Chapter 12: Divorced ASAP
Chapter 12: Divorced ASAP
### FLASHBACK ###
More than six years ago in Sweden.
Adrian had just turned twenty-one. He loved skiing. Abner King, Adrian's grandfather, bought a vacation home in Sweden because of his love for the sport.
The vacation house was a four-story brick mansion settled at the top of the hill. At least once a year, the entire King family visited this vacation home. Adrian had just returned to the hilltop from checking the trail to ensure there was no unwanted debris. He looked up at his grandfather, who stood by the second-floor balcony, and Adrian waved, "Ready for the show, Grandpa?"
Adrian's grandfather, Abner King, stood ready with his video camera, symbolizing his unwavering support and pride in his grandson's skills.
"Ready when you are, Adrian!" He called out, his voice filled with encouragement.
With a confident smirk on his face, Adrian put on his ski helmet and goggles. He hopped in place to check if his skis' were in good condition. After that, he turned to his grandfather and gave him a thumbs-up. Moments later, he glided into the snow.
"Wohooo!" The adrenaline made him scream. The rush of wind against his face and the sound of the skis carving through the powder filled him with an electrifying sense of freedom.
At some point, Adrian felt like he was flying. With each graceful turn, Adrian felt more alive, more in tune with the world around him. Everything was perfect until Adrian suddenly felt something pull his foot!
With a sudden jolt, Adrian's skis caught an unexpected patch of ice, sending him careening off course. He tried desperately to regain control, but it was too late. Adrian felt himself tumbling over the edge of the hill, and all he could do was scream, "Aaahh!"
### END OF FLASHBACK ###
Adrian's breath caught in his throat as the memory of the accident flooded back into a dream. Thanks to Riley's probing, it felt like his mind was inadvertently pulled back into the past.
Sweat formed on his forehead, and he wiped it immediately. He gulped and looked down at his legs. He determinedly said, "The incident had changed the course of my future, but it doesn't mean I have been defeated."
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An hour later.
Adrian was eating breakfast when Clint walked into the dining area of his house. Clint reported, "I have delivered a healthy breakfast for Miss Allen. I included the grocery list you suggested, and she is very thankful."
"How is her mother?" Adrian asked.
"She is now awake, and it was clear that Miss Allen and she had a good talk about Mr. Martin," Clint said.
"Good," Adrian said. "The doctors have arrived?"
"Dr. Nakamura, the best cardiologist from Japan, arrived today and will evaluate Renee. Doctor Mandara will be arriving tomorrow," Clint replied. "Miss Allen's mother will get the best care for her health to recover."
"Good. Renee must recover," Adrian said. "For Riley's and her sake."
"Any news on the bid? Had Engineer Philips called yet?" Adrian suddenly asked.
Clint smirked and replied, "We got the project, Sir. Ace Construction Firm got it! King Enterprises lost the bid! We won!"
Adrian had a sly grin on his face. Since his fake brother had become the CEO of King's Enterprises, Adrian secretly built his own company, Ace Construction Firm, which thrived in the past three years.
Construction was King Enterprises' most significant income generator, and Adrian purposely created a firm that competed with his family business. Why? His father and the board of directors voted against him as the CEO. Why would he give his good brains and business skills to King Enterprises?
He had many plans, one of which was to show them he was better. Then, he would use his grandfather's shares to take control of King Enterprises. "Perfect," Adrian remarked. "Don't forget to call Judge Miller and expedite Riley's divorce -"
"Em. We don't have to, Sir." Clint cleared his throat and revealed, "He tried to pay off Judge Miller's staff last night. He said he wanted to be a free man ASAP."
Adrian paused. His brows met before he replied, "Really?" A scoff left his lips, and he muttered, "Stupid Brian Martin. Bad for him, good for me." "Still, let the judge know it is also my wish," Adrian instructed.
"Yes, Sir," Clint answered. "Judge Miller will approve the divorce as quick as possible."
***
The other night at Halliport General Hospital, Brian arrived in Claire's hospital room. He was surprised to see Claire's mother, Mara.
"Good evening, Mara," Brian greeted.
"Oh, Brian." Mara smiled. She said, "You can call me mother since you and Claire will marry soon."
"Ah, yes, Mother," Brian responded before hugging Mara.
He turned to Claire and kissed her cheek. Immediately, he noticed the frown on his lover's face. Brian asked, "What's going on?"
Claire glanced at her mother, and Mara reluctantly revealed, "Well, yesterday, I bumped into your ex-wife, Riley. My initial reaction was, of course, upset that she had pushed Claire and hurt the baby."
"I told her she should not have done
that, and then she suddenly
snapped! She said—" Mara paused looking upset as she described, "Riley said that she would contest your divorce and ask for more money! She also said she would sue you and Claire for adultery."
"What?!" Brian reacted with a frown. The news was a complete surprise to him.
"I might have upset her when I confronted her, but I was shocked that she had those plans. Was she faking it when she agreed to divorce you, Brian?" Mara suggested.
Mara glanced at her daughter and
said, "I'm just worried for Claire and my grandchild. Your ex-wife has a secret agenda. Maybe she is pretending to be agreeable to the divorce, but she is secretly filing a case against you." Content belongs
to NovelDrama.Org
"Riley," Brian said through gritted teeth. "I knew it. I thought it was too easy when she signed the divorce agreement."
"Brian, what should we do?" Claire begged. "She can't seem to let you go!"
Angered, Brian took out his phone and called Riley. He called and called, but she would not answer. Brian realized that Riley had blocked him! "What
the -"
Brian called again, but he could not
reach Riley hiss left his lips. He decided, have our lawyers pay off the judge. I'll make sure Riley and get divorced ASAP. And with my connections, no court will entertain Rifey's claims for adultery.
Mara touched her chest and sighed, "I knew you were a capable man, Brian. Thank goodness, my sweet and young daughter met you."
They covered Claire's health next, but after that, Mara said, "Well, now that it's all settled, Brian, could you give me some money for our needs at home?"
"Oh, right. I'm sorry, Mother. I have been so busy lately that I forgot to visit you at the condo." Brian wrote a two thousand-dollar check and said, "Please buy all your necessities."
Mara stared at the check and then at Brian. She said, "It's not enough to cover the electricity and water."
"Didn't I leave money for that, Mother?" Brian asked with his brows meeting.
"You did, but the food is costly there. We ended up using the money," Mara said.
"Oh, right," Brian frowned. He was sure he left five thousand dollars last week. However, he had a lot of money to give. He also acknowledged that the condo building was surrounded by high-end restaurants and supermarkets.
This time, instead of a check, Brian gave Mara an ATM. He said, "You can use this card. It has twenty thousand dollars. Use it for your necessities while Claire and I are still in the hospital."
Claire's mother had a big smile on her face. She was teary-eyed as she said, "Thank you, Brian. You are a very generous son-in-law."