My Deceased Wife Wants a Divorce (Hannah) novel Chapter 73

“It’s possible,” Hannah finally spoke up. “You did say some things that angered him at the café. I remember he was furious when he left. Maybe it’s related to that.”

“But why would he wait a few days to complain to my mother?” Sandra countered, her fingers twisting together. “Unless… unless someone else saw Mr. Temple recently and stirred things up.”

“Oh! Now that you mention it, I do remember something.” Knowing Sandra was trying to pin this on her, Hannah was prepared. She set her glass down. “We had a meeting with Mr. Temple yesterday. I went to the restroom and left my phone on the table next to him. When I came back, he seemed… off.”

The room fell silent.

Hannah opened Sandra’s Facebook profile, found the stargazing post, and showed Sandra the phone. “I was just looking at this post about you and Lionel. I was telling my colleague we should go there, and I was about to ask you for the location when she dragged me to the restroom. I must have forgotten to lock my phone.”

The photo, which had once seemed so romantic, now looked like a glaring accusation. Sandra’s face fell, her eyes fixed on the screen. She had tried to frame Hannah, but Hannah had admitted it freely, while making it clear she was not at fault. Something wasn’t right. The whole situation felt strange, yet she couldn’t find a single flaw in Hannah’s story.

Lionel took the phone and looked at the photo, then scrolled through Sandra’s other posts. He rarely used Facebook, but he had never seen any of these.

“Did you block me?” he asked.

Hannah internally rolled her eyes. Of all the things to focus on right now… although, it wasn't entirely irrelevant.

“What? Really?” she feigned surprise. “Let me see.” She took his phone. Sure enough, he was blocked. “You’re right. I hope I’m not the only one who can see these posts, Ms. Woods. If I were, I might start to think you had ulterior motives.”

Hannah had never considered that Sandra might be curating her audience. Whenever she saw those posts of Sandra and Lionel together, she was too blinded by jealousy and anger to think clearly. But looking back now, it was obvious. The posts were designed to provoke her, to make her fight with Lionel. And it had worked. Sandra’s plan had been brilliant, but now, the very weapon she had used against Hannah was being turned back on her.

Realizing she was being backed into a corner, Sandra quickly changed the subject. “None of that matters now. Lionel, my mother is forcing me to marry him. What should I do? Please, help me.”

“What can he do?” Hannah said nonchalantly. “Divorce me and marry you? We still have to wait a couple of weeks to finalize that.”

Lionel stared at Hannah, then said firmly, “We are not getting a divorce. And don't you go putting ideas in her head.”

“Hannah, when did you become so vicious?”

A small, bitter smile touched her lips. “Yes, I’m vicious. I’m cruel. I’m a terrible person. What else?”

She stepped closer, tilting her chin up to meet his angry gaze. “If she hadn’t posted those things to provoke me, would Mr. Temple have ever seen them? This is her own doing. Don’t tell me you can’t see what she’s trying to do, Lionel. A few contracts won’t save the Woods family, and they certainly won’t save Sandra.”

She brushed past him. “Get your things and get out of my room.”

He grabbed her arm, pulling her back. Before she could react, he threw her onto the sofa.

“Get rid of your filthy thoughts,” Lionel snarled, his eyes dark with rage. “There is nothing going on between Sandra and me.”

Hannah looked up from the sofa, a cold laugh escaping her lips. “I don’t care if there is or isn’t. I don’t care if you give her contracts or if you divorce me to marry her. It has nothing to do with me anymore.”