Chapter 33 Can’t Remarry After Divorce

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Can’t Remarry After Divorce

Sophie Winslow quietly closed the cabinet and turned around with a calm expression, only to see Nanny Miller from Madam Sterling’s courtyard standing there. Nanny Miller was one of the few people in the Sterling family who treated Sophie with genuine politeness. She bowed slightly and said, "Ma’am, if you’re not busy, please go see Madam Sterling."

Sophie naturally wanted to say she was very busy. Busy tearing Stella Sutton’s face apart. But since this matter would inevitably bring shame to the Sterlings, she decided not to show her hand just yet. "All right."

Upon arriving at the older woman’s residence, Madam Sterling waved at her. "Sophie, come here."

Sophie walked over. Madam Sterling took her hand and patted it. "It’s so sweet of you to be so dutiful. Even at a time like this, you’re still willing to come back for the family banquet and keep an old woman like me company."

"It’s only right," Sophie replied, knowing perfectly well how to play along with pleasantries.

Still, her mind remained fixated on the marriage certificate. She couldn’t have remembered incorrectly. It had definitely been in that cabinet.

"I saw what happened on the internet," Madam Sterling said with a sigh.

The faint smile faded from Sophie’s lips as she looked at the older woman.

"I know you’re very angry right now, Sophie, but this kind of thing cannot be addressed publicly. Julian and Charles are brothers, after all. This is a family scandal, and we cannot keep washing our dirty laundry in public. For the sake of the Sterling family’s reputation, I must ask you to endure this grievance." Madam Sterling looked deeply troubled, holding onto Sophie’s hand tightly. Her face was the very picture of helplessness.

Sophie’s heart gradually grew cold. Unconsciously, she knocked over the piping hot tea on the table, spilling it over the back of her hand. Her pale, delicate skin instantly turned a fiery red.

"Are you saying you want me to stay silent?"

Suddenly, she thought of the missing marriage certificate. It all made sense now. Madam Sterling had hidden it beforehand. Without physical proof that she was Mrs. Sterling, nobody would believe her words alone; those unaware of the truth would just think she was delusional. If she tried to publicly reveal her identity, Julian wouldn’t acknowledge her, and the Sterling family would remain silent. It would just be a futile struggle. Worse, it would only lead to further humiliation.

Seeing Sophie accidentally knock over the tea, Madam Sterling called Nanny Miller over to clean it up before continuing her earnest persuasion. "Stella Sutton was engaged to Charles, which means she was supposed to marry Julian’s brother. No prestigious family could ever tolerate such a scandal. It would only bring harm to the company, the conglomerate, and the stock market. Sophie, you know full well that Chairman Sterling values harmony at home above all else. If this reaches his ears, it won’t end well."

Sophie’s back suddenly stiffened. She thought of the unsmiling, ruthless Chairman Sterling. "And what if I insist on an explanation?" she asked, her gaze fixed unblinkingly on Madam Sterling.

Madam Sterling slowly released Sophie’s hand. "Sophie, you wouldn’t be able to handle Julian’s grandfather’s temper. Your maternal grandfather is also getting on in years. You have to consider the people around you."

Sophie fell silent, fully realizing what today’s outcome would be. Even if she was dead set on dragging everything into the light, the Sterlings would never allow her to blow the situation out of proportion.

Seeing that Sophie understood, Madam Sterling spoke with a comforting tone. "I hate seeing you wronged, and I would even support you kicking up a fuss, but you know how Chairman Sterling is. He only cares about the Sterling family’s reputation."

At this point, Sophie felt nothing but numbness. Madam Sterling had indeed been good to her. But that kindness amounted to nothing when weighed against the interests of the Sterling family.

"Since you’re planning to get a divorce anyway, why be so stubborn about this one grievance?" Madam Sterling gently coaxed. Waving her hand, she had Nanny Miller bring over a contract in duplicate. "I will compensate you for the wrongs you’ve suffered. Sign this, and you’ll have a sum of money to guarantee your living expenses after the divorce."

Sophie’s gaze fell on the agreement. Two clauses, in particular, stood out glaringly. First, she was forbidden from disclosing her identity as Mrs. Sterling to the public, much less exposing her marital discord with Julian or revealing the truth about Stella Sutton. Second, once divorced, she could never enter the Sterling family again, whether through a second marriage, remarrying Julian, or attempting a situation like Stella Sutton’s.

In essence, this entirely severed any possibility of her ever remarrying Julian. Sophie couldn’t quite fathom Madam Sterling’s intentions. If the old woman liked her, why would she forbid her from remarrying Julian in the future? Rather than a voluntary gift of compensation, this felt more like leverage to keep her in check.

"Of course, if you two decide not to get divorced, this agreement will be void. I’d much prefer it if you and Julian could just live a good life together. Won’t you reconsider?" Madam Sterling said, still looking genuinely regretful.

"I won’t reconsider," Sophie replied, rejecting the older woman’s plea. Her marriage was riddled with holes. She had been forcing down a bitter pill for seven years, and she could no longer swallow glass mixed with tears.

Madam Sterling’s eyes flickered before she finally let out a sigh. "If you must divorce, do not mention it to anyone else in the family before you find someone else to marry, and absolutely do not leak a word about the past between Stella Sutton and Charles to the public."

Sophie remained silent. Madam Sterling’s move was designed to protect the Sterling family’s dignity. It protected Stella Sutton’s reputation. It preserved the illusion of brotherly love and familial harmony. The only person being sacrificed was Sophie herself. She could almost understand Madam Sterling’s anxieties as the matriarch of the Sterling family.

