Chapter 6 Renouncing Custody

She had even gone so far as to use her son's health to her advantage.

Heartless?

That was probably Luke's final judgment of her.

Evelyn stood there, suddenly feeling a bit sick.

The last trace of hesitation lingering inside her completely vanished at this moment.

She nodded gently, as if finally confirming something.

"You're right." Her voice level and devoid of emotion. "You're all right."

She took a step backward, widening the space between them.

"As for the divorce papers, my lawyer will draft them and send them to you as soon as possible. I'm giving up custody of the child. From now on, Andy is only your child, Luke. He has nothing to do with me, Evelyn, anymore."

After saying this, she didn't look at anyone else. She turned, pulled open the hospital room door, and walked straight out.

She never looked back.

In the hospital room, Luke stared at the gently closing door, the anger on his face gradually replaced by an unfamiliar emptiness.

That last look in Evelyn's eyes was too calm, too resolute. It did not resemble the reaction of someone acting out of anger..

It felt more like a final farewell.

Maggie quietly observed his expression and let out a soft sob at just the right moment, successfully drawing his attention back to her.

Luke tugged impatiently at his collar and walked to the bedside, looking at Andy's confused eyes, but that unsettling feeling in his chest refused to fade.

At the end of the hallway, the elevator doors slowly closed, reflecting Evelyn's pale face.

After returning to the lab, Evelyn immediately made a phone call to her lawyer.

"Mr. Johnson, draft the divorce agreement as I mentioned before. I lose all marital assets, and Luke gets custody of the child."

"Yes, I don't want anything. Send it to me as soon as possible."

After hanging up, she sat in the darkness, completely still.

Once the call ended, she sat alone in the dimly lit room, like a dead-still sea after a storm.

Two days later, Evelyn arranged to meet Luke at a coffee shop below the Miller Group building.

She arrived ahead of time and chose a seat by the window.

Luke was ten minutes late.

When he walked in, he was still wearing a well-tailored dark suit, his face expressionless apart from the faint crease between his brows , which carried a hint of impatience.

He took a seat across from Evelyn, his gaze sweeping across her face.

Evelyn wore a simple beige sweater and jeans, her long hair loosely pinned up, her face bare of makeup, her eyes indifferent, as if looking at a stranger.

"What couldn't you discuss over the phone?" Luke began, his tone cold. "Andy's still in the hospital. I'm very busy."

"This won't take much of your time."

She took out a document envelope from her bag and gently pushed it to the center of the table.

"These are the divorce papers. Take a look, and if there are no issues, sign them."

Luke's gaze fell on the envelope, but he didn't immediately reach for it.

Instead, he stared at Evelyn, as though she were something he could not understand.

"Evelyn, what exactly are you trying to do?"

"Get divorced." Evelyn answered simply "It's all very clear in the agreement. I don't want a penny of the Miller family's assets."

"Andy's custody goes to you too. I'm giving it up. As for visitation rights," she paused, "if you and Andy think it's necessary, you can arrange it as you see fit. I have no objections. If not, that's fine too."

Luke's frown deepened.

He picked up the envelope, pulled out the few thin pages inside, and skimmed through them quickly.

The more he read, the darker his expression became.

Give up all marital assets?

Relinquish custody completely?

Even the visitation rights were written so casually?

He put down the agreement, leaned back in his chair, his eyes full of suspicion and sarcasm.

"Evelyn, what new trick is this? Are you done with the strategic retreats? Now you are switching to an emotional act? You think this will make me feel guilty, make me beg you to come back?"

Evelyn picked up her coffee and took a sip.

The bitterness spread across her tongue, sharp yet oddly refreshing.

She set down the cup and looked at Luke, her eyes even carrying a hint of pity.

"Luke, do you think the whole world has to revolve around you, and that everything must follow your expectations?"

Luke was momentarily stunned by her question.

"I'm not that calculating, and I don't have time to play mind games with you." Evelyn's tone was flat. "I just don't want anything to do with you anymore."

"Besides, Andy really likes Maggie now. Once I sign, the three of you can finally be a proper family without me being in the way. Isn't that good?"

"A family of three?"

Luke seemed visibly affected by those words, his voice rising abruptly. "Evelyn, watch what you say. Maggie is just helping take care of Andy."

"Whatever." Evelyn shrugged indifferently. "What she is doesn't matter to me anymore."

"Take the agreement back and look it over carefully. You can have your lawyer review it if you want."

She stood up and picked up her bag.

She didn't forget to add: "Once you've signed it, just contact my lawyer directly. The address and phone number are on there."

"Evelyn!" Luke also stood up and grabbed her wrist.

His grip was firm, almost forceful, making her bones ache faintly.

"How long are you going to keep this up? Isn't things messy enough already?"

Messy?

Evelyn let out a silent, cold laugh in her heart. So he was aware that things had become a mess?

So the homewrecker's moved in, and her own son had begun to reject her. Of course, it was messy..

Unfortunately for him, she was ending this toxic relationship.

"Let go." Evelyn's voice turned cold.

Luke did not release her.

Evelyn looked down at his hand gripping her wrist, then looked back up at him, her lips curving into a faint smile.

"Mr. Miller, pulling and tugging in public is embarrassing. You might not care, but it's not good for Maggie or the Miller Group's stock price."

Luke abruptly released her hand.

His expression turned extremely unpleasant, his chest rising and falling slightly as he struggled to suppress his anger.

Evelyn rubbed her reddened wrist, no longer looking at him, and walked out of the coffee shop.

Luke remained standing there, watching her figure disappear beyond the glass door, then looked down at the divorce agreement on the table.

Lose all marital assets? Was she willing to give that up?

With irritation, he grabbed the papers,crumpled it into a ball, and was about to throw it in the trash. His hand was halfway there when he stopped.

In the end, he still stuffed the wrinkled paper ball into his suit pocket.

After leaving the coffee shop, Evelyn went straight to the airport and returned to Starlight City.

The plane took off, piercing through the clouds, leaving that city full of unbearable memories far behind.

At the hospital, Andy woke up.

A dull pain throbbed at the wound on his head. He pouted,on the verge of tears, and looked around, but didn't see that familiar figure.

"Dad, where's Mom?" he asked in a hoarse voice, his eyes still red.

Luke was sitting by the bed, working on his laptop, handling emails. At the question, his fingers paused, but he didn't look up. "She had something to do. She left."

"She left?" Andy’s voice trembled, carrying a hint of a sob. "Does she really not want me anymore?"

Luke froze, unable to respond.

Maggie quickly stepped forward, her smile so gentle it could melt. "Mommy's busy with work, Andy. You're a boy, you need to be understanding."

"When Andy gets better, I'll take you to the amusement park, okay? We'll ride the big Ferris wheel and eat cotton candy. It'll be way more fun than staying home with Mommy!"

Andy's eyes lit up immediately, and he nodded eagerly. "Okay, I'll listen to Maggie."

A few days later, Evelyn received an anonymous email.

In the photo, Andy held Luke's hand with one of his and Maggie's with the other, his face wearing a bright, happy smile.

Behind them was a lively amusement park filled with color and joy.

The sunshine was beautiful. Luke wore a light gray polo shirt, looking more casual than in his usual suit-and-tie.

He held Andy's hand, and while he wasn't laughing broadly, the curve of his mouth was relaxed.

Maggie smiled warmly and sweetly, holding one of Andy's toys.

Andy, needless to say, was grinning from ear to ear.

What a happy family of three.

Evelyn glanced at it for long.

Then she turned off the screen and placed her phone face-down on the table.

A faint, sarcastic laugh escaped her lips.

Good.

Everyone had a bright future ahead.