Category: I Want a Divorce Novel (Abigail Quinn and Sean Graham novel)

Abigail woke up in the hospital.
When she opened her eyes, a handsome face loomed way too close…
She was so startled that she quickly shut her eyes and slowly opened them again. It was still the same face, but this time it was clearly smiling. He looked somewhat rakish, with thick eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and fair skin that seemed blindingly white. Due to his porcelain fair skin, the two large dark circles under his eyes were particularly conspicuous.
“You’re finally awake.” Kevin let out a sigh of relief after watching Abigail’s amber pupils transition from haziness to clarity. Then, he tilted his head back, looking half-dead as he propped himself up on the hospital bed.
She struggled to sit up halfway on the bed and looked around, only to find Kevin alone in the ward. She couldn’t pretend like she wasn’t moved by his help when she asked, “You didn’t keep vigil the entire time, did you?”
Then, she seemed to suddenly remember something. Who knows how long I have been unconscious! Someone like Kevin counts money by the second, right? Oh God, how much do I owe him?
So, she blurted, “I don’t have the money to pay for your nursing fees!”
Kevin stared at her dumbfoundedly, unable to find the words to say anything to that strange remark. However, he did notice that this beautiful woman would constantly bring up money every time they met.
“Wait a second, is Sean really going bankrupt? Why are you so stingy?” He smirked, and a shrewd light flickered in the depths of his tea-colored, narrow almond-shaped eyes.
Abigail had no intention of spilling her sob story to gain sympathy from him. Besides, she was afraid that he would turn his back on her if she said she was divorcing Sean.
Still, she owed him a favor that had to be repaid. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that trouble because of me. What would you like to eat? It’s my treat.”
She was about to reach out to find her phone and search for a high-end restaurant nearby.
“Forget about the food.” Kevin crossed his legs and sat back on the nearby couch. “Why don’t you do me a favor instead?”
“Tell me and I’ll see what I can do,” Abigail replied with a wary look in her eyes.
He raised an eyebrow slightly at her defensive posture. “It’s not a big deal. I just wanted to ask if you could help me talk to Alana. My subordinates almost wore a hole through my floor when you guys left just like that last time. They kept insisting I should do something about it and seek Alana out.”
Naturally, Abigail was more than thrilled!
Luna was devastated after they lost the East Joy Talent contract. Who could have thought that the same order would come knocking on their door?
Nonetheless, Abigail pretended to hesitate as she didn’t want to blow her cover.
Thankfully, Kevin was rather naive as he thought that the strange expression on Abigail’s face meant that she was genuinely hesitant. “I know that she has recently become a widow and is indeed in a bad mood. So, there’s no need to force it. I’ll try again when there’s another opportunity.”
However, there was no way she was going to let the opportunity which had been served to her on a silver platter slip through her fingers just like that.

So, she immediately replied, “It’s alright. It’s past the mourning period for Ms. Alana’s husband. There is no problem.”
Then, she quickly turned around to find her phone and called Luna to inquire about the contract.
Luna truly was the world’s best friend as she immediately understood the situation. Then, she wasted no time rushing to the hospital half an hour later with the contract and some design samples.
Since they had already discussed this prior to this and Kevin was in a hurry to sign the contract, there was naturally no room for negotiation. Therefore, both parties reached an agreement at the table in the ward in less than ten minutes.
Alas, Kevin had a strange quirk. He had always been very fond of pretty handwriting ever since he was a child.
So, every time he was done with signing a contract, he would habitually flip to the end to look at everyone’s signature and compare them.
This time, by coincidence, not only did he take a glance at the signature, but he also skimmed through the design samples. Thus, his keen eyes noticed that the signature below the design was completely different from Luna’s handwriting.
So, who exactly is Alana?
Kevin’s eyes lit up, and there was a hint of playfulness and curiosity in his gaze as he scrutinized the two women for a while before smiling. “I’ll take my leave now then, Ms. Alana.”
Abigail nodded, but Luna didn’t even budge.
Kevin cheerfully turned around and left the hospital room as he took note of their reaction or lack thereof.
After Kevin left, Luna practically deflated, causing any feigned composure she had earlier to disappear in the blink of an eye. Her eyes were wide when she asked Abigail, “When did you get involved with Kevin? Did Sean threaten you again?”
Abigail looked puzzled. “Isn’t he your brother’s friend?”

Cold.
It was a chill that went bone deep.
Abigail leaned against the edge of the bathtub. Although the cold water sluicing against her skin helped somewhat, it was still a terrible ordeal to endure after she was drugged with an aphrodisiac. Fortunately, she somehow managed to drift off to sleep.
She soaked in the cold water all night, and the next day, she felt somewhat dazed.
Before she left, she also made it a point of informing Dahlia. “Sean went out early last night and didn’t come back all night. I don’t know what he’s doing, but I’m not waiting for him; I’m going to work.”
She didn’t care about what Sean was up to. She just wanted Dahlia to inform Lina that the two of them hadn’t consummated their marriage last night.
Also, she wasn’t the one who ran away.
She didn’t even know how she left Graham Residence. When she stood at the doorstep of her studio, Luna was taken aback by her pale face. “Where did you go last night? How did you end up like this?”
Then, she hastily went over to support the dangerously swaying Abigail. Yet, the moment her skin touched Abigail, she could tell that Abigail was definitely running a high fever. “Why did you come here when you have a fever?! I’m taking you to the hospital right now.”
Abigail weakly waved her hand in dismissal. “No, I want to go home and sleep. Just give me a ride.”
Then, she instinctively touched her belly as those words fell from her lips.
That was the spot where she had received numerous injections to stimulate ovulation. After she left that dreadful place the last time, she was traumatized enough that just hearing the word ‘hospital’ could make her nauseous.
As Luna had been her best friend for many years, she immediately understood what Abigail meant. “Okay, we don’t have to go there if you don’t want to. I’ll take you home.”
Then, she caressed Abigail’s forehead out of concern as she immediately put aside her pressing work and drove Abigail back to the apartment.
As Luna puttered about, pouring her water and frantically searching for fever-reducing medicine, she started questioning, “Did Sean bully you? You were fine when you left. How did you end up in such a state?”
Abigail didn’t want to worry Luna, so she didn’t tell Luna the truth. “It’s nothing. I probably didn’t sleep fitfully last night. You know how I am with my blankets. I probably just caught a cold. So, you can go back now. I don’t want to infect you with whatever I’m coming down with. Besides, I’ll make sure to take the medicine. I’m sure I’ll be as fit as a fiddle soon enough”

