Chapter 8

At the Smith Manor, Emily was bossing the servants around, making sure they got rid of every trace of Rachel: the sheets she crashed on, the slippers she shuffled in, the apron she wore, even the bowls and forks she used. All of it, gone.

Michael walked in, frowning. "What are you up to?"

Emily shot back, annoyed, "Why keep Rachel's stuff? Mandy's gonna be part of the family soon." She quickly added, "Michael, didn't you divorce her? I'm telling you, she doesn't deserve a dime of your hard-earned cash!"

Michael, staying cool, said, "She didn't ask for anything."

Emily snorted, clearly not buying it. "No way! She's broke, so she's bound to milk the divorce for all it's worth. How else would she fund her side piece?"

Thinking about Rachel and Robert, Michael got ticked off and didn't want to deal with Emily anymore. He told David to bring the divorce papers to show her.

Upstairs, Mandy was chilling by the window with a book. She looked up and smiled sweetly. "You're back."

Michael saw her calm smile, and his irritation started to fade. "Feeling any better?" he asked.

"Not bad. It's pretty boring in here, so I grabbed a book to kill time." Mandy put the book down, stood up, and hugged him from behind. "Michael, do you regret divorcing her?"

Michael's voice turned cold. "What's there to regret? I didn't love her, and she cheated first."

Mandy felt a surge of happiness. He turned around and hugged her, his voice softening. "Let's not talk about Rachel anymore. The most important thing is your health. Next month, Mr. Brown is throwing a party for you, so you need to get better fast."

Mandy blinked and smiled. "Got it."

After Michael left, she called the Brown Family butler. "Miss Brown, what can I do for you?"

Mandy said, "Tell my dad about Rachel hitting me with her car. You know how to spin it, right?"

The butler replied, "Yes, Miss Brown."

After hanging up, Mandy turned to look at a cactus on the windowsill and smiled wickedly.

Michael got back to the office and called David in. "How's the 'Azure Heart' coming along?"

David replied respectfully, "Mr. Smith, the staff in Evergreenia said it'll be airlifted over in about a week."

The 'Azure Heart' necklace was a famous piece by the international master K, and there was only one in the whole country. It cost a fortune. David knew Michael had splurged on it to propose to Mandy at the Brown Family's party.

David couldn't help but think of Rachel. Michael had never given Rachel any gifts, not even flowers, let alone an expensive necklace. Once, Rachel brought lunch to visit Michael at the office, but he sent her away, making her a laughingstock. Everyone knew Michael didn't care about Rachel. She came a few more times but was always turned away by the receptionist.

David sighed inwardly, 'Mr. Smith's way nicer to Miss Brown than he ever was to Mrs. Smith.'

Michael just nodded and went back to his paperwork.

Then a call came in. Michael glanced at it and saw it was from a friend, so he picked up. "What's up?"

A young man's voice came through, "Michael, check out the latest headline online."

Michael, puzzled, opened his phone and took a look. He was instantly stunned.

It was a photo of Rachel and Robert looking cozy, one with their head down and the other with their face up, looking like they were kissing from the angle.

The bold red headline screamed: #Shocking! Smith Group's CEO Forced to Divorce, Wife in Love with a Model.