CHAPTER 73: CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE: SIGN THE DIVORCE PAPERS

Kendrick’s POV

The moment my mother spat those words,

something inside me snapped. I didn’t even wait for anyone to say anything else.

I just grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the room before she could spew another nonsense in front of Christy’s father.

"Let me go, Kendrick!" she hissed, trying to yank her hand free.

But I didn’t, instead I tightened my grip and pulled her down the hallway, ignoring the stares from nurses and visitors who probably thought we were insane.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" I growled, as I finally stopped near the end of the hall and away from everyone’s eyes.

"You had no damn right to come in there and insult her family like that!" I yelled at her angrily.

She yanked her hand back roughly with an arrogant expression.

"Her family? Don’t tell me you are defending them now, after what they did to us?" she asked me angrily.

I clenched my jaw as I forced myself to stay calm.

"You mean after what you did to yourself." I replied her angrily.

If she had known her limit and given up early, none of this would have happened. All she does is blame others for her mistakes.

"Excuse me?" Her eyes widened.

"You heard me," I said coldly.

"You disappeared for years, left me thinking you were dead, let me grow up without the love of a mother and now you show up out of nowhere and want to control me. You go around throwing insults at people like you didn’t destroy everything first?" I added angrily.

Her lips trembled slightly before hardening again.

"You don’t understand anything, Kendrick. You never did." she said with a frown.

"Then make me understand!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the silent hallway.

"Where the hell were you all this time? Why didn’t you come back when I needed you? Do you know what that did to me?" I fired a bunch of questions at her.

She went quiet for a second, I saw guilt flash in her eyes but it vanished just as quickly and was replaced by cold indifference.

"I had my reasons," she said simply.

"Bullshit," I spat.

"You don’t disappear for years and call it ’reasons.’ You either ran away from something or you didn’t care enough to come back!." I said to her angrily and her face immediately darkened.

"Watch your tone. I am still your mother." she said angrily while glaring at me and I let out a bitter laugh.

"You stopped being my mother the day you left me to rot in that house with a man who only cared about his pride." I said to her angrily.

Her nostrils flared, but before she could reply, I continued.

"So tell me something Mother, what are you even doing here? How did you know I was here with Christy?" I asked with a raised brow.

She crossed her arms and her face twisting into a mocking sneer.

"You think I came here for you? Oh..Please, I was here to see your father."she said mockingly.

"What?" I asked with furrowed brows.

"Yes," she said with a sly smirk.

"Raymond is here, with his pregnant mistress. Celeste, I believe that’s her name?" she added.

I looked at her with a frown, Celeste is one of the names I have come to hate so much.

"Your father is really good at his game to be able to catch such a young prey" she said with a slight smile.

"I just happened to see you rushing in earlier with that Lancaster girl and decided to follow. Imagine my surprise when I realized that both of my beloved family members are having emotional breakdowns under the same roof." she said with a sarcastic tone.

"You really have no soul, do you?" I muttered.

She tilted her head, clearly unbothered you what I said.

"I call it being realistic." she said with a smile.

"Then you better face reality and stay away from me and Christy" I warned her coldly.

"You don’t know half the things that happened, Kendrick. So don’t stand there judging me with those self-righteous eyes." she said angrily.

"Then tell me!" I snapped.

"Tell me what the hell happened. Why did everyone think you were dead? Why did you leave me to grow up in that hellhole of a house with your husband pretending like I was some kind of curse?!" I asked her angrily.

She turned away while avoiding my gaze.

"Nothing to say?" I asked bitterly.

Her shoulders tensed, but she didn’t look at me.

"I’m not explaining myself to you," she said flatly.

Something inside me cracked. I took a slow breath, fighting the urge to yell again.

"Then don’t ever show your face to me again. If you can’t even tell your son the truth, then you’re just another stranger I wish I never met." I said while looking at her with disgust.

Her lips parted slightly, but I didn’t wait for her to answer. I just turned and walked away.

I didn’t stop even when I heard her call my name. I had reached my breaking point.

The moment I turned the corner, I leaned against the wall, trying to steady my breathing as my mind was spinning with numerous thoughts.

I straightened and walked back to the room where Christy and her father were waiting for me.

*****

Lauretta’s POV

I watched my son disappear down the hallway, his tall frame swallowed by the dim light at the end of the corridor. For a moment, the urge to call him back nearly broke through my pride.

But then, I remembered who I was. I wasn’t some weeping woman begging for forgiveness. I was Lauretta Black, the woman everyone thought was dead.

