Chapter 43 Preparing to Leave the Country
Alexander's coldness cut deeply.
Elsa jerked her hand free and shoved him.
"Why should I? You're the one who betrayed this marriage. Why am I the person who has to endure everything?"
Alexander caught both her wrists.
"Because you're Mrs. Horton. Whether you like it or not, you have to accept what comes with that position."
Elsa screamed, completely losing control.
"I don't want to be Mrs. Horton! I don't want you anymore, Alexander! I want a divorce. Do you understand the word divorce?"
Alexander remained calm.
"Elsa, without my approval, no auction house in Saintville will sell your jewelry. And no hospital here will hire you."
She hit him with both fists. "You're a bastard!"
Alexander's voice stayed cold.
"I know you don't truly want a divorce. But even if you did, I've told you before—you can't afford it."
They stared at each other.
The despair in Elsa's eyes slowly hardened into hatred.
Unable to free her hands, she suddenly lowered her head and bit his shoulder with all her strength.
Alexander grunted in pain.
He didn't push her away.
Instead, he wrapped his arms around her even more tightly.
The luxury car fell silent.
For nearly a minute, Elsa refused to let go.
Only when the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth did she finally release him.
Blood stained the corner of her lips.
Her eyes were even redder.
She stared at Alexander with hatred and trembling lips.
"The day I married you, I swore that Elsa Winters would rather give up her life than give up Alexander Horton."
Her voice shook.
"I regret that vow. Even if leaving you destroys everything I have, I will still leave."
Elsa opened the car door and walked away without looking back.
Alexander touched the aching bite on his shoulder and watched through the window as she crossed the road, crying so hard she could barely see.
It was the second time he'd heard the word regret from her.
He still didn't like the way she spoke about death whenever she wanted to test him.
Restless and frustrated, Alexander drove to Crown Club.
Lucas listened to him and finally said, "Have you considered the possibility that Elsa isn't threatening you? Maybe divorcing you is exactly what she wants, and you're simply too confident to believe her."
Alexander rejected the idea immediately.
"She went after Serena today. She called Serena a mistress, threatened to take back the apartment, and tried to force her and Ethan out of Saintville. She doesn't want a divorce at all."
Lucas fell silent.
Elsa was no longer the bright, arrogant Winters heiress she had once been.
But the pride in her bones remained.
Lucas had trouble believing she would lower herself to chase Serena around and threaten a child.
"Even if Elsa did confront her, you two pushed her to that point. Elsa isn't the one in the wrong."
Alexander rubbed his temple.
"I'm out of the country this week. Keep an eye on things. I'm worried Elsa will go after Serena again."
Lucas rolled his eyes. "Then take Serena and Ethan on the business trip with you. Problem solved."
Alexander frowned.
Lucas continued, "Or kill Elsa. Then she can never cause Serena trouble again."
Alexander stared at him.
Lucas spread his hands. "Fine. Then you die. Those two women will probably stop fighting once you're gone."
Alexander stood and headed for the door.
At the threshold, he stopped.
"Elsa lost her job. I'm worried she'll get angry enough to confront Grandpa. I'll ask Violet to stay with her more often. If anything happens, call me immediately."
On the third day after Alexander left, Elsa's jewelry sold.
The buyer also signed an agreement giving Elsa the first right to repurchase if the jewelry was ever offered for resale.
The moment the 1.5 billion arrived, Elsa invited Julian to dinner to thank him.
At the restaurant, Julian again asked, "Have you thought about the job offer?"
Elsa hesitated.
"Julian, Reyes Medical Group has hospitals around the world, right? Could I work at your Taren branch? Their sleep-medicine program brings together some of the best researchers internationally. I'd like to train there."
Julian understood more than he said.
"One phone call and you can go whenever you want. When are you thinking?"
"Three days from now."
"I'll arrange everything tonight. The hospital will cover the travel."
After separating from Julian, Elsa went to the supermarket, bought bags of groceries, and cooked a large dinner herself.
Her father was home from work that evening, and Noah was home for the weekend.
Elsa ate happily with her family.
But when she noticed the gray at her parents' temples, her heart tightened.
She hated leaving them.
Still, if she wanted to earn enough to buy back the family heirloom, she needed to build a real career.
After dinner, the family sat in the living room talking.
Elsa brought out two bank cards and handed one to Margaret.
"Dad, Mom, the jewelry sold for 1.5 billion. I divided the money between these cards. I'm keeping one billion to repay Alexander and finish the divorce. You keep the rest."
She lowered her head.
After a long hesitation, she finally found the courage to continue.
"I'm planning to go overseas for a while. I want further training. I'll try to come back as soon as I can."
Her parents exchanged a look.
The pain in their faces left them speechless.
At last, Margaret said, "Go. You're still young. Do what you want with your life. Don't worry about us."
Behind Elsa, Noah stood in his bedroom doorway.
His eyes were red. His fingers gripped the edge of the door while he silently watched his sister.
Elsa had known her parents would support her.
That night, she went into Noah's room.
He was curled into a beanbag chair playing games with his headphones on.
Elsa walked over, rubbed his short hair, and removed one earbud.
Her voice was full of reluctance.
"Noah, while I'm overseas, come home on weekends and help Mom and Dad around the house. I'll bring you a present when I come back."
Noah closed the game.
Still sulking, he asked, "Sis, are you going overseas because of brother-in-law?"
Even now, he couldn't stop calling Alexander that.
Just as Elsa couldn't erase Alexander from her heart overnight.
She shook her head.
"Noah, I'm leaving for myself and for the Winters family. This has nothing to do with Alexander."
The words were absolute.
The truth was less simple.
Part of the reason she had chosen somewhere so far away was Alexander.
She didn't want to see him.
And she didn't want to hear another word about him, Serena, or Ethan.
After settling things with her family, Elsa met Eleanor and Violet for lunch the next day.
She would probably be gone until the end of the year.
Eleanor had treated her like a daughter since childhood.
Violet had always been even closer.
A farewell meal was the least Elsa could do.
Eleanor held her knife and fork elegantly, but her eyes never left Elsa's face.
"Elsa, tell Mom the truth. Did Alexander bully you again?"
Elsa lowered her gaze.
After thinking for a moment, she answered calmly.
"Mom, Alexander is away on business. He hasn't done anything."
Violet barely touched her food.
She looked at the gift Elsa had brought her, an uneasy feeling growing stronger.
"Elsa... are you really planning to divorce my brother?"