"You've already paid the deposit, why are you asking me?" Clara sneered, her fingertip tracing her name on the agreement. "Also, have you forgotten that we're divorced? The cooling-off period isn't over yet, but we're no longer husband and wife. I won't sign this agreement."

Liam paused, seemingly only then remembering the divorce. He scratched his head, his tone carrying a hint of casual apology: "Sorry, I forgot." He paused, then asked, "When does the cooling-off period end?"

"Number 20." Clara 's voice was completely flat.

Liam breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to take Clara 's hand, but she instinctively dodged it. His hand froze in mid-air, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it: " Clara , after all, Professor Vanessa is a guest. It would be impolite to neglect her. I might not be able to take care of you lately, so please bear with me."

“ Lila is still young, and it’s understandable that she’s a bit willful, but she is still our child. Please don’t take it to heart,” he added, his tone pleading.

Clara frowned and interrupted him, "You don't need to say these things." She added in her mind—after all, I'm leaving soon, and these things will no longer concern me.

Liam closed the iPad, her tone suddenly softening: "Okay, let's make some light dishes tonight. Lila and I have been staying home with you lately, okay?"

Clara looked at the hypocrisy in his eyes and found it laughable. Staying with her? It was just an excuse to stay home with Vanessa . She pointed to her leg—her knee was scraped and swollen from yesterday's fall. "My leg is injured, I'm still recovering, and I can't cook for a while. Let the maid prepare."

Liam 's lips suddenly curled into a cruel smile, his eyes filled with contempt: "You can walk, can't you? What? You still want to keep dancing ballet with those legs of yours?" He paused, his tone undisguisedly insulting: "Which ballet dancer weighs 150 pounds? Clara , you should face reality."

Clara 's heart with precision . She remembered when she weighed 90 pounds, twirling on stage in her ballet tutu, with Liam shouting "My ballet princess!" from the audience; she remembered practicing dance late into the night, with Liam bringing her late-night snacks, saying, "Your legs are the most precious thing in the world"; but now, he was using her most prized legs and dreams to insult her.