Kelsey had only lived in Stardust Villa for half a year, but she felt like she knew every inch of the place. She knew which shelf Rhett's favorite shirts were on and which tie he liked to pair with which shirt.
Habits were truly a scary thing.
Kelsey had packed her bags earlier and was now dragging her suitcase out of the master bedroom in less than ten minutes.
Rhett was sitting on the couch in the living room, his posture relaxed, one arm lazily draped over the armrest. His black shirt made his face look even more deep and brooding.
Rhett had just lit a cigarette, and the smoke was still lingering in the air. He squinted at Kelsey and then at her suitcase. "You don't have to leave. You can stay in this villa."
He remembered his inexplicable softness towards her just now.
When Kelsey turned her back to him to change her shoes, he saw her thin and bony back, and he had only one thought:
This woman was too thin.
He didn't remember her feeling this bony when he held her before. Maybe the atmosphere at that time had made him think of her as the little wife who always revolved around him during their marriage. When she called his name, he subconsciously thought she would say something about herself. But instead, she asked, "When are we going to get the divorce certificate?"
Rhett suddenly burned his fingers with the cigarette.
He flicked the ash and casually changed his posture, crossing his long legs with a lazy and arrogant demeanor, as if he was born noble. "After all, we are a married couple."
Kelsey shook her head and walked over with her luggage. "This villa is of no use to me. It's too big for one person. If Mr. Clark is willing, can we exchange it for an equivalent amount of money?"
At her words, Rhett's face darkened.
He looked at her indifferently. "You only want money?"
Kelsey nodded. "I'm short of money right now. If Mr. Clark wants to give me the villa, I won't refuse, but I'll sell it. I just don't have the connections to buy a house, and I'm afraid of being cheated. So if Mr. Clark is willing to help me out, it would be much easier for me."
The man's face was expressionless.
He finished his cigarette before speaking. "The money will be transferred to your account by my assistant, in one lump sum."
Kelsey's eyes flickered, but she still nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Clark."
Rhett stood up and walked over to her.
She wasn't short, but she still looked petite in front of him.
Kelsey usually dressed plainly, rarely wore makeup, and only put on light makeup occasionally when she had a slightly better complexion.
But she had a head of beautiful black hair, which set off her already fair face to perfection, like the finest warm jade, translucent and delicate, with an excellent touch.
Rhett suddenly wanted to touch her cheek.
But he did nothing, just put out his cigarette and reached for the box in her hand.
Kelsey instinctively blocked his hand. "No need, I can manage it myself."
Rhett withdrew his hand, his deep black eyes showing no emotion, staring straight at her. "Where are you staying now? Shall I give you a ride?"
Kelsey's face suddenly tightened, forcing a smile. "No need, I'll take a taxi myself."
Seeing Rhett say nothing, she was afraid he would insist on giving her a ride, so she added, "Mr. Clark, we shouldn't have too much involvement, especially something like giving me a ride. Although it's a small matter, women do care about it. Aren't you afraid that Miss Collins will hold a grudge if she finds out?"
Since he only saw her as a tool to provoke Elise, this marriage had been a deception from the beginning—more like a transaction, to be exact.
After all, Rhett gave her a large sum of money, and she needed the money.
Now that the deal was done, she would bury her feelings deep in her heart and not let anyone find out.
The best ending between them was to be strangers to each other.
He would marry Elise in the future, and Kelsey couldn't completely forget him for now. Every time they met, it only added to her pain.
So she would rather have no more dealings with this man.
Sure enough, as soon as Elise was mentioned, Rhett stopped talking.
Kelsey got into a taxi and gave a random destination.
After the car drove away, she looked at Stardust Villa in the rearview mirror and suddenly became teary-eyed.
This was once her home.
Her heart still ached, especially when facing Rhett. She would remember how he had deceived and abandoned her.
Kelsey put her hand on her flat stomach and closed her eyes.
At least she had one more family member.
---
Office building.
Kelsey had not yet found a place to stay, so she had to bring her luggage to her workplace for the time being.
She had started learning instruments and dancing since she was a child, winning many awards. She could have gone to a famous art school as an art student, but her academic performance was also excellent, so she went to another university.
If her parents hadn't suddenly had an accident, she might still be the happy and carefree Kelsey.
After graduating, she worked as a piano teacher in a piano store to pay for Dexter's medical expenses.
She originally only taught piano at the store, but later, a colleague who planned to start her own business saw that Kelsey knew many instruments and could dance, so she recruited her.
---
Quiana had just finished her class and saw Kelsey carrying her suitcase over. "Why are you so early today? Don't you have class in the afternoon?"
She walked over to the water dispenser to get some water, and the kids next to her greeted her.
Kelsey avoided them and placed her box on her desk. She came back with a thermos, saying, "I have nowhere to put my things, so I'll leave them here for now and move them later tonight."
---
Quiana looked at her seriously and asked, "Did something happen to you?"
Although they were only colleagues, they had a good relationship. Kelsey often confided in her about her troubles, maybe because she hadn't had many friends for a long time.
Quiana was a wealthy woman, and her husband was very capable. She was also young and beautiful, but she didn't want to stay at home and do nothing. So, she started teaching children and eventually opened a small art school in the office building, with a few classrooms for teaching music and dance.
Kelsey lowered her gaze and looked at the hot water flowing out of the faucet. "I got divorced," she said.
Quiana choked on her water and coughed. She looked at Kelsey in surprise and asked, "But didn't you love your husband very much? Why did you suddenly get divorced?"
Kelsey smiled and didn't say anything.
Quiana understood immediately. "You found someone else, didn't you?"