As she said this, she forced herself to open her eyes. “I finally managed to get our business back on track. I won’t feel at ease if you’re not there to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Please just return to the studio as soon as you can.”
The 2.8 million she got by soaking in cold water all night came at a high cost. She couldn’t afford to lose it again.
The heartbroken Luna parted her lips to say something, but she couldn’t even find the words to comfort Abigail. She truly couldn’t imagine how badly cornered Abigail was feeling that she started viewing money as more valuable than her life. She remembered that Abigail had always been rather minimalistic, just what had happened to her?
Finally, she gritted her teeth and took out her phone. “I’ll head to the studio right now, so don’t worry.
“Just have a good rest. I already told my brother that you’re sick, and he’s on his way.”
…
Abigail was awakened by the knocking on the door.
She remembered that Luna had said her brother, Zachariah, would come to take care of her before she fell asleep. So, that was probably him. Although she didn’t want to move, she struggled to sit up and open the door.
As she opened the door, she was met with a pair of familiar almond-shaped eyes.
The person in front of her was also startled. As he looked at her in disbelief, the light in his eyes shifted from anticipation to complete bewilderment. “Ms. Abigail? Why are you here? No, wait… Why is it you?”
The stunned Kevin only managed to close his jaw with a click, which had dropped out in surprise. Then, he retracted the foot he had confidently placed into the house.
“Why can’t I be at my own home? So? Why are you here?” A chill swept in from outside the door, and Abigail instinctively moved to the side, making way for Kevin. She didn’t want to stand in the cold, nor did she want to leave Kevin standing outside.
“I didn’t expect Sean to hide you even after being married for so long,” Kevin commented lightly. When he noticed her frail state, he didn’t hesitate to awkwardly squeeze in. Nonetheless, the excitement and anticipation in his eyes unconsciously diminished as it was replaced by respect.
“By the way… What’s your relationship with Zachariah?” Kevin asked tentatively.
“He’s my best—my boss Luna’s elder brother.” Abigail almost slipped up. “Ah… Is your car fixed now?”
She quickly changed the topic. Unfortunately, she was feeling a bit dizzy as she forced herself to get up from bed. So, she leaned against the wall, forcing herself to focus on the person in front of her.
“That’s just a minor issue. Where’s Sean? Why isn’t he taking care of you?” Now that he understood her relationship with Zachariah, Kevin felt relieved and probed further.
It would have been fine and dandy if Kevin hadn’t just brought that despicable name into her humble abode. Now that she was forced to think about the person with that name, she couldn’t help but recall her getting intimate with Sean last night.
Then, she thought about how he urgently rushed out after receiving a phone call. Sh*t, what a sc*mbag.
Abigail coldly snapped, “How would I know?

“I’ll pour you a glass of water. Just sit for a while and run along. I’m fine. However, I’m sorry for inconveniencing you and making you come all this way for nothing.” Abigail was truly too exhausted to deal with anything. Frankly, all she wanted to do was have a lovely snooze fest in her bed. Apparently, that was not in the cards for her today.
As she picked up a glass from the table and turned to go to the kitchen…
Crash!
A crisp sound of glass shattering came from the kitchen.
Kevin quickly threw his phone aside and rushed to the kitchen. That was when he saw Abigail unconscious on the floor. Her slender arm was cut by the broken glass, and drops of blood fell on the floor, leaving splatters of red flowers staining the floor.
“F*ck… Ms. Abigail!”
Kevin didn’t have time to worry about keeping his distance from his friend’s wife as he shook Abigail’s shoulder. Still, he quickly withdrew his hand due to the scorching temperature.
This is bad!
So, he quickly carried the unconscious Abigail and rushed out of the house.
He gingerly placed her in the passenger seat and stepped on the gas, driving away in his car without noticing a familiar dark figure not far away.
The person in the shadows finally moved after staring at the departing red Ferrari.
“Mr. Graham… I think that was Mr. Stewart.”
Xavien, who was standing behind Sean, looked at Sean’s cold face in bewilderment. “S-Should we still go up?”
Sean lifted his eyes, emotionlessly gazing at Kevin’s car as it left, his eyes exuding a chill that seemed to lower the surrounding temperature significantly.
“Let’s go back.”
After a long pause, he finally issued a command. The assistant obediently started the car and left the residential area without looking back.

Meanwhile, in the room, Abigail immediately rolled out of bed as soon as Dahlia left. Unfortunately, Sean pressed her down on the bed before she could successfully escape from his clutches.
She instinctively used her hand to shove him away. As a result, she did manage to create some distance between them. “She’s already gone. There’s no need for us to act now.”
Alas, he simply gazed deeply at her, his voice hoarse when he asked, “Didn’t you want this when you grabbed me earlier?”
A confused and speechless Abigail shrieked in dismay, “I was just reminding you not to let Dahlia come to my side of the bed! Are you a sex addict or something? How do you always relate everything to that?!”
Nonetheless, he merely ignored her while he suppressed his desire and guided her hand downwards until it landed on a certain place.
At this rate, she had a strong urge to just remove her hand from her body forever. Sure, it would be difficult to live without a hand, but she would make it work somehow. Still, she desperately tried to withdraw her hand from his grip, her face was flushed crimson. “What are you doing?!”
He responded by enunciating each word slowly yet firmly, “Remind me again, did you have to grab me here earlier?”
When she made a mad grasp at him a moment ago, her aim was rather unfortunate. Coupled with her panicked grip, it hurt so terribly that he suspected that she wanted his line to end with him today.
Abigail finally realized what he was insinuating. Her face turned into a rather violent shade of red, but she stubbornly retorted, “Fine. Let me go. I need to wash my hands.”
Sean’s eyes darkened. “You’re disgusted by something you use?”
She earnestly replied, “You should know that what I’m avoiding might not be an object…”
But the person? Does she really despise me that badly? Sean’s previously good mood disappeared in a puff of smoke when he thought of that.
The hazy mist in his eyes gradually dissipated as he calmly regarded her for a few seconds. Then, he turned around and got off the bed. “You can have the bed.”
With that said, he walked straight out of the room.
Abigail didn’t care where he was going; since he had already given her permission to use the bed, she would obediently make use of it.
It was probably due to the sudden change of location as she failed to fall asleep even though she was utterly exhausted. In the end, she kept tossing and turning in bed, trying desperately to get some shut-eye. To make matters worse, she felt increasingly warm, which did nothing for her already discomfited state.
Why does it feel so hot and humid when it’s only March?