He wanted answers? Fine. He would have to earn them.

I took a deep breath and adjusted my coat. Then, I turned and began walking in the opposite direction.

The closer I got, the stronger the scent of expensive perfume and hospital-grade disinfectant filled the air.

My heels clicked softly against the marble floor as I stopped in front of a door marked 204.

Without hesitation, I pushed the door open.

The sight inside made me frown in disgust.

Raymond was sitting on the edge of the bed, spoon-feeding Celeste. She was giggling softly, acting like a spoiled child, while he looked at her with soft eyes.

Disgusting.

I slammed the door shut behind me, making sure it was loud enough to get their attention. Their heads snapped up instantly.

"Lauretta?" Raymond gasped, standing up so quickly the spoon clattered to the floor.

Celeste’s face drained of color, her hand instinctively going to her belly.

"W-What are you doing here?" she stammered.

I took my time walking toward them, each step deliberate.

"I could ask you the same thing, darling. But then again, I suppose it’s obvious. You’ve made yourself very comfortable, haven’t you?" I asked her with a smile.

"This isn’t the time, Lauretta." Raymond said with a frown.

"Oh, I think it’s exactly the time." I reached into my bag and pulled out a crisp set of papers and tossed them onto the small table beside the bed.

"You have been living like a divorced man for years, you even got yourself a second wife and a mistress, so let’s make it official, shall we?" I said with a serious tone.

"Divorce papers?" He asked as his eyes narrowed.

"Yes." I smiled sweetly. .

"It’s not like our marriage means anything anymore. You have your wife and precious mistress and your illegitimate children. So let’s not pretend we are something we are not." I said to him while still maintaining my sweet smile.

Celeste shifted nervously. "You don’t need to talk like that, Mrs. Black.. "

"Shut up," I said calmly, without even looking at her.

"You’re lucky I haven’t clawed that smug face of yours yet." I said while still looking at Raymond.

"Don’t speak to her like that."Raymond’s jaw tightened and I smiled.

"Oh, how chivalrous of you. Defending your whore like the honorable man you pretend to be." I replied and his face darkened.

"Lauretta... "

"No, you listen to me," I interrupted, my tone dropping coldly.

"You have been living comfortably in the Black family for so long and you seem to have forgotten that you are not related to the Black family by blood" I said coldly.

He flinched, and I knew I hit a nerve.

"Don’t you dare bring that up," he warned.

"I will bring up whatever I damn well please," I replied.

"You think you are the only one with scars?" I sneered.

Celeste gasped, tears forming in her eyes.

"You’re horrible." she said with a pitiful tone.

I turned to her with a smirk. "You have no idea how horrible I can be."

Raymond stepped closer, his voice tight with anger. "Enough of this! I’m not signing anything."

My brows lifted slightly. "Excuse me?"

"I said I’m not signing your stupid papers," he repeated.

"You disappear for years, claim you lost your memory, then show up demanding a divorce? No, I know how you work, Lauretta. You never make a move unless there’s something in it for you." he said angrily.

I smiled cold. "You always did know me too well."

He frowned suspiciously. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing that concerns you," I said sweetly.

"But I will give you until tomorrow evening to think about it." I said with a fake smile.

Celeste, apparently forgetting her place, piped up again. "Raymond, don’t let her intimidate you. You should make her pay! If she wants a divorce, she should give you part of the Black Enterprises shares. You’ve earned it after all these years!"

I turned my gaze to her slowly, letting the silence drag until she began to fidget under it.

Then I smiled.

It wasn’t a warm smile, it was the kind that could freeze blood.

"Sweetheart," I said softly, taking a single step closer to her. "If you value that child you’re carrying, I suggest you keep your mouth shut while the adults are talking."

Celeste froze, instinctively cradling her stomach.

Raymond’s face turned red with rage. "Don’t you dare threaten her!"

"Oh, Raymond," I said, my voice silky. "You of all people should remember what happens when I’m threatened."

His jaw tightened, but there was fear behind his anger now.

He knew me and remembered.

I leaned closer to him, lowering my voice. "You have until tomorrow evening. Sign the papers, or I’ll remind you exactly how vicious I can be."

Then I turned my gaze back to Celeste, my eyes dropping deliberately to her belly.

Her breath hitched, and I smiled, an evil grin stretching across my face like a predator savoring the fear of its prey.

"Take care of yourself, darling," I whispered. "Wouldn’t want anything to happen to that precious baby of yours."

Then I walked out of the room, my heels clicking sharply against the marble floor.