Chapter 9-look for a job

After Adeline left for work, Laurent spent the entire morning buried under the covers, catching up on rest. Once refreshed, he got up, made himself something to eat, and began searching for jobs online using Adeline's computer.

Initially, she thought Dave would agree to the divorce without much resistance, and she could take their daughter and leave the county city to return to her parents. Her plan was simple: settle down with her daughter at her parents' place and then look for a job there. She had no intention of returning to the county city.

There was nothing and no one here worth staying for, and lingering in this place served no purpose.

Moreover, after becoming a mother herself, she increasingly understood how difficult it was for her own parents and grew more empathetic toward their unconditional love for their children. In the aftermath of this failed marriage, her parents' home was the only refuge she could turn to.

In this world, only her parents could provide her with a safe and reliable harbor.

However, now that Dave had announced he would fight for custody of their daughter, the divorce would not be finalized anytime soon. She couldn't just continue idling her days away. Since she had already decided to divorce and leave that family, she needed her own income and job to sustain her future life.

Though she knew perfectly well how difficult it would be for a woman who had been disconnected from society for five years and lacked any work experience to find a job, she had to take the first step.

On the other side of town, Dave had just wrapped up a meeting and was walking briskly back to his office. His expression was serious, his tone cold and commanding as he gave instructions to the secretary trailing behind him. However, he had barely gotten through a few tasks when his younger sister, Lilian, called.

To Dave, who spent his days immersed in the cutthroat world of corporate intrigue and power plays, Lilian's so-called simplicity was nothing short of being brainless.

Yet Laurent described Lilian as sweet and adorable, kind and naive. The sister-in-law and sister shared an unexpectedly harmonious relationship—so much so that their bond was even better than what Dave had with Lilian himself.

It made sense, though. That woman always looked at people and situations through rose-tinted glasses. She seemed to instinctively filter out the darker, more unpleasant sides of human nature.

For that reason, Dave concluded that her rapport with Lilian stemmed from the fact that they were alike—both lacking in brains.

Irrationally, Dave found his thoughts drifting to that woman just from a single phone call with Lilian. The realization irritated him, and he answered the phone with an unusually harsh tone, snapping at his sister, 

"What is it?"

But instead of Lilian protesting his abruptness, her anxious, trembling voice came through the line.

"Dave, it's bad. Something big happened. You need to come back right away—Mom's packing up and saying she's divorcing Dad. She's getting ready to leave!"

Dave ended the call with a frustrated huff and barked at his secretary to cancel his afternoon schedule. Without wasting another moment, he hurried to his car and sped off toward the Burg Eltz estate.

As Dave drove, Lilian's earlier words echoed in his mind: 

"Last night, at the lord's birthday banquet, didn't Laurent bring up divorce with you? Mom said it's all Dad's fault for forcing you to marry Laurent in the first place. She blames him for your unhappy marriage and the fact that it's now heading for divorce. Mom said she hates Dad for ruining your chance at happiness and doesn't want to live with him anymore." 

Dave felt a wave of irritation rising within him. He rolled down all the windows, letting the rush of wind dissipate his growing frustration. 

His parents' relationship had been strained ever since a scandal five years ago revealed that his father had a secret illegitimate son—one who was even older than Dave himself. The revelation created a deep rift, but Dave hadn't expected his usually gentle mother to take the drastic step of filing for divorce. 

When it came to his parents' marriage, Dave often avoided delving too deeply. Every time he looked at their relationship, he saw an unsettling reflection of his own with Laurent—a marriage born not of love but of obligation. 

His father and mother's union had been a strategic alliance between business and politics: the Burg Eltz family dominated commerce, while his maternal grandfather was a towering figure in politics. Their marriage had been a sensation at the time, cementing Burg Eltz's dominance in the business world and his grandfather's political legacy. 

Before marrying Dave's mother, his father had been in love with someone else, entering the marriage unwillingly. It was disturbingly similar to Dave's own marriage to Laurent. 

This forced marriage was a significant source of tension between Dave and his father—indeed, a source of resentment. His father, who had endured a loveless marriage himself, had still compelled Dave to marry someone he didn't love. How little regard must his father have had for him as a son to repeat that cycle? 

Meanwhile, his father's behavior toward the illegitimate son painted a stark contrast. For years, he had secretly supported the boy and his mother abroad, ensuring they lived comfortably. Worse yet, when Dave fell in love with Clark, his father intervened, going so far as to break them apart just to arrange for Clark to end up with the illegitimate son. 

How could Dave ever respect or love a father who had never considered his feelings?

So naturally, Dave's resentment toward his father spilled over onto Laurent—the obedient, compliant, and seemingly perfect daughter-in-law his father favored. 

Racing back to the old estate, Dave parked his car and immediately spotted Laurent pulling in as well. Seeing her only fueled his frustration further. He glared at her as she stepped out of her car, scrutinizing her cheap outfit with disdain. With clenched teeth, he spat, 

"Look what you've done!" 

Then he slammed the car door and stormed off without another glance. 

Laurent stood frozen in place by her car, unsure how to respond to his outburst. 

She had just been overwhelmed, trying to put together a resume for herself, when Lilian called her with the shocking news: Tiffany, her mother-in-law, was planning to divorce Dave's father. Hastily abandoning her task, Laurent rushed back to the estate. 

According to Lilian, Laurent's decision to divorce Dave had stirred up painful emotions for Tiffany, prompting her own drastic decision to leave her husband. 

In a way, it was true—this whole mess had started because of her. So when Dave lashed out at her earlier, she couldn't argue back. 

It was her doing. 

Sighing, Laurent leaned against her car for a moment, feeling helpless. She hadn't expected things to spiral like this. Tiffany had always seemed so graceful and composed, the epitome of a refined and gentle woman. Laurent would never have imagined that Tiffany would take such a bold and shocking step as filing for divorce.