Sign the Papers Mr. Langford novel Chapter 8

Wren didn't sleep.

She sat at her desk, methodically gathering her ID, copies of her marriage certificate, prenuptial financial records, Leo's birth certificate, and years' worth of medical records proving she was his primary caregiver.

When she reached Leo's medical file, her hands hovered over the paperwork for a long time.

It was a massive stack—the undeniable proof of every frantic trip to the hospital she had made for her son.

Every single diagnostic slip bore her signature on the guardian line.

Lawrence's name rarely made an appearance.

Yet despite all of this, in tomorrow's divorce agreement, she had still decided to waive her initial fight for custody.

It wasn't because she didn't love him.

It was because she finally understood that love didn't mean ripping a child away from the only environment he knew, nor did it mean trading her entire life just to hear him say she was the best mom in the world.

She would give Leo time.

And she would give herself time, too.

At exactly 10 AM the next morning, Wren walked into Mr. Clarke's office.

The lawyer looked visibly shocked to see her.

He probably assumed a night of sleeping on it would have changed her mind.

But it hadn't.

The moment she sat down, her first words were, "Keep the agreement as straightforward as possible."

Mr. Clarke slid a document across the desk. "I've drafted a preliminary version. Your premarital assets remain untouched. The marital assets will be split according to state law. The equity in Langford Medical is quite complex, and I strongly advise against walking away from it easily."

Wren flipped open the agreement.

The stark black-and-white text glared up at her.

Party A: Lawrence Langford.

Party B: Wren Whitaker.

Seeing their names side-by-side, she found the whole thing darkly hilarious.

In six years of marriage, it seemed the only place they were ever truly seen together was on legal documents.

"I don't want the equity," Wren stated.

Mr. Clarke frowned. "Mrs. Langford, we're talking about millions of dollars."

"I'm aware."

"Then why would you..."

Wren lifted her gaze. "I want out as fast as possible."

The lawyer fell silent.

After a moment, he nodded. "And child custody?"

"Given to Lawrence for now," Wren replied. "But I want guaranteed visitation rights, and I want to retain the legal option to petition for full custody down the line."

Mr. Clarke scrutinized her, his tone growing more serious. "Are you absolutely sure?"

Wren nodded.

"I'm sure."

As those words slipped out, something inside her finally snapped cleanly in two.

It didn't hurt.

It just felt delightfully empty.

They revised the paperwork twice.

At half-past noon, Wren signed her name at the bottom of the last page.

Wren Whitaker.

As her pen glided over the paper, she didn't shed a single tear.

She just suddenly recalled the day they got their marriage license, when Lawrence had sat directly across from her.

He had been so busy that day. Right after leaving the courthouse, he had taken one call and immediately shoved her into the car, telling the driver to take her home without him.

She had sat alone in the backseat, staring at their marriage certificate for hours.

In the photo, she was beaming.

But Lawrence had simply stared blankly at the camera, looking like a man ticking off an item on his to-do list.

So, from the very beginning, the joy had always been incredibly one-sided.

"Mrs. Langford, how would you like this delivered to Mr. Langford?" Mr. Clarke asked.

Wren capped her pen.

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