Billionaire's Pregnant Ex-wife

Chapter 38

I didn't probe further, even though I wanted to ask him what we needed to talk about and why it needed to be discussed next week when we could talk about it now.

As though Grey read what was running through my mind, he spoke. “I’m leaving today, right after I get home and finish packing my belongings. I don’t have time right now,” he explained.

“You know where to find me once you return from your business trip,” I told him before I climbed out of the car. I made a beeline straight to the house. I was almost at the door when I heard the car engine roar to life. Grey's car rolled out of the driveway. A minute later, he was gone.

Grey wanted to settle the divorce papers. That’s the only reason I could think of why he wanted to talk to me so badly.

I entered the house and closed the door behind me. Celine was waiting for me in the living room. Two cups of steaming hot coffee stood on the glass table in front of her. A coffee is what I need now, I thought to myself as I sat down beside her on the sofa. Celine had told me a few days ago that she wanted to tell me something important. We’d been busy these past few days, and we hadn’t had the chance to talk. Now was the perfect time to ask her about it.

“Have you found a new job?” I asked Celine. I had a feeling what she was about to tell me was related to her new job. Asking her about her new job would make it easier for her to talk.

“I did,” Celine replied. She reached for the cup and took a sip of her coffee before she gave me her full attention. “It’s what I wanted to tell you a few days ago,” she added as she lowered the cup back onto the glass table.

I intently watched Celine’s face and noticed she looked rather sad. She got a new job. She should be happy. There must be a reason her new job didn’t excite her at all. But before I could even ask her about it, she continued. “Grandma wanted me to manage the family business abroad. I declined before because I loved my job as a nurse, but Grandma was sick and couldn’t handle the family business on her own. The responsibility is placed on my shoulders as the oldest grandchild,” Celine explained. It was clear on her face that she wasn’t happy with it.

Celine’s parents had divorced before she was five years old. Her father ran off with his mistress while her mother found a new lover and left her in her grandmother’s care. Both her parents had children of their own now, and since the day her parents left her, they never showed up in her life again. Celine didn’t try looking for her estranged parents because she knew they wouldn't care about her. It was her grandmother who raised her on her own, and Celine couldn’t deny her old grandma's wish to manage the family restaurant.

Despite feeling sad that she was leaving soon, I forced myself to smile. “Don’t worry about me, Celine. I’ll be fine on my own.” I assured her, even though I wasn’t convinced by my own words. We’d been together for so long, and she was like a sister to me. Once she was gone, life would only become dull for me.

“I don’t want to leave you, Lily. We’ve been through a lot. I wanted things between us to continue the way they used to,” Celine said, regret in her eyes.

“But you must go,” I reminded her. “Your grandmother needs you, Celine. She’s old and alone in her mansion. Maybe it’s about time you finally focused on her. You’ve done your duties with Mom, and I will forever be grateful to you for that. But now that Mom’s gone, you can move forward to a life of your own. Return home and make your grandmother happy. It’s the only way you can pay her back for raising you on her own.” I wiped the stray tear from the corner of her eyes and did my best not to burst into tears in front of her.

“I’m leaving the country tomorrow, Lily.”

‘So soon?’ I restrained myself from saying the words. Celine might change her mind if I expressed my surprise. She might even postpone her departure for me. I didn’t want that to happen. “That’s great!” I said instead, after swallowing the lump in my throat. “I could visit you abroad during my vacation leave. You can visit me too during the holidays.”

I forced a smile on my lips to show Celine I was happy. But truthfully, I was heartbroken at the thought that I would not see her for a long time.

She forced herself to smile back. “I will miss you,” she told me.

“I’ll miss you too. No one’s going to make my favorite dessert anymore,” I told her, trying to lighten the conversation before we both ended up bursting into tears.

“It’s just dessert. You can make it in your free time.”

“I know, but no one could make desserts better than you do.”

After finishing our coffee, I helped Celine pack all her things and stuff them into her large suitcase. After packing, she spent the night at the house. For one last time, she cooked our dinner and made desserts for me. We spent the hours talking about stuff and everything that came to mind, knowing once she left, it would take years for us to reunite again.

It was past midnight when we finally fell asleep.

Morning came, and it was time for Celine to go. I drove her to the airport and waited until the speaker announced her flight.

“Please take care, Celine.”

“I will,” she replied, wrapping me in a tight hug. I hugged her back and kissed her on the cheek.

Celine skittered to the departure area. Before she vanished behind a door, she waved at me one last time. Then she was gone.

I let out a heavy sigh and turned away.

Back at the house, it was eerily quiet inside. The deafening silence gave me anxiety. The house had never been so empty before, the way it was now. It felt like the saddest place on earth. Without Mom and Celine’s presence, the house was an empty shell. Wherever I looked, all I could see was grey.

Tears clouded my vision. I wiped the tear from the corner of my eye and pushed the tears at bay. I had spent weeks bawling, and I felt so exhausted. Crying now would only make me feel worse.

I couldn’t bear to stay in the house because it would make me anxious and depressed. The house reminded me of Mom and Celine. If I didn’t go out, I’d end up crying in my bed. So even if it was still early, I changed into my uniform and tied my hair into a neat bun at my nape.

Shortly after preparing myself for work, I grabbed my car keys and headed out.

The morning was peaceful, a perfect contrast to what I felt inside. Any moment now, I felt like breaking down if I focused on the dark thoughts inside my head. The only reason I kept going was that I had to go to work so I wouldn’t starve.

Minutes later, I reached the hotel. After parking my car, I made a beeline straight to the employees' room, where I would spend the hours left until it was time for me to enter the working area. I was placing my bag into my locker when the door opened, and one of the restaurant staff came to inform me that management wanted to talk to me. After delivering the message, she left to return to the dining area.