Chapter 1
Chasing His Runaway Wife
Chapter 1 Divorce Agreement In the empty, spacious living room of the Sinclair residence, a figure was sitting by herself at the dining table.
The dishes on the dining table had turned cold and were heated multiple times.
Tabitha Jarvis checked the time. It was already nine oâclock in the evening, and the person she was waiting for was still not back.
Malcolm Sinclair was always busy. For the two years they were married, he would leave home early and return late, so they hardly ever had dinner together.
Today marked their second wedding anniversary and Malcolm called to say he would be coming back tonight.
Tabitha bustled around the kitchen for most of the day, preparing a table full of Malcolmâs favorite dishes.
âYouâre back?â Tabitha greeted.
The door suddenly swung open. Tabitha noticed Malcolm not far away and stood up instinctively. Her voice sounded surprised and nervous, with a subtle hint of shyness.
Malcolm wore a neat suit with a long black windbreaker. The cold air from outside still clung to his body.
When he spotted the dishes on the table, his cold eyes warmed up. âThanks for your effort. Actually, you didnât have to make so much.â
Tabithaâs cheeks were flushed and she couldnât bring herself to look directly into his bright eyes.
It was the first time Malcolm had come home since the night at the hotel.
That night, he got extremely drunk. When Tabitha woke up, she couldnât help but flee in panic. Until now, she still hadnât figured out how to face him.
âItâs our wedding anniversary today, after all. Youâre back so late today. Are you busy with work?â
Tabitha asked.
She didnât mind Malcolm coming back late at all. In fact, she felt happy and touched that he took the time off from his busy schedule to come home.
No wonder everyone said that physical contact between a man and a woman would immediately improve their relationship.
In the past, Malcolm was never so proactive.
Malcolm paused as he took off his windbreaker. He handed the coat to Tabitha, but avoided answering her question and took out an exquisite gift box instead.
âItâs a gift for you,â he said.
Tabitha opened the gift box. There was a pair of expensive amethyst earrings in it, which were dazzling and beautiful under the light.
She was surprised and couldnât quite put into words how she felt, but she still smiled gently at Malcolm.
âThank you. I like it very much,â she responded.
Although Tabitha had never had her ears pierced, she was delighted despite the anniversary gift being not so suitable for her.
At least Malcolm started to care about her, and she believed everything would move in a good direction.
âIâm glad you like it,â said Malcolm.
After giving the gift, Malcolm sat down at the dining table. His fingers were well-shaped, and his way of eating was remarkably graceful.
âThey taste good. Your cooking skills seem to have improved again,â he complimented.
âHave some more then,â Tabitha said joyfully.
When Tabitha smiled, the slight dimples on her cheeks revealed themselves. She took the initiative to serve food for him, even forgetting to eat.
Malcolm was captivated by her bright smile, and his eyes landed on her unusually pale face which radiated a delicate beauty as always.
In Malcolmâs memory, Tabitha was weak and often sick. He remembered that the doctor once said that she had a coagulation disorder.
âHow are you feeling these days?â he asked.
âI have been listening to the advice of George and the doctor. So Iâve been taking care of myself, and my health is much better than before,â Tabitha replied meekly, her heart beating slightly faster. Malcolm rarely cared about her so gently and patiently.
Her heart felt as if it were wrapped in cotton candyâsoft and sweet.
Malcolm nodded. He took a few more bites of the food and then shifted to the main topic.
âWeâve been married for two years. Do you still remember our original agreement?â he asked.
In the beginning, they agreed not to interfere with each otherâs lives after marriage. If they found someone they liked in the future, it would be okay to break up, and neither would bother the other.
Tabitha nodded. âYes.â
When Tabitha was 14, her parents died in an accident. The shock was too much for her grandfather, Fergus Jarvis, and he fell ill. Before passing away, he entrusted Tabitha to his old comrade-in-arms, Alaric Sinclair.
Alaric treated Tabitha like his own granddaughter and took good care of her. Later, he insisted that his grandson, Malcolm, marry her.
Malcolm was unable to dissuade Alaric. In the end, he had no choice but to compromise and marry Tabitha.
But on the night of their marriage registration, Malcolm confessed that he had no feelings for Tabitha. If it werenât for his grandfatherâs hunger strike, he wouldnât have married her.
Tabitha was heartbroken. She silently agreed to and respected his request. They slept in separate rooms, and she acted as a perfect granddaughter-in-law in front of Alaric.
Now that Malcolm brought up the matter again two years later, Tabitha suddenly had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, the next moment, she heard Malcolm say, âLetâs divorce.â
Tabithaâs face turned pale, and she felt as if she had fallen into an abyss. She could barely catch her breath.
âWhy so sudden?â she asked with difficulty.
Just not long ago, they had such an intimate experience.
Malcolm looked at her. âI had an accident last month and caused a friend to get pregnant, so I have to bear the responsibility.â
âMy husband got another woman pregnant?â Tabitha thought, lost in a trance.
Tabitha stiffened as if she had been hit by a bolt from the blue, and her head was buzzing.
She suddenly realized that no way her usually indifferent husband had taken time out of his busy schedule to come home just to celebrate their wedding anniversary.