Chapter 211

"Miss Gu, you can't go in there!" The secretary frantically blocked the door.

Gu Wanqing let out a cold laugh, her high heels clicking sharply against the floor. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her flawlessly made-up face.

"Move."

A single word, light as a feather, yet it sent a shiver down the secretary's spine.

The office door was flung open.

Lu Chenchuan was bent over, fastening a necklace around the woman beside him, his long fingers lingering against her pale neck. He didn't even glance up at the disturbance.

"I said no interruptions."

Gu Wanqing stood frozen in the doorway, her nails digging into her palms. She stared at the man who had once sworn to love only her, now tenderly adjusting another woman's collar.

"Quite the scene, President Lu," she said, her lips curling into a bitter smile. "Seems I picked the wrong time."

Only then did Lu Chenchuan look up, his gaze as cold as if she were a stranger.

"What do you want?"

Gu Wanqing flung a stack of documents from her bag, the papers scattering across the floor.

"Divorce papers. Sign them."

The office fell dead silent.

The other woman discreetly stepped aside, though the smug tilt of her lips was unmistakable.

Lu Chenchuan rose slowly, his black suit accentuating his imposing figure. He stepped forward, his polished shoes leaving crisp imprints on the scattered documents.

"All this for that?"

Gu Wanqing lifted her chin, her eyes red but stubbornly dry.

"Three years of marriage, and you won't even give me this last shred of dignity?"

Lu Chenchuan suddenly laughed. He gripped her chin, his fingers pressing hard enough to make her wince.

"Dignity?" He leaned in, his voice a low, venomous whisper. "Gu Wanqing, do you deserve it?"

Outside, the secretary's coffee cup shattered on the floor.

"Mom, please have a seat." Emily Johnson wiped the stool carefully before helping her mother, Margaret Johnson, sit down.

In the kitchen, Mary Stone was busy preparing the meal. The rich aroma of cured meat filled the air. She had cooked a pot of plain white rice, without mixing in any sweet potatoes.

"Let's eat, dear," Mary said warmly as she brought the dishes to the table, her face beaming with hospitality.

Margaret eyed the cured meat and sausages on the table, her brow slightly furrowed. Weren't rural areas supposed to be so poor that people struggled to eat? Yet this cured meat looked even more glistening than what was sold at the Supply & Market in the city.

"Go wash your hands," Emily called to the two children.

David and Tommy obediently ran to the kitchen, the sound of running water soon following.

The dining table was quiet, save for the clinking of chopsticks against bowls. John Stone Sr. finished his meal quickly and stood up. "I'll head back first. The team needs to slaughter the New Year's pig."

With his departure, only the three women and two children remained in the house.

"Mom, would you like to rest for a while?" Emily asked softly.

Margaret surveyed the simple dwelling, her gaze settling on David and Tommy. The two boys were engrossed in their books, a sight that reminded her of her own grandson, who was always running around wildly.

"Take me for a walk outside," Margaret suddenly said.

Emily pressed her lips together. She knew stepping outside would attract attention, but seeing her mother's polished leather shoes, she nodded.

"David, Tommy, come with us."

The moment they stepped out, a villager approached. "Emily, is this your mother?"

Margaret frowned, struggling to understand the thick rural accent.

"Yes, my mother is visiting," Emily replied, shielding her mother slightly.

As they walked away, the village gossips quickly huddled together.

"Emily's mother dresses so elegantly—clearly a city woman."

"Do you think she's here to take her back to the city?"

"What about the two boys? Michael will have to remarry for sure."

"Remarry? What decent girl would want to be a stepmother?"

"Enough dowry could change that. Michael lives in a brick-tile house now!"

The whispers drifted on the wind as Emily tightened her grip on the children's hands. She knew the moment her mother entered the village, their peaceful life would be disrupted.