Chapter 2 Claudine's robe was already in disarray . She sat up , fumbled to adjust it , and spoke with determination , " Damian, let's get a divorce ! " Damian blew out a smoke ring , his strikingly handsome face impassive . " Divorce ? " He scoffed , as if she had told a joke . " Claudine , what could you possibly do without me ? " His eyes swept over her , his gaze devoid of any emotion . Then he tapped the cigarette lightly , letting the ash fall onto the plush carpet . " Seriously ? Are you doing this because I took Darla abroad on a bonding trip ? " Angie said you had been away for a whole week until today . What ? You're trying to protest by running away from home ? " Claudine let out a bitter laugh inwardly . If it were a bonding trip as he claimed , why would he bring his secretary Lindsay Powell instead of her , his wife ? If it were before , she'd have brandished Lindsay's Instagram posts in his face , asking for an explanation . But now , she felt it no longer necessary . " I didn't feel well , so I stayed in the hospital this week , " she replied calmly . Just as she was about to tell him about the abortion , someone pushed the door open . " You're awake , Claudine ! I want those cookies you make ! " Darlene , in a pink nightgown , ran inside barefoot . Claudine bent down and looked at her gently . " Darla , I have something to say to Damian . How about we make cookies tomorrow ? " " No ! I want them now ! " Having been pampered since childhood , Darlene was used to getting everything she wanted . As Claudine was about to coax her , Damian cut in , " Whatever it is can wait till tomorrow . " Darla's been asking for your cookies on the way back today . Just go make some with her . " 0.0 % 03:49 Chapter 2 288 iVouchers Had it been before , Claudine would have agreed already . But she hadn't recovered from the abortion . How could she have the energy to take care of a five - year - old ? " I'm really not feeling well . And … I wanna talk to you about our baby , " she insisted . Damian's face darkened immediately . He impatiently stubbed out the cigarette butt in the ashtray and looked at her , his seemingly calm eyes tinged with faint fury . " I've made myself very clear - I don't want another baby ! " Your only job is to look after Darla . " Don't get any ideas ! " He pulled out a card from his wallet and tossed it onto the table . " Take this . Enough with the farce ! " With that , he strode out . Perceptive from childhood , Darlene took a step back , distancing herself from Claudine . " You upset Daddy again . " What are you gonna do this time ? " She narrowed her eyes , the indifference and arrogance on her face identical to Damian's . Then she stuck her tongue out at Claudine before bouncing out of the room . Finally , quiet settled back into the bedroom once again . A bone - chilling wind seeped through the window . Luxurious as the room was , it felt colder than a freezer . Claudine glanced outside the window . Only scattered lights glimmered fitfully in the distance , almost devoured by the fathomless dark . She then took out an invitation from her bag . An important auction in Bronzevale was around the corner , and she was invited to be the auctioneer . Given the scale of the auction , Damian would surely attend . He didn't allow her to work , so she hesitated to respond . He used to be her entire world . For him , she had given up everything , including her career - the one thing that she was most proud of . But now … What did he say earlier ? Right- " Claudine , what could you possibly do without me ? " 43.4 % 03:49 Chapter 2 # 288 Vouchers Fine . She'd prove exactly what she could accomplish without him ! Instead of resting properly after the abortion , Claudine endured a night of cold wind . Soon , she developed a high fever . She drifted into sleep groggily but was soon startled awake by insistent pounding on the door . Gritting her teeth , she forced her eyes open , the throbbing in her skull almost splitting her head in half . 89.8 %