Chapter 11
Even her tailbone, which had been aching nonstop for two days, felt significantly better.
Still… this wasn’t where she was supposed to be.
She frowned and reached for her phone to call the hotel front desk-only to pause mid-motion, catching a faint trace of agarwood on her clothes.
For a second, she was disoriented.
Then, as clarity returned, she gave a slight, self-mocking smile. Wordlessly, she picked up a familiar jar of custom ointment from the nightstand, packed up her things, and checked out.
Back home, the atmosphere was… suspiciously pleasant.
As if all the tension of the past few days had only ever existed because she was there.
“Lottic, you’re back!” Esther greeted her cheerfully, grinning from car to car.
Clearly, Nigel had smoothed things over with sweet words the night before.
Lottie couldn’t be bothered to respond.
But Esther wasn’t going to let her off that easily. She stepped forward, casually tucking her hair behind her car to re- veal a pair of dazzling pink diamond carrings.
Collector-grade pink diamonds. Rare and striking.
A set Lottie had loved for years.
They’d finally resurfaced at auction, and Nigel had promised to win them for her.
He’d told her that soft pink suited her perfectly. That she’d look beautiful in them.
No doubt he’d said the exact same thing when giving them to Esther.
Noticing the flicker of disappointment in Lottie’s expression, Esther smiled wider, tilting her head innocently. “I heard from Grandma you know a thing or two about jewelry. Take a look-these earrings cost over 3 million dollars. Think they’re worth it? Nigel bought them for me.”
“They’re fine.”
Lottie kept her tone light, masking the bitterness beneath. “Oh, by the way-we’re still legally married. So technically, half of that 3 million dollars comes from our joint assets.”
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Chapter 11
1288 Vouchers
She pulled out her phone and tapped a few times. “If I remember correctly, the earrings were exactly 4 million dol- lars. So, dear Esther, please transfer 2 million dollars to this account before midnight. Otherwise, I’ll have to ask Grandma for my share.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Esther’s phone buzzed.
A WhatsApp message-with the bank account number.
Her face turned white with rage.
‘That bitch!
‘Always using the old hag to threaten me!
‘2 million dollars?’
The Mathis family hadn’t even split the inheritance yet. After Greg died, her share barely added up to five million!
Lottie couldn’t care less if she could afford it or not.
After a shower, she began quietly decluttering-clearing out anything unnecessary ahead of time.
It would make things easier when she left.
She tossed items into the trash bin one after another without hesitation.
Lottie had never been the sentimental type.
Even her wedding dress-she packed it up without a second thought and asked Corinne to help carry it downstairs to be thrown out.
That was the moment Nigel walked in.
His eyes landed on the crumpled, hastily packed dress, and a wave of unease washed over him. “Why are you taking out your wedding dress?”
Lottie met his gaze, calm and unflinching. “Tossing it.”
‘Useless things… don’t deserve to be kept.’
Hearing the casual calm in her voice, Nigel felt something sharp jab at his chest.
He frowned. “Why are you suddenly getting rid of it? Didn’t you always treasure that wedding dress?”
Lottie didn’t deny it.
For the past three years, she’d kept a special spot in her walk-in closet just for that dress. Every year, she sent it out for professional cleaning and care.
But the reason she cherished it was simple: she believed a person only got married once, and that dress should be a meaningful keepsake.
Now? They were getting divorced.
And Nigel would probably bring his true love home the moment the ink dried on the papers.
That wedding dress-just like her-was now something unnecessary in this house.
She smiled faintly. “It’s ruined. I noticed a big tear in it the other day.”
