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Reporters flooded toward me, microphones nearly shoved in my face.
“Ms. Barrison, are you the wife of Mr. Lyon, who has been out of the public eye for so long?”
“Ms. Barrison, was this all planned?”
“Did you intentionally break up Mr. Lyon and Ms. Phelps?”
One question after another drowned me.
With the help of my colleagues, I finally managed to retreat backstage.
I looked at the brooch on my collar, and an inexplicable pain surged within me.
Fabian…
All these years, yet you still didn’t understand me.
By the time I returned home, it was already ten at night.
Fabian was sitting on the sofa, his face cold. Julie, sitting beside him, was sobbing softly.
When she saw me, her sobs grew louder.
“Palma, you didn’t have to embarrass me like that in front of everyone,” she whined, her voice
full of grievance.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
She was really good at playing the victim.
Ignoring her, I walked upstairs to pack my things.
Behind me, I heard Fabian’s voice.
“Palma, our marriage isn’t a joke. I hope you think this through.”
His voice was distant and cold.
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08:34 Mon, 10 Feb MB B
I quickened my movements as I packed.
Finally, when I snapped the suitcase shut, I turned and met Fabian’s gaze.
“Fabian, I’ve thought it through. Please sign the divorce papers as soon as possible.”
Without waiting for a response, I grabbed my suitcase and walked past him, heading
downstairs.
For the first time, Fabian followed me, his voice sounding urgent.
“Palma, Julie’s all alone. What’s wrong with me giving her a little more? You have everything already. What more do you need from her? Palma, are you really this petty?”
I stopped in the living room.
Julie was still sitting on the sofa, tears falling freely.
“Fabian, maybe I should leave. Don’t fight with Palma,” she said, getting up with a limp and heading for the door.
Fabian rushed to help her, and they began pulling at each other.
I felt a headache coming on.
This was not the first time I had witnessed this kind of scene.
In the past, I would’ve been frantic, demanding Julie leave and accusing Fabian of all his wrongdoings.
But now, I just wanted to leave.
I coldly placed my suitcase in the trunk, quickly got into the car, and drove away.
In the rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of Fabian’s stunned expression.
When he was nothing more than a distant black dot, I let out a long sigh.
It felt as though a heavy stone had been lifted from my chest.
By the time I got home, my parents were waiting at the door.
Dad wrapped me in a tight hug, his voice filled with concern. “Take care of yourself. I’ll handle
the rest.”
I nodded, tears streaming down my face.
Mom hurriedly draped a fur coat over my shoulders and held my hand tightly as she led me inside.
I had barely sat down when Fabian’s messages arrived.
[Where are you? Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?]
[How dare you make the decision to abort my child!]
[Palma, say something!]
I read the messages but didn’t respond. I set my phone down and accepted the dessert my mom had handed me.
The sweetness filled me, and for the first time in five years, I felt truly at ease.
Just as I was savoring the moment, the doorbell rang.
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Fabian stormed in, his face filled with rage. When he saw my parents, his anger seemed to subside slightly.
“I’m here to take Palma home.”
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08:34 on, 10 Feb 2018 18.
He sat down on the sofa after speaking.
Dad snorted in response.
“Fabian, we don’t need your family to survive. We’ve known all along how much my daughter has suffered these five years of marriage. She’s kind–hearted, so she didn’t hold it against you. But I’m her father, and I won’t stay silent.”
Dad’s words hit home, and Fabian sat frozen on the sofa, stunned.
He hadn’t expected my father to react this way.
In the past, whenever I ran away from home and he came to take me back, Dad would always send us off with kind words.
But this time, it was different from what he had imagined.
Fabian’s gaze landed on me, his mouth opening and closing, unable to say a word.
The door opened, and Julie ran in, her face streaked with tears.
“Mr. and Mrs. Barrison, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have upset Palma. Please forgive Fabian. I’m
begging you.”
She fell to her knees, and Fabian rushed to help her up.
I watched the scene unfold before me.
“Fabian, if you send Julie away, I’ll go home with you,” I said, my voice steady.
