Chapter 20
The phone rang and rang, but Josiah didn’t answer. Sienna frowned and let out a sigh, figuring he was likely tied up with some business lunch or another.
She had no choice but to wait. Another hour passed, and it was 230 PM. Only thirty minutes left before her 3 o’clock meeting with Josiah.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed, and it was Josiah. Without wasting second, she answered, “Hello, it’s me
Maybe because he was finally free of her, Josiah sounded uncharacteristically cheerful. “Hey, did you call? I was just swamped.
After a brief pause, he asked. “Where are you? At the courthouse already? If you are, just hang tight. I’ll be there soon-
“Josiah.” Sienna cut him off, stumbling over her word. “Uh, sorry, think I can’t make it today. Can we reschedule? Just for one day. I promise I’ll be there on time tomorrow.
Josiah went silent. Then, a cold, sarcastic laugh came through, barely hiding his anger. “Sienna, you’re doing it again, aren’t you? Even now, you’re still trying? How long are you going to keep bothering me?”
Sienna shook her head, “No, I didn’t
Josiah brushed her off, speaking through gritted teeth, “Sienna, hated you back then, and I still do now. Stop living fantasy”
in a
“I swear I didn’t, Sienna said, her voice tinged with desperation. Don’t worry. I’ll go through with the divorce. But I’m stuck at Bacchus Bridge now. It’s not just me–there are a lot of peopl
“Why would she be at Bacchus Bridge? She’s just making excuses, Josiah scoffed, clearly not buying it. “Really? What a convenient coincidence.
“I don’t care where you’re stuck. You better listen–crawl your way here if you have to. This divorce is happening today,” he shouted before hanging up.
“Hello?” Sienna stared at her phone’s dark screen, feeling utterlyst. After what Josiah had just said, she was out of options The roads were still blocked, so she’d have to hoof it
It’s better than crawling, right?‘ she thought bitterly, letting out aamirthless chuckle. Then she slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped out of the car.
A gust of wind, laced with rain, hit her like a ton of bricks. She raised her arm to shield herself, but it was pretty
futile.
The rain was relentless, and she was umbrella–less. Sighing, she steeled herself and pressed on. With a hoodie on, she yanked the hood over her head, praying it would offer some protection.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t much help. The rain was coming down in buckets, and it wasn’t long before she was drenched, the hood plastered to her head, making her feel miserable.
To make matters worse, her stomach was in knots. Sienna clutched her abdomen, gritting her teeth as she slogged through the downpour.
After about half an hour of walking, she reached the spot where the highway bridge had collapsed. By then, she was completely soaked.
Traffic officers had blocked off the street, and firefighters were clearing the rubble. Ambulances were lined up like a long
Train.
1/3
22:21 Sat, Jan Gu·
Chapter 20
“Hey!” A traffic officer stopped Sienna as she walked over. “This arra is being cleared, and the road isn’t open yet.”
“I know,” Sienna said, forcing a smile. “I have an emergency. I can slip through on my own. I promise I won’t hold you up or get in the way
The traffic officer sized her up. “Where did you come from? You’re drenched
“From Bacchus Bridge, Sienna replied.
“What?” The officer looked surprised. “That’s quite a trek. You walked all the way here?”
“Yeah” Sienna nodded, pressing her palms together in a pleading gesture. “I really have an emergency. My child is home alone, and I’m really worried”
“Where’s their dad?” the officer asked.
Sienna laughed awkwardly, her eyelashes fluttering. There’s no dad. I’m a single mom.”
The officer paused and then waved her through, saying, “Alright, I’ll make an exception. Go on.”
“Oh, thank you so much, officer!” Sienna grinned.
“Go on through, the officer said, moving the roadblock aside to let her pass. He then quickly closed it back up once she was through.
Sienna checked her phone for directions. It would take her at least two and a half hours to walk to the courthouse from there.
Gritting her teeth, she pushed onward. She thought maybe if she got a bit further, she could catch a ride. Although paying for a taxi made her cringe, today she was determined to finally settle things with Josiah
In the car, Josiah glanced at his watch. It was already 5 PM, and Sienna was nowhere to be seen–she’d made him wait for two whole hours.
His patience was wearing thin, and he fidgeted with his phone, swiping the screen to call Sienna once more.
“Hello?” Sienna answered, her voice barely audible.
“Sienna, are you messing with me?” Josiah snapped, seething with fury.
Sienna whispered, “Sorry, I’m almost there. Can you wait a little longer?”
Wait longer? Humph, Josiah sneered to himself. “Fine, I’ll wait,” he said, wanting to see how she planned to wrap this up today.
Time dragged on, and finally, Sienna’s call came through, and she sounded out of breath. “I’m here. Where are you?” “Really?” Josiah lifted his eyes and looked out of the car window
A taxi rolled up in front of the courthouse, and Sienna stepped out. “Thanks,” she told the driver before shutting the door. She scanned the surroundings and spoke into the phone. “Did you spot me? Or have you gone inside already?”
“I see you. Hold on.” Josiah hung up and stepped out of his car. He came alone, holding a black umbrella as he walked toward
Sienna
Taking in her wet hair and clothes splattered with mud, he couldn’t hide his frown. “Where have you been? You look a mess.”
22:21 Sat, Jan 4 GU
Chapter 20
“Let’s go.” Sienna said without answering, rubbing her nose. “This won’t affect the divorce.”
“Siennal” Josiah reached out and grabbed her arm without thinking
“What are you doing?” Shocked, Sienna pulled back and stared at him. I’ve told you a million times. Don’t touch me Josiah was caught off guard. There it was again–that look in her eyes, a mix of fear and revulsion when he touched her.
70%
Does she dislike me?’ he thought, a tight, uneasy feeling gripped his chest. He yelled in frustration, “Are you untouchable at all! What did I ever do to you? Are you out of your mind?”
Sienna clutched her stomach, the cold rain and her frantic rush having intensified her pain. She bit her lower lip, her face turning pale.
She nodded, “Yeah, I’m out of my mind. But don’t worry, we’re about to divorce, so it won’t matter anymore.”
“You’re only saying that because you know we can’t get the certificate today, aren’t you?” Josiah scoffed, rolling his eyes.
“What?” Sienna looked confused, staring at his cold, hard expression.
“Stop pretending. Josiah snapped, not bothering to look her way. “You show up just as the courthouse is closing. You really went out of your way to avoid the divorce.”