Abigail agitatedly undid two buttons on her sleeping gown, only to find the temperature still too high for her. Moreover, for some reason, she kept thinking about Sean’s hand holding the spoon when he was feeding her the pudding earlier.
She could tell at a glance that his fair and long arms were quite strong.
Wait, why am I thinking about him at a time like this?! She couldn’t help but feel annoyed at herself for being so easily charmed by his looks. Eventually, her emotions got the better of her as she kicked the blanket off her person in a fit of ire.
Just as sleep had finally descended upon her, someone pushed open the door and entered the room.
Sean couldn’t help but slightly raise an eyebrow at the sight of the person on the bed.
In the dimly lit bedroom, the moonlight was filtered by the thick and luxurious curtains, leaving only a faint glow that fell on her slim waist.
That was the place he loved to touch the most when they were intimate; both his hands could easily encircle it.
A sly glint flashed in Sean’s eyes. He had told her to sleep on the bed, but he didn’t say anything about him sleeping on the couch.
Therefore, he naturally slid under the covers on the other side of the bed. Just as he was about to close his eyes, a pair of warm, soft, slender, and fair hands caressed his chest.
Her fingers then slipped in through the gap between his buttons and slid downwards.
She acted without restraint by entwining her slender and straight legs around his body in the cover of the darkness. When her softness unintentionally brushed against him, the man’s breathing gradually grew heavy. Yet, his voice remained as cold as ever when he demanded, “You didn’t want it earlier, so why play this game of cat and mouse now?”
Unfortunately, Abigail was tormented by the heat invading her senses and couldn’t care less about the man’s sarcasm. She even let out a little moan to tempt him.
Emboldened by the little noises she was making; he couldn’t be considered a man if he continued restraining his desires.
Thus, he swiftly pressed her back onto the bed with one hand.
Her babbles were drowned by provocative kisses as his slightly cool tongue forced its way past her teeth, greedily taking every breath that belonged to her.
There was only one thought in her mind.
Well, the audacity of the man! I’m clearly unwell, yet he dared to insinuate that I’m the wanton one in this tattered relationship! He was the one who would do anything to sleep with me!
Hence, Abigail didn’t feel like she was going against her conscience now that she had that particular thought fueling her sanity.
Alas, at the critical moment, Sean’s phone, which had been placed aside, started ringing now, of all times.
Neither of them paid any attention to it at first, but the person on the other end wasn’t clearly inclined to give up. The calls kept coming one after another.
Sean eventually reached for his phone and answered the call.
A woman’s crying voice faintly came through the phone.
He didn’t even hesitate for a second before he swiftly pulled away from Abigail, hastily sputtering, “Wait for me. I’ll be there right away.”
In fact, he didn’t even spare a glance at Abigail after hanging up the call. Instead, he hurriedly put on his clothes before leaving. He didn’t even bother to look at her once from the beginning to the end.
Abigail lay alone in the darkness as she stared at the ceiling while her body burned with passion, but her heart felt as cold as ice.
She felt tortured as she was forced to endure such extreme differences as her mind and body warred against one another. After a while, the tip of her nose started to sting as she lowered her head and glanced at her near-naked body.
She had heard people say that once an arrow was on the string, it had to be shot; no man could stop at the critical moment.
What kind of true and sincere feelings did Sean have for Joan to be able to stop at a time like this?
Abigail stared blankly at the ceiling as she lay utterly motionless for a time. Fortunately for her, she had all the time in the world to finally regain her composure even though her body still burned.
This time, it was nothing like the night of their wedding, where she had found release. Even though the process left a great deal to be desired, she was still somewhat happy.
She knew she was a fool. Regardless, she wasn’t that stupid to not notice that there was something wrong with the pudding Dahlia brought earlier.
And the night of their wedding…
Was that also her doing?
Abigail couldn’t tell if she was disappointed or broken-hearted.
Although her legs refused to cooperate with her at times, she still forced herself to go to the bathroom and filled the bathtub with cold water. Then, she even brought out all the chilled drinks and alcohol from the bedroom’s mini fridge. Once she tossed everything into the bathtub, she stepped into the tub with her gritted teeth.

After Abigail finished washing up, she placed the blankets on the couch and snuggled in when a knock came at the door. She jerked upright with a bounce as she whispered urgently to Sean, who was in bed, “Did you lock the door?”
Sean narrowed his eyes at her and asked loudly, “What’s the matter?”
“Mr. Sean, it’s me,” Dahlia said. “Old Mrs. Graham prepared some pudding earlier and would like you to try some. I’ll be coming in now if you’re still awake.”
The knob turned and opened with a click.
Abigail literally jumped up from the couch and stuffed the blankets under the bed while Dahlia was passing through the corridor into the bedroom area. After that, she flipped open Sean’s blankets and slipped in like a fish. The moment she slipped in, she accidentally hit his chest and they both grunted.
This noise sounded amorous at night, and Dahlia stopped abruptly while walking in. Then, she asked tentatively, “Mr. Sean and Ms. Abigail… May I come in?”
Sean gritted his teeth as he glanced at the head with the top exposed hidden beneath the blanket. An unreadable, dark look washed over his eyes. “Come in.”
Abigail played along and climbed out of the blankets. After she straightened her messy hair, she greeted Dahlia with a smile. “Hi, Dahlia.”
She was about to get out of bed when Dahlia hurriedly stopped her. “You don’t have to get out. I’ll bring it to you and take it away once you’re finished.”
As Abigail stole a look at the blankets which were not completely hidden, she was certain that Dahlia would realize what was happening if she was here and came to a quick decision—pinching Sean hard under the blankets.
She had no idea which part she had pinched, but it was hard and even hurt her fingers a little. Sean’s expressionless face winced for a second as he was the unfortunate recipient of her actions, and blood rushed to his face. So, he hastily got up on the bed and extended his hands to Dahlia. “Pass it to me.”
Dahlia passed it to him as instructed. “Okay, you can feed her, then.”
Sean’s hands turned rigid for a second, and his thin lips smirked. Then, he deftly placed the tray on the bedside table next to him, picked up the bowl, scooped some pudding with the spoon, and delivered it to Abigail’s lips.
At this point, Abigail was speechless and confused. Frankly, she didn’t know what Sean was expecting her to do and looked him in the eyes steadily. He raised his brows, shifting his gaze from her face to the spoon and hinting at her that he wasn’t going to put it away.

