Chapter 10 

After the mandatory waiting period for our divorce concluded, we chose a day when everyone’s schedules aligned to finalize it. I stood at the entrance of City Hall, scanning the surroundings, but Grady was nowhere to be found. After making about ten calls, someone finally answered. 

“Matilda, what’s up? If you need something from Grady, you can just tell me directly,” said Catherine Elliott. Last time we were at the office, Grady had spoken to her harshly, leaving her in tears, yet here she was, casually chatting with me as if nothing had ever happened. He must have spent ample time reassuring her outside of work, but at this point, I was indifferent. 

“Tell him he needs to come to City Hall right now,” I said flatly. Catherine apologized, saying, “I’m sorry, Matilda. Grady mentioned he’s busy today. If you want to see him, you’ll need to set up an appointment.” 

“Regardless of whether you’re his ex-wife or current one, I can’t bend the rules. Would you like to book a time?” Her tone irritated me. I hung up and decided to go directly to his office. Unable to locate him, I even called his mother, Audrey, who claimed she had no idea where Grady was either. 

When I reached the office, I was surprised to see Audrey had arrived before me. As I entered, I witnessed Audrey vehemently scolding and physically confronting Catherine. “You shameless woman, meddling in someone’s marriage knowing he’s taken!” 

Catherine was defenseless against Audrey’s wrath, cowering like a frightened bird. She cried out for assistance, but since Audrey was the owner’s mother, no one dared to intervene. Perhaps the employees had long harbored distaste for Catherine and were relishing her predicament. 

Grady remained hidden, letting his mother deal with Catherine Elliott. Yet, after all these years, I knew him too well. I found a male colleague and asked him to bring Grady out of the men’s room. 

“Boss, your wife is waiting for you outside,” Kamari Schmidt informed him. Grady reluctantly emerged, embarrassed to face his staff 

under such circumstances. 

“Matilda, wasn’t your goal to see Catherine punished? Mom’s already taken care of that, so are you satisfied now? Can we avoid the divorce?” he pleaded. 

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Even now, he thought my desire to divorce him was driven by jealousy over Catherine. I pointed at him and sincerely said, “I’m divorcing you because of who you are, not anyone else.” 

“Catherine Elliott may have become involved out of love, but you don’t even pity her. Instead, you use her as a pawn. You have no 

shame.” 

I unleashed years of pent-up frustration on him. For so long, I hadn’t uttered a harsh word to him, but today I released it all. “Any woman with you is bound to suffer!” I exclaimed. 

Grabbing him by the arm, I pulled him out of the office, hailed a cab, and pushed him inside. He thought remaining hidden would prevent the divorce, but he underestimated my resolve to leave. 

After exiting City Hall, I felt a tremendous sense of relief. Grady’s eyes were filled with conflicting emotions, but he couldn’t stop our marriage from dissolving. 

“Matilda, are you heading home now? I can return to the office and drive you,” he offered. 

I shook my head and squinted into the distance, finally spotting a familiar car. Dean Murphy was already waiting for me outside City Hall. Dressed in a sharp black suit and holding a bouquet of roses, he approached me steadily. 

I took Dean’s arm and shot a challenging look at Grady. “No need for a ride. My knight in shining armor is here.” 

Dean had harbored feelings for me for many years and only confessed his love after my divorce. Under Grady’s watchful eye, I 

stepped into Dean’s car, and he attentively adjusted my seat. Grady watched us, perhaps remembering when he had done the same, but now, the person beside me was someone else. 

Three years later, Dean earned his PhD and proposed to me at his graduation ceremony. We swiftly entered into marriage and soon welcomed our child. 

During a prenatal check-up at the hospital, we ran into Catherine Elliott. After being kicked out of Grady’s company, she had latched onto an older man and became pregnant, hoping to secure his wealth through the child. The man’s wife forced Catherine to terminate the pregnancy, threatening legal action for defamation if she refused. 

We saw her immediately following her procedure while waiting for our appointment. I chuckled quietly, pretending not to notice her. Once, she had caused the loss of my child; today, she lost hers. What goes around comes around, and she finally faced her own. 

reckoning. 

As for the child I lost, it had found its way back to us.