Their Queen's Back - Chapter 74: Chapter 74

The room was left with only Jessica's agonized wails as Charlotte stepped outside into the gathering dusk.
Michael took off his mask and handed Sis Charlotte a bottle of water. "Sis Charlotte," he asked, "do you think the Fosters will track us down?"
Charlotte looked at Michael and asked, "You don't trust my abilities?"
Michael scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Sis Charlotte, the last time you said that, we almost got caught."
Charlotte: "..."
Charlotte shot him a glare and snapped, "Shut your mouth if you can't say anything right."
Michael looked at Charlotte, frowning in confusion. "Sis Charlotte, why are you siding with the Hughes? Weren't you always saying how much you couldn't stand them?"
Charlotte's eyes darkened as she lowered her head, pulling her cap down over her eyes. "Who said I was helping them? Can't I just hate that woman—and Christina too?"
Michael pouted and muttered under his breath, "But the Fosters never did anything to you."
Charlotte reached out and smacked him on the head. "Mind your own business," she snapped.
Michael rubbed his sore head and muttered, "Okay..." Then he thought to himself, "Come on, Sis Charlotte obviously cares about that big sister—why won't she just admit it?"
Rachel followed Skye back to the Hughes mansion. The exquisitely decorated interior, with its elegant grandeur, instantly won her heart. Wrapping her arms around Skye's, she pleaded, "Skye, I don't want to go home tonight. Can I stay over with you?"
Skye sat down and took a sip of her tea. "Sure, you can stay—but first, you need to tell me exactly what's going on between you and Ethan."
Rachel had expected this. She slumped into the seat with practiced nonchalance, but when she met Skye's icy, sharp gaze, her eyes instinctively darted away.
Seeing her like that, Skye had the picture.
Skye asked, "Who's stopping you from getting a divorce?"
Rachel hung her head, looking weary and dejected. With a bitter, self-mocking smile, she said, "Guess I brought this on myself. Back then, I was dead set on marrying him, no matter what. Now I'm the one making a fuss about divorce, and they say I'm treating marriage like child's play. But the Phoenixes and the Moores can't afford that. The Phoenixes ran into trouble a few years ago and still need the Moores' damn money. With the joint project in full swing, divorce is off the table for at least two years."
If it were me ten years ago, I wouldn't be holding back. But I'm 29 now, not 19.
I'm not at that carefree age anymore where I can do whatever I want without consequences.
She represents the Phoenixes now.
"The Moores aren't the same family they were ten years ago," she thought. "Back then, I was marrying beneath my station while Ethan was marrying up. Now we're practically equals—more of a power alliance than anything else."
With the millions in monthly dividends from the Phoenix family shares, she couldn't help but consider the Phoenix family business.
Rachel thought to herself, "Actually, that's just the surface reason. Deep down, my parents secretly hope I won't get divorced, using 'for the sake of the child' as their noble excuse."
Rachel thought to herself, "But I know they're still holding a grudge over what happened back then. They're using everything that's happening now to prove just how wrong I was to ignore their advice and stubbornly marry him."
"Maybe they're just getting back at me!" Rachel thought bitterly.
"They're punishing me for being so stubborn, for not valuing my own life, for being so love-struck I thought I was chasing true love. But in the end, everything fell apart—I ended up a shrew, my reputation in ruins."
Skye lifted her gaze to meet Rachel's, her tone calm yet brooking no argument.
Skye looked Rachel straight in the eye and said, "I'll ask you just once—divorce or not? If yes, I'll help you. If not, then you'd better start thinking hard about your future."
Rachel felt something tug at her heartstrings, her pupils trembling slightly as she thought, "Skye..."
"Divorce!" Rachel declared loudly.
Skye said, "Alright, do you want me to help with the divorce, or will you handle it yourself?"
Rachel knew exactly what Skye meant—if she accepted Skye's help, with Skye's connections, she could be divorced and single again by tomorrow.
But if she handled the divorce on her own, she knew she'd be stuck in endless entanglement with Ethan.
Rachel's hesitation drew a helpless sigh from Skye. Her gaze dropped to the teacup, where the intricate dragon-and-phoenix motif gradually lulled her into a daze.
Fifteen years of shared history couldn't just be severed completely—especially when they still had a child together.
After all, Rachel wasn't Skye—she just couldn't bring herself to make that clean break.
Rachel cast a sheepish glance at her, her eyes brimming with guilt and self-reproach.
Rachel buried her face in Skye's shoulder, her voice trembling. "Skye, I'm sorry... I know I've let you down. I just don't know what to do right now—my mind's a complete mess. For a moment, I even think maybe they're right. If we get divorced, our child won't have a stable home anymore. I'm terrified I can't give my child the best life, but I..."
Skye pulled Rachel's head close, and Rachel collapsed into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "Skye, I'm so sorry, it's my fault for being so wishy-washy, I..." she choked out between tears.
