Chapter 2 Desperate Measures

Viviane scrolled frantically through her phone contacts, tears blurring the names and numbers on the screen.

With each name she passed, a deeper sense of despair sunk in.

Finally, she found the number she needed, her fingers trembling as she dialed.

"Hello? Mr. Merling, could you lend me 500 thousand for Colita's treatment?"

Her voice carried a pleading tone.

The man she called was Rimar Merling, her stepbrother.

"Viviane Collins, I thought I made myself clear. Once you married into the Cartmell family, you and your sister were no longer any concern of ours."

Rimar's tone was filled with icy detachment, even harsher than Cyril's.

Viviane's lips quivered. She knew the only thing Rimar needed was the money she got from the Cartmell family, but she didn't care. All that mattered was Colita's life.

"I won't just take your money. I'll find a way to pay you back," she said, her voice cracking with tears and desperation.

Rimar laughed, a sound bitter and mocking. "You? You're just an overlooked accessory of the Cartmells, a pitiful soul ignored by your own husband. What means do you have to earn the money to pay me back?"

He continued with a sneer, "When I sent you to the Cartmells, I got that 700-million turnaround fund, hoping for a fresh start. But you? You've got no standing there, not even the servants respect you. Think you can come up with the money? Don't kid yourself."

Viviane clenched her teeth, wanting to say more, but all she got in response was the cold dial tone as the call ended.

She collapsed back onto the sofa, burying her face in her hands as she sobbed.

The irony wasn't lost on her. Rimar had made a fortune thanks to her marriage into the Cartmells, and now he claimed they were unrelated.

How ridiculous.

Viviane looked up, her eyes sweeping over the opulent villa, a bitter sense of irony filling her heart.

Here she was, the lady of the Cartmell family, and she couldn't even muster the funds to save her sister.

No, she couldn't give up yet.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Viviane stood and walked to the bedroom. Her eyes flickered with resolve as she stared at the nightstand.

Minutes later, she was back on the sofa, clutching the divorce papers she had retrieved from the drawer, her expression hollow.

She remembered the day she first saw those papers as her emotions sunk into a mess. It was three years ago.

Back then, the Merling family had forced Viviane into this marriage to secure a massive financial turnover by exploiting her heroic act of saving Cyril's mother.

She had agreed to the marriage, for her sister and herself, knowing it was nothing more than a farce.

Since it was a marriage of convenience, Cyril had drafted a divorce agreement, promising that they could part ways if there were no feelings between them after three years.

But unexpectedly, over the years, she had fallen in love with Cyril, and he probably had forgotten about that agreement.

Viviane shook her head with a rueful smile. How absurd she was.

"Why did it come to this? Maybe it was a mistake from the beginning," she muttered to herself.

She took a deep breath, standing up with a determined look.

"I'm sorry. This is the only way left..."

It was as if she were speaking to Cyril, or perhaps to her own unrequited love.

With her bag in hand, Viviane walked out the door without looking back.

At the notary's office, she processed the paperwork with a poker face.

"Ms. Collins, please sign here," the notary said, his voice calm and mechanical.

Viviane calmly reached out to take the divorce papers, though her hand trembled slightly, betraying her inner turmoil.

She bit her lip hard until the taste of blood spread across her mouth.

Then, she paused with the pen hovering over the paper.

Her other hand gently traced Cyril's bold signature on the document, her fingertips quivering as if she could feel his face through the ink.

Viviane stared at the place to sign, knowing that putting her name down would mean the end of their marriage, the end of everything with Cyril, and the end of those sweet moments they shared.

Colita's frail and sickly look suddenly flashed across her mind. Without further hesitation, Viviane bit her lip and slowly signed her name.

Each stroke felt like a bleed in her heart. She still felt reluctant to let Cyril go.

"All done. The divorce papers will be notarized," the clerk said flatly.

Viviane nodded numbly and turned to leave.

Meanwhile, in the Cartmell Group's CEO office.

"Sir, the heart donor you had located has been arranged, but your wife's sister is critical and needs surgery immediately. It seems... Well, your wife probably can't afford the cost," Charlie Hanks said softly.

It wasn't just an appearance of financial trouble. Viviane was utterly penniless.

Cyril sat before his desk, but his attention was elsewhere. At least it wasn't on the document in his hand.

After a long pause, he finally said, "Understood, you may leave."

Before Charlie could leave, Cyril added, "Charlie, take care of the payment."

"Yes, sir."

After giving the order, Cyril leaned over to grab a cigarette from the box on the coffee table, lighting it and exhaling slowly.

Minutes later, his phone buzzed.

He thought it was the surgery bill, but the message on the screen made him widen his eyes in shock.

"Viviane, how dare you. I just paid the surgery bill, and you're already thinking about divorcing and splitting the assets?"