Mr. CEO, You're Just A Substitute novel Chapter 9

"What had Starry done to make you divorce her?"

As a lady from a prestigious family, normally, no matter how angry she got, Frances wouldn't show it on her face, but at that moment she was so mad that she threw the flowers in her hand at Filip.

For the past few days, their divorce was all over the news, and Filip even made an announcement of that. The old lady had thought the couple had just got into a fight, which could happen to any young couples, and had believed that they would have made up with each other after a couple of days.

Little did she expect that Starry would have made a statement afterwards, which highlighted the fact of their divorce.

Starry's divorce announcement was more explicit than Filip's, with just a picture of their divorce certificate—an unquestionable fact.

They had divorced.

When Frances saw that picture, she swayed and tottered a little, and if Martha it hadn't been Martha, she would have fallen down.

When she managed to pull herself together, the old lady got Martha to call Filip back, who surely had known the reason.

He barely returned to the Pearson residence since he had married Starry, neither had he visited the place during the week of his divorce, which made the old lady begin to wonder if her grandson was seeing someone else.

As she thought of that, she became angrier. She had been there, so she could easily figure it out. "Is it because of that Lucia?"

Frances wasn't fond of Starry, neither was of Lucia.

But Starry had been a dutiful and decent granddaughter-in-law around her for five years, and no matter how much the old lady didn't like her, she would take her side when it came to something serious.

Three months ago when Lucia returned to this country, Frances had heard of some rumors about Lucia and Filip.

But as a grandma who trusted her grandson, she never believed any of those groundless words, and just laughed them off.

But as she began to add the dots of things, it's understandable that she felt furious.

When he heard the name of Lucia, Filip frowned and said, "It has nothing to do with her."

"Then what has to do with it? Wasn't Starry good enough for you? To celebrate your birthday, she had started to cook the meal and made the cake for you since 3'o clock in the afternoon. And what did you do to her? Not answering the phone, and even when she went to find you, you humiliated her in front of that Lucia!"

The old lady was out of breath as she said of that, while Martha soon tried to calm her down and said, "Ma'am, please stop the anger and let's hear what young master Pearson say."

Frances then closed her eyes and said after a pause, "So tell me, why did you divorce her?"

Martha gave Filip a look, which Filip saw and then lowered his eyes with a glacial face. "She asked for it."

"She—"

Frances froze for a second and then something seemed to dawn on her. "That's why! No wonder!"

No wonder the day when Starry returned, there was no sorrow or joy but something like enlightenment on her face.

She was in utter disappointment.

Frances was being ironic but Filip felt the words harsh to his ears.

Filip took a look at her and kept his mouth shut, afraid that she would get madder.

The old lady sat down on a chair and stared at the flowers on the table dreamily for a while before she asked, "She asked for a divorce and you just agreed?"

What annoyed Filip the most about Starry was that somewhere along the way, everybody had started to take her side.

Filip hadn't meant to say it, but feeling a little annoyed, he blurted off, "She went to my office with the divorce paper and asked me to sign on it."

Based on his description, it's not hard to imagined Starry's determination. Frances paled and then glanced at Filip. "For all these years as husband and wife, have you ever been attracted to her for even one second?"

"Never."

Not even with the tiny bit possibility.

Filip said it without any hesitation in his tone. The old lady bristled with rage and cast him out. "Get out of my face. I don't want to see you!"

Filip turned to Martha, "Martha, please take care of my grandma."

"Stop your hypocrisy. One of these days, you are gonna kill me!"

Filip said no more to his furious grandma and left the Pearson residence.

His car was parked outside the mansion, because he had known that he wouldn't stay long for her emergency recall.

His phone started to ring as soon as he got in the car. It was from Lucia, a name which irritated him, so he just hung it up directly.

He lowered his head and lit up a cigarette, with the smell of nicotine infiltrating into his body. He squinted his eyes, wondering what kind of charm Starry had that enabled her to win over everyone around him.

Not only Dillon, but Freddie Foster also said it was Filip's fault, and even his own grandmother blamed him.

His phone rang again during his mind-wandering.

It was not from Lucia, but Austin.

Filip knitted his eyebrows with an impatient look on his face.

But since it was Austin, so he answered the call. "What's the matter?"

"Mr. Pearson, there are reports saying that you are getting back together with Ms. Scott, so should I—"

Filip's face darkened. "Take down the reports! And find who's spreading this rumor!"

No emotions could be felt from the man's voice, but Austin knew that Filip was seething with rage.

When he was fumed, the man never showed his anger, only exuding icy coldness, with his eyebrows slightly frowned and his eyes burning with rage.

Austin didn't venture to say anything more. "Yes, Mr. Pearson."

After ending the call, Filip put out the cigarette, started the car and drove off.

In less than three hours since Starry's confirmation of their divorce, news about Filip getting back together with Lucia went viral.

Lucia as Filip's first girlfriend had long been known to people in and out of the circle.

Two months before there had been words that Lucia would return to the country, and some people had been watching to see Filip abandon Starry.

Now it just came true. Those people should have been thrilled.

The rumor made everybody think that their divorce was an "expediency", and since his first girlfriend came back, it's time for Starry, the human shield to step down.

Edward saw the discussion on the social media, went straight to Starry and asked, "Starry, you are divorced with Filip because of her?"

Starry closed her work document on her computer and tilted her head at Edward, who had barged in. "You are getting rude, Edward."

She said that in a causal tone, but Edward soon slouched. "Sorry, Starry, I was in such a rush. Was Lucia the reason for the divorce? He cheated on you, didn't he?"

Starry froze a second and then said, "Have you ever thought of the possibility that it's because I don't love him anymore?"