Chapter 10 Tricking Him Into Signing the Divorce Papers
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Chapter 10 Tricking Him Into Signing the Divorce Papers
The man wore a custom–tailored suit, his skin fair and refined, with delicate gold–rimmed glasses perched on his nose.
He had the polished appearance of a gentleman, but there was a touch of roguish charm beneath the surface–a wolf in scholar’s clothing.
Clearly a gossip lover, he immediately set down his cup and leaned shamelessly against the decorative screen to eavesdrop.
Not only was he completely unbothered by the impropriety of it, but he even squinted his eyes and signaled “shh” to the man sitting across from him, who remained still and unmoved.
In a low voice, he whispered, “Tsk. We’re about to witness the wife and the mistress go at it. The wife’s gonna throw cash in her face and send her packing. I’m betting three million- come on, pick a number. If you lose, that new Koenigsegg in your garage is mine.”
Across from him, the other man held a celadon cup, his long fingers slowly tracing the rim. His gaze remained cool and disinterested, as if he hadn’t heard a word.
Joel Callahan pressed again, “Come on, hurry! If I lose, I’ll give you a one–point cut on the contract!”
That finally earned a scoff. “I bet the wife won’t give her a single penny.”
Joel was speechless. That’s a hell of a gap.
Shaking his head, he leaned in closer and whispered, “You’re definitely gonna lose. Jonathan, you’re a genius when it comes to flying jets, but you don’t know the first thing about catfights. If this woman didn’t plan to throw money around, she wouldn’t have picked such a discreet, high–end coffeehouse for the showdown.
“Just wait and see–my experience comes from devouring every romance novel and soap opera out there. I know what I’m talking about.”
Surrounded by fragrant steam and the earthy scent of coffee, Jonathan set his cup down. His long fingers tapped once on the table, signaling Joel to refill his coffee.
As Joel leaned in to pour, he heard Jonathan drawl lazily, “And you got this stupid from watching all that?”
Joel went silent. With a mouth like that, why not skip the coffee and drink cyanide instead?
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Chapter 10 Tricking Him Into Signing the Divorce Papers
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On the other side of the screen, Anneliese ignored Coral’s feigned innocence and deliberately provocative smile.
Moving at a steady, composed pace, she poured the ground coffee into the coffee pot. Then, she lifted the kettle and poured the water into the pot to brew the coffee.
As the aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifted through the air, Anneliese finally pushed a cup toward Coral and spoke.
“No one’s asking you to leave him. Go ahead, have a taste.”
Suspicion flickered across Coral’s face. Compared to Anneliese’s unruffled calm, she clearly couldn’t keep her composure.
“Really? If you’re not here to warn me off, are you seriously just offering me coffee?”
Seeing that she didn’t touch the cup, Anneliese didn’t push. Instead, she lifted her own and took a delicate sip. “Ms. Slenderidge, you say you don’t want to ruin my marriage–but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
If she truly didn’t want to compete, why send those provocative photos?
Coral’s ambition had been obvious from the moment they first met. She wasn’t content with being a fling–she wanted the title, the upgrade.
Clutching her fingers together, Coral still couldn’t read Anneliese’s tone or intention. The longer they sat, the more she began to suspect she was being recorded. Her voice trembled, and her eyes turned red as she whispered, “I didn’t…”
Anneliese had no interest in watching Coral play the victim. She set her phone on the table and tapped the screen lightly. “Relax. I’m not recording. It’s just the two of us here. Let’s be honest with each other… and maybe work together?”
Coral frowned. From her point of view, they were on completely opposing sides. What kind of “cooperation” could there possibly be?
“Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of joke?”
Anneliese’s unusual calm was throwing her off. Feeling uneasy, Coral stood up, ready to leave. But Anneliese reached into her bag and handed her a document.
“Why not take a look before you go?”
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Chapter 10 Tricking Him Into Signing the Divorce Papers
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“Divorce papers? What the hell is this sumosed to mean?” Coral’s voice turned sharp the moment she saw the title on those pages.
Behind the screen, Joel’s mouth formed a perfect O. Okay… this wife isn’t playing around.
Then, that same clear, melodic voice floated out again.
Just as you see–I’m divorcing Zacharias. And you want to take my place. So, in a way, we share the same goal. He’s refusing to sign right now, which is why I’m hoping you’ll use your position to trick him into signing these papers.
“It shouldn’t be too hard for you, should it?”
Coral’s eyes widened. “Are you insane? Even if he does sign it without reading, once he finds out, he can still contest it. And don’t you need both parties present at the courthouse? He’ll know eventually.”
This is pointless. A waste of time.
Coral was convinced Anneliese was setting her up.
If she really used her position to get Zacharias to sign this, Anneliese could easily expose her. Then she’d not only be blamed for sabotaging the marriage, but also seen as manipulative and calculating. Zacharias would lose all trust in her, maybe even fire her as his secretary.