She flipped to the buyout amount. Fifty million. They were certainly generous.

Sophie stared at the terms for a long moment before suddenly looking up at Madam Sterling. "This means that no matter what happens to me in the future, it will have absolutely nothing to do with the Sterlings, correct? The Sterling family will not interfere with me, will not acknowledge me, and we will draw a clear line in the sand that will never be crossed?"

Madam Sterling looked troubled. "This is for your own good. I can promise you that after the divorce, I have my ways of erasing all records of your marriage. That way, you can find a new husband without carrying any baggage, can’t you?"

What thoughtful consideration. Hearing this, Sophie actually felt the urge to laugh. She knew perfectly well that the Sterlings were just trying to prevent her from clinging to them in the future. At the same time, they feared Julian wouldn’t compromise on Stella Sutton and would insist on marrying her, so they had to completely erase the fact that she and Julian had ever been married. Then, they would internally suppress Charles once he was released from prison, effectively neutralizing a massive scandal.

However, she suppressed the turbulent emotions welling up inside her. Looked at from another angle, if Lydia’s existence were ever exposed, the Sterling family would have already denied any relationship with her. That would mean Julian would have absolutely no claim over Lydia. Wasn’t this just giving her an extra layer of protection to ensure her child wouldn’t be snatched away? Madam Sterling had always wanted her and Julian to have a child. The Sterling family cared deeply about every single heir. But *they* were the ones choosing to sever ties with her now.

Suddenly, Sophie didn’t feel so infuriated anymore. She could already picture just how spectacular the expressions on the Sterlings’ faces would be when they eventually found out about Lydia.

But if she breached the contract... Sophie glanced at the back pages. The penalty was five hundred million, and they could seek compensation from her family members. They were dragging her maternal grandfather into this. It was an unspoken threat.

However, she didn’t believe she would ever step foot in the Sterling family again. Saving herself from this swamp was already difficult enough. After weighing the pros and cons, Sophie signed it. There was no reason not to. Why would she ever return to the Sterlings after getting a divorce? No matter how she looked at it, it was impossible. And when the time came, Julian would undoubtedly be too busy preparing to marry Stella Sutton to bother entangling himself with her.

As for keeping Stella Sutton’s relationship with the Sterling family a secret, she could manage that too. After all, they would be nothing more than strangers from now on. She just hoped the Sterlings wouldn’t regret this in the future. Either way, she knew for a fact that she wouldn’t.

Madam Sterling looked exceedingly pleased, gazing at Sophie with affection. "You are the most sensible girl, Sophie."

Sophie said nothing. Faced with such gentle but absolute coercion, she never really had a choice. From the moment the Sterling family found out about the incident on the internet, it was guaranteed they wouldn’t let her act recklessly. A single person was powerless against a giant. Sophie understood the unspoken rules of society perfectly well.

"The Sterling family has wronged you in this matter. If you ever need anything, I will help you as much as I can," Madam Sterling sighed. "I’m not an unreasonable person. If you two ultimately decide not to divorce, we can just pretend today’s conversation never happened."

Sophie merely smiled. She unconsciously stroked the back of her hand, which was still stinging with pain, and remained silent. She was well aware of the fickle nature of human relationships. If she didn’t have Lydia, perhaps she would have fought for her pride regardless of the consequences. But becoming a mother meant having a weak spot. For now, she wouldn’t openly challenge the Sterling family, if only to avoid future troubles. Getting a divorce was her absolute top priority.

"Mr. Julian is back," Nanny Miller announced.

Madam Sterling’s expression didn’t change. She quickly shot Nanny Miller a look, and the older servant immediately tucked one copy of the agreement away, slipping the other into Sophie’s bag.

Sophie looked over. Julian walked in with steady strides, his indifferent gaze landing on her face the moment he entered the room.

"Julian, you’re back just in time. We don’t have everyone here for the family banquet this year, so how about you and Sophie stand together? Let’s take a picture of you two and a family portrait to send to your grandfather overseas." Madam Sterling shifted gears incredibly fast, standing up with a warm smile to greet him.

Julian’s gaze swept lightly over Sophie before he finally walked toward them, his dark eyes as calm and cold as snow. "We take pictures every year. Don’t you find it exhausting?"

Madam Sterling chided him gently. "Your grandfather and the others stationed overseas miss home so much. Hurry up now, get closer to Sophie. That’s your wife. Can’t you at least crack a smile?"

Sophie knew Julian had absolutely no desire to play pretend with her. She looked at them and said, "There’s no need for photos. I have to leave a bit early..."

Suddenly, a hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her in with just the right amount of force. Caught off guard, Sophie found herself gathered entirely into Julian’s embrace. The heat from his palm seeped through the fabric at her waist, burning so warmly that Sophie’s expression shifted slightly.

He was touching the most sensitive part of her waist. A single touch there was enough to make her whole body go weak. Julian knew that better than anyone. As a result, she now practically melted into his arms, forced into a soft, intimately affectionate posture.

Julian looked at Madam Sterling, slowly lifting his eyelashes. "Aren’t you going to take the picture?"

Delighted by the sight, Madam Sterling chuckled and immediately pressed the shutter.

By the time Sophie regained her senses, a faint, almost imperceptible sweet fragrance drifted into her nose. It was Stella Sutton’s scent.

Had he been keeping Stella Sutton company right up until he came back? The thought that Stella Sutton had leaned against the exact same spot she was currently resting against made Sophie frown imperceptibly.

She had endured far too many indignities today. This unexpected intimacy made her feel intensely uncomfortable. Almost purely out of reflex, Sophie raised her hand... and slapped him.