Chapter 43: Chapter 43
Night had fallen over the Harper family estate, and luxury cars lined the sprawling driveway one after another.
By the time Elise arrived, most of the guests had already gathered.
Ethan had brought her there, but the moment she stepped out of the car, he left her to fend for herself.
Leah was dressed in a custom-made silk dress, her hair pinned into a flawless bun behind her neck. Every detail, from her jewelry to her polished appearance, radiated the refinement and extravagance of a wealthy socialite.
She emerged from the lively crowd with a warm smile on her carefully maintained face and took Elise’s hand.
"You must be exhausted from work, Elise. I’ve already placed your gown upstairs. The banquet is about to begin, so let’s go change first."
In public, Leah always played the role of the loving mother to perfection. Her performance never disappointed.
Expressionless, Elise allowed herself to be led away while several affluent women showered her with polite compliments and flattery.
The moment they reached the second floor, however, Leah released her hand. The smile faded from her face almost instantly.
Lowering her voice, she snapped, "Could you not even manage a smile just now? Why do you always walk around with that sour expression? Who exactly are you trying to offend?"
The criticism entered one ear and exited the other.
Elise had heard it too many times.
She was used to it. Numb to it. And far too tired to argue.
Ever since the day Leah had suggested she acknowledge Robin as her own child, the last traces of mother-daughter affection she still held had completely withered away.
The only reason she continued returning to this house and helping maintain appearances was out of respect for the fact that they had raised her.
Walking ahead, Leah stopped outside Elise’s former bedroom and pushed the door open.
"Dylan will be here tonight as well. Be smart about this. I don’t care what’s going on between the two of you behind closed doors. In public, you will play the role of Mrs. Bennett properly."
No response came from behind her. Frowning, Leah turned around.
Elise was still standing outside the room, looking down at her phone, completely ignoring every word she had said.
"Elise!" Anger surged through Leah’s entire body. She strode over and smacked Elise sharply on the arm.
"Did you hear a single word I just said?"
Clatter.
The phone slipped from Elise’s hand and hit the floor. Pain shot through her arm where she’d been struck.
Her brows knitted together. Bending down, she picked up her phone before lifting her gaze to Leah.
Her face was devoid of emotion. Her voice was equally cold.
"There’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for years."
Leah froze.
Elise looked directly at her.
"Is a marriage that’s dead in everything but name, held together solely by responsibility and appearances, really worth that much?"
For a few seconds, Leah seemed unable to process the question. Then outrage exploded across her face.
"Elise, don’t give me that nonsense. Marriages in wealthy families have always been built on interests and alliances first."
"I see." A faintly mocking smile tugged at Elise’s lips. "As long as you’re happy with it."
She stepped around Leah and walked into the room.
"I’ll change and come downstairs on my own. You don’t need to worry about me."
Her indifferent attitude nearly made Leah lose her temper. But with so many guests waiting downstairs, she could only suppress her anger.
"Just remember what I told you."
With that, she turned and left. The bedroom door closed behind her.
At last, silence returned. Leaning against the door, Elise shut her eyes. An overwhelming weariness settled over her.
North City was enormous, yet nowhere within it truly belonged to her.
Perhaps that was for the best. When the time came to leave, she would have no reason to look back.
The evening gown Leah had prepared for her was a haute couture design. Its elegant simplicity and soft lotus-pink shade would have complemented her complexion perfectly.
But Elise had no intention of wearing it.
She hadn’t returned tonight to maintain the illusion of a happy family. Nor had she come to pretend she and Dylan were a loving couple.
Her purpose was simple––she was here to make her position on the divorce absolutely clear.
As for the charade of family harmony and marital bliss... Anyone who enjoyed acting could perform it themselves.
Downstairs, the celebration grew increasingly lively. The birthday banquet had officially begun.
Elise decided she would wait until most of the guests had left before making an appearance.
Yet not long after the festivities started, someone knocked on her door.
She had locked it from the inside.
When no one answered, the visitor knocked again. Annoyance flickered across her face.
Assuming it was Leah or another member of the Harper family, she rolled off the bed, crossed the room, and opened the door.
Dylan stood outside. Dressed in a tailored black suit, he looked tall, composed, and impossibly striking.
Elise paused, startled. Then she frowned.
"Dylan, we’ve already signed the divorce agreement. You didn’t need to come tonight."
His dark eyes rested steadily on her.
"We haven’t finalized the divorce yet. Legally, we’re still married."
"We signed the papers and we’re already in the mandatory cooling-off period."
