Chapter 421
At noon, Charlene arrived at the restaurant with Thorne and the rest of their group. Just as they reached the door of their private dining room, the door to the room next door swung open.
As if determined to make sure everyone heard, Leah Spencer called out loudly to Thorne, “Hey, brother-in-law!”
When Vesta appeared as well, Professor Hancock grinned. “Well, Ms. Hawkins, fancy running into you here! What a coincidence.”
Vesta smiled politely. “Yes, quite the coincidence.”
But despite her words, this meeting was anything but accidental.
Everyone in their families already knew that Thorne and Charlene had finalized their divorce papers at City Hall that morning. Upon learning that both would be at this restaurant for lunch, Leah had deliberately arranged for their table to be directly across from Thorne and Charlene’s private room.
That’s how this “coincidence” came to be.
Leah could barely contain her glee, thinking about how, the moment her brother-in-law finished sorting out the divorce agreement, he’d immediately asked Charlene to meet him at city hall to file the paperwork. What thrilled her even more was that, in just thirty days, Thorne and Charlene’s divorce would be official. Then, surely, her sister and Thorne could formally get married at last, and Charlene would be out of the picture for good!
Leah couldn’t help but cast a smug glance at Charlene.
Vesta, for her part, had never openly pressured Thorne to get divorced, but to say she wasn’t anxious would have been a lie. Even as confident as she was in her relationship with Thorne, as long as he was still married to Charlene, their feelings, no matter how deep-meant nothing in the eyes of the world.
So when Thorne told her on Saturday that he’d resolved all the terms of the divorce agreement and had arranged for Charlene to go to city hall on Monday, how could she not have been delighted?
In truth, it wasn’t just the two of them; the rest of the Hawkins and
Spencer families were equally overjoyed.
Katie Hawkins barely spared Charlene a glance before looking away as if she were invisible.
Georgina Spencer’s smile never left her face.
Vesta said to Thorne, “Go on, don’t let us keep you.”
Thorne nodded. “I’ll come to see you in a bit.”
Vesta smiled. “Alright.”
The way they interacted was obvious to anyone how close they were. Professor Hancock and the others chuckled knowingly.
As for Charlene and Stewart, the moment they’d spotted the Hawkins and Spencer families, they hadn’t lingered-they were the first to step into their own private room.
Stewart let out a cold laugh. “They’re just here to show off.”
Charlene replied, “I know.”
It was obvious.
“They’re a real piece of work, aren’t they?”
After the greetings, Thorne and his group entered their private room, and Vesta’s party returned to theirs.
Indeed, the Spencers were in high spirits.
But even so, Georgina felt a twinge of irritation. Leaning in close to Maureen, she muttered, “Now that she’s left Thorne, that girl has Stewart all to herself. She really lucked out.”
After all, Stewart was quite the catch-and let’s not forget his powerful father, Kenton.
Every time she thought about it, Georgina felt like she had something stuck in her throat.
She wasn’t the only one. Now that it was clear Charlene had really learned a thing or two under Stewart’s wing, both Maureen and Vesta felt less than pleased.
Grinding her teeth, Georgina went on, “After the divorce, she’ll be a divorcee. Why should she get so lucky?”
The thought put Maureen in a slightly better mood. “As long as they’re not officially married, nothing’s set in stone. No need to get anxious.”
Georgina knew Maureen was right, but she couldn’t shake her unease. As long as there was a chance Charlene could marry Stewart, she would never be happy.
Back in the other room, Charlene was oblivious to the Spencer family’s schemes.
Once Thorne and the others had taken their seats, conversation picked up, and the mood inside their private room was actually quite pleasant.
After a while, Thorne got up. “You all go ahead, I need to step out for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”
He’d just told Vesta he’d stop by her table.
No one needed to ask where he was going; it was obvious he was heading next door to see Vesta.
Professor Hancock smiled. “Go ahead, Mr. Henderson, take your time. We’re in no rush.”
Professor Mack chimed in good-naturedly. “Yes, yes, don’t hurry on our account.”
Thorne grinned and slipped out.
Charlene and Stewart watched silently, not bothering to spare Thorne a second glance.
Charlene didn’t pay much attention to how long Thorne was gone, but Stewart did.
“It’s been nearly ten minutes. He’s got some nerve,” Stewart muttered.
Charlene was about to respond when Thorne returned. She decided to keep quiet.
Stewart rolled his eyes.
Thorne resumed his seat and joined back in the conversation as if nothing had happened.
Just then, Charlene’s phone rang.
She glanced at the screen and hesitated.
Stewart noticed the shift in her expression, leaned over for a look, and frowned at the caller ID. “York Watson? Why’s he calling you?”
He hadn’t spoken loudly, but both Professor Hancock and Thorne, seated nearby, caught the name.
Charlene remembered York’s confession not long ago and suddenly didn’t know how to explain.