Even if she spoke up now, with the divorce papers still unsigned, everyone would. only urge her to reconsider for the sake of appearances.  But deep down, they all hoped…

“Leaving? Where are you going?”  Grandma Fawkes gripped Evangeline’s hand just a little tighter, her concern plain on her face.  The rest of the Fawkes family turned to look at…

Unfortunately, Old Mrs. Fawkes was Soren’s biological grandmother, but with her and Soren about to divorce, Evangeline knew she might never return to the Fawkes family once it was over. …

“Has Evangeline arrived?”  “My sweet girl, it feels like it’s been ages since you last visited your grandmother.”  Evangeline was waiting in the living room, sitting quietly on the couch….

Apart from scrolling through her phone, she didn’t really have any other way to vent her frustrations.  Flora let out a soft huff, the thought flickering through her mind as…

When Helena spoke, the smile on Poppy’s face faltered for a split second.  Evangeline pressed her lips together, saying nothing.  Helena’s words certainly sounded like she was acknowledging Evangeline’s place…

Chapter 33  Flora deliberately ignored Evangeline, chatting enthusiastically with Poppy instead. She fully expected Evangeline to come over with a gift for her, just like she always  did.  Flora was…

ChapterIL  Chapter 32  To be honest, Evangeline had grown used to all of this.  Flora and Soren were close as siblings, so naturally, Flora shared Soren’s dislike of her–often making…

After she finished washing up, Evangeline found herself with plenty of time on he hands. With nothing urgent to do, she let herself sink into a rare moment of idleness, sprawling across the bed and letting her mind drift. Maybe it was because so much had happened in the past couple of days, but as soon as she closed her eyes, sleep swept over her. When she woke again, it was already noon the next day. Still groggy, she climbed out of bed. The moment her feet touched the floor, a sharp pain shot through her toe. Only then did she notice that her pinky toe–banged up the night before–was now swollen and red. But she was supposed to visit the Fawkes family later, and there wasn’t time for a hospital trip now. With no better option, Evangeline dabbed some ointment on it, bandaged it up as best she could, and headed out the door. Soren had never been keen on joining her for visits to the Fawkes estate. Now that divorce was looming, Evangeline saw no reason to even wait for him. She picked up the gift she’d carefully chosen for Old Mrs. Fawkes, then drove straight to the auto shop to retrieve her car–the one her mother had given her, recently repaired after a minor accident. Sliding behind the wheel, she set off for the Fawkes Family Estate. The estate lay on the outskirts of town, tucked away in a quiet, leafy neighborhood where the air felt fresh and clean. Evangeline deliberately slowed her pace, rolling down the window to let the breeze wash over her. Somehow, the simple act of driving through open country soothed the tangle of emotions she’d been carrying. When she arrived, she parked, grabbed the gift, and stepped out. Just as she was about to walk through the front gate, a familiar female voice called out from behind….

Chapter 30  Evangeline paused to think.  Technically, even though she and Soren were divorced, the waiting period wasn’t over yet. That meant, by law, she was still the Fawkes family’s daughter–in–law, Soren’s request wasn’t unreasonable. Besides, Old Mrs. Fawkes had always treated her kindly. She owed it to the woman to at least stop by and say hello. Evangeline didn’t refuse. “All right, I’ll be there,” she promised. Soren listened to her gentle reply, his gaze drifting to the papers on his desk. Gregory had handed him a report earlier: Evangeline was living in the worst apartment building in town. The place was shabby, and the living conditions were poor, to say the least. He’d almost laughed in disbelief when he’d read it. He sent her nearly four thousand dollars a month for living expenses, yet she’d chosen to move into a place like that? Was she doing it on purpose? Trying to gain his sympathy? Or maybe she wanted people to gossip–imagine, Soren Fawkes’s wife living in a run–down apartment. Whatever her motive, Soren found it all rather amusing. Still, he decided to give her an easy way out. Magnanimously, he asked, “Anything else you want to say?” Anything else? It took Evangeline a moment to catch on. “We should probably tell them about our situation tomorrow too.“. Our situation? She meant Poppy moving into the house, and her insistence on a trial separation? Was she planning to use that to force him to back down in front of his family?…