Even though she wasn’t a pretentious person and had sincerely loved him for three whole years, she still found it a little awkward to be so lovey-dovey with him in front of others, especially since it was the first time. She knew it was just a pretense, but her heart still fluttered against her chest. On the other hand, her rationale was reminding her that Sean now belonged to Joan.
Since she didn’t expect that Sean would help her, she thought about it for a second before saying, “I don’t like to eat in bed.”
Dahlia watched in dismay as the pudding that had already reached Abigail’s lips didn’t end up in her mouth and hurriedly tried to smooth over the situation. “Oh, it’s only this one time. Don’t fuss over it. Mr. Sean has never fed anyone food in his life!”
Abigail breathed deeply and ate the pudding Sean was feeding her when she realized that Dahlia wasn’t going to leave until she had the pudding. As they were sitting and facing the same direction, Sean would occasionally touch her face while holding the spoon.
Her skin was smooth and soft, just like satin, and her cherry-red lips were stained with the sugary liquid from the dessert, giving off a glossy shine and looking like a ripe peach under the light.
He gulped discretely as he held the spoon still in the air for a while. “Is it delicious?”
Dahlia hastily chirped in, “Would you like to try, too?”
The last thing Abigail wanted was to share a spoon with him because it gave her the idea that they were sharing an indirect kiss.
Therefore, she snatched the bowl from him and finished the pudding in a gulp as she raised her brows at Sean provocatively. “It’s yummy.” But you can’t have any of it.
Amused by her reaction, he chuckled loudly, and Dahlia looked at them once more before hastily keeping away the tray and leaving quietly.
In the meantime, Lina was still waiting at the door, and it was all she could do to stop herself from sticking her ear to the door to eavesdrop. When Dahlia came out with an empty bowl, her eyes practically sparkled. “They finished it?”
“Yes, but it’s a shame that Ms. Abigail is the only one who ate it,” Dahlia answered softly.
“It’s not a problem. As long as he’s a man, he won’t be able to turn her down,” Lina said. This time, I’m sure I’ll get a grandchild! “Clean the bowl and don’t leave any traces behind,” she added, sounding satisfied.

Colby had been an upright man all his life and would never tolerate something like this. Even if Abigail wanted to have a child, Sean would have to be a willing party as well.
Although Abigail was highly discomfited by Lina’s words, she only answered obediently, “Okay.”
Colby couldn’t help but frown upon his wife’s actions. “The kids rarely come home as it is. Don’t bring this up at every chance you’ve got.”
“Don’t deny it. You want a grandchild as badly as I do,” Lina snapped.
Nonetheless, he changed the topic. “Abigail, some rumors have been going around outside recently. What do you think about them?”
Abigail maintained her usual meek demeanor. “I trust that Sean will handle it well.”
Her answer was well-received by Colby. “Ignore what the masses are saying. You’re the only granddaughter-in-law the Graham Family acknowledges. That woman who isn’t recognized by us will never enter our doors.”
“You should work harder and bear him a child. Then, he’ll come home naturally,” Lina added. When Colby was about to lose his temper, she quickly stopped herself from saying more. “Okay, I’ll stop. Stay here for the night. I’ve prepared your favorite food for dinner.”
Abigail wanted to say something, but Lina had already risen to her feet and paced into the kitchen happily.
When Colby’s stern, sharp eyes fell on Abigail’s face, they turned soft and gentle. “Don’t take Lina’s words to heart. She just wants you and Sean to have a blissful, complete family of your own.”
“Yes, I know,” she answered softly.
He sighed at the sight of her looking so dim as though the fire in her had gone out. “How is your grandmother doing?”
Abigail’s face softened into a warm look at the mention of her grandmother. In fact, she appeared a great deal happier. “She’s doing well.”
“Is she still unwilling to move here and live with you?” Colby inquired.
Abigail was in a trance for a couple of seconds before answering, “She’s used to life in a village and finds the city too noisy for her liking, but I’ve asked some villagers to help me keep a lookout for her.”
Colby was an old friend of Abigail’s grandparents, Theodore Quinn and Analise Stein, and she chatted with him about some trivial stuff regarding Analise. She even knew how often Analise fed her chickens today, which showed how attentive she was to Analise.
Colby felt as though he was looking at another person through her face as he regarded her. “Theodore is lucky to have you.”
Abigail paused for a second before breaking into a smile. “No, I’m the lucky one to be brought up by them.”
However, he said no more on the matter.

