Beyond the Divorce

The notebook contained notes from when my dad was working. He used to teach chemistry but later took on a managerial role at the school. He hadn't been involved in practical chemistry experiments and tutorials for a long time.

What was the use of these old things?

I looked at Atlas, who was studying the contents earnestly. His expression remained unreadable. I wasn't sure if he understood what was written inside.

Then, he glanced at the executive who welcomed us and said, "We've found what they want. Our current task is to locate them, then we can negotiate." "Negotiate?" The executive looked at Atlas with some confusion. "But the item isn't in our hands."

"Don't worry, I have a plan. When they call again, we'll confirm their location," Atlas confidently replied. "They must still be in Bibury."

I watched Atlas. His speculation was correct. They wanted this notebook, and there was no need for them to travel around with someone. But I didn't understand what use they had for an old, worn-out notebook.

As I looked at Atlas again, he seemed to understand my doubts and subtly gestured for me not to speak.Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

A phone rang again. It was Mike's phone this time. He nodded apologetically to everyone and quickly left the room to answer the call outside.

Soon, he pushed the door open and beckoned to me. I stood up and walked out, confident it was a call from Ryan.

Sure enough, as I stepped outside, Mike said, "It's Ryan."

I quickly answered. "Ryan!"

"Uh... Chlo, I heard about what happened. Should I come back?" Ryan said.

"No need. Atlas and I are here together, and we've already reported to the police. The official authorities are handling it. They are currently investigating whether they're still in Bibury. Besides, Atlas brought someone with him," I informed Ryan. "Coming back won't help. Are you still in the capital?"

"Yeah, I'm still in the capital. It's close to Bibury, so I can come back anytime," He told me. "There's something I want to say, but I don't know how to tell you."

I tensed up. "What's the matter? Just say it. Why are you beating around the bush?"

Intuition told me that whatever Ryan was about to say was related to Bibury and my parents.

"Well, the last time I was back in Bibury, I investigated your parents. I couldn't find the right time to tell you," Ryan said.

His words caught me off guard, confirming my suspicions. He investigated my parents?

"What did you find out?" I asked, pressing for more information.

"Honestly, the information I uncovered wasn't much. When you arrived in Bibury, you were around 14 years old, but strangely, I couldn't trace where you came from," Ryan spoke cautiously. "That's exactly what I've been suspicious about." I encouraged him to continue.

"After arriving in Bibury, your father applied to teach chemistry at the local teachers' college. However, he was rejected multiple times. At that time, he had no recommendation letters. Trying to get into a university without one was wishful thinking," Ryan explained.

"How did he manage to get in then?" I asked urgently.

"The key is, there were no recommendation letters," Ryan hinted. "This suggests that there may have been an issue with their background."

"Did you find out why they came to Bibury in the first place, or how my parents explained their origins?" I fired a series of questions at Ryan. "There's no information on that at all." Ryan gave me a firm answer. "It's quite strange, isn't it?"

"So how did he eventually get into the school?"

"An older chemistry teacher voluntarily stepped down and recommended your father. That's how your father entered the teachers college and stayed there as a chemistry teacher. But later, I discovered that the older chemistry teacher had accepted a bribe from your father, prompting him to resign and recommend your father."

"A bribe?" I questioned, "For teaching?"

"Yes, and what's even stranger is that they were extremely generous with that old teacher. It was enough money to last him a lifetime."

"Was it really that much money?" I repeated in a murmur.

Ryan's words made me skeptical.

My memories were right in that time frame, and as far as I remembered our family wasn't that wealthy. We were just an ordinary family, and my mom was particularly frugal

QUMS

But now, hearing that my dad spent so much money to secure a teaching job confused me.

"And then what?" I asked, still eager for more information.