When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

Chapter 7: I’m Going to Divorce Aiden Xavier

Hazel Hawthorne hadn’t been back to the Hawthorne residence in a long time, not since her mother passed away.

She could never forget the day her father showed up at their door with his mistress and their illegitimate daughter while her mother was gravely ill.

Because of that, she could never bring herself to believe in marriage or entrust herself to a man.

But Aiden Xavier was an exception.

She and Aiden Xavier had been engaged long ago, but it was an arrangement made by their grandfathers, and neither of them had ever taken it seriously.

Back then, after a major falling out with her father, she had left home with her terminally ill mother. She had intended to break off the engagement with Aiden Xavier, but he unexpectedly came to her first. He presented her with a marriage contract, asking her to be a puppet wife and hold the title of Mrs. Xavier.

Hazel had no lingering affection for either the Hawthorne or Xavier families and couldn’t be bothered to get involved in Aiden’s messy entanglements with Raina Lowell. But seeing her mother tormented by illness and facing the hardship of being cut off from the Hawthorne family, she ultimately agreed.

Aiden Xavier needed someone to hold the position of Mrs. Xavier for him.

And she needed money.

of a marriage, which had lasted

just wanted Hazel to come back for

Aiden Xavier, Harrison Hawthorne was so tense and awkward that he looked less like a father-in-law and

a dissatisfied glare. "And you... Mr. Xavier is a busy

and scoffed, asking nonchalantly, "What is

Xavier with such a cold and distant

was standing beside him, pulled him back. "Hazel is rarely back. Let’s just treat this as a family

crinkled into a smile as he put on the air of a ’good son-in-law.’ "You’re too kind, Father-in-law. Hazel is sick today and isn’t feeling well. I was worried about her being on

a sidelong glance, the disdain in her heart written all over her

into the villa and, from a distance, saw a

those things,

mother’s collection of famous paintings and antiques. Even the clothes her mother

displeased, "Why have you touched

and Jessica Clarke exchanged a look, then both guiltily averted their