Chapter 5 Belle Is Leaving Tomorrow

• It wasn't that Isabelle had a particularly good memory, but Lisa had never treated her well since she was little. Lisa's pet phrase was, "Had your dad not adopted you, you would've starved to death long ago. We've fed you, housed you, and put you through school; we never did you any injustice. What's wrong with doing your family a favor?"
• It was difficult for Isabelle not to know about this when she was reminded of this every single day. This used to make her upset for a long time when she was a child. She didn't understand why she was different from others. Everyone else had parents who loved them, so why didn't she? However, now that she had grown up, she had come to terms with it. Perhaps some people weren't meant to be close with their friends and families. Be it her parents, children, or husband, they were destined not to stay with her for long. She had accepted that she was meant to move on alone in her life.
• Fortunately, her father, Silas Berry, had always been kind to her. He was the one who brought Isabelle home, as well as the first person she saw when she woke up from her fever-induced coma.
• She could no longer remember what had happened back then. She only vaguely recalled being alone in the middle of nowhere for a long time in the harsh winter, feeling cold and starving. She was scared every single day, so when she woke up and saw Silas holding and comforting her, she instantly felt attached to him. Afraid of strangers, she clung to him and wouldn't let go. Later on, when they couldn't find her family, Silas, feeling sorry for her, decided to keep her and adopt her.
• In reality, given their family's circumstances at the time, they couldn't afford to raise another child. Lisa didn't want to take care of another child either, but eventually, she couldn't make Silas change his mind, so they ended up keeping her.
• He was a weak-willed person throughout his life, but he stood firm on the matter of keeping Isabelle. Even though he was later unable to provide her with the care and protection a father should due to his years of working away from home, she still respected him and was very grateful to him.
• She came back this time just to see Silas before she went abroad. After all, once she left, it wouldn't be as easy to come back to the country as she pleased.
• Meanwhile, getting no response from her, Lisa, who was outside the room, had progressed to the point of smashing pots and pans in frustration.
• "What's happening this time?" Silas' voice rang outside the door.
• Lisa replied, "It's the daughter you've adopted! It hasn't been easy raising her all these years. If it weren't for us, she might still be working on some assembly line somewhere. Could she have married into a family like Raiden's without us? But now that she's gone from rags to riches, she looks down on her own family. Now that she's well-off, what's wrong with helping her family out a little?"
• After hearing that, he sounded surprised at once. "Belle is back?" With that, he knocked on the door.
• Isabelle went to open it and saw Silas standing in the doorway. "Dad," she greeted in a soft voice.
• He pushed the door open and entered. He said under his breath, "Ignore your mom. She's just blabbering."
• She nodded slightly. "Okay."
• Silas asked, "Why did you suddenly come back alone? Where is Raiden?"
• "He…" She hesitated for a moment. Then, she confessed, "I divorced him."
• "Divorced?" Silas' expression instantly turned serious. "Why did you get divorced?"
• "We weren't compatible," Isabelle replied.
• He frowned. "Is it because of your mom and your brother?"
• She shook her head. "Please tell them not to bother Raiden anymore."
• He looked hesitant. It wasn't that he wanted to bother Raiden, but he couldn't talk Lisa and Oliver out of it. In this family, Lisa's word was law.
• Isabelle understood his dilemma. She smiled and said, "It's okay; I'll talk to them. I came back today just to see you. I've applied for a graduate program at a university abroad, and I'm leaving tomorrow. It's a two-year program, so I probably won't be able to come back often in the future. Please take care of yourself." She took a bank card out of her bag. "There's some money left in this card, so keep it for now. Let me know if the money's not enough."
• Silas quickly pushed it back to her. "You'll need a lot of money for your expenses out there. Keep the money; I have enough."
• "It's okay. I have money," Isabelle insisted, pushing the card back to him.
• He felt a pang of sadness at the thought of her leaving tomorrow. "Why are you leaving so suddenly? It's so far away. Can't you study here in Corynthea?"
• "I just want a change of environment and to see the world. Don't worry; two years will pass by soon enough," Isabelle reassured her father. Seeing that he still looked worried, she said to him, "And besides, the Architecture Department of this school is ranked fourth in the world. I'm so lucky to be accepted into it."
• Silas was indeed comforted by her words, and he felt relieved with a hint of pride. "That's great. I've known since you were little that you'll achieve great things when you grow up."
• She smiled in response.