After dinner, Sean and Abigail retreated into their bedroom. This was the first time they were spending the night in the Graham Estate after their wedding night.
While Abigail was feeling a little uneasy, Sean broke the silence. “Grandma went for a physical checkup yesterday and her heart is not as it used to be. Thank you for agreeing to her request to stay the night.”
Abigail nodded expressionlessly. “You’re welcome. This is what I should do.” For the sake of 2.8 million, I can sleep anywhere, she added silently in her heart and walked further into the room decisively.
This was their marital suite and was originally decorated in black and white color schemes, which made the room simple and cold, but a soft carpet was just recently added. The lights were not turned on; only a red-colored, thick candle was lit on the coffee table in the living area.
Abigail stopped halfway and couldn’t stop herself from recalling their first night as husband and wife. It didn’t help that the candlelight danced at the exact same angle.
That time, she thought that they would treat each other politely on their first night together, but somehow, they found themselves tangled in each other’s arms later. After that night, Sean suspected that she had drugged him and ignored her for a very long time afterward.
Her memories of this room didn’t bring her any fond memories, and she could clearly remember how agonizing her first time was. To make matters worse, Sean was half-mad at the time and refused to let her rest.
So, she closed her eyes and swallowed any bitterness that was welling up within her as she recollected herself for a moment and turned around to head out. “I-I’ll ask for another room from Dahlia.”
Sean frowned. “Do you want Grandpa and Grandma to know that we’re sleeping separately?”
A surge of hot steam rushed into her head, and she took a few deep breaths before saying dispassionately, “Okay, we’ll sleep on separate beds, then. You’ll take the couch.”
The frown on his face deepened. “Why should I be the one to take the couch when I’m not the one who came up with the idea to sleep separately?” he pointed out in disgruntlement.
A speechless Abigail thought, Fine, I’ll take the couch. It’s only one night. There’s no reason for me to give a sh*t when he’s not even worried that Joan will be jealous.
Outside the room, Lina took a look at the bowl on the tray Dahlia was holding and asked in a whisper, “Did you add it in already?”
“Yes, I added it according to the dosage. It won’t cause them any damage,” Dahlia replied in a hushed voice. “But, are you sure it’s okay to do this?”
“I don’t see any problem with it. She has everything to gain if she’s pregnant. If she’s still not pregnant after this, I’m afraid that she wouldn’t be able to bear a child. I have to make early preparations if that happens. Now, go on and make her eat this,” Lina instructed with a stone-cold face.

“Accompany me to the Graham Estate tonight. Grandpa wants to see you.”
Abigail stared at the stack of canceled orders in her hands. She was already extremely frustrated, to begin with, but hearing Sean’s voice now only added fuel to her fury. Thus, she said indifferently, “I’m not in the position to visit the Graham Estate.”
At the other end of the line, Sean was quiet for a few seconds before ordering, “We’re not divorced yet. You cannot decide whether you want to go or not.”
Due to certain reasons, Sean was raised by his grandparents, Colby Graham and Lina Toth, and listened to everything they said. Therefore, he didn’t object when they wanted him to marry Abigail. During three years of his secret marriage to Abigail, his understanding of the obligations of a husband and a wife, besides the monthly coitus, was visiting the Graham Estate regularly to show Colby and Lina how blissful they were as a form of assurance.
Whoever made the elderly couple sad was Sean’s enemy.
If this call had happened any other time, she would have thought that he was being self-centered and demanding again. Yet, right when her company was in a crisis, he called and threatened her to go to the Graham Estate with him.
She couldn’t help but let out a contemptuous chuckle. My three years of love and dedication were for nothing. Not a single shard of it had touched Sean. For Joan’s sake, he’s willing to go as far as exterminating me.
So, she took a deep breath and went straight to the point. “Will you solve the crisis at the studio if I go to the Graham Estate with you?”
Sean agreed without even thinking twice. “Okay. I’ll pick you up tonight.” After he hung up, his spirits were better than he imagined, and his lips even curved upward unintentionally.
He rarely took the initiative to contact Abigail and he would usually ask his assistant to contact her whenever Colby wanted him to visit with her. However, he decided to make this call personally because she had been throwing a tantrum recently. So, in his opinion, this call would serve as an out for her.
…
Sean called an internal line and gave his order emotionlessly, “Find out what issues L.Moon has encountered. There’s no need to inform me about anything and just take care of it straight away.”
Before the day was over, more than half of the canceled orders at L.Moon were restored. While Luna was still worried about the 2.8 million that they owed to the factory, the customers with canceled orders had all returned to her. They agreed to raise the price to compensate for the losses of the studio, and some even directly transferred the final payment without further prompting.

So, she turned to Abigail with a look that was mixed with surprise and concern. “Did Sean do this?”
Abigail’s heart, face, and words were equally cold as she uttered, “Yeah. A meal in exchange for 2.8 million. That’s a good deal.”
At 7.00PM, Sean arrived on time to pick her up, and they went to the Graham Estate without any exchange of words.
Before they entered the yard, he stopped in his tracks suddenly. When he caught sight of the deadpan look on her face, he grumbled in disgruntlement, “With this expression of yours, Grandpa will definitely smell a rat.”
In a split second, she curled her lips into a professional smile. “Fret not. I’ll finish the act since I’ve already given you my word.”
Sean’s eyes turned gloomy, and a ball of frustration welled up in his chest. She says that she’s acting, which means she still wants a divorce. But I’ve already solved the crisis for her studio. Why is she still unhappy? There was only one reason he could think of, and he asked in sarcasm, “Did you already find your next husband?”
Abigail wiped the smile off her face and answered provocatively, “So what if I did?” Does he think that he’s the only one with special privileges and then condemn me if I do the same?
The spot between his brows twitched in annoyance, but before he could say anything, the main gates swung open, and Dahlia greeted them with a surprised smile. “Mr. Sean and Ms. Abigail, you’re back!”
Sean held back his tongue and muttered softly in acknowledgment before walking in. After they were indoors and changed into indoor slippers, one of them went upstairs to look for Maverick, Sean’s father, while the other went to the living room to meet Colby and Lina.
Lina called Abigail to her side and observed her body. “You’re still not pregnant?” she asked and sighed. Then, she steered the conversation away. “It’s alright. Try again next month.”
Although her last statement carried no blame, it sounded like a curse to Abigail. There was no need for complicated incantations from Lina. Just those words were enough for her to tense up as it served as a regular reminder that this marriage was never equal when it started.
Before this, she would prepare for pregnancy so diligently because she thought that Lina was sincerely concerned about her. Until one day when she accidentally overheard Lina’s conversation with Dahlia, the butler, and heard the disdain in her voice. “Back then, I agreed to their marriage solely because I wanted her to bear our family a descendant. Her grandfather owes us a life, so it has to be paid with life as well, and I can only acknowledge that the debt is paid after a child is born. Otherwise, I wonder whether the Quinn Family is just taking advantage of us because we’re indebted to them.”

