บท 1: Chapter 1- we’re getting a divorce!
Burg Eltz
It was the weekend, and the occasion was the 80th birthday of the lord of Burg Eltz. The entire Burg Eltz family had gathered—not just the immediate relatives but also many branches of the extended family, all here to celebrate Wooden S. Washington's milestone birthday.
Well, not quite the entire family. One member was missing—a child born out of wedlock, currently living abroad. Naturally, such a person would be unwelcome at an event like this.
The grand and luxurious banquet hall of Burg Eltz was buzzing with activity. Two antique, elongated dining tables stretched the length of the room, fully occupied. Gatherings of this magnitude were usually reserved for New Year celebrations or family weddings, making tonight a rare and momentous occasion.
The dinner was lively, and Wooden S. Washington, at eighty years old, appeared vigorous and radiant, his voice still commanding attention like the toll of a bell.
The banquet lasted nearly two hours. As it concluded, Wooden S. Washington rose with the help of his attendants, ready to retire for the evening. But just as he was about to leave, a cool, clear voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Lord Washington, please wait a moment."
Wooden S. Washington looked up at the speaker, a poised young woman who had risen gracefully from her seat. It was Laurent, the eldest grandson's wife, one of his favorite younger relatives.
Laurent was dressed elegantly that evening in a black, understated yet sophisticated dress adorned with subtle rhinestones around the neckline, which complemented her fair and delicate skin. Few would have guessed that this serene and polished woman was already the mother of a three-year-old daughter with Dave Washington, the eldest grandson of the Burg Eltz family.
As Laurent stood and addressed Wooden S. Washington, the entire banquet hall fell silent. All eyes turned toward her, curious about why she had stopped the patriarch on such a formal occasion.
Sitting beside Laurent was her husband, Dave Washington, his chiseled features set in a stern expression. He frowned slightly, his reaction betraying a trace of unease.
Because she was standing while he was seated, his gaze naturally fell on her left hand, where a sparkling diamond ring adorned her ring finger. It was their wedding ring.
She had always worn it. But when he glanced at his own left hand, his ring finger was bare.
For some reason, he felt a tightness in his chest. Raising his hand, he irritably loosened his tie.
What was this woman trying to do? What kind of spectacle was she planning to make at an occasion like this?
Wooden S. Washington smiled kindly.
"Laurent, is there something you need?"
"Yes, my lord," Laurent replied with a faint smile. She then calmly swept her gaze across the room, making sure to take in everyone present before speaking in an even tone.
"Since everyone is here today, I have something I'd like to announce."
She paused, the smile on her face unwavering.
"I plan to divorce Dave Washington. I've already had my lawyer file the papers with the court, and I believe the results will be finalized soon. As for the reason, it's because Dave Washington's true love has returned, and I've decided to let them be together."
Her words sent shockwaves through the banquet hall.
Even the experienced and unflappable Wooden S. Washington was momentarily stunned, let alone the eldest son and daughter-in-law of Burg Eltz—Laurent's in-laws.
Dave Washington, caught between shock and fury, abruptly stood and grabbed her forcefully.
"Laurent, what are you doing?!"
She met his enraged gaze calmly.
"Dave Washington, announcing this at an occasion like this—surely you realize I'm not just making a scene."
Dave Washington was so enraged that his head buzzed. Yet, when he looked into her eyes—so resolute and utterly devoid of any lingering affection—his heart inexplicably wavered with a pang of unease. He found himself unable to utter a single word in rebuttal.
Laurent calmly pushed his hand away and let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
"Sorry. This afternoon, while waiting for our daughter to finish school, I happened to overhear your conversation with her at the café."
Dave Washington's face instantly paled, and he stared at her in shock.
Clearly, he hadn't expected the world to be so small.
Laurent continued, her tone indifferent.
"Six years ago, she told you she wanted to go abroad to broaden her horizons, and you waited."
"Five years ago, she came back and told you she had fallen in love with your elder brother, that they were already together, and she broke up with you. You agreed calmly, without making it difficult for her."
"And now, she's back again, telling you that she actually loves you, that she wants to be with you again, and doesn't care that you're married with a child. She's even willing to be the woman on the side. And yet, you didn't say a single firm word of rejection."
As Laurent exposed his scandal in front of everyone, Dave Washington's expression darkened to an unspeakable degree. Though this affair was something the Burg Eltz family had likely long suspected, having it laid bare so bluntly and with such ridicule made Dave Washington feel as though his blood was boiling with rage. He stared at her with dark, venomous eyes, as if wishing he could peel off her skin and drink her blood.
Laurent scoffed lightly.
"Dave Washington, if I were you and had been humiliated like this for so many years, the moment she said those things today, I'd have slapped her across the face without hesitation!"
Her words left the entire audience dumbfounded.
Everyone knew Laurent, the eldest grandson's wife of the Burg Eltz family, as gentle, elegant, poised, and well-mannered—a model daughter-in-law among the elite families of the region.
For her to say something as crude as slapping someone across the face was utterly incongruous with her image.
But that wasn't the most shocking part.
When the infuriated Dave Washington raised his hand to try to drag her away, Laurent sidestepped his grasp and delivered a loud slap to his face instead.
"Dave Washington, if you're a masochist who enjoys being tormented, that's your business. But I am not!"
"I've had enough of this life! I've had enough of trying so hard but never being able to get into your heart! I've had enough of being tormented by your unpredictable, cold, and distant behavior all these years!"
As she spoke, her emotions surged, but she managed to suppress them. She looked at him with a stubborn yet resolute gaze and declared loudly,
"So, Dave Washington, we're getting a divorce!"
"Laurent!"
It was one of her aunts sitting on her other side who called out, trying to dissuade her. But Laurent silenced her with a sharp, fierce glare.
"This divorce is happening, and no one is going to stop me!"
By choosing to announce her decision to divorce in such a public setting, Laurent made it clear that, in her mind, this marriage was beyond redemption.
With that, she turned and strode toward the exit of the banquet hall, ignoring all attempts to stop her and disregarding the mocking or stunned gazes of onlookers. After walking a few steps, she kicked off her high heels, lifted the hem of her dress, and continued briskly on barefoot.
After all, the bridges were already burned. This marriage was over, and she had no intention of maintaining ties with the Burg Eltz family. She no longer cared about preserving her image as a dignified wife of high society, nor would she ever again endure humiliation for anyone else's sake.
Behind her was a crowd of Burg Eltz family members, stunned by her outburst, her profanity, her slap, and her dramatic act of kicking off her shoes.
Among them was Dave Washington, his face dark and stormy, one side still stinging and numb from the slap she had dealt him.
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