Cold Husband Burning Regret: The Divorce He Couldn't Handle novel Chapter 296

Judd glanced back at the people inside the room. “Charlotte.”

Charlotte looked up, puzzled. “Yeah?”

He hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say more but changed his mind. “It’s nothing. Just make sure you review your report—don’t overlook any details.”

“Oh… okay.”

As she watched him leave, Charlotte frowned slightly.

She could tell Judd hadn’t really been himself these past couple of days. Was it because of what he’d said the other day? Maybe he felt guilty, and now he was awkward around her, not sure how to face her.

Meanwhile—

Mr. and Mrs. Donovan accompanied their daughter on the train into the city. Throughout the entire trip, Candida couldn’t stop fussing over her daughter, rattling off one instruction after another until even Stevenson, usually the quiet one, couldn’t take it anymore. “Alright, enough, honey. Lottie’s old enough to handle herself.”

Loretta stared out the window, silent and distant, as if tuning her parents out completely.

One after another—everyone just used her for money.

That woman was the same.

She never landed a wealthy husband herself, so now she was pushing Loretta into this. If it wasn’t for the money, Loretta would never agree to meet some old man.

The taxi dropped them off in front of a sprawling manor, stopping at the grand gates.

The moment they stepped out, both parents were awestruck by the sheer size of the estate.

No wonder rich people lived so well.

Loretta clutched her bag tighter, watching the steady stream of staff and security coming and going. She couldn’t help but marvel—so this was how the wealthy lived.

Natalie emerged, composed as ever, her gaze settling on Loretta. “Miss Donovan, did you bring the check?”

Snapping out of her daze, Loretta nodded and pulled the check from her purse.

Natalie glanced down at the amount.

Eight hundred thousand.

The Donovans looked a bit anxious.

Was that too much?

They’d agonized over the amount for days—three hundred thousand felt too little, a million seemed over the top.

“Come with me,” Natalie said.

Seeing that Natalie didn’t object, the Donovans shared a look of surprise. That was it? No questions asked?

Loretta couldn’t take her eyes off Evander, glancing back at him with every step, clearly reluctant to leave.

Not until they’d exited the gates did Stevenson finally pull Loretta aside. “What’s with you?”

Loretta snapped back to reality, cheeks flushed. “Nothing, Dad. I just… didn’t expect Mr. Howard to be that young.”

Stevenson knew exactly what she was thinking. “Forget it. People like that don’t go for girls like you. Now that we have the money, we’re heading home. Don’t draw attention to yourself.”

Loretta’s face fell at his words.

Watching her parents walk ahead, she bit her lip.

If it weren’t for her penniless parents holding her back, would her life be like this?

Why even have kids if you can’t afford them?

How long would eight hundred thousand even last them?

The more she thought about it, the more resentful she became.

Why did some people get to be born rich, and not her? Life was just so unfair.

Kicking a trashcan by the curb, Loretta suddenly overheard two groundskeepers chatting nearby about the Rayburn family searching for their long-lost daughter.