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Hillary saw them interacting almost daily. Julian took Willow to visit Sky Lake, where they shared a kiss on the Ferris wheel and Willow leaned intimately against him.
The photos they posted online sparked a wave of cheers and blessings. “When are you two getting a divorce?! bet someone you and Willow would end up together.”
“Yeah, there are even bets online. I put a lot of money on you and Willow being true love.”
Among the comments, Hillary even spotted acquaintances from their social circle. It seemed everyone knew her relationship with Julian wouldn’t last.
Julian brought Willow into his world. They went racing and played extreme sports. On a plane, Julian held Willow securely as they freefell from the sky. She screamed and clung to him tightly, making him laugh heartily. In just a few days, he had already shared more experiences with Willow than he had in three years with her.
During this time, Hillary received a message from Landon. “Miss, the estate has been fully renovated. You can move in anytime.”
She typed her reply. “Got it, Landon.”
At the same time, the police investigation into her assault concluded. The culprits were apprehended, with Willow and Charles revealed as the masterminds.
Shortly after Julian and Willow left, Hillary received a call from Julian for the first time. She hesitated for a moment before answering. From the other end, she could hear Willow’s cheerful laughter. Julian’s voice, however,
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was cold and commanding. “Hillary, it was a misunderstanding. Withdraw the report.”
Despite her numbness, Hillary felt a pang of hurt. Upon learning the news, his first thought wasn’t to worry about what she had gone through but to clean up Willow’s mess, Hillary felt a chill in her heart She questioned him, word by word, “Julian, shouldn’t you ask what happened that day?”
He didn’t even mention her name. The difference between love and indifference was painfully obvious. Hillary’s heart sank. She hung up on Julian for the first time, but he immediately sent a barrage of messages. “I know you’ve been wronged, but Willow is still young. It could ruin her life. If you agree to drop the charges, I’ll grant you one request.”
Looking at the messages, Hillary felt utterly numb and cold. If she hadn’t borrowed a phone from a passerby that day and asked Anna to pick her up, she wouldn’t be standing here today
When she didn’t respond, Julian sent a voice message. His tone was icy and threatening. “Hillary, can’t you just behave like before? Even if you don’t drop the case, you know I have the power to suppress it”
Hillary closed her eyes and then spoke calmly. “Fine. In exchange, I want you to attend the banquet with me in three days
In three days, the Cook and Jones families hosted a grand event, inviting people from their elite circle. It was also the last day of their marriage contract. That night, she would end everything on her own terme
She would announce their divorce and leave this place for good. She had given three years of her life to this relationship. Now, she would pay the price for her pastimpulsiveness and walk away
On the day of the banquet, Julian returned home with Willow Her eyes were red and the first thing she did was apologize. “Hillary, it was all my fault. Charles manipulated me. That’s the only reason I did what I did.”
Hillary glanced at the triumphant look in her eyes and forced a smile. “It’s all in the past.”
Hearing this, Julian looked pleased. He said slowly, “I’ll arrange for Willow to move out.”
Willow’s face changed drastically. She looked at him in disbelief. Julian, I’m not moving out. How could you do this to me?”
Hillary had objected to Willow moving in before, but her words were useless. Now, he was asking her to move out because of Willow’s actions. Hillary’s smile was laced with irony. “I don’t care. It’s too much trouble to move back and forth, Anyway, she’ll be moving in soon enough.”
He would be eager to marry Willow once she left, wouldn’t he? But that was no longer her concern.
Julian seemed surprised. She used to be so calculative. Why was she being so agreeable today? His expression softened. “Hillary, be nice. Willow might be able to accept you”
Willow’s expression froze upon hearing this. Hillary’s eyes snapped towards him, her gaze chilling. Did he really think he could be with Willow while keeping her around, too? Did he truly see her as that cheap?
Hillary forced herself to suppress the anger boiling inside her. Meanwhile, Willow had already wrapped herself around Julian’s arm, pouting. “Julian, since Hillary doesn’t mind, don’t make me leave, okay?”
Julian didn’t respond. Hillary had no interest in interfering in their affairs. Instead, she went to her room and arranged for her piano to be moved out. As she turned, she saw Julian standing in the doorway. His gaze was unreadable as he stared at the piano. “Where are you taking it?”
She hesitated for a moment but quickly regained her composure. “For repairs.”
In truth, it was beyond repair. It was over a decade old and despite multiple maintenance efforts, it had been wholly ruined after Willow tampered with it.
Julian seemed to believe her. As he watched her pack her belongings, his expression briefly faltered. A peculiar feeling of panic sprang in his heart for some reason, but he pushed it down immediately. Julian couldn’t help but frown. “Hillary, it’s just a small matter. Are you packing to leave in a fit of anger?”
Hillary paused. So, her near–death experience was just a small matter to him? She used to feel heartbroken when
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she heard this, but now her heart was numb and there was no other feeling. Hillary would no longer let others affect her mood. She calmly replied to Julian, “Some things are old, I’m just throwing them away.”
