Chapter 279
Catherine’s sudden kindness immediately set off alarm bells in my mind.
From the day 1 martied into the Harding family, my mother–in–law had always viewed me as a threat
to be eliminated.
She wanted to help me? The very thought was laughable.
There had to be some scheme behind this!
“What exactly do you want from me, Mrs. Harding?” I asked coldly, not bothering to hide my suspicion. “Why not discuss this directly with Henry? We both know you’d never genuinely help me.
The silence that followed confirmed my intuition.
Catherine was the epitome of a sophisticated self–serving elitist. The idea that she would help anyone but herself was absurd, especially when that person was me.
To my surprise, being exposed by me didn’t seem to bother her. When she responded, her voice still carried that aristocratic haughtiness she wore like a second skin.
“Your divorce benefits me, benefits Isabella, benefits the entire Harding family. Why wouldn’t I help you? When you successfully divorce, the Harding family wins. Why would I work against my own interests? Believe me or not, I genuinely want to help you!”
She paused dramatically before adding, “Since you don’t trust me, forget I ever called. Goodbye!”
Before I could even respond, the line went dead. I stared stupidly at my phone, completely baffled by
what had just happened.
She’d hung up so quickly, yet I had the distinct feeling she was certain I would call her back.
And she was right–she knew exactly how desperately I wanted this divorce.
After struggling with myself for several minutes, I finally emerged from the bedroom, wanting to discuss this with Betty and Alexander.
“What did that witch want?” Betty immediately asked, reading the confusion on my face.
I explained Catherine’s strange proposal, watching Betty’s expression grow increasingly skeptical.
“Babe, I don’t trust her one bit,” she said, shaking her head firmly. “That woman hates you to the bone. She couldn’t possibly transform into your divorce fairy godmother overnight.”
Alexander, who had been sitting silently on the sofa deep in thought, finally spoke up. “What if… we
1/4
Chapter 279
find out what Mrs. Harding has in mind? Before completely dismissing it, let’s hear her plan, R makes sense, perhaps it’s worth trying.”
Betty shot him a questioning look, but I was seriously considering his suggestion.
At this point, what did I have to lose?
With a resigned sigh, 1 picked up my phone and called Catherine back.
“Mrs. Harding, let’s hear your plan,” I said when she answered. “If it’s viable, I’ll cooperate.”
I could almost hear the triumph in her voice as she excitedly outlined her strategy: “My plan is quite simple. You need to go to the hospital and take care of Henry–but be as unpleasant as possible. The worse you treat him, the better.”
A wave of disappointment washed over me. This was her brilliant plan?
I had clearly expressed my disgust for Henry many times, yet he still refused to divorce me!
“This is your grand plan?” I couldn’t keep the disappointment from my voice.
“Think about it,” Catherine continued, sounding smug. “If you keep avoiding him, Henry will think you’re playing hard to get. He’ll only pursue you more aggressively. Meanwhile, I’ll arrange for Isabella to care for him as well. One cold, one warm; one harsh, one gentle. Which do you think will more effectively influence him? Once he can make direct comparisons, your divorce will be smoothly
finalized.”
Despite the logic behind her plan, I still wasn’t convinced.
“Mrs. Harding, I have a job. I don’t have time to be Henry’s babysitter. Your plan won’t work.”
Sensing my resistance, Catherine quickly lost interest. “Suit yourself. Do whatever you want. After all, I’m not the one desperate for a divorce!”
After ending the call, I looked up to find Betty grinning broadly.
“You know what? The old witch actually has a point this time,” she said excitedly, clapping her
hands.
Alexander nodded in agreement. “I don’t know about other circumstances, but when men have something to compare, they make decisions more easily.”
I let out a heavy sigh. Without a better alternative, perhaps this was worth trying.
“Fine, we’ll do it her way,” I conceded.
2/4
Chapter 279
“Once that cheating bastard gets back together with his precious Isabella, I can finally escape this marriage and be rid of Henry forever.”
Just saying those words made me feel lighter.
The prospect of freedom–of finally breaking free from this sham marriage–was so close I could almost touch it.
Henry had been in a foul mood throughout his hospital stay. His temper had become so volatile that several visiting executives had been driven away by his vicious verbal attacks.
James was currently trying to get Henry to sign some urgent contracts, but there was a problem. Henry was accustomed to using his right hand, and now with his dominant hand injured, he was
forced to use his left.
The results… were less than satisfactory.
Staring at the crooked, childish signature he’d just produced, Henry’s frustration reached its peak. With a roar, he swept the documents onto the floor, scattering them across the hospital’s clean tiles.
James froze, not daring to breathe too loudly. He knew better than to speak when his boss was in
this state.
Only one person could possibly calm Henry Harding when he was like this–his wife.
Just as James was silently praying for Sophia to miraculously appear, the hospital door opened.
But it wasn’t Sophia who entered.
Isabella rushed in, immediately dropping to her knees to collect the scattered papers. “Henry, what’s wrong? Why are you so angry? If you keep losing your temper like this, you’ll make yourself sick!”
Henry’s already dark mood became thunderous at the sight of her.
“Who let you in here?” he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.
He had explicitly ordered his security team to keep Isabella confined at the old estate. He had made
it absolutely clear that she was not to be released under any circumstances.
Were his orders now being ignored? Henry felt extraordinarily angry.
Isabella’s eyes instantly filled with tears at his harsh tone.
n the
“Henry, Mrs. Harding sent me,” she explained, her voice trembling. “She said you were alo hospital room with your arm injured, making it difficult for you to take care of yourself. She was worried you’d be uncomfortable without a woman looking after you.”
3/4
Chapter 279
She paused, her eyes wide and pleading. “I promise once you’re heated, I’ll go back to the old estate, I won’t come out again, okay? If I’m making you angry, I won’t even stay in the room–1 can wait outside. Please?”
Her pitiful appearance would have moved most people to compassion, but Henry seemed completely immune to her false performance.
He gave her a cold look. “Stop acting pathetic. Stand outside if you want, I don’t care.”
At that very moment, I pushed open the hospital room door, witnessing the scene before me.
Honestly, I didn’t have much hope for Catherine’s plan.
If I hadn’t been completely out of ideas, I would never have agreed to this ridiculous scheme.
But in the end, I participated in the plan anyway.
The moment Henry spotted me, his eyes lit up like a child’s on Christmas morning.
“Sophia! You came!” he exclaimed, instantly forgetting Isabella’s existence completely.
Chapter Comments
LIKE
