Burned Once, Never Again (Niamh and Castiel)

Chapter

21

Niamh's hand that was holding the spoon froze mid-air. She looked at Castiel in disbelief, thinking that he was being ridiculous.

Before she could speak, Castiel continued, "Withdraw the divorce application immediately. Once we have a child, everything in the Jamison family will be inherited by him."

It turned out that Castiel was in a bad mood so early in the morning because he had learned that Niamh hadn't withdrawn the divorce proceedings. He was even offering her such an enticing offer to ease her mind from any threats posed by potential homewreckers. Their relationship had devolved into something Niamh used to find laughable. It had become the kind of marriage in wealthy familles that was ultimately reduced to transactions. She and Castiel were no exception to that curse.

Niamh took a sip of her glass of milk and glanced at the Castiel. His complexion was somewhat sallow. No matter how handsome he was, he couldn't escape the toll of consuming too much alcohol.

"I find your compromise laughable!" Niamh blurted,

It was still early in the morning, yet the tension between them was palpable.

Castiel noticed the disdain in Niamh's eyes. There was a hard edge to his tone as he asked, "Have you looked at the evidence?"

He ignored her remark and asked about the information Seth had uncovered instead. Niamh's expression became gloomy upon hearing that. She looked determined and assertive when she stared back at him, her eyes gleaming with icy anger. "What do you mean by that?" Was he threatening her? Was he seriously using those so-called evidence to keep her in line? When their gazes locked, Castiel seemed to finally register the fact that she was adamant about leaving him. They had been together since high school. Then, they got through college together and eventually married each other.

The two of them had overcome countless obstacles and weathered so many storms. How could he let her go?

"You're a smart woman. What do you think I meant by that?" Compared to Niamh's silent fury, Castiel was unnervingly calm.

When he received the news that Niamh had filed for divorce, he was shocked to his core. He hadn't expected her to be so resolute, and he hadn't anticipated that their relationship had deteriorated to this point.

As Castiel looked at her beautiful face, he suddenly noticed that she had lost a lot of weight.

And at that moment, he realized that he hadn't taken a good look at her for a long time. He took in the barely noticeable scar on her face. It was faint, so it didn't detract from her beauty at all,

Niamh asked, "If I insist on divorcing you, you'll send me to prison, right?"

Was that his plan?

Niamh's

eyes were fixed on Castiel. She studied his face carefully, not wanting to miss any trace. of changes in his emotion. Nevertheless, she failed. Ever since he had taken over the Jamison family business, she had been unable to read or understand him. "You'd better not push me to do that," Castiel warned.

Niamh closed her eyes..

Of course, he wouldn't agree to the divorce. This was only the beginning. In her past life, even after he took her corneas, he had never thought about divorcing her. What was it about her that made him cling to her so stubbornly?

Their marriage felt like nothing more than a transaction now. It was a deal made because of Macy's kidnapping. The so-called evidence was like chains binding Niamh.

With that thought in mind, Niamh lost her appetite. She stood up and started to go upstairs. As she ascended the stairs, she said, "I won't withdraw the divorce proceeding. As for that evidence..."

Niamh dragged out the sentence and looked at Castiel. When their eyes met, her lips curled into a sinister smile. "Do what you want with it."

Castiel was left speechless as a chill ran down his spine.

up

Castiel had idea that after breakfast that morning, he wouldn't see Niamh for a very long time. So, he left the house as usual after breakfast. He tried to avoid being around Niamh as much as possible. Whenever she mentioned divorce, he felt an intense urge to strangle her.

An hour later, Niamh had just finished packing when she received a call from Billie.

Over the phone, Billie said, "Niamh, I'm at the hospital to visit a friend. Castiel is here, and he's been in Macy's room the whole time."

Niamh stayed silent and didn't say anything.

"He's unbelievable! He refuses to divorce you, but he's all tangled up with another woman. What right does he have to refuse the divorce?"

Billie's voice was full of indignation on Niamh's behalf. She had once worried about how Niamh would cope after leaving Castiel. But now, it was clear that every moment spent with him was

torment.

Niamh listened to Billie's words in silence. Inwardly, she remained unaffected as this information didn't stir her emotions at all.

"Niamh, are you listening?"

"Yes."

I'm telling you. If Castiel doesn't agree to the divorce, we'll have a hard time turning the situation in your favor."

Niamh's body stiffened. Did that mean it would be difficult to divorce Castiel? If a peaceful

divorce wasn't possible, then what about bringing it to court? Was Billie telling her that going down that route would be futile too?

Was she truly stuck with Castiel?

Billie's instincts as a lawyer were usually spot-on. Someone like Castiel, who was from a prominent family like the Jamison family, couldn't afford the repercussions of a divorce. Otherwise, his family wouldn't have opposed his marriage to Niamh so vehemently in the first place.

Once they were married, divorce became a far more complicated matter.

Niamh took a deep breath. "I have a flight this afternoon, so I'm leaving soon. Let's talk about the divorce later."