• By the time the sweet voice of a little girl called out "Aunt Isabelle," the two-year-old had already flung her arms around Isabelle's leg.
• Isabelle bent down and picked her up. "Were you out playing with your mom, Lizzy?"
• The little girl nodded vigorously, then turned to look at her mother, Nicole Jenner, who had followed her into the room.
• Nicole, who was Oliver's wife, had been his high school classmate, and they began dating during their high school years. They got married two years after graduating from university and welcomed their daughter into the world two years ago.
• Nicole was pretty and very capable. She started as an insurance agent, working her way up from the insurance company's most basic position to become a sales director. She earned a six-figure salary every year, but all the money she made was spent quickly due to her husband's entrepreneurial ventures.
• However, she didn't seem to mind this. Oliver didn't work or take care of their child, but she never made a fuss about it. She worked hard without complaining, earning money to support her family and raise her child.
• Isabelle wondered what kind of spell Oliver had cast on Nicole to make her willing to support him financially year after year. Isabelle's analysis led her to believe it might be because he was honey-tongued and could provide Nicole with emotional companionship.
• Nicole and Isabelle weren't particularly close. Seeing Isabelle look over at her, Nicole politely greeted, "You're back, Isabelle."
• Isabelle responded with a "Yeah" and shifted her gaze toward the little girl affectionately clinging to her neck. She reached out and teased her.
• Lisa had also entered the room. Seeing the tenderness in her eyes, she couldn't help but say sarcastically, "If you like children so much, hurry up and have one. Otherwise, you'll be the one crying when he has a child with someone else out there." After saying this, she muttered, "I wonder what you were thinking back then. You couldn't even keep the baby despite your young age. If you had kept it, you wouldn't have needed to humble yourself in front of his family now."
• Isabelle's face fell. She looked up at Lisa and announced, "Mom, Raiden, and I are already divorced. Please don't bother him anymore."
• Lisa and Oliver were both stunned. "What?"
• Isabelle didn't elaborate on it. She had to go back and pack her luggage to catch her flight in the evening. After exchanging goodbyes with Nicole and Silas, she left.
• Lisa and Oliver were still trying to process the information. "Is that true? Why did they suddenly get divorced?"
• Silas sighed. "It's true. She's leaving tomorrow."
• Oliver frowned. "Where is she going?"
• Silas replied, "She said she's going abroad to study for two years."
• Oliver's frown deepened. He didn't say anything else, but he was the kind of person who couldn't keep anything to himself. Feeling worried deep down, he headed straight to Raiden's company that afternoon. As soon as he arrived at the company's front desk, he said directly to the receptionist, "I'm looking for Raiden Galloway."
• The receptionist smiled at Oliver. "Hi, do you have an appointment?"
• He replied, "Why would I need an appointment? He's my sister's husband." With that, he attempted to head toward the elevator.
• The receptionist hurriedly stopped him. "I'm sorry, sir, but I need to check with the president's office first."
• Oliver acted as though he didn't hear her; he pressed the button for the elevator and tried to enter it by force.
• A security guard quickly approached and stopped him. "Sorry, sir, but an appointment is required for entry into the company. Please cooperate with us."
• Oliver replied, "I already said your president is my sister's husband! Just let him know about this." Growing impatient, he made another attempt to barge in, but the security guard dared not let him through.
• Just when both sides refused to budge, Stefan happened to come back from outside and saw the commotion. "What's happening?" he asked, approaching them.
• "Mr. Martinez," the security guard greeted him respectfully. "This gentleman claims to be Mr. Galloway's brother-in-law and wants to see him."
• Stefan eyed Oliver with suspicion, not detecting any resemblance between the man and Isabelle.
• Oliver figured out at a glance what Stefan was thinking. "Isabelle really is my sister. If you don't believe me, just go and ask Mr. Galloway."
• Stefan was somewhat surprised. After a moment's thought, he said to the security guard, "Let him go up there."
• The security guard stepped aside to let Oliver through.
• Oliver didn't get angry with him, but he pointed at himself, saying, "I already told you that Mr. Galloway is my sister's husband. Why wouldn't you guys believe me?" With that, he and Stefan took the elevator together to the president's office on the top floor.
• "Please wait outside for a moment. I'll go inform Mr. Galloway," Stefan said under his breath as they reached the outer office. Then, he knocked on the door to Raiden's office, saying, "Boss."
• "Come in," came the man's deep voice from inside the office.