Her tone was merciless. "As far as I’m concerned, you’re already my ex-husband."
Not a shred of courtesy remained.
"So there was absolutely no reason for you to show up tonight."
Dylan’s expression remained calm.
"As long as the divorce certificate hasn’t been issued, I’m still your husband. If I skip my father-in-law’s birthday banquet, people will talk."
A cold laugh escaped her.
"Oh, now you’re worried about appearances?"
Her eyes sharpened.
"When you were openly appearing everywhere with Quinn and Robin, where was this concern about what people might say?"
Normally, Dylan would have left the moment someone spoke to him this way. But tonight, he seemed determined to play the role of the devoted husband.
Even after being confronted so directly, he remained completely unfazed.
"The banquet has already started," he said evenly. "We should go downstairs."
His infuriating composure made Elise feel as though she were punching cotton.
The frustration inside her only deepened.
"Dylan." Her voice turned icy. "I didn’t come back to celebrate my father’s birthday."
He looked at her silently.
"I came to tell them that we’re getting divorced."
A faint smile touched his lips. "And do you really think they’ll agree with this?"
"Don’t think using the Harper family to pressure me will make me change my mind." Her gaze was unwavering. "I’ve never been more certain."
A bitter laugh escaped her.
"And thanks to you, that slap my mother gave me last time finally woke me up."
Without waiting for a response, she slammed the door shut.
Outside, Dylan stared at the closed door. Dark emotions flickered through his eyes.
After a long moment, he pinched the bridge of his nose and turned away.
Then he headed downstairs alone.
Back inside, Elise sat on the window seat, gazing out into the night. Guests drifted through the illuminated garden below. Laughter echoed beneath the strings of lights.
The celebration was vibrant and full of life. Yet none of it had anything to do with her.
The exhaustion she’d been suppressing slowly spread through her body.
Drawing her knees to her chest, she wrapped her arms around herself and buried her face against them.
Time slipped by unnoticed. Just as she was beginning to drift off, another knock sounded at the door.
Elise lifted her head.
"Who is it?"
"It’s me." A young woman’s voice answered from outside.
She paused. Then the woman added, "I’m alone."
After a moment’s hesitation, Elise climbed down from the window seat and opened the door.
The woman standing outside made her lips tighten briefly before she greeted her softly.
"Sis..."
The visitor was Rina, the third daughter of the Harper family and Elise’s half-sister.
"I noticed you never came downstairs, so I brought you something to eat."
Rina extended the tray in her hands.
Elise lowered her gaze. Every dish on the tray happened to be one of her favorites.
"No matter how angry you are, you shouldn’t take it out on your own body."
Rina brushed past her and entered the room, setting the tray on the small table in front of the sofa.
Elise turned to watch her, her emotions tangled once more.
Truthfully, they weren’t close.
She knew only that Rina had become an exceptionally successful film director, spending most of the year working elsewhere and returning home only for the father’s birthday banquet and sometimes New Year’s Eve.
The four Harper siblings had rarely interacted while growing up. They knew little about one another. Naturally, there wasn’t much affection between them.
That was why Rina’s gesture surprised her. It even left her feeling slightly uncomfortable.
Turning around, Rina found Elise still standing there and raised an eyebrow.
"What? Afraid I poisoned it?"
Elise snapped back to reality. "No."
"Then eat." Rina sat down on the sofa and bent forward to rub her calf. "I haven’t attended one of these social gatherings in ages. Honestly, I’m struggling to adapt."
She was breathtakingly beautiful. People often said she’d inherited the exceptional looks of her late mother.
Elise had never met that woman, but she’d heard the stories growing up.
William Harper’s first wife had once been a celebrated actress at the height of her fame. After marrying into the Harper family, she retired from the entertainment industry to become a full-time society wife.
Tragically, she passed away from illness only a year after giving birth to Rina.
Seeing Elise still unmoving, Rina laughed. "You really think I’d poison you?"
Elise smiled helplessly. "Stop teasing me."
She closed the door and walked over. Looking at the spread of food before her, she realized she wasn’t particularly hungry.
Yet the sight of her favorite dishes suddenly made her crave them.
Pregnancy had a way of making her appetite completely unpredictable.
Thinking of the baby growing inside her, she stopped overthinking and picked up her chopsticks.
After only a few bites, however, her stomach lurched violently.
Her expression twisted as a wave of nausea surged upward.
Clapping a hand over her mouth, Elise bolted toward the bathroom, leaving Rina utterly stunned.
