The Strong-Willed Sean O'Connor

CHAPTER 2

Hearing Rosalind raise the amount to eight million dollars snapped something in Chloe. She couldn't fathom why someone like Sean—a house husband—deserved that much money.

Her voice cut through the tension.

“Ms. Springfield, with all due respect, this is ridiculous! Eight million? For him?” She shot Sean a furious look. “What exactly did you do to deserve that, huh? Fold the laundry too well?”

Sean remained silent, his calmness only fueling Chloe’s rage.

Rosalind didn't flinch. Her eyes stayed locked on Sean’s. “It’s my decision, Chloe.”

“But—”

“I said it’s my decision,” Rosalind interrupted, her voice cold and commanding.

Chloe’s mouth opened, but she stepped back, fuming in silence.

Sean tapped his fingers on the table. “Eight million… You must really want me gone.”

“It’s not about wanting you gone,” Rosalind said, meeting his gaze. “It’s about tying up loose ends cleanly.”

“Clean,” Sean echoed softly, almost to himself. “Like we were just... a project.”

Rosalind said nothing, her fingers absentmindedly twisting her ring.

“It’s not like I’m causing you any trouble.”

She looked at him. “And so? I want a divorce, Sean.”

“Hah!” He chuckled bitterly. “You talk like I was just some extra weight holding you back. But who was there when you came home too tired to stand? Who cooked when you forgot to eat, cleaned up your mess after one of your breakdowns, and brought you food in bed when you were sick?”

“How many times did I carry you home when you were too drunk or exhausted to walk? You don’t even remember, do you? Because I never asked for anything in return. Not even a thank you.”

Rosalind stared at him, unmoved. “And you did all of that because you wanted to. Not because I asked you to.”

Her voice was flat. “Let’s not pretend you were some kind of martyr.”

Sean blinked, a hard edge creeping into his eyes. “So that’s all it meant to you?” he asked quietly. “Nothing?”

Rosalind shrugged. “It meant what it meant at the time. Things change.”

The air thickened. Sean leaned back, a bitter smile on his lips. “Right. Things change.”

She didn’t respond.

After a long silence, he grabbed the pen.

“No need for the money. No condo. Just one thing.”

Rosalind blinked. “What?”

“Give it back. The ring.”

The room fell silent. Heavy, awkward.

The ring, his family heirloom. He wasn't leaving it with her.

Slowly, Rosalind slid it off, her hand hesitating before letting it go.

Sean picked it up gently, as if it were fragile glass.

“From this moment on,” he said, “you’re on your own.”

He signed the document, stood, and walked toward the door.

Before he left, Chloe’s voice rang out. “Now that you’re officially single, you’ll have no trouble getting closer to the heir of the Cavendish family.”

Her words cut deep—sharp, intentional. Meant to slap him with the truth he didn’t want to see.

Sean paused, his hand on the door knob, his back straight.

Rosalind didn’t speak, but she didn’t deny it either.

He turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of her unreadable expression. Her eyes didn’t flicker. Her lips didn’t move.

That silence said more than words ever could.

Sean nodded once, his mouth curling into a bitter smile. “Right,” he murmured. “Figures.”

He opened the door and walked out, not bothering to close it gently. The soft thud echoed like an ending. A clean break.

Inside, Chloe leaned closer to Rosalind, grinning smugly. “Well, that was easier than I thought.”

Rosalind stared at her finger, like she couldn’t decide if the emptiness felt lighter—or lonelier.

Chloe, concerned by the lack of reaction, peered at her. Rosalind looked back, a flicker of confusion passing before shifting into thoughtfulness.

She seemed lost in her own mind.

After a moment, she spoke quietly.

“Chloe… do you think I made a mistake?”

Chloe didn’t hesitate. She scoffed. “A mistake? Ms. Springfield, please. You didn’t lose anything—you let go of dead weight. That man was a house husband with decent hair and a pity story. You’re Rosalind Springfield. You build empires in your sleep. Trust me, the only mistake would’ve been keeping him around.”

Rosalind looked at her, a flicker of something behind her eyes.

Chloe stepped closer, arms crossed. “Give it time. A week from now, men with hundred times Sean’s worth will be lining up for a chance to take you out. You’ll forget he even existed. And the next one? He’ll know how to stand beside you—not behind you.”

Rosalind let out a soft breath, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “That doesn’t sound bad. Thanks, Chloe.”

Chloe smirked. “It’s not bad. It’s inevitable.”

Chloe glanced at the door, recalling Sean asking for the ring. A bitter taste filled her mouth. How much must that ring have cost for him to ask for it back?

She shook her head, frowning. It looked old. Probably just a cheap fake.

‘Asking for something like that as if it were valuable,’ Chloe thought. ‘Disgusting.’