Chapter 150
It was a mourning period for the Wyndham family. The entire Wyndham empire felt the weight of loss, like a heavy cloud wrapping around every building, every worker, every memory. Out of respect for the great Alfred Wyndham, all their companies temporarily closed down. Offices, factories, branches across Carminton and beyond-everything paused.
Even the whole of Carminton seemed to mourn with the Wyndhams. Shops lowered their music. Everyone understood what Alfred had meant to their city.
The Wyndham family gathered together at the Wyndham Estate, the heart of their legacy. Visitors came and left throughout the day. Friends, business partners, government officials, and even the Royal family came to offer their condolences. The estate felt like a river of people flowing in and out, each person leaving behind their sympathy, their sadness, their respect.
Even now, everyone still addressed Wyatt as the firstborn son of the family. Despite the tension in the bloodline, the Wyndham family coordinated themselves well. For the moment, grief united them in a way nothing else had.
John had already communicated the burial date to his children, and they all agreed that Alfred’s body should not remain in the morgue for too long. It would not be right for a man of such respect and honor. So they chose a date -one close enough to avoid delay, but long enough to allow the entire country to mourn.
Three days passed since Alfred Wyndham died.
The estate felt heavy. Every room seemed too quiet, too still, as if the walls themselves were grieving.
Today, John sat alone in his father’s old bedroom. It was a simple room, just as Alfred had liked it. No luxury, no unnecessary glamour—just a comfortable bed, a wooden table by the window, a wardrobe, and a bookshelf filled with books he loved.
John looked around slowly.
Everywhere he looked, he saw his father.
The pillow still held the faint shape of Alfred’s head. The slippers lay near the bed as if waiting for him to return. The wardrobe door was slightly open, revealing neatly arranged clothes that would never be worn again.
His father’s presence filled the room. John could almost hear his deep voice, almost picture him sitting by the window reading the newspaper.
Every memory felt fresh, raw and painful.
John closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply. The scent of his father. It still lingered in the air like smoke. He knew that scent would fade soon, but for now, it wrapped around him like a ghostly embrace.
He thought about all the plans they had made. All the conversations. The apologies. The hopes. Tears gathered in his eyes, but he blinked them away, letting the silence settle around him.
A sudden knock on the door startled him.
He straightened himself before speaking. “Come in.”
The door opened, and Stephen, the family butler, stepped inside. He held an envelope in his hand, sealed with a thick golden stamp.
“Mr. Wyndham, sir,” Stephen greeted with a bow.
John nodded in acknowledgment.
“You have a message from Mrs. Anna Wyndham,” Stephen announced.
The moment he heard her name, irritation crawled up John’s spine. His brows knit tightly together. Memories of her shouting and accusations hit him like a slap. Anna was the woman who had dared to point fingers at Alfred, who had cursed him, who had blamed him for Isla’s condition. Her words had broken the old man’s heart, driven him into depression, and worsened his health.
John believed with all his soul that if Anna had not accused Alfred so cruelly, his father would still be alive.
And now she had the audacity to send him a message?
John scoffed and glanced at the envelope. It was not a simple letter-it had a golden seal, thick and expensive, as if she still wanted to portray herself as someone important.
“Give it to me,” John said coldly.
Stephen handed him the envelope.
“You may go now,” John muttered.
Stephen bowed respectfully and left the room.
John broke the seal with stiff fingers and unfolded the documents inside. His eyes scanned the first page. At first, his face darkened. But as he continued reading, his expression slowly shifted.
By the time he reached the end… he smiled.
A bitter, relieved smile.
It was a divorce agreement.
John exhaled, leaning back slightly.
He couldn’t believe it. The woman his father forced him to marry—the woman who had poisoned their happiness, who caused chaos in their home, who had hurt Isla and blamed Alfred-was finally asking for a divorce.
And that from jail.
And right after his father’s death. Life was strange.
John let out a humorless laugh as he read her bold list of demands. Anna wanted half of his wealth as settlement.
Half.
He shook his head in disbelief. Even while locked behind bars, she still had the audacity to demand something so outrageous.
But surprisingly, despite the grief crushing his chest, he felt an unexpected sense of freedom wash over him.
For the first time in a long time… he saw a path out. A path that did not include her.
He stood up slowly and walked toward his father’s table by the window. He sat down and spread the divorce papers neatly before him.
He went through every page carefully-line by line-making sure there was no hidden clause, no strange twist. When he reached her signature at the bottom of the agreement, he stared at it for a long moment.
That signature was a door closing.
A door he had prayed would close someday.
John picked up a pen.
With steady hands, he signed his name everywhere required. On every page. He pressed his signature hard, as if sealing the final chapter of a painful story.
When he was done, he folded the papers neatly and placed them back into the envelope. He stood up, straightening his shoulders.
“Half of my wealth you asked for,” he muttered under his breath. “And half of it you shall get. Anything to free myself from you.” 1
His voice carried no regret. No hesitation. Just relief.
And even though grief still weighed heavily on his heart, he felt something small but significant.
A step toward healing. A step toward reclaiming his life.
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Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She’s also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.