My coldhearted ex demands a remarriage

Chapter 102:

A surge of defiance tightened Carrie’s grip on her phone, her tone turning frosty. “Forget about it. We’re in a modern society—you can’t just treat me like a thing to be sold!”

Snatching the phone from Cindy, Tristan’s voice was laden with threats. “If you reject Nate and refuse to settle the debt, I’ll sell the apartment off to a salvage firm to convert it into a storage facility!”

It seemed there was no familial bond left between him and Carrie, only the bitterness of adversaries.

Carrie slid down the wall, drawing her knees to her chest and resting her chin upon them, her body curling into a shield against the world.

The apartment was a sanctuary, holding the few treasured memories of Danna. Regardless of its dilapidated state, it was a piece of her past that Carrie desperately clung to.

Carrie managed to steady her nerves before responding. “I’ll have my attorney review the offer you’ve made to ensure it’s fair, and I’ll pay you what’s reasonable. If that doesn’t satisfy you, feel free to take legal action. As for everything else, consider it forgotten. I refuse to let you three leverage my life for your gain!”

With those final words, she ended the call abruptly.

On the other end, Cindy and Tristan shared a bewildered look. Tristan, clearly caught off guard, took a thoughtful sip of his lemonade, his brow furrowing. “Is she bluffing? She once said she’d walk away from the marriage empty-handed. Where’s all this money coming from suddenly? And even if she can pay, what are we going to tell the Crawfords?”

Cindy settled beside him, her expression one of exasperation. “You lack patience, Tristan. It doesn’t matter where her money’s from—if she has it, it’ll end up in our pockets one way or another. If she doesn’t, then she’s trapped, just where we want her. Besides, money doesn’t last forever. She’ll face more expenses soon enough. And don’t forget about the old woman in the hospital. If her health deteriorates, the medical costs alone could ruin Carrie.”

Carrie attempted to rise, but her legs refused to cooperate, leaving her feeling utterly helpless. The weighty shadows of her family’s expectations stretched over her like a dark cloud, chasing her relentlessly. No matter how far she fled, she couldn’t shake them off, couldn’t truly break free.

With a heavy heart, she collapsed back onto the floor and relayed the circumstances to her lawyer. The lawyer affirmed that the amount of nine hundred thousand dollars was justified under the circumstances.

Yet, all Carrie had was an advance of eight hundred thousand from her recent acting gig, an exception made by Soren who, knowing of her recent divorce, wished to ease her financial strain. Pushing for more would risk making her come across as greedy.

The possibility of borrowing crossed her mind, yet the only potential lender was Camille, who, amid her own familial turmoil, was unlikely to have funds to spare.

After a long, hard thought, Carrie resolved to depend solely on herself. With a gritty determination, she hoisted herself up, changed into her most empowering outfit, and ventured outside.

She navigated the process of obtaining a credit card with swift precision, withdrew a substantial sum of cash, and merged it with her advance payment, just reaching the amount needed to appease Tristan’s demands.

Anxious to avoid any hitches, she contacted her lawyer immediately upon exiting the bank, urging him to expedite the transfer process of the old apartment.

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