My CEO Wife Panicked After Our Divorce (Audrey and Carter) novel Chapter 3

He arrived at the hotel, unpacked his clothes, and collapsed on the bed, falling fast asleep.

Thick curtains blocked out the setting sun, and he slept until nightfall before waking up naturally.

When he opened his eyes and saw the unfamiliar surroundings, he was momentarily disoriented.

He got up and took a quick shower.

Then he turned on his computer and started handling matters related to studying abroad.

Jonathan had sent over the email address of a mentor in Desland, suggesting he reach out in advance.

He only knew basic Deslian, but to live in Desland, he would definitely need systematic language study.

After thinking for a moment, he used the money in his bank account to sign up for a language class and checked his balance.

He hadn’t taken a single cent from his mother-in-law or Jessica.

The money in his account was solely from his scholarship, since the Wilder family had covered all his mother’s medical expenses in her final years.

He knew he had to pay them back eventually, so he started considering ways to make a living.

He reopened the blog he hadn’t touched in ages, where he had published a few essays.

Back in school, he was known for his writing skills—many classmates had asked him to write love letters—and he had the habit of blogging.

From the second post onward, he had charged his readers, and surprisingly, people had still paid to read.

He hadn’t expected to find a considerable amount of money in his blog’s backend.

He withdrew it all.

After searching for a while, he finally found his phone under the bed—probably dropped while he was asleep.

He pressed the power button a few times, but the screen didn’t light up.

He plugged in the charger and turned it on.

The moment the phone was on, a flurry of messages and missed calls flooded the screen.

He thought it was Jonathan reaching out about the scholarship, but to his surprise, it was all from Jessica.

Jessica. “Jordan has a fever and wants oat porridge. Make some.”

Jessica. “Where are you? Why aren’t you at home?”

Jessica. “Where’s the oat kept? What kind of tantrum are you throwing? Even with a sick child, you’re still being petty? Come back now!”

Chris stared at the messages for a few seconds and found them ridiculous.

That was Michael’s child, not his—why should he be anxious?

Besides, that house belonged to Jessica, so technically it was her home.

After five years, she didn’t even know where the oat was stored—wasn’t that hilarious?

Since they had already decided to divorce, it was better not to get too entangled.

So he didn’t respond.

Unexpectedly, Jessica didn’t give up.

Just as he was about to put his phone down, a call came through.

It was Jessica’s younger sister, Sophie Wilder, who launched into a barrage of scolding the moment he answered.

Sophie said, “How can you be so heartless? The child is sick and you don’t even care. My sister told you to come back and cook! The whole family is waiting for you!”

Chris frowned. “Who’s waiting for me?”

“My sister, Michael, Jordan, and I—that’s a lot of people. Come back now. Jordan wants spaghetti. Takeaways aren’t healthy. You come back and do the cooking.”

‘What a commanding tone,’ thought Chris.

Sitting up straight, he said, “First, Jordan isn’t my child, so I have no obligation to take care of her. Second, if you want to wait, go ahead—I’m not coming back. Lastly, from a medical perspective, children shouldn’t eat spaghetti when they’re sick. It’s hard to digest.”

On the other end of the line, Sophie was stunned—Chris had actually said so much in one go?

“Sophie, is that Chris? Let me speak to him,” said Michael.

Unwillingly, Sophie handed the phone over to Michael, pouting.

“Hello, Chris. We haven’t met yet, but I still want to apologize. It wasn’t right of me to come to your house without your permission. But Jordan was sick and wouldn’t cooperate. If you’re upset, I’ll leave with her right away. We shouldn’t make you feel like you can’t even go home.”

His words put Chris in a tough spot—making it seem like if he didn’t return, he was being cruel to a child.

His lips felt dry, and he instinctively licked them.

Over the years, he had gotten used to appeasing Jessica.

He wasn’t good at arguing and didn’t know how to refute this on the spot.

But he still wasn’t going back.

“Mr. Hall, we’ve never met because when I rescued Jessica years ago, you had already been taken away. But that doesn’t matter. We don’t really need to meet.”

From the side, Sophie shouted, “What do you mean by his home? This house was bought by my sister! She can let anyone she wants in! Who is he to act like the owner?”