Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 248

**When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 248**

**Chapter 248**

At this point, the sharp, oppressive demeanor Caleb had displayed prior to the call seemed to have vanished. His face wore a calm expression once more, polished and composed as always, yet his words left Sydney feeling trapped, as if she had no choice but to submit to his will.

Her brows knitted together in confusion and frustration. “We’re already divorced,” she asserted, her voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of disbelief.

In that moment, she felt a surge of defiance. He had no authority over her life any longer. There was absolutely no reason for her to share a roof with him. And yet, Caleb acted as if her words were mere whispers in the wind, completely disregarding the reality that lay between them.

“I wasn’t aware of any such arrangement,” he replied, his tone calm, almost dispassionate. “And it’s quite unusual for divorce papers to be processed without both parties present.” His indifference stung. “Regardless, I do not acknowledge this divorce.”

Sydney had envisioned countless potential reactions from him, but this—pure denial, an outright refusal—was something she had never anticipated.

For a fleeting moment, her expression froze, shock washing over her like a tidal wave. “But the divorce agreement was signed by your own hand. That can’t be incorrect,” she insisted, her voice trembling slightly.

At her words, Caleb’s composed façade wavered. His mother had mentioned the divorce agreement during their phone conversation, and it dawned on him that Adeline had used that document to finalize everything with surprising ease.

He struggled to recall the moment he had signed the papers. It felt like a distant memory, obscured by the haze of grief and confusion.

The day of his elder brother’s funeral had been a blur. Sydney had handed him two documents, but in his dazed state, he hadn’t taken the time to read them. Perhaps it was an attempt to comfort her, or perhaps it was the pressure of Penelope waiting that had made him act so carelessly. He had simply scrawled his name without a second thought.

The realization hit him hard: even then, Sydney had been contemplating leaving him. And he had been so wrapped up in his own turmoil that he hadn’t even bothered to understand what she was placing in his hands.

“Syd…” His voice trailed after her, warm and gentle, as if trying to reach her heart.

She refused to look back. Striding purposefully toward the entryway, she was almost there when his next words sliced through the air like a knife. “Do you know the real cause of your parents’ deaths?”

Her steps faltered, a moment of hesitation breaking her resolve.

“I know. It was an accident,” she replied, her tone deceptively light, yet the tension in her grip on the strap of her bag betrayed her. Her knuckles turned white as she fought to maintain her composure.

Caleb closed the distance between them deliberately, his movements slow and measured until he stood directly in front of her. His thumb brushed against the corner of her reddened eye, a gesture filled with unspoken concern. “You never once doubted it?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sydney felt her hands tremble uncontrollably, the weight of his words settling heavily in the air between them.