Skye's eyes softened as she gently stroked Rachel's hair. "It's okay. Do whatever you want—don't worry about anyone else. You're not indecisive, you're just afraid you won't do your best. Rachel, don't doubt yourself. To me, you're perfect. I'll always have your back. Those tens of millions in monthly dividends from the Phoenix family? They mean nothing to me. How about I set you up with a few businesses to try your hand at? Didn't you always say you wanted to be a boss lady? Give it a shot."
An immense warmth flooded Rachel's heart, chasing away the pain and bitterness bit by bit until only profound gratitude remained.
Rachel looked up at Skye, her eyes red-rimmed as she sniffled softly.
Rachel pouted like a wronged child and cooed, her voice dripping with playful accusation. "Skye, you know I'm no good at this. You're just saying that to make me feel better—you're so mean~"
"I'm such a useless bum—a total slacker who can't do anything right," Rachel thought to herself. "Back then, I even got it into my head to try doing business like Skye. What a joke."
I thought I was a "genius," but after losing tens of millions and getting a serious scolding from my brother, I finally came back down to earth.
Tell her, as long as she behaves herself, doesn't start businesses, and stops chasing money, she could spend her whole life as a little heiress.
Her brother had warned her, "If you keep causing trouble, I'll cut off your allowance."
But despite all his threats, he's never actually cut me off—not even once.
"Don't sell yourself short, Rachel. Even after the divorce, you won't lack for anything. Ethan has approached me multiple times, but I've turned him down every time. Now be honest with me—what do you two really want?"
Rachel calmed herself down and said seriously, "Ethan had an emotional affair. There's a girl at his company named Sierra—she's younger than me. I've known about their issues for years. I used to make scenes and tried everything to stop it, but it only made me paranoid. I want a divorce, but I don't want your godson to lose his father."
Skye's lips twitched slightly. "Rachel, it's a divorce, not murder. What do you mean, 'no father'? Even after the divorce, he still has parental responsibilities."
Then, as if something just occurred to her, Skye asked, "Don't tell me you're still planning to walk away empty-handed?"
If that's true, then marriage has really turned Rachel's brain to mush over the years.
Rachel stared at Skye with wide, bewildered eyes and asked, a little confused, "Isn't that how it's supposed to be? I'm taking our son with me, right?"
Skye took a deep breath, struggling to process what she'd just heard. She shut her eyes tight, too afraid to look at Rachel, desperately hoping this was all just a nightmare.
Skye pressed a hand to her forehead, silent. Seeing this, Rachel reached out to touch her forehead with concern. "Skye, do you have a headache?"
Skye was speechless.
Skye looked Rachel straight in the eye and asked, "So the only reason you're not divorcing is that you're afraid of being broke?"
Rachel hesitated for a second, then nodded sheepishly.
Other than Ethan's black card and a few supplementary cards, the monthly dividends from the Phoenix family business, the $700,000 allowance I get from each of my parents and my eldest brother every month, several properties, over a dozen villas, and seven or eight luxury cars in my name... I'm practically destitute!
Skye closed her eyes again and leaned her head back, thinking, "Am I out of my mind for sitting here listening to this nonsense?"
"Skye, where does it hurt? Should I call Felix over to check on you?"
Skye was left speechless. A tempest of emotions raged within her, refusing to settle for a long time.
Skye asked, "Have you ever considered that if you divorced Ethan, took half his assets, and he still had to pay you alimony every year, you'd have so much money you couldn't spend it all in ten lifetimes?"
Hearing this, Rachel's eyes lit up, her interest instantly piqued. "Skye, that makes perfect sense! If I take this money and start my own business, become a boss lady myself, couldn't I be the world's richest woman in a few years?"
Skye couldn't help but recall all the businesses Rachel had single-handedly run into the ground, and that humiliating time she got scammed and ended up bawling her eyes out on the floor like a child.
Without missing a beat, Skye burst her bubble. "Not a chance. If you just spend the money like normal, you'll never run out—even in ten lifetimes. But if you try to become the world's richest woman, you'll be panhandling on Main Street within a month."
"Ah! Skye, how could you be so heartless, shattering my newly born dream like that?" she pouted dramatically. "Skye, you've changed—you don't love me anymore, do you? Have you found a new bestie? Answer me! No beating around the bush!"
"...No," Skye replied flatly.
Rachel snorted coldly. "Fine, I'll believe you—for now. But I want a divorce, and I'm not leaving empty-handed. I'm taking half of Ethan's fortune. I'm going to be filthy rich!"
"Okay"
Then Rachel remembered her parents and her brother, and her bravado instantly deflated. She muttered, "But my brother would never go for it."
Skye: "I'll handle it."
Rachel's eyes suddenly sparkled with mischief. "That perpetual bachelor brother of mine actually seems to have a crush on Skye," she thought to herself.
Some thoughts crossed Rachel's mind—her eyes sparkled with mischief as she flashed Skye a sly, knowing grin.
Skye couldn't stand Rachel's exaggerated, puppy-dog expression any longer. She looked away and picked up her phone to check her messages.
Christina's name was blowing up at number one on the trending list.