Chapter 2 Empty Promises

• Mary, who had seen to Yvonne's needs for the past three years, had naturally grown fond of the young woman. The housekeeper would be delighted if Jonathan liked Yvonne.
• She exclaimed, “Why are you suddenly seeking a divorce, Mr. Lawson? I know you can't force yourself to develop feelings for someone, but why not take the time to know each other a little better? Old Mr. Lawson may have arranged this marriage, but Mrs. Lawson is—”
• “There's someone more suitable than her,” Jonathan said as he interrupted Mary.
• Yvonne looked up and stared at the proud man, who barely spared her a glance.
• This is my paper husband? And he already has someone else in his heart?
• She recalled how passionate he had been in bed the night before, a far cry from his presently hostile demeanor.
• I said no to him multiple times, yet he insisted on having his way again and again! He even swore he would take responsibility for me.
• Yvonne's nose stung at the unfairness of it all. She knew she should not have helped him last night.
• Plus, she was not one to cling to lost causes. She took the divorce agreement and skimmed over it. Her paper husband was indeed compensating her well for the end of their marriage.
• Some people could not even earn such a fortune over several generations.
• Frankly, Yvonne had led a cozy life over the past three years.
• The Lawsons had given her the best that life could offer, including saving her mother's life.
• If I keep fixating on what happened last night, the only person who will suffer is me.
• Yvonne made up her mind and promptly signed the divorce agreement.
• “I'm going to pack my things. I'll move out tonight. As for your alimony, save it for your future wife,” she said steadily.
• Jonathan's gaze swiveled to her as he found her voice somewhat familiar.
• He had never bothered to have someone investigate her to check out her appearance in the past three years. Today was the first time he was getting a good look at his paper wife.
• She was only several years younger than him, yet her skin was as soft and flawless as a baby's. She also looked as youthful and innocent as a high-schooler with her hair secured in a bun.
• Of course, he was not completely clueless about her background.
• The one million from his grandfather aside, Yvonne had not bothered to look for a job after graduation, and she spent a fortune on her daily expenditure. Because of that, Jonathan had immediately written her off as a classic gold digger.
• Would a woman like that reject the handsome alimony? Perhaps she's just trying to play some mind games.
• His impression of Yvonne fell further as he scoffed, “As you please.”
• Just then, his phone lit up with a text notification.
• Yosef: We found the woman you mentioned, Mr. Lawson.
• Jonathan's gaze went from cold to tender in an instant.
• The woman from last night was so weak and delectable. I should cherish a woman like that for the rest of my life.
• In a short while, Yvonne had packed her belongings at lightning speed. She steamrolled over Mary's protests, and the housekeeper eventually relented and summoned a driver to give Yvonne a lift.
• Once in the car, she realized she had nowhere else to go.
• She did not want to worry her mother, who was still in the hospital. Yvonne headed straight for her best friend, Annalise Shaffer's home. Annalise primarily resided overseas, and her house in the country remained empty for long periods. After learning about Yvonne's situation, Annalise immediately arranged for her friend to bunk in her place.
• To Yvonne's dismay, she struggled to settle into the unfamiliar environment and consequently developed a high fever for several days.
• She had taken a whole week off before returning to work.
• After graduating from university, Yvonne took up a job doing translation work for a company. Her elder cousin, Ximena Walker, had joined the company with her.
• Surprisingly, Ximena had resigned from the position she so dearly coveted while Yvonne was sick.
• Her ongoing projects were all assigned to Yvonne, who was exhausted from keeping up with the extra workload. Her mother, Wendy Walker, called just as Yvonne was getting off work.
• “Yvonne, your aunt called me earlier, saying she was holding a birthday dinner. Can you prepare a monetary gift for them? Everyone will start criticizing us if we're the only ones who don't offer a present.”
• Ah, Aunt Karen.
• Yvonne remembered how she had attempted to borrow money from Karen's husband, her Uncle Harry, because she needed money to pay for her mother's medical bills.
• Sadly, her dear uncle had tossed five hundred at her and chased her away as though she was a beggar.
• Harry had even seized the house Yvonne's grandfather left for Wendy.
• Recalling what her uncle and aunt had done, Yvonne did not wish to visit them, yet she eventually relented under her mother's nagging. I'll quickly drop off the monetary gift and leave.
• However, when she arrived at the Walker residence, she was surprised to see that the old residential block was deserted.
• An old lady who happened to be throwing trash spotted Yvonne, who was at a loss and looking around in confusion. The old lady then explained to Yvonne, “You must be Ximena Walker's relative. They moved out a while ago to one of the mansions in the rich neighborhood. She has been showing off her new house on Instagram. It's several times larger than this old place.”
• Mansion? Rich neighborhood? How? There were so many questions in Yvonne's head.
• Meanwhile, the old lady continued, “Ximena is such a lucky girl. I heard her boyfriend is the boss of a listed company and earns billions a year. He bought the mansion for her family. In fact, he visited the family here a couple of days ago. What a handsome fellow! They're a lovely match!”
• Boyfriend?
• Yvonne knitted her brows as she mulled over the revelation. Ximena just dumped her boyfriend half a month ago. How did she find herself a rich man so soon?