Chapter 71
“Around a hundred thousand bucks,” Serenity replied.
“Did you pay for it outright or are you financing it?”
“My man took care of the full payment.”
Jasmine’s face lit up as she patted her best friend on the shoulder. “Wow, Serenity! It didn’t take long for you to snag that guy and get him to buy you a car.”
“I always knew you had it in you, even if you didn’t know each other before getting married. Mr. York must be blind if he didn’t fall for your charms!”
In Jasmine’s eyes, Serenity was simply the best.
“Zachary found out that Shawn drove me home last night. We almost had a fight because he thought I was cheating on him.”
“So, after I cleared things up, he felt guilty and gifted me this car as an apology.”
Jasmine was left speechless, realizing that her romantic notions about Serenity’s life were far from the truth.
“Honestly, Jasmine, I need to be upfront about Zachary and me since we’re close. I didn’t even tell my sister.”
“The truth is, Zachary handed me a contract to sign after our families met on Saturday.
“The contract was heavily in his favor. He seemed to think I was only after his money. It stated that if we didn’t develop feelings for each other in the next six months, we would have an amicable separation.”
“He’d transfer ownership of the house and car to me as part of the divorce settlement. I guess that’s the price I pay for losing my youth.”
“He’s quite generous about it, though. The house is fully paid off and classified as a prenuptial property.”
“I simply moved in with my… ”
I didn’t want to take anything that didn’t belong to me, but since he had included that term in the contract, I decided to go along with it and signed. However, I have no intention of accepting anything that he claims as his. When the divorce happens, I plan to move out just as I moved in.
“I told him I’d reimburse him when we were getting the car,” I mentioned. He didn’t seem too thrilled about it and just walked away. Well, he can be unhappy all he wants; I need to be clear on this before things get messy during the divorce.
Jasmine, sensing the tension, said nothing in response.
After a while, Jasmine playfully poked her best friend Serenity on the forehead and asked, “What are you thinking about, Serenity? Mr. York mentioned that you’ll get divorced if you two don’t fall in love within the timeframe. Why not give it a shot? Mr. York tends to keep to himself, so I bet you haven’t learned much about him. Men like that are often softies. I believe you could have a happy ending if you manage to capture his heart.”
“Do you think divorces are fun? Did you discuss the divorce with Mr. York just now?” Jasmine pressed.
Serenity remained quiet, and Jasmine, knowing her well, understood that silence was her answer.
Caught between laughter and tears, Jasmine remarked, “Well, don’t blame Mr. York for leaving you. Even though he bought you a car as an apology, it’s clear that his attitude towards you has improved. Otherwise, he could have easily brushed it off with a simple sorry or a bouquet of flowers. Why go through the trouble of buying a car?”
Serenity paused before responding, “I don’t want to owe him anything, even though we’re married. It’s not like we have feelings for each other. But I have to admit, he’s better than my brother-in-law. At the very least, he…”
I was relieved that my living expenses were covered, and I didn’t have to split the costs. “I can afford to get my own car,” I said with confidence. “I plan to wire him the money later; otherwise, I won’t feel right about taking the car.” The thought of the vehicle was unsettling, like a ticking time bomb that could explode in my face at any moment.
Jasmine pondered my words for a moment. “That sounds good,” she replied. “You’re an independent woman. Since Mr. York thinks you might have ulterior motives, this is a chance to show him you’re not after his money.” It’s true that building a deep connection with someone takes time, but I knew I had to focus on the present.
Despite her free-spirited nature, Serenity quickly set aside any lingering doubts and moved forward.