Unfortunately, sleep had caught up with Abigail, so she did not hear a thing that came out of Luna’s lips.
When she woke up, she realized that Luna hadn’t parked the car at the studio and had parked it at a new residential area instead. So, there was a confused look on her face as she stared at Luna playing on her cell phone, asking, “Is there a customer?”
When Luna saw that she was awake, she jingled the keys in her hands. “Yep, I’m bringing you to experience life!”
After Abigail got out of the car, she realized that there was no customer at all. Instead, Luna had secretly bought a cozy three-bedroom apartment that was sufficient for her to live alone.
Then, she said in concern, “Living at the studio is not a long-term solution. You can’t sleep well and it’s not safe, either. This apartment is close to the studio, and since you’re in the midst of settling your divorce, I’m worried that the jerk will take your property. So, I’ve bought this place under my name for now, but it will be yours once you’ve regained your freedom.”
Abigail clutched the keys in her hands and was at a loss for words.
Luna waved her hand nonchalantly. “Hey, you earned this. You’ve always refused to accept bonuses from the company, so take it as me returning all the bonuses you rightfully deserve. I’m pinning my hopes on your designs to take me to greater heights!”
Abigail stopped being modest after Luna’s words and accepted the keys willingly.
The next morning, she was woken up by a phone call, and when she checked her phone, she was surprised to find thirty-three missed calls.
Thirty-two of them were from Luna while the other one was from Sean.
So, she immediately called Luna and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing, I just wanted to remind you to take a break. I was worried that the designs couldn’t make the deadline, but some customers claimed that the dresses did not meet their requirements and insisted on canceling their orders at the cost of forfeiting their deposits. Now, all the finished designs are hanging in the store and our efforts in the past days have been in vain.”
A frown appeared on Abigail’s face. “The dresses don’t fit their requirements?”
The studio had been operating for years, but nothing like this had happened before. They were a small studio with some minor fame, so it wasn’t enough to have a big brand to target them to this extent.
Her grip on the phone tightened, and her fingertips turned white. “Hang on. I’m coming over right now.”
After she ended the call, she ordered a ride, rushed to the studio, and replied to Luna’s text messages on the way. Suddenly, her Instagram sent a push notification to her of a story update that Joan had just posted.
Abigail had forgotten when she ever started following her and neither could she recall why, but she tapped on the notification to check it out.

‘The happiest thing in this world is probably someone turning the world upside-down for you over something small,’ Joan captioned with a selfie. The background was the building of East Joy Entertainment, and the lower right corner of the picture was the half-shoulder of a man. The material of the suit he was wearing was of superior quality and the design was fashionable.
This was the suit he was wearing when she met Sean at Kevin’s place today.
It seemed that he decided to destroy her studio without any regard for the livelihood of her legal wife just because he couldn’t get Alana’s designs. What a sc*mbag! With a stroke of determination, she tapped on ‘Unfollow’ and turned off the screen of her phone in frustration.
…
Meanwhile, the studio was in a mess. The phones were ringing off their hooks and Abigail picked up some of the words the assistants in the studio were saying, and mostly were about order cancellation.
“Did you contact our customers? What did they say?”
At first, Luna didn’t want her to worry, but seeing that there was no end to the order cancellation calls, she couldn’t control herself and lost a gasket. “They just gave us all sorts of silly excuses saying that the designs are not suitable. Finally, I got some information from an old customer. They only mentioned that they were paid to do this and asked whether we offended someone.”
Who else can we offend except Sean Graham? “How much did we lose?” Abigail asked bluntly.
“These orders are tailored-made dresses according to customers’ requirements. I planned to clear the payment with the factory after getting the final payment from the customers. Now that they’re not taking the dresses, we won’t get the final payment to pay what we owe to the factory. Adding everything together, we lost about… 2 to 2.8 million…”
2.8 million… He’s out to bankrupt us! Abigail thought, utterly furious, and almost couldn’t catch her breath. Just when she wanted to say something, her phone started ringing. So, she took a quick glance at it and saw that the caller was Sean.

Luna smiled, entered the elevator, and walked straight in the direction of the president’s office. Once she arrived at the door, she heard an idle voice from inside, asking, “Alana, is that you?”
The two ladies froze at the door and stared at Kevin in utter astonishment. It didn’t help that the man had also personally come out of the office to greet them.
Eventually, it was Luna who reacted first. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Stewart. I’m Alana and also the owner of L.Moon, Luna Smith.”
Although he was shaking hands with Luna, Kevin fixed his gaze on Abigail. “She is…”
“She is my assistant,” Luna explained hastily.
Kevin almost burst into laughter upon hearing that. Then, he turned around and teased the person inside, “Sean, is your family going bankrupt?”
Abigail followed his gaze and looked inside. Unfortunately for her, she immediately saw a familiar figure sitting on the couch with his back facing the door.
Abigail could still recognize it was Sean at a glance even if it was merely a silhouette. Hence, she couldn’t help but curl her lips in annoyance. It’s true when they say opponents always stumble upon one another. Look at us! I can’t believe I would meet him here after we didn’t get to meet at the City Hall this morning.
Likewise, Sean was looking at her with apparent suspicion in his eyes.
The oblivious Kevin shifted his gaze between the two as he smiled and said, “Miss Smith, I have been waiting for your arrival. Please come in.”
Abigail looked away nonchalantly and followed Luna, who was trying her best to play the role of an assistant.
Now that the cooperation between East Joy Talent and L.Moon was practically finalized, all that remained was Kevin’s final decision.
Although Luna wasn’t the real Alana, she still knew her design concept and strength thoroughly by heart from her years as Abigail’s best friend. Hence, she wasn’t afraid of being not-so-subtly interrogated.
Soon, it was time to sign the contract.
Unexpectedly, Kevin pushed the contract aside and said with a smile, “Miss Smith, there’s no rush in signing the contract. Before we sign the contract, I have a presumptuous request. There is a friend of mine who would like to ask you to design a dress that is solely for him. This isn’t included in the contract, so I’ll let you set the price. Of course, this is only if the dress could be completed before our company’s fashion gala next month.”
Only Sean was the other person present in the huge office other than Kevin that wasn’t from L.Moon Studio. Hence, even a fool could figure out who this friend was.
Therefore, Luna shot Kevin a faint smile as she inwardly cursed him to hell and back. Meanwhile, she outwardly replied in a polite manner, “Mr. Stewart, my husband has just passed away recently, so I’m afraid I can’t design a dress that will satisfy your friend’s needs. I don’t want to spoil such a joyous event and ruin your friendship.”
After that, she stood up without hesitation and picked up the contract. “Since you still need time to consider our cooperation, I shall take this contract with me. We still have other businesses to attend to. So, we shall take our leave.”
“Wait!” Kevin stretched out his hand, attempting to ask them to stay. I was just casually bringing up the topic. I never said I wouldn’t sign the contract!