She wasn’t stupid. Why would she go along with this?
Coral raised the papers, ready to throw them back at Anneliese. But Anneliese calmly said, “All you need to do is get him to sign. I’ll handle the rest. Ms. Slenderidge, I’m determined to get this divorce.”
There was such firm conviction in her voice that Coral froze for a moment.
Anneliese reached into her bag again and pulled out another sheet of paper. “I know what you’re worried about. This is a written guarantee. It states that I instructed you to do this and that I’ll take full responsibility.”
Coral took it with suspicion and skimmed through the lines, and just as Anneliese had said, it spelled everything out clearly.
She sat back down slowly. “You… You’re serious?”
With this letter, even if things blew up, she could claim that Anneliese had blackmailed her
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Chapter 10 Tricking Him Into Signing the Divorce Papers
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with compromising photos or other threats. Zacharias‘ fury would fall squarely on Anneliese’s shoulders. But what Coral still didn’t understand was–why was Anneliese doing this?
Does she really want a divorce? Surely not…
She’d looked into Anneliese’s background. Sure, she was breathtakingly beautiful, but she had. a tarnished past–rumors of being gang–defiled, unable to bear children.
A woman like that landing someone like Zacharias was pure luck. There was no way she’d willingly give up the title of Mrs. Shaw, and going this far at that.
Anneliese gave her a faint smile. “I don’t tolerate betrayal. I’m dead serious.”
Coral stared at her strangely. And in that moment, Anneliese saw something in Coral’s eyes. that made her chest tighten–contempt, contempt for someone hopelessly in love. And that stung more than she cared to admit.
Seeing that Coral was still hesitating, Anneliese decided to throw in one final spark.
“Take a look at this photo.”
She slid it across the table. Coral picked it up, and the moment her eyes landed on it, her expression changed.
“Who is she? Why does she look…”
“She looks somewhat like you, doesn’t she? Or rather… You look like her. That’s why Zacharias picked you.”
Yes, the photo Anneliese gave her was of Selina.
Coral clearly hadn’t expected to be a stand–in. Her face went ghostly pale as tears rolled down her cheeks. Her fingers trembled as they gripped the photo, visibly shaken.
Anneliese watched her quietly. It was obvious Coral had fallen deeper than she’d realized. And who wouldn’t? A man like Zacharias–how could anyone stay emotionally detached?
“You feel sorry for me?” Coral’s voice cracked into a bitter laugh. “Please. You’re no better than 1. So what if I’m a substitute? At least I’m not some empty decoration of a wife!”
Clutching the photo tightly, she wiped her tears with reddened eyes and glared at Anneliese in rage. But Anneliese’s expression remained calm throughout.
“You’ve misunderstood me. I’m not trying to insult you–just stating the facts. And there’s no need to look at me like that. Ms. Slenderidge. She’s the love Zacharias could never have.
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Chapter 10 Tricking Him Into Signing the Divorce Papers
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“She’s studying abroad right now, but she’ll be back soon. When that happens, what do you think will become of you?”
She paused, then added gently. “Time isn’t on your side. And once certain opportunities slip away, they may never come again.”
Her voice was light and even, but every word struck Coral like thunder.
She understood the message loud and clear. Once that woman returned, she would be tossed aside. She had to secure her place before that happened.
Gritting her teeth, Coral snapped, “Sign the guarantee. I’ll bring you the divorce agreement signed by Mr. Shaw–no later than tomorrow.”
A slow smile curled across Anneliese’s lips. She pulled out a tube of lipstick from her bag. twisted it open, and dabbed color onto her thumb. Without hesitation, she pressed her fingerprint onto the paper.
She wasn’t afraid of Zacharias finding out she’d been the one behind Coral’s actions. By the time that happened, things between them would already be past the point of no return.
“Pleasure doing business.” Anneliese handed her the guarantee and reached out her hand.
“Pleasure doing business,” Coral replied quickly, giving it a firm shake. Then, she packed up her things and rushed out.
Anneliese remained seated in silence. In her ears, it was as if Zacharias” raspy voice echoed
once more.
Anne, anyone in this world can lie to me, use me, betray me–but not you. Never you!”
He’d said that on a night he came home drunk, after someone from his core team had betrayed him, nearly destroying everything he’d built. He had clung to her in their tiny apartment, broken and desperate.
She had stroked his hair, cradled him close, and promised him firmly, I won’t. I, Anneliese Claude, would never lie to you.
But you did, Zacharias. You turned me into a fool with your lies. You built a perfect image of yourself in my eyes, then tore it down with your own hands.
Anneliese shut her eyes, trying to suppress the burning heat that had gathered behind them.
And then, a sudden shrick exploded from behind her, loud a
hard she nearly knocked over the cup beside her.
thunder, making her jump so
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