Ch. 351..355: Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother Chapter 351-355
Chapter 351
"Chloe?" Vernon called her name, trying to snap her out, but it didn't seem to work.
Vernon saw that Chloe's chest rose up and down, and her face reddened as time passed. He got even more worried and tried to shake her shoulders.
"Chloe, Chloe! Get yourself together!"
Chloe finally lifted her gaze a bit and stared at Vernon, who looked at her as if she was in danger.
But Chloe knew Vernon was in grave danger when he said he would go against his Big brother.
Chloe grasped Vernon's arms desperately and begged, "Vernon, please don't say that you're going to challenge Vincent. You're going to suffer! You will lose everything if you fight him!"
Vernon was offended when his beloved woman said that. But he knew what she did right now was a response to trauma.
She must have suffered a lot. Thus the idea of going against Vincent was something terrifying that shouldn't have been said.
…
Vernon said nothing, but he shook his head firmly, confirming that he would not change his mind about his decision to fight Vincent.
"No… how could this be…" Chloe lowered her head as her courage to stare at the young man in front of her vanished instantly. She felt so guilty because she would be the reason for his ruination.
Chloe grasped Vernon's arms tighter than before as she didn't want to let go, "V—Vernon, please… think about it…." Chloe said. Her voice was shaky, and her eyes also pooled with tears.
Drip. Drip.
Vernon looked down and saw the tears drop and make a wet mark on Chloe's skirt. His breath stiffened, and he quickly grabbed Chloe's chin, forcing her to look up.
Chloe bit her lower lip, trying not to sob in front of Vernon. But her tears flowed freely as Vernon was looking at her with concern in his eyes.
'No, don't look at me with worry. I should be the one worrying about you!'
Meanwhile, Vernon's heart hurt when he saw the tears. He knew that she didn't want this to happen. She wanted Vernon to keep it lowkey and never go against his Big bro.
'But I have a woman to protect,' Vernon firmly stated in his heart.
He gently wiped the tears in Chloe's eyes and said, "I will not back down. I might be doing it in secret right now, but there will be a time when I will face him toe-to-toe."
"But you don't need to worry, because I have been planning this for a long time, so I know what I'm doing," Vernon said.
Chloe saw the steadfastness in his eyes. His expression showed no fear, and he seemed to understand the risk.
And everything about that… scared Chloe even more.
The more she stared at Vernon, the more scared and guilty she felt.
She finally released her hands around Vernon's arms. She realized there was nothing she could do anyway because this man had been stubborn since he was a kid.
Chloe got up from the chair and turned around. She suddenly walked to the door, and Vernon quickly followed.
"Chloe, where are you going?" Vernon tried to grab Chloe's hand, but she pulled her hand to dodge it.
Thus, he took a long step and blocked the exit with his big body, "Where are you going? Answer me first," Vernon insisted.
"I… I'm going home…." Chloe replied weakly. "I feel tired…."
"Tired?" Vernon frowned. He glanced at the red room left to dust since Chloe, and he hadn't used it for a while. "You can rest there if you want," he said while pointing at the wooden door.
Chloe shook her head, "I need to be alone. I'll sleep at home."
"At OUR apartment, you mean, right?" Vernon continued inquiring. He feared Chloe might have a stupid idea because of the shock and pressure. "Promise me that you will return to our apartment and rest there."
…
"I will, I promise…." Chloe nodded weakly. She didn't know if she would break her promise once she left Vernon's office, but it was a way to appease Vernon's worry.
Because she felt nothing but dread right now. Imagining what Vincent would do to his little brother made her stomach turn, she was genuinely scared, and all her trauma stacked up only made it even worse.
Vernon kept staring at Chloe. He felt that Chloe would definitely do something stupid because of her trauma, so he offered, "Then why don't we go home together and rest?"
"Don't. You still have things to do," Chloe refused. "Besides, I need to be alone for now. This is just… too much for me…."
"… Fine, but I will make sure that you return home safely. I will tell Diamond to tail you from behind. Don't worry about Mackie, I'll pick her up."
"No, that's my… responsibility…." Chloe refused. "Mackie is very sensitive if someone else picks her up. She'll get scared."
"Then I will video call you once I'm there, so convince her that it is safe," Vernon assured Chloe. He saw that Chloe desperately needed rest. It must be a total shock for her.
…
"Okay, I trust you, Vernon…." Chloe said. "Now please move away. I will return home…."
Vernon opened the door for her before moving to the side. Chloe gave him a last side- glance before she walked away from the office.
She was greeted by Diamond, who was surprised by her haggard appearance.
Diamond quickly glared at her boss, demanding an explanation. But Vernon simply gave out an order, "Follow her car from behind, Diamond. Make sure she's going to my apartment safely."
"Wha—" Diamond had many questions in her mind. But nobody would give her an answer.
Chloe also ignored her. She picked up her bag and sauntered towards the elevator.
