The Kleptomaniac Son In Law Is Back

Divorce Papers

Morning sunlight spilled across the dashboard as Nadia pulled up outside Sterling Fashion. Employees were already streaming through the glass entrance, hurrying into another working day, while Merrick remained in the passenger seat, staring at the building.

He had barely slept. The previous night had brought Avery’s public humiliation, his walk across the bridge, and the elderly stranger he had rescued. Learning that the man was Donald Vermillion—and that Donald’s will might entitle him to a share of the family estate—still felt unreal. Yet this morning, he had a simpler task: sign the divorce papers and leave.

Nadia switched off the engine, turning toward him with concern. She had found him waiting at her apartment at dawn, exhausted and unwilling to explain where he had been.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” she asked, studying his face. “You’ve barely spoken since we left.”

“I’m fine,” Merrick replied, forcing himself to meet her eyes. “I just need to take care of something inside.”

Nadia clearly didn’t believe him, but she squeezed his shoulder rather than press him for answers. “Sign what you need to sign, then come straight back. Whatever happened, you don’t have to deal with everything alone.”

“Thank you,” he murmured, briefly squeezing her hand before opening the door.

“I’ll wait here,” Nadia called after him, watching him step onto the pavement. “Don’t make me come inside looking for you.”

Merrick gave her a faint smile and headed toward the entrance.

Inside, whispers followed him across the lobby. Some employees recognized him from the previous night’s engagement party; others had clearly heard enough gossip to know he was Avery Sterling’s unwanted husband. A few openly stared, as if expecting him to make another scene.

He ignored them and headed for the elevators. He had no intention of defending himself, demanding answers, or asking Avery to reconsider. Whatever remained of their marriage had already been destroyed, and he wanted no part of it anymore.

At the reception desk, a young woman looked up from her computer, her expression tightening when she recognized him.

“Mrs. Sterling is expecting you,” she said, pointing toward the elevators.

Merrick acknowledged her with a nod and continued upstairs.

Clara was waiting outside Avery’s office with a folder tucked beneath her arm. Her gaze travelled over Merrick’s clothes before settling on his face, and a thin smile appeared.

“Look who finally decided to show up,” she remarked, straightening the folder. “I hope you’ve brought your signature instead of another excuse.”

Merrick walked past her, but Clara hurried after him, her heels clicking against the polished floor.

“Don’t ignore me,” she snapped, catching up beside him. “Avery has wasted enough time on this marriage already.”

He stopped outside the office and looked at her without expression. “I’m here to sign the papers. After that, you won’t have to worry about me wasting anyone’s time.”

Before Clara could respond, Avery called from inside, “Send him in, Clara,” prompting her to open the door.

Avery sat behind her desk in a cream-colored suit, her hair perfectly arranged and her makeup concealing every trace of the previous night. Divorce documents lay neatly in front of her. She glanced at Merrick as though he were an appointment she wanted to finish quickly.

“Sit down and sign where I’ve marked,” she instructed, sliding the papers across the desk. “My lawyer has reviewed everything, so there shouldn’t be any complications.”

Merrick sat and scanned the pages. The settlement was straightforward, and there was nothing worth fighting over. He had neither the desire nor the resources to drag the divorce through a legal battle.

He picked up the pen.

Avery watched him, apparently surprised by his lack of resistance. Perhaps she had expected him to plead again or demand compensation for the years he had spent helping her build Sterling Fashion.

“You’re not going to ask for anything?” she questioned, leaning back in her chair. “No money, no apology, no last attempt to convince me that our marriage is worth saving?”

Merrick lowered his gaze and signed his name. “What would be the point? You’ve already made your decision.”

Avery’s fingers tightened briefly around the desk’s edge before she pushed the next page toward him. “Good. Then we can finally put this behind us,” she replied coolly.

He signed every marked line, then placed the pen beside the documents and rose from his chair.

“Is that everything?” he asked, straightening his shirt.

Avery checked the signatures and nodded. “That’s everything. You can leave.”

Merrick turned toward the door, relieved to have finished what he came for. He had almost reached the exit when Clara appeared in the corridor, ending an urgent phone call as soon as she noticed him. Her expression changed, suspicion sharpening her eyes.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she demanded, stepping into his path.

“I’ve signed the papers,” Merrick replied, his patience thinning. “Move aside.”

Instead, Clara turned toward Avery’s office and raised her voice. “Avery, we have a problem!”

Avery emerged from behind her desk, irritation flashing across her face. “What is it now, Clara?” she asked.

“The master USB drive is missing,” Clara announced, clutching her folder. “The one containing the final designs for the Springfield Showcase. I left it in the design department yesterday, and now it’s gone.”

Avery’s expression changed immediately. “Have you checked everywhere?” she asked, stepping closer.

“I’ve searched the department twice,” Clara answered, shaking her head. “Nobody claims to have seen it, but Merrick was here yesterday, and he had access to the building.”

Merrick stared at her, struggling to believe the accusation. “What does that have to do with me?” he asked, his voice hardening.

Clara turned to face him, a knowing smile forming on her lips. “You were a designer before you became Mrs. Sterling’s husband. You understand the value of those files better than anyone, and now they’re missing on the same day you come here to sign your divorce papers.”

“Are you accusing me of stealing them?” Merrick asked, his hands curling at his sides.

Avery studied him with growing suspicion. “Clara, are you certain he had access to the department?” she asked.

Clara nodded as two security guards approached from the far end of the corridor. “Certain enough to have him searched. We can’t risk losing an entire collection because we were too considerate to question the wrong person.”

Merrick glanced at the guards, then back at the divorce papers visible on Avery’s desk. He had come to sever the last connection between them, intending to leave quietly and never look back. Instead, even after signing away his marriage, he was being dragged into another humiliation.

His jaw tightened as the guards approached.

“Search me, then,” Merrick said, holding his arms away from his body as he stared at Clara. “But when you find nothing, you’d better have something more convincing than your imagination to explain this accusation.”

Clara’s smile disappeared. “Search him thoroughly,” she ordered, her voice sharp enough

to silence the employees gathering nearby. “And if he refuses to cooperate, call the police.”