To his dismay, the two clearly had no intention of sticking around any longer, for they simply departed without even a backward glance.
When Kevin quickly realized that the famous Alana, who finally agreed to meet him, took off just like that, he focused his gaze on Sean suspiciously. “Hey! Abigail is Alana’s assistant. So, why didn’t you just ask her for help?” Instead, he still needs to indirectly communicate through me!
“Did you two have a fight?” Kevin mumbled to himself, “It doesn’t seem like it. When her car hit my car earlier during her arrival, her eyes still lit up at the mention of you.”
Lit up? Well, of course, it did. However, it didn’t light up because of love. Instead, it’s because of money.
Sean gave him a cold look before stating, “Your father was right in not naming you as the successor of the Stewarts.” He will lose all the wealth his family has built for years sooner or later.
After that, he grabbed his coat, got up, and left.
…
Once Abigail stepped out of the building, she sneezed loudly. Then, she rubbed her eyes and snappishly speculated the two gentlemen were criticizing her harshly in the office.
As for Luna, she immediately took off her sunglasses and spat, “That good-for-nothing Graham! You have yet to divorce him, but he dares to pull off such a dishonest act?! In my opinion, you are right to file a divorce. It’s best to cut ties with a sc*mbag like him before it’s too late!”
Since she had always been a hot-tempered person, she naturally didn’t hesitate when she was in the mood to scold a person. “How could he think of asking his wife to customize a dress for his mistress?! She isn’t worthy of wearing the clothes you designed!”
At this moment, Luna lashed all her frustration and resentment from having lost the opportunity to sign a profitable business deal with East Joy Talent at Sean.
Meanwhile, Abigail merely curled her lips into a bitter smile. Even though what Luna said was facts and heart-wrenching, she really didn’t feel anything now.
Currently, divorcing Sean as soon as possible was her top priority.
“We should hurry up and leave. Otherwise, we will definitely lose both the deal and our money if Kevin chases us down here and demands the money for his car,” Abigail said rationally. “Besides, why bother lowering ourselves to the same level as a lowlife?”
Sean, who chased after her, only managed to hear these words out of the entire conversation. In an instant, his face darkened in anger. First, she uses me as a decoy. Now, she calls me a lowlife?! Excellent! Truly excellent!
Abigail and Luna, on the other hand, didn’t notice his presence at all. As they chatted, they swiftly got into the car. Then, Luna started the engine and drove out of the building resolutely.
Luna was still indignant halfway through the journey. “By the way, I have successfully gotten the invitation card for East Joy Talent’s fashion gala. I will attend the gala with you that evening. If he dares to bully you, I’m going to slap him and his mistress hard in the face!”

“How much does this car cost?” Luna stared at the supercar, which got caught under the back of her Volkswagen, through the rearview mirror and asked wryly, “Are both our net worths enough to pay for the damages?”
Abigail blinked and teased, “It wasn’t on purpose? I thought you hit the car because you were mad at the driver for stealing your parking space.”
“I panicked, but I certainly was no fool!” Luna’s facial expression twisted in pain at the thought of the amount of compensation she would have to pay.
Abigail leaned over to help her put the gearbox in parking mode and pulled the handbrake before opening the door and getting out of the car. “I’ll check it out.”
At the same time, the owner of the supercar stepped out too. It was a handsome man with a height of 6’2″ feet. He was wearing a pair of oversized black sunglasses, which covered half of his face and only revealed his attractive nose as well as overly rosy lips. Once he saw Abigail step out of the Volkswagen, he momentarily stopped chewing the gum in his mouth and smiled. “Miss Slim Waist, have we met before? Why do I feel you look awfully familiar?”
Likewise, Abigail thought he looked familiar too. Therefore, she approached him and took a closer look. Then, she immediately realized that the man was none other than Kevin Stewart, Sean’s closest and best friend, who grew up with him. However, she merely met him once, which was two years ago. At that time, Sean was drunk. So, she had to ferry his wasted *ss home and consequently greeted Kevin in the process.
Abigail’s eyes wandered back and forth between the disastrous state of the head of Kevin’s supercar and his face. Then, she curled her lips into a smile and tentatively called out, “Kevin?”
Kevin was taken aback. So, he raised his hand, pushed his black sunglasses up, and squinted his fox eyes as he looked at her. “Miss Slim Waist, have we indeed met before?”
“I’m Abigail Quinn.”
Kevin thought about it for a few seconds before recalling who Abigail was. Then, he reflexively straightened and greeted, “Abigail…”
She didn’t bother wasting her breath explaining her newly single status as she glanced at the head of Kevin’s supercar and said, “About your car…”
Kevin clapped his hands and continued, “It’s my fault! I was in a hurry for a meet-up, so I thought of racing for a parking space. It’s nothing serious. I’ll just claim the car insurance later.”
Thus, she smiled. “Sure. You can claim the car repair expenses from Sean.”
He swiftly dismissed her suggestion by saying, “No, I can’t do that! It’s no big deal. You can just go your own way!”
Abigail turned around and left. Once she got into the Volkswagen, she stared at Luna, who was covered in cold sweat and utterly dumbfounded. “What are you doing? Drive! Drive to the parking lot of the opposite shopping mall.”

