Chapter 114 I Can Revoke the Divorce Certificate

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: I Can Revoke the Divorce Certificate

Because of the time difference between the two countries, Sophie didn’t get an immediate reply from Adrian. She could only wait patiently for now.

When the kindergarten event ended, Sophie didn’t leave right away either. She watched with her own eyes as a group of wealthy ladies chatted and laughed with Stella Sutton, walking together. Julian walked over to his car and chivalrously opened the door for Stella. Considerate and gentle, it once again drew the envy of the wealthy ladies. Basking in their envious gazes, Stella couldn’t help but chuckle softly. She cast a lingering, deeply affectionate look at Julian before waving goodbye to everyone and getting into the car.

Sophie watched this sweet, romantic scene like an outsider. In truth, her heart was no longer stirred by any ripples of emotion. She just needed to make sure Julian left the kindergarten; otherwise, she wouldn’t feel at ease leaving first. Only when she saw his car drive away in the distance did Sophie finally get into her Range Rover.

She had thought Adrian wouldn’t reply.

"Have you decided to get a divorce?" he answered with a question.

Actually, Sophie had never told Adrian that her husband was Julian. Given Julian’s status, she figured less trouble was better than more. She definitely wouldn’t tell Ivy Hawthorne either. As for whether Adrian would look into it, she doubted it. He wasn’t anyone special to her, so he wouldn’t be interested in her private affairs.

"I’m getting the divorce certificate soon," she replied.

This time, Adrian replied quickly, "Okay. By next week at the latest." At the end, he added, "Congratulations."

Sophie stared at the word "congratulations." A bittersweet feeling of finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel flooded her heart. Tomorrow, everything would completely come to an end. Naturally, she felt a rare sense of relief and anticipation. After replying with a "thank you," Sophie returned to Helios.

The clinical trials were in their final stages. The drug would soon be approved for the market. She could create many variations of this kind of medication, but her current focus was leaning toward the neurosurgical robot that had recently secured funding. After working some overtime, Sophie returned to her apartment. She needed to prepare all kinds of divorce agreements and proofs before she could get the certificate.

The next day.

Sophie woke up very early. With so much on her mind, she hadn’t slept well all night. She freshened up as quickly as possible and drove to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Only by getting the certificate could she transfer Lydia’s household registration back under her own name. She had waited a long time for this day. Once Adrian returned to the country, everything would be settled. Sophie’s chest felt warm, and her hands gripping the steering wheel tightened subconsciously.

Arriving at the Civil Affairs Bureau, it was only just nine o’clock. After parking the car, Sophie still took out her phone and called Julian. Even though she had changed her phone number and hadn’t saved his contact information, it was somewhat ridiculous how well she had memorized his number over the years. It was etched into her mind like a brand, remembered with absolute clarity. Thinking about this, Sophie wanted to mock herself a little—her hopeless romantic brain had finally been excised, which was certainly something to celebrate.

She dialed the number directly. The phone rang a few times before an automated voice said, "Sorry, the number you have dialed does not exist..."

Sophie thought she had misheard and frowned in confusion. She double-checked the digits—no mistake. Even if Julian had blocked her, he could only block her old number. He didn’t know her new one, so there was only one possibility... He had changed his number too.

Sophie stared at her phone for a long while before letting out a bewildered chuckle. Julian probably had the exact same idea as her. He just wanted to cut ties with the past entirely and make a clean break from her? Sophie pressed her lips together as her temples throbbed. After all, today was an important day to get the certificate. Not being able to contact him naturally made her furious.

Suppressing her temper, Sophie called the cellphone of Clara Quinn from the Sterling Corp CEO’s office. As Julian’s personal assistant, Clara was always efficient.

But... Clara didn’t pick up.

Sophie wanted to curse. She had been in such a good mood today. Not being able to reach anyone on such a big day inevitably fueled her anger. After pondering for a moment, Sophie got out of the car anyway. When she and Julian applied for the divorce certificate, they had gone through a VIP channel. Even if he didn’t show up in person, the certificate should still be processed.

Arriving at the window, Sophie handed over all her documents. "I’m here to get my divorce certificate."

The staff member glanced at her. "Why isn’t the man here?"

"How would I know where the hell he went," she thought.

Although she was inwardly gloomy, Sophie kept a straight face. "Please check again. It should be a VIP channel certificate."

The staff member looked it up and replied a moment later, "Ma’am, your divorce certificate has already been picked up."

Sophie froze. "By whom?"

"I wouldn’t know about that. My system just shows it went through a special procedure."

Sophie’s heart suddenly sank. A looming sense of crisis abruptly swept over her. In order to process Lydia’s household registration transfer, the relevant authorities absolutely required her divorce certificate. Without the divorce certificate as proof, she couldn’t become Lydia’s legal guardian.

Panicked, Sophie hurried out of the lobby. She wanted to make a trip to Sterling Corp to confront Julian and demand an explanation. Just as she got into her car, her phone rang. Seeing that familiar landline number, a chill ran down Sophie’s spine, and her mind instantly became completely clear.

A long time had passed since her last visit.

Sophie drove back to the Sterling family’s ancestral mansion. Madam Sterling’s courtyard was rather secluded. Normally, she didn’t like her two daughters-in-law, Judith Jacobs and Barbara Coleman, bothering her.

When Sophie arrived, Mrs. Sterling had fallen ill and was lying in her bedroom. The family doctor was sent away after rushing in and out. Mrs. Sterling’s blood pressure seemed unstable, and her lips were slightly purple.

Seeing Sophie, Mrs. Sterling began to cough violently, her eyes full of disappointment. "Sophie, I can’t believe you all ganged up to deceive an old woman like me!"

Sophie’s hands and feet were ice-cold. With a stiff back, she walked over step by step.

"Grandma, please give me back my divorce certificate."

No matter what, she had to get that divorce certificate; otherwise, Lydia’s household registration couldn’t be transferred. Without being Lydia’s legal mother, everything would be for naught. She had calculated every step, never expecting something to go wrong at this crucial juncture. Her divorce certificate... had actually been intercepted.

Madam Sterling saw Sophie’s resolute attitude and asked, "Are you truly determined? What is your reason? The reason that makes you want a divorce regardless of the cost. Don’t tell me it’s because of marital discord. You two made it through seven years, and you just can’t stand it now?"

Madam Sterling had once been a commanding figure in the business world. Both her gaze and her mind were sharp and imposing. Naturally, Sophie couldn’t say it was because she was hiding a child. She tightly gripped the fabric on her lap. "Enduring it for seven years doesn’t mean I have to endure it for a lifetime. There’s nothing left for me in this marriage, so letting go isn’t a pity. Grandma, a forced marriage never bears fruit."

"If that’s the only shortsighted answer you can give me," Madam Sterling stared at Sophie, "then I cannot return the divorce certificate to you."

Sophie had anticipated this kind of situation on her way here. The old woman’s opposition to their divorce seemed to have reached a tyrannical, almost pathological level. She couldn’t figure out the reason why.

"What will it take for you to give me the divorce certificate?" The last remnants of Sophie’s past gratitude toward Madam Sterling slowly dissipated, and her tone grew much colder.

"Within three months," Madam Sterling said, leaning against her pillows. "If you get pregnant with a child of the Sterling family, I’ll let you go. Otherwise..."

Madam Sterling slowly patted Sophie’s already icy hand. Though her features were kind, her voice was utterly merciless. "To get a divorce behind my back, you specially went through the VIP channel. So now, I can just as easily use a special procedure to have this divorce certificate revoked."

Sophie’s head snapped up, her lips instantly drawing into a tight line.