-off period ends and the divorce is final, I’ll leave. I wouldn’t want to stop you from moving in,” Queenie replied, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Vivian stayed quiet. To her, it didn’t matter when Queenie left. As long as she was gone, that was all that counted. After waiting seven years, she felt one more month was nothing.
*****
After parting ways with Vivian, Queenie realized she still had time, so she made her way to the Cloudview Estates sales office.
She was originally supposed to sign the contract on Saturday, but since she was free now and it was on the way, she figured she might as well get it over with. She didn’t want any more trouble.
There was only a month left. The apartment had a basic setup, but she still needed to buy furniture and make it feel like home. That all took time.
Her new job kept her busy, so getting a head start was the smart move. The sooner she bought it, the sooner she could move in.
Meanwhile, Vincent’s phone buzzed with another notification. 10 million had just been deducted from his account.
He stared at the screen, frowning. In seven years, Queenie had never spent that much altogether. He called her right away.
Queenie wasn’t surprised when Vincent called. After all, she’d spent 10 million, not 1 million.
“What did you do?” Vincent demanded.
“I bought an apartment,” Queenie replied honestly.
Vincent frowned. “You bought an apartment?”
“Investment,” Queenie added. ‘Yeah, it’s an investment in myself,’ she thought.
“Apartment and investment, huh?” Vincent said.
Queenie caught the sneer in his voice. No matter what she did, Vincent always saw it as a joke. “It’s just 10 million. Are you suddenly feeling the pinch?” she retorted.
“I just don’t want my money wasted. I’ll let you have your way this time, but don’t let it happen again,” Vincent ordered coldly and hung up.
Queenie let out a bitter laugh. After seven years of marriage, she had worked herself to the bone without a word of complaint, only to be met with an order to stop spending so much.
But for Vivian, Vincent could drop nearly 30 million on a villa without hesitation. His favoritism was obvious for anyone to see.
Queenie thought, ‘Yeah, spending 10 million at once is probably a first and a last. But the endless small costs that follow? Those will have me reaching for his wallet again and again. Turning a new place into a home always racks up the bills.’
When Queenie stepped out of the Cloudview Estates sales office, her phone rang again. This time, it was Linda.
“Queenie, where the hell are you? Come home right now!” Linda barked, sounding furious, but honestly, it was all bark and no bite.
Without a word, Queenie hung up.
