Chapter 5 A Secret Revealed

Scarlett's POV

The courthouse was busier than I'd expected for a Tuesday morning. Gabriel and I sat in uncomfortable plastic chairs, waiting for our number to be called. He'd insisted on driving me here himself, despite my protests that I could manage perfectly well on my own.

"Next!" The clerk's voice echoed through the sterile waiting area.

I approached the window with our paperwork, Gabriel trailing behind me like an expensive shadow. The middle-aged woman behind the glass examined our documents with the enthusiasm of someone who'd rather be anywhere else.

"Divorce petition, filed..." She squinted at the date. "Yesterday?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She looked up, blinking slowly. "Honey, you can't file for divorce the day after you get married. State law requires a one-month cooling-off period."

I felt Gabriel stiffen beside me. "Excuse me?"

"One month minimum," the clerk repeated, sliding our papers back through the slot. "Gives folks time to think things through. Come back in thirty days."

The irony wasn't lost on me. You could get married in fifteen minutes if you had the right connections, but escaping that marriage required a month of bureaucratic patience.

"Fantastic," I muttered, gathering the rejected paperwork.

Outside the courthouse, Gabriel looked genuinely apologetic. "I didn't know about the waiting period."

"Neither did I." I checked my phone – already 10:47 AM. "I need to get to Grand Central. My train leaves at noon."

Gabriel pulled out his phone. "I can have my driver—"

"Thanks, but I'll take a cab." I was already walking toward the street, scanning for yellow taxis. "Can I get your contact information? For when we file again in a month?"

He handed me an elegant business card that probably cost more than my weekly grocery budget. I scribbled my number on the back of a pharmacy receipt and gave it to him.

"Scarlett." His voice stopped me as I flagged down a taxi. "Thank you. For everything."

I nodded and slid into the backseat, giving the driver Grand Central's address. Through the rear window, I watched Gabriel standing on the courthouse steps, looking oddly alone despite his obvious wealth and power.

I made it to the train station just before noon, as agreed with Jack. The moment I spotted him near the entrance, my heart sank. His face was ashen, clearly emotional and on the verge of collapse.

"Jack, what's wrong?" I asked, approaching quickly.

His eyes locked onto mine, filled with accusation. "Were you planning to back out of our wedding?"

"What? Of course not," I responded, genuinely confused.

"Then why didn't you answer my calls or reply to my texts?"

I quickly checked my phone and discovered Jack had indeed called numerous times and sent multiple messages while I was dealing with the Gabriel situation.

"I'm sorry, my phone was on silent. I didn't hear it," I explained, which was partly true.

"You're really not trying to break things off?" Jack still seemed unconvinced, his voice trembling slightly.

"No, I'm here, aren't I?" I forced a reassuring smile.

Upon hearing this, Jack finally relaxed, his emotional state gradually improving. I gave him a resigned smile and guided him toward our platform.

On the train, my phone buzzed with messages from Lucas:

[Dr. S, are you really going to marry beneath yourself to Jack? Don't you think you're selling yourself short?]

[If it's about repaying his grandmother's small kindness from your childhood, you've done more than enough for their family over the years, both openly and behind the scenes.]

After reading the messages, I replied simply: [A promise is worth more than gold.]

Lucas sent another message:

[Dr. S, New York's richest man Gabriel Rothschild has contacted our team, wanting you to treat his brother's leg.]

Without hesitation, I replied: [Not interested!]

[Why not? I heard his brother Philip was injured while saving Gabriel, and Gabriel feels terribly guilty about it. If you could heal his brother, he might be willing to offer himself in marriage. Think about his net worth—doesn't that tempt you?]

My mouth twitched in annoyance. Marriage? Right now I couldn't even get divorced! If Gabriel discovered that my income yesterday exceeded his by $200 million and counted as marital property to be divided, I'd be at a serious disadvantage.

When we finally arrived in Maple Creek, something was clearly wrong. The usually quiet Parker residence was bustling with activity. Dozens of luxury cars were parked outside, the small yard was packed with people, and there were even camera crews filming.

Jack pushed through the crowd into the yard, panic written across his face. Before he could speak, an elegantly dressed middle-aged couple rushed over to embrace him, sobbing loudly:

"Son, we've been searching for you for so long! Oh, my baby..."

I tried to follow, but the crowd suddenly surged toward the center of the yard, pushing me back outside the gate.

The villagers gathered around me, all talking at once:

"Scarlett, have you heard the news? Jack was actually bought from traffickers by the Parkers! His birth parents have found him!"

"See those luxury cars? Jack is actually from a wealthy family!"

"Do you regret not marrying Jack sooner? He is a rich heir now. He won't want you anymore."

I stood frozen in shock—what sounded like a soap opera plot was happening right before my eyes. I decided to head home first.

At the corner two blocks from my house, I bumped into a tall figure—my father. My mother and sister Emma were with him, carrying local specialties, obviously planning to bring gifts to the Parkers.

The three of them were chatting happily, but their faces darkened simultaneously when they recognized me.

"What are you doing back here?" my mother asked irritably.

Having grown accustomed to their favoritism and coldness since childhood, I answered calmly, "Mom, did you forget? Jack and I were planning to get our marriage license tomorrow."

My mother snickered with contempt. "Marriage license? Do you still think you're good enough for Jack? Before, when the Parkers were poor, they had to settle for you. But now that Jack is a rich heir, why would he even look at you?"

Noticing Emma's expensive new dress, I had a realization and said sarcastically, "Mom, are you thinking Emma would be a better match for Jack now?"

"Isn't that obvious?" she responded shamelessly. "Our Emma is smart and beautiful, and she's a college student. Isn't she better suited for Jack than you? Why are you being so passive-aggressive?"

I found the situation absurd. Previously, they looked down on Jack, calling him "hopeless trash." Yet today, these three people were desperate to ingratiate themselves with the newly discovered heir.

"Sister, what's that look for?" Emma sneered. "Jack won't want you anymore. Only if I marry him instead can our family secure this windfall!"

"Stealing your sister's fiancé? What a brilliant idea." I scoffed, "Fine, go ahead. I'll be waiting at home for you to bring back all that wealth."

The three gave me a "glad you know your place" look before hurrying toward the Parker home.