"Ste, don''t worry about me. Even without your backing, I''d have a good go at


    her. She''s faking being sick, right? Well, let''s see how she likes a taste of her own medicine," Mr. Burton said with a smirk, his distaste for people like Rachel, who pretended to be ill, evident in his every word.


    At one point, he had suspected Ste of the same deceit and had given her a hard time. Ste knew Mr. Burton''s personality well enough by now, so she didn''t bother trying to change his mind.


    Suddenly, Mr. Burton turned to her, his curiosity piqued. "By the way, you


    mentioned you were considering divorcing Haynes. Are you serious about it, or was it just a scare tactic?"


    Ste paused, her voice steady as she replied, "Even you think I''m bluffing, don''t you?"


    She had been puzzled before. Rachel should be happy about her decision to divorce; why was she trying to stop it? Now, Ste understood. They simply didn''t believe she would go through with it.


    Mr. Burton scoffed, "You two have a child. It''s natural to think of what''s best for him. Plus, the O''Brien family isn''t bad as far as families go, and Haynes has his merits. It''s only human to have second thoughts."


    "If you could really let go of him, you wouldn''t have put up with his nonsense for this long."


    Ste fell silent.


    After a moment, she spoke again, determination in her tone. "This time I''m serious. I''ve already filed the papers. Once the holidays are over and he gets that call from the court, he''ll know I''m not bluffing."


    Mr. Burton studied her carefully, nodding with approval. "And your son?"


    "I''ll leave him," Ste replied with an air of detachment. "He''s fond of Rachel, just like his dad. I''m sure Keen will be thrilled to have her as his new mom."


    While society often insists on mending marriages, Mr. Burton had little time for such conventions. He despised indecisiveness, especially in women.


    He nodded in satisfaction. "You''ve got the right idea. When it''s time to cut ties, you cut them. Good. But don''t let them off easy. We need to give as good as we get, show them we''re not pushovers."


    Looking at Ste, he continued, "Don''t worry about any potential fallout. If you want to do something, just do it. Overthinking never leads to sess."


    "Ste, I''ve set the stage for you. If you want to teach them a lesson, it''s your call."


    Ste felt a jolt of realization. No one had ever spoken to her so candidly before. She had always overthought things, achieving nothing in the end but a heap of regrets.


    ...


    Mr. Burton was known for being a tough nut to crack. In the past, Ste had certainly faced her share of challenges under his watch.


    Now, it was lunchtime, and Ste, Mr. Burton, and Marvin were sitting together, enjoying their meal. Off to the side, Rachel stood alone, sorting through some herbs.


    "Ow!" Rachel winced as a thorn pricked her finger, tears welling up in her eyes. But the trio continued their meal unperturbed, not even sparing her a nce.


    Marvin nonchntly added more food to Ste''s te. "Ste, you should try this. It''s delicious."


    Ste gave a warm smile. "Thank you, Marvin. You should have some too."


    With a determined look on his face, Marvin replied, "I will! I need to be full for the afternoon. I''ve got more herbs to sort for Mr. Burton!"


    Ignoring Rachel''s plight entirely, he dug into his meal. Rachel, feeling neglected, bit her lip and approached the table, her eyes pleading.


    "My... my finger''s hurt. It really stings," she whimpered, trying to evoke some sympathy.