Chapter 4 Her gaze fell upon the diamond ring on her ring finger , the large stone glinting coldly in the sunlight . She removed the ring lightly , leaving a reddened ring mark , ugly as a scar . That was right - she was getting a divorce . It wasn't an impulsive decision . In fact , she had been considering a divorce for nearly a year . She had been hesitating - until the moment she bled out , dialing a call that would never be answered . As she lay in the pool of blood , listening to the familiar mechanical voice on the phone , memories of this five - year marriage flashed across her mind . Perhaps her baby had been spared - no innocent soul deserved to be trapped in this loveless family . She glanced around , realizing nothing really belonged to her . Even the room was decorated by Damian's ex - wife . Once women learned to let go , they could see a lot of things clearly . Damian had never truly thought of her as his life partner . Now , she was done living in fantasy , trying for something impossible . She opened the dresser drawer , taking out her auctioneer's license and all sorts of awards she had won . They had once occupied the pride of place at home . Yet after she married Damian , they were exiled to a forgotten corner . Despite being out of the workforce for years , she had meticulously renewed all certificates every year , so they re- mained valid . She carefully dusted off each trophy and certificate before placing them in her suitcase . Aside from these , the only thing she took away was the card Damian had given her last night . After all , that was rightfully hers . The diamond ring remained on the dresser as she dragged her suitcase through Belmont Estates ' gates . Darlene spent the afternoon in Damian's office . The burn on the back of her hand had long stopped hurting . But when Lindsay told Damian about what had happened , 0.0 % 03.50 Chapter 4 she still squeezed out a few tears while nestling in his arms . Holding her tenderly , Damian carefully applied ointment to her hand . " Does it still hurt ? " he asked . Fathers tended to spoil their daughters , and he was a textbook example of this indulgence . She shook her head , enjoying snacks while propping her little feet on his thigh with a grin . In fact , she had long forgotten what had happened in the morning . But Lindsay wouldn't miss any chance to tell on Claudine . 會 288 ( Vouchers " Mr. Barrette , I'm just your assistant , and I know I'm not in a position to say this . But … Mrs. Barrette really needs to pay more attention to take care of Darla . " She recounted what had happened , exaggerating in every possible way . But seeing the impassive expression on Dami- an's face , the more she spoke , the more uncertain she became . Darlene was the apple of his eye . She assumed he'd fly into a rage upon hearing the story - maybe he'd divorce Clau- dine in a fit of anger . But he didn't react as she imagined . Damian asked , " Darla , is what Lindsay said true ? " Darlene's eyes instinctively flicked to Lindsay before snapping to Damian . She knew Damian hated children who lied . However , what Lindsay had told her on the way here echoed in her mind . " This is the only way he'll take you on his next business trip . " She hung her head , burying her face in the crook of Damian's neck . " Daddy … It hurt so much … " Damian doted on her the most . The tears on her face broke his heart , and he could no longer keep a straight face . " Don't cry , Darla . With the ointment , you'll be fine in a second . Be more careful from now on , alright ? " he coaxed gently . Darlene knew it meant he had taken her words for it . Wrapping her arms around his shoulder , she saw Lindsay giving her a thumbs - up while Damian wasn't looking . But she wasn't happy at all . Instead , Claudine's blistered forearm constantly resurfaced in her mind . 49.2 %