• Stefan pushed the door open. However, just when he was about to speak, Oliver pushed the door open even wider from behind and came in. "Raiden, are you and Belle divorced?" he asked.
• Stefan was left speechless.
• Raiden shot a glance at him.
• Stefan instantly felt a chill down his spine. "Mr. Berry came in on his own," he explained.
• Oliver waved his hand casually. "Yeah, I was just feeling anxious," he said before looking at Raiden. "What's going on with you two? Why did you suddenly get divorced? Belle is leaving tomorrow, you know."
• Stefan noticed Raiden's hand pause on the mouse. He couldn't help but look at Raiden.
• Raiden's expression was calm, as usual. He looked at Oliver, asking, "What can I do for you?"
• Oliver suddenly felt rather embarrassed. "It's nothing, actually. I heard about your divorce and got worried about you two—"
• "Things are okay between us," Raiden interrupted.
• Oliver immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew it. It's normal for couples to have disagreements occasionally. Women just need to be mollified."
• Raiden didn't respond, though.
• Oliver grew even more embarrassed, "Oh, by the way, Raiden, about that resort project last time—"
• Raiden turned to look at him. "That project isn't under my jurisdiction."
• The smile on Oliver's face faded slightly, but he struggled to maintain it. "I see," he replied, rubbing his hands in disappointment. He had always been easygoing and casual, having no sense of boundaries and often speaking and acting without thinking. Even in front of Raiden, he had never been self-conscious like one should be in front of wealthy and prestigious people. This time, however, he felt embarrassed for the first time.
• Raiden clearly sensed his disappointment and embarrassment, which he found hard to bear. He softened his voice, asking, "By the way, is your mother looking at houses in Scented Heights recently?"
• Oliver replied, "Yeah, she is. She's worried that Belle won't have a place to stay when she comes home, so she wants to buy a bigger house. We were thinking about borrowing some money from you guys to make the down payment…" His voice trailed off; he dared not say that Isabelle objected to it.
• Raiden nodded. "I'll have Stefan transfer the money to you later."
• Just then, Ellie happened to walk in from outside. After hearing the conversation, she paused in her tracks and darted a glance at Oliver.
• Oliver had regained his confident demeanor from when he first entered the room. "I just knew Belle isn't wrong about you. You're a man of vision, and your business will definitely thrive in the future."
• Ellie turned her face away in disgust.
• All her subtle movements didn't escape Raiden's notice. He looked at her, asking, "Is there something you need?"
• Ellie hid the look of disgust on her face. "I'm here to find Stefan. I'll be flying northwest tomorrow, but Jack has taken the day off. So, Stefan, can you give me a ride to the airport if you're free?" she said, turning to look at Stefan.
• Stefan nodded immediately. "Certainly, Mrs. Galloway."
• She said, "I'll have someone send you the flight details later." After that, she turned around, her gaze deliberately sweeping across Oliver. Then, she turned to look at Raiden, hesitating to say something.
• "Mom, you may leave now," Raiden said, dismissing her right away. "If you plan to visit next time, please give me a heads-up in advance."
• Ellie glanced at him and nodded reluctantly. Then, without saying anything else, she turned around and left.
• Oliver watched in puzzlement as she disappeared into the distance. Then, he turned his attention to Raiden, who looked unperturbed. "Are you on bad terms with your mother?" he asked.
• "Nope," came the man's cold reply.
• Oliver didn't mind it either; it was just a casual question. He just thanked Raiden in embarrassment, "Well, thanks for your help with the house situation."
• Raiden nodded slightly and reached for a report.
• Oliver earnestly reminded him, "Belle might not really be flying abroad tomorrow. There are no difficulties in a marriage that can't be overcome. If it's not a big deal, just pursue her and get her to come back."
• Raiden paused for a moment as he took the report, but he then calmly spread it out in front of him.
• Oliver didn't notice his strange behavior. After continuing with his random advice, he finally left the room in satisfaction.
• Raiden stared at the report in front of him in silence for a while. Then, he pushed it away and picked up another stack of documents, only to put them down after taking a glance at them. Expressionless, he turned his gaze to the window, gently rubbing the space between his eyebrows with his fingers.
• Stefan had been observing him in secret. Seizing the opportunity, he knocked on the door and came in, asking, "Boss, do we need to reschedule tomorrow's meeting with Mr. Patton for another time?"
• Raiden's hand paused over his brows. Then, he opened his eyes, his expression calm once again. "It's not necessary!" he replied.