"Sign the divorce papers and leave the Griffiths family for good!"
A document landed abruptly before Leanna Jackson. At first glance, the signature at the bottom was unmistakable. Joshua Griffiths.
The script was decisive, suggesting Joshua had been anticipating this moment eagerly.
Leanna's fingers shuffled through the papers as she lifted her gaze to meet the smug expression of Sandra Griffiths standing opposite her.
"Where's Joshua? Why isn't he here to discuss this with me directly?" Leanna asked.
Sandra let out a dismissive scoff, as if Leanna's question was absurd. "Do you honestly think my brother has time to spare for someone like you?"
Sandra's eyes swept over Leanna, taking her in from head to toe. Despite everything, Leanna's beauty was undeniable. Even Sandra had been dazzled by Leanna when they first met.
However, Leanna's beauty was always understated. Her thick bangs and oversized black-rimmed glasses obscured much of her petite face, and she consistently dressed down in baggy loungewear, concealing her shapely figure.
Sandra thought Leanna was merely a shallow woman whose world revolved around domestic chores.
"Joshua is swamped with work at the company. He doesn't have time to waste on you!" Sandra snapped.
Leanna pursed her lips and then chuckled. "Is he caught up in work, or is he just spending time with Renee?"
Saying this, Leanna felt a weight lift from her chest, yet a bitter taste lingered on her tongue.
Renee Hayes, the woman Joshua had adored for a decade, cast a long shadow over Leanna's fragile three-year marriage.
It was Renee who had abandoned Joshua at the altar, nearly turning the Griffiths family into a joke in Cenwood.
To fulfill a promise made to Joshua's grandfather, Richard Griffiths, and to repay a childhood debt to Joshua, Leanna had stepped in to marry Joshua without a second thought.
After the wedding, Leanna swapped her elegant dresses for an apron, striving to be the perfect wife, even as Joshua kept his distance and never once shared a bed with her upon their marriage.
"Knowing that, you should have backed off earlier instead of clinging to something that wasn't yours!" Sandra snorted. "Renee graduated from a prestigious music academy abroad and was immediately recruited by a renowned symphony orchestra. She's well-mannered and comes from a good family. How could you, a high school dropout, ever compare to her?"
Leanna had endured harsh words like these for the past three years.
Since marrying into the Griffiths family, Leanna had diligently fulfilled her duties to her in-laws and consistently supported Sandra.
Sandra, who had a habit of spending excessively, often turned to Leanna for financial aid when money ran low.
Whenever Sandra suffered abuse from her husband, the Griffiths family turned a blind eye, wary of any negative impact on their social standing. Without Leanna's intervention, Sandra's situation might have been dire.
Yet, here was Sandra, parading her independence and treating Leanna with disdain.
Leanna was examining the conditions in the contract when, abruptly, she closed it with a snap and slid it across the table to Sandra. "Divorce is acceptable, but I'm claiming half of Joshua's assets."
Sandra's eyes bulged in astonishment as she slammed her hand down on the table, springing to her feet abruptly. "Dream on! Don't presume your modest family can climb up the ladder with you marrying into the Griffiths family. You'll leave with nothing, absolutely nothing!"
In response, Leanna calmly removed her apron and unzipped her baggy loungewear, revealing a sleek ribbed top and jeans that accentuated her figure.
Leanna took off her glasses, her gaze sweeping over Sandra with a slight smile. "The decision isn't yours to make. I'll discuss it with Joshua directly."