Willow discreetly glanced at Eleanor.
Eleanor might not know about Vivian Vance.
But someone in the Langford family did.
Margaret knew, and Lawrence was starting to dig.
If she wanted to beat Wren to the punch, she couldn't just rely on acting fragile and playing the victim.
She needed her own way in.
In the living room of the Langford Estate, the document lay squarely on the coffee table.
The white envelope bearing the court's red seal sat there coldly, more glaring than any screaming match could ever be.
Eleanor snatched up the papers, her face turning paler with every line she read.
Divorce litigation.
Mediation schedule.
Asset disclosure demands.
Custody and visitation petitions.
Every single word was a stark reminder that Wren was no longer throwing a tantrum in their living room; she had officially handed their marriage over to strangers to dissect.
"She's lost her mind," Eleanor slammed the documents onto the table. "She has absolutely lost her mind!"
Willow stood silently by her side.
Leo, having just been dropped off by the driver, stood in the foyer hugging his backpack. At the loud smack, his shoulders flinched visibly.
Willow saw it.
Normally, she would have rushed over to comfort him.
But today, she didn't move an inch.
She remembered how he had stepped away from her that morning.
The fact that the child was learning to say "no" sparked a petty irritation in her chest. But she kept her face entirely blank.
Eleanor ignored the boy and dialed Lawrence's number.
It rang for a long time before he answered.
"The court documents arrived." Eleanor didn't bother masking her fury. "Are you going to handle this or not? Wren is about to drag the Langford name through the mud!"
The line was dead silent for a moment.
Then, Lawrence finally spoke. "I know."
"You know?" Eleanor's voice spiked. "You know, and you're just letting her do this? First a mediation notice, what's next? A trial? Are you going to let the whole city know that Lawrence Langford is being sued by his own wife?"
"Mom," Lawrence's voice dropped to a dangerous pitch. "I will handle this."
"Handle it how? By dragging it out?" Eleanor scoffed. "Dragging it out until she leaks all the evidence? Until everyone finds out about you and Willow?"
Willow's fingers twitched at her sides.
Eleanor's words were blunt.
Humiliatingly blunt, but they also ignited a spark of desperate hope inside her.


VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Sign the Papers Mr. Langford