Diamond clicked her tongue and grabbed her car key, "I want an explanation after this, Sir."
Thus, Diamond followed Chloe to enter the elevator, leaving Vernon alone, staring at them before the elevator door closed.
Vernon sighed, "It can't be helped."
Chapter 352
"Gurl, can you tell me what's wrong? What happened inside?" Diamond asked. "Did he hurt you again?"
"No, he didn't...." Chloe replied to ensure that Diamond didn't get any wrong ideas.
"Then why do you look so... disheartened?"
...
"I don't want to talk about it, Diamond. Not now..."
Diamond sighed, full of worry, "Fine, but I will still follow you until you arrive in front of the penthouse door. It's my duty."
"Mm, thank you...."
Again, Diamond was stumped when she realized she knew nothing about the problem.
'Damn it, what did he do to her? Why can't they have at least one peaceful talk?' Diamond cursed her boss in her heart. 'That asshat seriously needs to get his mouth stitched. I don't understand how he could hurt my homegirl every single damn time?!'
Chloe felt like she was floating. She drove the car in a daze and walked silently from the lobby to the penthouse. Diamond followed her until she stood right in front of the penthouse door.
Chloe turned around and smiled in front of Diamond, "Thank you for taking me home, Diamond. You can return now."
"Chloe-- are you sure you don't want me to accompany you for a little longer?" Diamond offered. "I'm... worried."
"I need time alone. Don't worry about me, I will be fine," Chloe said.
She unlocked the penthouse door and entered the apartment, leaving Diamond alone, wondering what went wrong.
**
Chloe looked around the penthouse in a daze.
Her heart felt heavy because she started to have sentimental feelings for this penthouse.
After all, she felt much happier staying with her daughter and Vernon for the past six months or so compared to her life with Vincent for the past ten years.
But all the good things would come to an end eventually...
Chloe went downstairs and then entered her bedroom.
She locked herself inside and lay on the bed. She stared at the ceiling with an empty gaze, and then tears dropped from the corner of her eye.
"What have I done?" Chloe asked herself. "Why am I instigating the fights between Vincent and Vernon? I know that Vernon is just a reckless young man. He doesn't know what he's dealing with...."
Honestly, Chloe cared too much about Vernon's well-being. She felt obligated to support and protect him.
So when Vernon dropped the bomb and said he would go against his Big brother, she was shaken.
She was sending Vernon-- a boy she raised until he was a strong, handsome young man, to die in front of his Big brother!
"Should I... return to Vincent?"
That idea popped into Chloe's mind as she was trying to find a way to save Vernon because there was no way she would let that young man die because of her fault.
She imagined returning to Vincent after trying to hide for six months.
She imagined what he would do when they were in the same house again.
"Would he beat me to a pulp in the bathroom? Or slap me in front of the maids?" Chloe murmured. "Or maybe he will force me to watch him fucking a few women, and then... forced me to have sex right after...."
"Urp--!" Chloe got up and rushed to the bathroom. She vomited her lunch in the sink because the horrific imagery in her head was too much for her to handle.
She was breathing heavily and then stared at herself in the mirror.
She was getting healthier each day. She was still thin, but her cheek wasn't as sunken as before.
Her complexion was also better. She was pale as a ghost before. She looked unhealthy as if a gust would blow her away.
But since she got happier and more relaxed here, she started eating more than usual.
"I will lose this again once I return to Vincent...." Chloe lamented as she touched her face. "I will be the same depressed woman on the verge of suicide once I return to Vincent. Is that even worth it?"
Of course, Chloe knew the answer already. She never wanted to return to that malevolent bastard.
She would rather jump to her death than be tortured by Vincent over and over until she couldn't handle it anymore.
"But what about Vernon?" Chloe asked herself. "What should I do when Vernon is cornered by his Big brother? Of course I can't just leave him alone."
Chloe was still trying to find an answer to her question. Because there was no way she would return to Vincent, not when she realized she could be so much happier when she was away from him.
"No, I can't be selfish. Vernon has a lot in his life," Chloe said. "He is still young, and he's a successful man despite his young age. He can be so much more in the future as long as Vincent doesn't do anything to harm him."
...
Chloe returned to her bed and lay in silence. She picked up her phone and started scrolling through the old album that she had kept around.
In it, she had plenty of cute Little Vernon pictures, mostly when she was just eight to ten.
Chloe smiled as she continued scrolling, "Ah, he's so cute when he was young. I still remember how he followed me like a duckling."
Chloe stopped scrolling when she saw one picture.
It was a picture of Vernon, who was celebrating Chloe's birthday. Vernon was eight years old in the picture. He smiled ear-to-ear until his teeth showed, holding a birthday cake that he 'made' with the cooks as a birthday present for his Big sis Chloe.
Little Vernon wrote her name with cream on the cake, but he spelled it wrong.
