Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 64

Chapter 64 

The operating room door closed firmly, and the light above the door lit up. Richard paced back and forth, his hands clenched tightly, his face etched with anxiety. 

“My mom’s health has always been a bit fragile, but she’s been taking good care of herself, so there shouldn’t have been any major issues,” Richard muttered. “She must’ve been really upset this time. It just left her feeling cold and hurt inside.” 

Evelyn played matchmaker and took care of everything herself for Shepard and Briana’s marriage, just dreaming of the day she could hold her great–grandchild. 

But in the end, it all came to nothing. Evelyn just couldn’t handle it. Isabelle shot back, “You’ve made Evelyn angry plenty of times yourself.” 

Richard hesitated, then admitted, “I shouldn’t have backed Shepard marrying Vivian right in front of my mom. But honestly, it’s not like my opinion could’ve changed anything.” 

Shepard and Briana’s relationship was already broken, and they both agreed to the divorce. Nobody could stop it anyway. Isabelle didn’t want to argue with him anymore, so she turned to Briana. 

“Briana,” she asked softly. “If Evelyn wakes up and the first thing out of her mouth is telling you not to get divorced, what would 

you do?” 

Briana was taken aback. Isabelle emphasized, “I mean, just hypothetically.” 

“I want a divorce,” Briana said, locking eyes with Isabelle. “I really can’t keep draining myself in this marriage. I’m miserable. I want to be myself, make something of myself, chase my own ambitions, and become who I want to be.” 

“But your biggest dream used to be becoming Shepard’s wife,” Isabelle said softly. 

“Yeah, but that was back then,” Briana replied. “Things are different now. My dreams have changed.” 

She thought, ‘It was honestly crazy to pour all my time and energy into a guy. A woman’s value should always come from herself‘ 

Isabelle’s eyes filled with disappointment. “So, you’re really set on getting divorced. Nothing and no one can change your mind.” 

Briana nodded. “Yes, Isabelle.” 

She thought, ‘For now, I can still call her Isabelle.‘ 

After she married into the Carter family, everyone loved her, except for Shepard. Even Richard had always been nothing but kind to her. 

Isabelle held her hand tightly, silent all the while. Briana thought, ‘Why does everyone keep asking if I can just stay married? It’s like they think the whole divorce depends on me, 

‘Truth is, Shepard wants out even more than I do. He’s just itching to marry Vivian and get it over with. 

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Maybe they all think I’m just saying I want a divorce because I’m mad, that I don’t really mean it. 

‘Truth is, Shepard’s the one who’s dying to get divorced. 

Briana loved him way more than he ever loved her. But honestly, even if Shepard suddenly decided he wanted to stay together, Briana would still walk away. 

She used to be totally obsessed with him. But even the deepest love couldn’t survive five years of being ignored and frozen out, not to mention Vivian constantly stirring up drama. Briana couldn’t keep loving if it meant losing her dignity. 

Shepard looked quietly at the tightly shut operating room door. No one knew what he was thinking, or if he’d even caught what Isabelle and Briana were saying. 

A few seconds later, he pulled out his phone and dialed the Carter Group’s PR department. 

“Hello, Mr. Carter,” the PR director said, clearly on edge. “Is there something you need?” 

“Remove all the online news,” Shepard ordered. 

“Yes, I’ll get on it right away,” the director said quickly. 

Shepard’s voice was icy. “Do I really need to handle this myself for you to know what to do?” 

The director stammered, “It’s my fault, I’m sorry, Mr. Carter.” 

“You have half an hour,” Shepard said. With that, he hung up. 

If things had continued to escalate, their family would have become the laughingstock of all Belaris. Moreover, Shepard hadn’t actually kissed Vivian in public. It was just a case of mistaken positioning. But no one believed it. 

He even tried to explain it to Briana, but she just dismissed it as nonsense. 

The PR department moved fast. Ten minutes after Shepard hung up, one could find those photos anywhere online. All the news articles had been taken down, and clicking on them just led to blank 

pages. 

Briana didn’t even bother to check. Her phone was blowing up with Olivia’s nonstop messages, the notifications chiming one after another. 

[Why’s Shepard suddenly scrubbing all the comments and news? 

[Shouldn’t he be dying for everyone to know he’s into Vivian? 

[Looks like just some tabloid drama, but he’s basically making it official with Vivian. 

[Briana, do you think Vivian might’ve hired the paparazzi herself? 

[After all, she’s the one who stands to gain the most from all this drama.] 

Briana was just about to reply, had typed out [Doesn’t matter anymore], when her phone suddenly rang. She 

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didn’t even get a chance to hit send before she picked up the call. 

“Hello, Uncle Edward,” she answered. 

Edward was probably calling to ask about Shepard and Vivian getting cozy in public. 

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He wondered what Wrenley’s reaction had been. Edward asked, “What’s up with all that news online?” 

“It’s exactly what you saw,” Briana replied. “Has Grandma Evelyn heard about it?” 

“No way,” Edward said. “I wouldn’t dare tell her. Her blood pressure was up again this morning, so she can’t go a single day without her meds.” 

“Yeah, let’s keep it from Grandma Evelyn for now,” Briana said. 

“We can only hide it for so long,” Edward replied. “Unless Shepard and Vivian completely cut all ties, she’s going to find out eventually.” 

Briana let out a laugh. “Like that’s ever gonna happen.” 

She thought, ‘Honestly, it’s me and Shepard who should be cutting all ties.’ 

Edward clicked his tongue. “After all this time, how does Vivian still have Shepard wrapped around her finger? Briana, you’re the real Mrs. Carter here. You need to step up and show some backbone. Don’t just let Vivian walk all over you.” 

Edward had added, “If Mr. Carter loves her, there’s nothing you can do about it. In my view, you might as well turn a blind eye. 

“Men will always have their flings, but as long as your status as Mrs. Carter is secure, you can still enjoy the lavish lifestyle of the Carter family. Just endure when you need to, or where else will you find such wealth and privilege?” 

There was a hint of mockery in his voice. Without Shepard, Briana would be nothing. Without her biggest backer and the Carter family’s name, she’d have nothing left. 

So Edward was convinced Briana didn’t have the nerve to leave. She’d have to hold onto Shepard just to keep her place. Unless Shepard decided to cut her loose himself. 

“I’m done,” Briana said. “Shepard and I are already divorced.” 

There was a dead silence on the other end. After a few seconds, Edward’s voice came back, sounding shocked. “What? You actually got divorced?” 

“Why should I keep playing the fool when everyone knows I’ve been cheated on? From now on, whatever Shepard does is none of my business. You don’t need to worry about me, Uncle Edward. 

“Just make sure to keep it from my Grandma for now. I’ll talk to her myself when the time’s right.” 

Edward still couldn’t believe it. “Did you really go through with it? You were actually willing to walk away?” 

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She sneered, “There’s nothing to hold onto. I know you’ve always been jealous that I married Shepard, but now it’s over, so you don’t have to be jealous anymore. 

“Now that we have no connections, do you really think the Lane family company will still get Shepard’s support? Uncle Edward.” 

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