Married with the Broken Hearted CEO novel Chapter 83

One morning when  Adira sat down on her office chair and looked at the piles of paperwork in her table, it hit her that vacation is finally over.
Yet all day, she spends almost half of the day looking at the blank space. 
Earlier, before coming to work, Adira left the divorce paper in the house with her sign. Surely by this time, her husband, who came back home from the resort, saw the divorce paper. Adira did not expect him to call her about this, and she really did not receive anything. 
Hansel just heard about this a moment ago. When she did, the information hardly sank it. Hansel had a guess that it is probably due to the incidents which took place at the beach resort. 
“Ma’am,” Hansel called Adira, who’s been spacing out for a long minute. 
As if she woke from a long daydream and she just realized it just now, Adira smiled at Hansel and asked, “Yes?” 
“Well, I am gonna ask something personal. Is that okay?” 
“Sure.” 
“Hmmm, are you really sure about it?” 
“You mean divorcing my husband?” 
“Yes, ma’am.” 
“Did you hesitate when you divorced Daniel?” 
“Of course not, ma’am. Divorcing him is the best choice I had,” Hansel said. 
“Then I think the same,” Adira responded. 
Hansel’s lips opened and closed. She wanted to refute, saying that her case is different because her husband cheated for real. Withal, if she will support Chadwick out of nowhere, Adira might get so confused. Back then, Hansel was one of Chadwick’s ultimate bashers and she cursed at him from day to night. All her beliefs changed after the day Neil told her everything. 
Although she wanted to tell Adira about Chadwick’s feelings, Hansel feared to cross the line. She knows it isn’t her job to disclose the truth. 
“Then, when did you start thinking of divorce?” Hansel asked, trying to figure out Adira’s emotions. 
“I wasn’t the one who first thought of that. It is Chadwick who proposed it.” 
Hansel failed to control her reaction as she uttered in loud voice, “WHAT?!” Realizing her mistake, Hansel quickly covered her mouth and apologized. “S-Sorry.” 
“It’s okay.” 
She’s so thankful that Adira will show mercy at her sudden screaming. 
During lunch break, Hansel went out of the office to contact Chadwick’s secretary. It only took three rings before Neil answered her call. 
[“Yes, Miss Hansel!?”] 
Hansel moved her phone away from her ear. 
“He sure has a loud voice,” she complained before putting her phone back to its place. “Hey. Are you free right now?” 
[“Y-Yes? I am quite free because my boss did not go to work.”] 
“Sir Chadwick?” 
[“Yeah. I was so drunk the other night and when I woke up, I heard that Sir Chadwick went home by himself. Then he called me that he cannot come to work today.”] 
‘Is it because he saw the divorce paper in their house?’ Hansel concluded. 
[“By the way, why are you asking me for a date… I mean! Ahhh, to meet me. Yeah. Why do you want to meet me?”] 
“I have important things to share. Meet me now.” 
Neil and Hansel met up in the coffee shop. 
“Hey, why did we meet in this place?” Hansel asked Neil. 
Neil placed his Ice Americano on the table and answered, “Because this is the nearest cafe to my house.” 
“Huh,” Hansel snorted. She bowed her head, staring at her fidgeting fingers. “I see.” 
When Neil noticed her awkwardness, he finally recalled that this coffee shop is the same shop where he accidentally discovered Hansel and her husband.
‘I’m doomed,’ Neil told himself. 
“B-But! If you want to change the place,” Neil suggested, “then we can go to ano…”
“No,” Hansel declined. “Let’s just stay here. I have short time to spend outside. Lunch break will end soon. Besides, I came here to tell you something important.” 
Neil blew air on his bangs, then bit his lower lip, as he still feels guilty. Then he asked, “Okay. I will listen. What is it?” 
“Ma’am Adira and Sir Chadwick will get a divorce.” 
Neil shouted, “What?!” 
He reacted just like what Hansel expected he would do as soon as he heard this. 
“But why?! He loves his wife so why?!” he continues shouting, almost jumping in his seat as veins popped out from his neck. 
People in the shop tossed stares at him, and so, Hansel pulled him back to his seat, hushing, “Would you calm and keep your voice down? People are looking.” 
“B-But…” Neil uttered with crumpled face. He felt so suffocated that he banged his chest with his fist. “Ahhh. This is so annoying. Their situations are so annoying.” As if his whole body heated in anger, Neil drank his cold Americano. 
