Billionaire Ex-husband's Baby

Chapter 3 - Celebrating the Divorce

Ethan was momentarily at a loss for words as he stared at Pete with disbelief.

He held onto Pete's hands, got them off his shoulders, then took a few steps back with his head tilted.

"I just told you about my divorce. Why do you sound and look so relieved?"

"Well," Pete said as he rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. "Of course I'm relieved and it's because I can finally have you all to myself during game night or something."

Unamused, Ethan rubbed his temples. "Now's not the time for such jokes or any jokes at all."

"Right," Pete nodded. "I guess I just got excited at the thought of you letting Olivia go and being a free man again. Anyway, tell me more about the divorce and why you're so upset."

"Where do I even begin?" Ethan leaned against the wall with a sigh of frustration. "Can you believe that as soon as I told Olivia about the divorce, she was the exact opposite of what I expected?"

"Huh?"

"She didn't break down at all. I expected her to throw things at me or even beg me not to divorce her. But she was okay with everything. You should've seen her face. I know she wasn't acting. That's the happiest I've seen her in a long time."

"Dude, the way I see it," Pete paused, standing in front of Ethan and placing his hands on his shoulders again. "I think Olivia's reaction was great."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Ethan's forehead creased.

"Calm down. I'm not done yet. Look, you're my best friend but Olivia's also a friend of mine. I'm glad she's okay with getting a divorce. I don't want to see her sad and depressed because of it."

Irritated, Ethan pushed Pete's hands off his shoulders. "You're the only one glad she's okay with this news. I expected her to break down or something like that."

"Are you listening to yourself? The same way you expected her to break down, do you see that happening to you?"

"No."

"Then why should Olivia feel that way?"

With no justification as to why she should have been the only one to break down and suffer, Ethan loosened his necktie in silence, his breathing loud.

"I have to admit that I didn't expect you two to divorce in just four months," Pete said. "Are you divorcing her because you don't love her?"

"It wasn't my decision, my mother said I should do it."

"What?" Pete said with wide eyes, then closed them as he shook his head. "It's always your mother."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You always do whatever she says."

"And what's wrong with that? She's my mother. If she wants the divorce, then I'll gladly do it."

"But what about you? Do you really want to divorce Olivia?"

"That's what my mother wants."

"I never thought I'd see the day your mother would demand you divorce Olivia and you agree with no protest. Does it mean that whatever your mother wants from you, for as long as she's alive, you won't question it or go against her?"

"What's with all these freaking questions? What are you trying to say? I see the way you're looking at me right now. Are you judging me?"

"Of course I'm judging you! Don't you think it's a bit too extreme? Why do you always do as your mother says?"