“Oh, okay.” Although Luna remained in the car, she had heard every word between Abigail and Kevin’s conversation. Therefore, she was slightly startled. “Are you not afraid that he would tattle to Sean later?”
“I will decide what to do when that happens. Right now, all we need is to make sure we are safe through the afternoon.” Abigail looked wholly indifferent. “If we are forced to spend three hours negotiating with him, not only would we have to pay the damages, but we would also lose a business deal.” Moreover, Kevin is super close with Sean. He won’t fuss about such a trivial amount of money.
After a few seconds of silence, Abigail warned, “You will be Alana while I’ll be your assistant once we arrive at East Joy Talent later.”
Luna asked in utter bewilderment, “Why? Are you planning on giving me credit for your achievements now?”
Abigail glared at her. “Are you an idiot? What if the place where Kevin rushed to for his meet-up was in East Joy Talent? What if he finds out that I am Alana? What should I do if he tells Sean?” Furthermore, I have just announced that my husband is dead and I’m now a widow. Sean will undoubtedly kill me if he knows that I am Alana!
Luna fell silent.
The two parked the car in the shopping mall across from the building. Then, they puttered aimlessly for a while. At 3.00PM, they set off to East Joy Talent after feeling that they wouldn’t be so unlucky to bump into Kevin again.
The receptionist involuntarily took a second look at them upon hearing that they were from L.Moon Studio. “Are you Ms. Alana?” she asked in a low voice.
Since Luna was afraid of being discovered, she bought a pair of black sunglasses and put them on when she came over. She deliberately steeled her nerves before intentionally answering in a whisper, “Yes. This is my assistant.”
The receptionist led the two to the elevator as unabashed adoration appeared on her face. “Our president has been waiting for you!”

Abigail’s eyebrows twitched when she heard Sean’s slightly insulting remark. He is free to attend the meeting with Joan and accompany her to try on a wedding dress, but when it comes to finalizing our divorce settlement, he is annoyed by having to wait another 20 minutes! Damn! He needs to get things straight! It is I who decided not to humiliate him and Joan by voluntarily ending our marriage, not the other way around!
When she thought of this, she attempted to calm herself down by taking a deep breath. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door from the other end of the phone. “Sean, you didn’t go to the City Hall at all, did you?” Abigail instantly changed the topic.
“Do you honestly think everyone has the habit of going back on their words like you?” Sean scoffed coldly.
When Abigail heard what he said, she became certain that he wasn’t at the City Hall. “Okay then. Take a picture of the City Hall front entrance and send it to me—”
Sean immediately hung up the phone before she could finish her sentence.
So, she tossed her phone aside as she cursed in a low voice, “Ugh! Sc*mbag!”
As for Luna, who was tidying up the clothes she had changed halfway, she joined in and rudely ragged at Sean as well. “What sort of undignified thing did he do again?”
A still fuming Abigail replied waspishly, “God knows! I admit that it’s my fault that I’m running late, so I have patiently asked him to wait a while. It turns out that he, too, didn’t go to the City Hall. Yet, he has the audacity to lose his temper!” Hah! He thinks he has the right to do whatever he wants while I don’t, eh?!
As soon as Abigail said that, Luna received a message on her phone. She picked it up and took a look at the message before rolling her eyes with contempt. Afterward, she handed her phone to Abigail, asking her to read it too. “Sean is paying a lot of money to reserve an appointment with you the day after tomorrow.”
Well, to be precise, Sean wanted to meet Alana. Well, well. For someone who couldn’t wait another 20 minutes for me, this b*stard sure has plenty of time to make an appointment to meet Alana.
Such thoughts made Abigail nearly crush the phone. Her gaze turned chilly as she said, “I’m busy with widowhood!”
At present, she only had one thought in her mind, which was divorce. I need to immediately finalize our divorce!
So, Luna retrieved her phone to play with it for a second before quoting Abigail’s statement and replying to her assistant.

After that, she placed her phone down and analyzed the situation. “Sean wants to meet you probably because he wants you to make a dress for Joan. East Joy Talent will hold a fashion gala next month, and I heard she is also on the list. Considering how private this event is, I suppose Sean has spent a large sum of money just to get her in.”
Perhaps she was numb at this point, for she no longer felt as heartache as before when she heard Luna’s words. She merely twitched the corner of her lips in disdain. Of course, he spends heavily on this. After all, not only is he getting Joan in, but he is also looking for dresses designed by Alana to aid her.
When Luna saw that Abigail was showing no reaction, she couldn’t hold back her temper and slammed her hand hard on the table. “Are you for real?! You’re actually allowing his mistress to bully you?!”
Meanwhile, Abigail remained expressionless. “If you have an idea to make Sean go bankrupt, I don’t mind joining in.” It takes two to tango. Joan won’t stand a chance to interfere with our marriage if Sean hasn’t decided to cheat on me. Ultimately, Sean was the one who failed to stay loyal to our marriage. Besides, why should I downgrade myself by quarreling with a mistress who doesn’t even know who I am?
Abigail wiped her face and hurriedly changed the subject when she saw that Luna was like a dog on a bone, refusing to let this matter go. “Didn’t you mention an important client last time?”
Luna replied in a lukewarm manner, “Oh, it’s East Joy Talent. The boss happens to be in Pendorf today, so he wants to meet you and discuss some details. But I have yet to say yes.”
East Joy Talent—an entertainment agency that houses many well-known A-list actresses. Their celebrities constantly attend various fashion events, awards ceremonies, and various parties throughout the years. As a result, their demand for dress rentals is way higher than their peers. Forget next year, our entire studio’s reputation will surely reach a higher level if we manage to cooperate with them. As soon as this thought crossed Abigail’s mind, she instantly cheered up. “What are we waiting for? Only an idiot would let go of an opportunity to earn more money! Come! Let’s go now!”
Luna rolled her eyes and hit upon an idea when her eyes laid on Abigail’s slim waist.
At 2.00PM, Abigail and Luna arrived downstairs of the East Joy Talent’s building.
Just as Luna was about to park the car, a dashing blue supercar, which was diagonally behind them, drifted and drove toward the parking space that she had seen.
This caused Luna to panic as she instinctively stepped on the gas pedal.
Like a shot, the two cars hit each other with a loud bang.