“Right,” Hansel agreed, heaving a sigh. “I couldn’t understand why they must divorce. However, looking back on the things happened in the resort, I think I have a bit clue.” 
“Of course,” Neil mumbled. “This is all because of that Isa. Because Sir Chadwick kept on choosing her, there’s no doubt on why madam decided to break their marriage.” 
“No. You’re wrong. It was not ma’am Adira who asked for the divorce.” 
Neil’s eyes rounded. He blinked swiftly before asking, “You mean, the idiot husband who loves his wife is the one who asked her for divorce?” 
Hansel nodded her head. 
“Crazy!” Neil shouted again and stood up after banging the table with his palm. “That guy is really crazy! Why would he do that?!” 
Hansel pulled him down again and shouted, “I told you not to scream! You…!” 
When Hansel noticed the stare of the people around, she gave them a fake smile. 
“I w-won’t scream again,” Neil stuttered with pale face. Then using his index finger, he slowly pushed Hansel’s fist from his face. “C-Calm down. Calm down.” 
“Hansel?” 
Before they could converse again, they heard a voice from a man who approached their table. Their eyes widened after seeing Hansel’s husband, Daniel. 
“Woah,” Daniel gasped while staring at the two. “Is this the reason why you left me? Because you have a new man.” He gawked at Neil and added, “A young one?” 
Hansel rolled her eyes and unclasped her hand from Neil’s collar. This is the reason why she does not want to come to this cafe. Daniel always comes here, and she does not want to meet him. 
“You divorced me just because of a small mistake but it looks like you have fault too. Were you also cheating behind my back before?” 
Neil’s fury came alive while he was gawking at the shameless b*stard who dared accused Hansel for cheating. 
‘How shameless this b*stard is? For him to accuse the woman he hurt so bad, I should kill this son of a b*tch.’ 
Neil stood up from his seat, as if he was going to punch Daniel, but Hansel is quick to prevent it. She stood up faster than Neil and she blocked him. 
Neil looked at the woman standing between him and Daniel. 
“I don’t see any reason why I should explain my business with you. You are a stranger to me now, Daniel. We divorced already, remember?” 
‘Divorced?!’ Neil gasped inwardly.
“Even so, this is not right,” Daniel rebuked. “Hansel, you should think carefully. I know that we’re not married couple anymore, but you know that I still love you, right?”
Daniel reached for Hansel’s hand. 
“Please don’t do this. Let’s talk and…” 
Neil pulled Hansel’s hand away from Daniel. 
Eyes widened, Hansel and Daniel looked at the man who meddled between them. 
“For someone who slept with other woman, using your sexual needs as your excuse, you have a thick face, aren’t you?” Neil said while glaring at him, before he pulled Hansel out of the coffee. 
They did not know how long they were walking together, hand in hand. They just kept on fleeing away from the b*stard who left painful memories of Hansel’s life. 
While following Neil, Hansel looked at Neil’s back and their hands. She was thankful for him. However…
‘Wait a minute. How did he know that?’ she wondered. Hansel quickly pulled her hands from him. 
“Hey.” 
Neil stopped. Without turning back to Hansel, he took a deep breath. 
“How did you know that? That my husband cheated from me because of that reason?” 
“...” 
“Tell me! How did you…!” 
“I was there!” Neil shouted, turning around to meet her gaze. “I was… there when you gave the divorce paper to your husband. So, I heard about that.” 
Embarrassment painted on her face. 
At this moment, she just wanted to dig a hole and disappear from Neil. She felt so small, so weak, so vulnerable. Hansel tried so hard to be strong but in front of the person who knew her weakness, she failed to do so. 
Before tears fell from her eyes, Hansel turned her back against Neil. She cannot let him cry like this. 
“Are you going to cry again because of that b*stard?”
Hansel bit her lower lip, wiping her cheeks. 
“Cry,” Neil whispered. “Cry it all out.” 
“...” 
“But always remember,” Neil added before he looked at the billboard he once lit for her. “YOU DESERVE TO BE HAPPY. YOU DESERVE TO LIVE A LIFE YOU ARE EXCITED ABOUT. DON’T LET OTHERS MAKE YOU FORGET THAT.”
Widening her eyes, Hansel looked back with tears flowing on her cheeks. 
“It is still bright today so I can’t open the billboard light for you. But I can say with my own mouth,” Neil said before a sweet smile broke into his lips. 
There are still part in Hansel that she’s regretting divorcing her husband. But at this moment, she guessed there’s no need for regrets.