Mr. Neal, Mrs. Neal’s Gone With The Money

Chapter 10

“Joshua, come with me,” Old Man Neal said, standing up with his cane in hand. Joshua glanced at Cynthia before following his grandfather out of the room and into the adjacent study to discuss matters.

Mrs. Neal stayed with Cynthia, chatting about family matters. She mentioned that if Cynthia ever found Joshua to be a

worthy lifelong partner, their family would always welcome her back.

Cynthia felt warmth in this family. It was like the cozy days she had experienced before her mother passed away.

Half an hour later, Joshua returned from his conversation with Old Man Neal. Joshua appeared unchanged, but Old Man Neal looked somber and visibly unhappy.

Old Man Neal snapped and his emotions were crumbling, “Get out of here! Don’t make a scene. You have one month left to take good care of Cynthia. If she suffers any grievances, I’ll give all your money to her!”

With his exceptional demeanor, Joshua replied, “Understood.”

As the two were about to leave, Mrs. Neal Senior suddenly spoke up, “Wait.”

Joshua and Cynthia both turned back, the moonlight casting a glow on them, seemingly bringing them closer together. However, it was just an illusion.

“Have you two settled the division of assets for the divorce?” Mrs. Neal Senior was worried Cynthia would be at a

disadvantage.

“Rest assured, I won’t treat her unfairly. She won’t lose a penny,” Joshua said without going into detail, not wanting to give the impression that Cynthia was greedy.

“In addition to the house and car, you should also share some of your stocks and bonds with Cynthia,” Mrs. Neal insisted with no hint of joking.

Joshua hesitated, wondering if he was really their child.

Old Man Neal agreed, “She is right.”

Neal Senior chimed in, “Listen to my wife, and don’t make her worry about you.”

“I understand,” Joshua replied, holding back his frustration. He got in the car with Cynthia.

Since they had already filed for divorce, they no longer needed to feign intimacy with each other.

Watching the car drive away, both Mrs. Neal Senior and Old Man Neal had worried expressions on their faces. It was not until the taillights disappeared from their view that they looked away.

“Let the children handle their own affairs. Don’t worry about it,” Neal Senior said, holding his wife’s hand with a steady and warm voice.

Mrs. Neal Senior sighed, and Old Man Neal patted her shoulder.

“Shouldn’t you explain what you meant by ‘substitute‘ earlier? What secrets are you and your son keeping from me?” Mrs. Neal Senior asked, looking at her still handsome husband.

||

Neal Senior hesitated, “I promised my son I wouldn’t say.‘

Mrs. Neal Senior pressed, “Are you going to tell me or not?”

Old Man Neal gave in, “Let’s go back to our room and talk.”

The car headed toward Sovereign Heights. The two of them sat in the back seat. This was not the first time that Joshua had glanced at Cynthia, wanting to ask something but holding back.

“Just say what’s on your mind,” Cynthia could not ignore his repeated glances.

“Did you study medicine?” Joshua was genuinely curious. He realized once again that he had never truly known her.

Cynthia replied briefly, leaning back in her seat with her eyes closed, “No, I’ve just read some books out of interest.”

Joshua’s eyes deepened, feeling like she was lying to him.

“Let’s revise the divorce agreement when we return, according to what my mother said. We’ll split the assets acquired after marriage equally.” Joshua was still grateful to Cynthia for accompanying his family in his stead.

“There’s no need. What we agreed on before is enough,” Cynthia declined.

Joshua looked at her with scrutiny. She seemed so

contradictory, wanting money one moment and dismissing it

the next.

“I’ll also make a list of my assets acquired after marriage. Half for each of us,” Cynthia finally conceded, somewhat Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

unwillingly.

Crater: 10

The thought of Joshua using those assets to support Jayleen made her unhappy, but she could not cling to his wallet either.

“There’s no need. I can earn the amount of your money in a minute,” Joshua rejected the offer firmly.

Cynthia remained silent, disagreeing with that statement.

After returning home, Cynthia took out the previously signed divorce agreement and revised the asset division according to their prior discussion. If Joshua did not want her money, she would not force him to take it.

At 11 p.m. that night, the divorce agreement was laid out on the table again. Cynthia pushed it toward Joshua. “It’s your turn to sign. We’ll apply for the divorce the day after

tomorrow.”

Joshua picked up the pen, his eyes falling on the elegantly written ‘Cynthia.‘ He could not help but wonder what she felt when she signed the agreement. He was the one who wanted the marriage, and now he was the one who wanted the divorce.

“Cynthia,” he spoke as if his conscience was catching up to him.

Cynthia looked at her phone, waiting for Mitchell’s reply. Upon hearing Joshua call her name, she responded indifferently, “What is it?”

“After the divorce, if you encounter any difficulties, you can come to me. My grandparents and parents like you quite a bit. Even if we’re not married, we can still be friends,” Joshua said. His voice was gentle as he tried to find a reason for the offer.

“There’s a saying online,” Cynthia replied, putting her phone

down and speaking in a calm tone.

“What is it?” Joshua asked.

“A good ex should be like the dead.”

At these words, Joshua’s anger flared up. Without hesitation, he signed his name forcefully on the document. He must have been crazy to think of being kind to this person. With her infuriating personality, she could make a fortune arguing with people.

“You’d better remember that,” Joshua said, his anger inexplicably rising. He could not pinpoint the source of his irritation. “Ex–wife!”

Cynthia grabbed the document, feeling much better now that she would not have to give her money to Joshua to support Jayleen. “Don’t worry. I’ll be a qualified ex–wife.”

Joshua grew even angrier. He grabbed his coat and stormed upstairs. If he stayed any longer, he thought he might explode. Cynthia did not have the patience to soothe his emotions either. After storing the divorce agreement, she picked up her phone and went upstairs as well.

Ever since a phone call six months ago, they had been sleeping in separate rooms. Thankfully, they had done so, or she might have found herself pregnant during the divorce.

Back in her room, Cynthia had just put the divorce agreement down when her phone rang. It was a message from Mitchell. [ I’m here.]

[Cynthia: Shall we meet tomorrow?]

Not long after sending the message, the call was connected.

Cynthia answered, “Hello?”

WAP 6/6

“You really married Joshua?” The teasing yet gentle voice on the other end asked.

“Yes.”

“And now you’re planning to divorce?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.” Mitchell was not as nosy as Jimmy. He wore a slight smile with his glasses on, sitting in the car, appearing gentlemanly. “Send me the time and place, and we’ll talk when we meet tomorrow.”