Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Samantha laughed when she heard that and it was a rather sarcastic laugh at that. Rather than answering Ronald, she asked, "Are you saying you want me to accept my husband even when his heart is torn between two women? Even when he wants to keep his marriage intact while continuing his affair?"

"Or are you asking me to turn a blind eye and continue loving Timothy as if Harmony doesn't exist?"

"I guess the rich and powerful are like that. I grew up in such an environment too. Everyone looks like they love each other on the surface even when they're frolicking behind each other's back. I, for one...can't accept a marriage like that!"

"I find it repulsive. He disgusts me!"

Samantha's voice was rather calm and she spoke in a placid tone as well. To Ronald's ears, however, they were thunderously loud.

He was unable to refute a single word.

Deep down he felt that Timothy was not a heartless man, but there was no way he could put in a good word for Timothy anymore.

After all, the facts were right before his eyes.

Ronald admitted his mistake helplessly. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Barker. I was out of line."

Samantha did not want to get angry at Ronald because he was just Timothy's employee. She said calmly, "This has nothing to do with you. You just need to relay my message to him."

"Yes, Mrs. Barker," Ronald responded respectfully.

Samantha pursed her lips and added again, "And one more thing..."

Ronald's heart trembled unconsciously. "Yes?"

"Don't call me Mrs. Barker again."

The moment she filed for divorce and Timothy agreed, she would no longer have anything to do with Timothy.

Ronald did not dare to say anything else. "...yes, Mrs.… I mean, Ms. Larsson."

…

At half-past nine the next morning, Samantha and Rochelle had arrived at the bureau.

With half an hour left, Rochelle brought Samantha to the cafe opposite, where they waited while having a simple breakfast.

Timothy was still nowhere to be seen with five minutes to go before ten.

Rochelle could not help but cock an eyebrow and sneer, "Don't tell me that Timothy doesn't want a divorce anymore!"

Samantha picked up her cup and drank the warm water without expressing any opinion.

With two minutes to go, a black car finally drove up to the entrance of the Civil Registry Bureau. It was Timothy's car.

Samantha and Rochelle looked through the floor-to-ceiling glass.

Once the car had stopped on the side of the road, Ronald got down but Timothy was nowhere to be seen.

Rochelle frowned slightly. "That b*stard didn't come? What's the meaning of this?"

Ronald carried the briefcase and crossed the road before entering the cafe.

He then walked up to Samantha and greeted her politely, "My apologies, Ms. Larsson. I'm late because I was caught in traffic."

Samantha looked at him and saw some sweat on his forehead. She then said lightly, "It's fine. Where's Timothy?"

"Um…"

Ronald hesitated awkwardly but braved himself to answer, "Well, Ms. Larsson, Mr. Barker is busy and he gave me full authority to handle this matter."

The implication was that Timothy would not come.

As Ronald spoke, he hurriedly opened the briefcase and took out a document, which he handed over to Samantha. "Ms. Larsson, this is the divorce agreement. Please have a look at it. Do let me know if you have any questions."

Samantha stretched out her hand and took the document.

She casually flipped through a few pages and saw Timothy giving her money—a hundred million to be exact.

Samantha looked at that number for a few seconds and closed the document. Then, she looked at Ronald and asked, "So, if I have no objections, I can just sign it and the marriage between us will end, am I right?"

Although Samantha's expression and tone were calm at that moment, Ronald inexplicably felt a chill coming down his spine.

He gulped unconsciously and forced out a smile, saying, "Yes, that's right."

Samantha hooked her lips and smiled.

"When we got married, he nonchalantly sent someone over to let me sign the agreement. Now that he's divorcing me, he's sending me off in the same way without even bothering to show himself!"

"What does Timothy take me for? Someone who he can call over and chase away as he sees fit? Someone to be thrown away like a used tissue now that I can't be his tool to carry his baby?"

"One hundred million? Am I a beggar to him? Can money repay everything he owes me?"

She never wanted his money.

Ronald could not refute anything that Samantha said.

He lowered his head and felt a little ashamed to see her. All he could say was, "I'm sorry, Ms. Larsson. I'm really sorry..."

Ronald should not be the one to offer an apology.

Samantha closed her eyes, calmed herself down, then said, "Call him. I want to speak to him!"

Ronald hesitated but nodded eventually. "Okay, I'll call Mr. Barker."

Truthfully speaking, he felt that both parties had to be present in a divorce.

Singing a divorce agreement unilaterally was simply ludicrous!

Ronald took his cell phone out, dialed Timothy's number, then put it on speaker.

A beeping sound was heard...

After a while, the other side picked up and the man's deep voice said, "Hello."

Samantha answered, "It's me."

Timothy's tone was faint and contained no emotion. "Speak."

"Timothy Barker," Samantha called his name out loud. After a half-second pause, she continued, "Do you have any regrets?"

That was the last chance she was going to give him.

He snickered a little.

His thoughts were obvious enough without him answering.

He had no regrets.

Samantha's long eyelashes trembled slightly and she dropped that subject before getting to the main point. "Fine then. Let's get on with the divorce agreement."

"I'm not satisfied with the conditions you offered."

Timothy was not surprised by her words and said coldly, "Name your price."

The contempt in his tone could not be any more obvious.

Samantha's expression did not change at all and she said emphatically, "I want half your shares in the Barker Group! Not a single share less!"

Ronald gasped sharply as soon as she said that.

Even Rochelle was slightly surprised too.

She knew that Samantha did not care much about money and was surprised to hear such a big remark all of a sudden.

Wanting half of Timothy's shares was equivalent to wanting half of Timothy's net worth.

However, Rochelle supported Samantha because a b*stard like Timothy ought to pay for what he did. Samantha was pregnant too, and raising the baby in the future would require a lot of money.

Furthermore, he would be spending all his money on that pretentious b*tch Harmony if Samantha did not make such a demand!

When Rochelle thought of that, she felt that half the shares were not nearly enough!