Instead of Chloe, he wrote it C L O E E.
She remembered what he said back then;
-
"Happy Birthday, Big sis Chloe! Promise that you will be with me forever! I want to celebrate your birthday every year!"
-
Chloe had a helpless smile as she kept staring at the picture and put the phone on her bosom, "There is no way I'm going to let him hurt you..."
Chapter 353
"There is no way I'm going to let him hurt you..." Chloe murmured. "No matter how many times you claim that you're a big man who could face anything, I still see you as my cute Little Vernon, and it's my obligation to protect you from harm."
Chloe's heart was bleeding as she realized she would give her freedom back to that bastard. She would probably die in less than a month after returning to Vincent.
She sighed helplessly, "Maybe this is the only way for me to protect you, Vernon. Please don't hate me for this, I just don't want your life to get ruined."
…
Chloe picked up her phone again. She scrolled through her contacts, trying to find Vincent's phone number under the name 'Cheating Bastard.'
Her thumb hovered around the green button area, still deciding whether she had to call him or not.
Because if she called Vincent, her solitude with Vernon and Mackie would be ruined. She would probably never see the sun after returning to that dreaded mansion, knowing how crazy Vincent could be.
Chloe's hands trembled as the fear started taking over once more. But she shook her head immediately to wake herself up, "This is not the time to get scared, Chloe. You're just a wasted woman in your mid-thirty. Nobody would worry about your disappearance," Chloe tried to put up some more courage in her before she called the man who'd been her executioner.
She took a deep breath and nodded, "Okay, I'm ready."
Chloe's hand was about to press the call button, but she couldn't because she got a call from Vernon.
Thus, she accidentally pressed answer on Vernon's call instead.
"Ah—" Chloe was surprised when the call was connected, and before she could hang up, Vernon suddenly asked;
—
"Did you arrive home safely, Chloe?"
…
Chloe didn't want to answer Vernon's question because she feared her resolve would weaken.
But Vernon kept on badgering her;
"Chloe? Answer me now. Are you home? Is everything alright? You're resting in your bedroom now, right?" Vernon grew increasingly anxious because Chloe didn't answer him at all.
But the phone was connected, so he knew that Chloe was listening.
"Damn it! Stay right there, and don't do anything stupid! I'll be home soon!" Vernon grabbed his car key. He was going to return home and check on Chloe's condition.
But Chloe suddenly opened her mouth, "I'm alright, Vernon."
Vernon halted his step and then asked, "Where are you right now?"
"In my room… I'm lying on the bed…." Chloe replied.
Vernon couldn't believe that, so he turned on the video call, "Answer the video call, Chloe. I want to make sure that you're really on your bed right now."
Chloe sighed, she had to comply, or Vernon would definitely drive back to the penthouse to check on her, and she wanted to be alone for now.
"I… I don't have the best appearance right now…." Chloe reasoned, hoping it'd stop Vernon. "I look haggard…."
"Doesn't matter! You're always perfect in my eyes!" Vernon snapped as he got even more worried. He didn't even care about what he said just now.
"Now, show me your face so I will know whether you're fine or not!" he demanded.
Ba-dump.
Chloe's heart suddenly beat harder, like a drum she could hear. She knew that she shouldn't wish for too much, but she had never been called a beauty by Vincent.
So when someone called her a beauty, she was… undeniably feeling a little shy, yet happy.
She decided to open the video call, so Vernon could see her haggard appearance.
The first thing she saw was half of Vernon's face, peering at the camera as if he was looking through a crack. He looked like someone that would question your smallest movement simply out of suspicion.
Chloe quickly covered half of her face with a blanket as she was ashamed, but her red eyes told Vernon that Chloe must've been crying the whole time.
"D—Did I make you worry?" Chloe asked awkwardly because they kept staring at each other through the camera lens for at least five minutes straight.
"You think?" Vernon returned the question. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Of course, I'm fucking worried! Do you know what kind of irrational fear is in my head right now?!"
"S—Sorry…"
Vernon's chest was still heaving up and down, he was trying to calm down, but he couldn't.
"Are you sure that you don't do anything stupid?" Vernon asked.
"I—I didn't. I was just… on my bed right now…." Chloe replied as she tried to cover the fact that she was about to call Vincent and gave herself in to save Vernon.
"Well, that's good," Vernon breathed in relief. "Don't do anything stupid, and don't worry about my statement before. I know that it's risky, but I'm not an idiot."
'So confident…' Chloe thought. She knew that Vernon was a confident young sunny boy since he was a kid. But she never expected him to be this confident when he would go against Vincent Gray.
"I know how to take him down, and I'm in the process of it, Chloe," Vernon said. "So discard any stupid idea of yours and trust me."
-
Discard any stupid idea of yours, and trust me.
-
That word echoed in Chloe's mind. His confidence emanated like a radiant sun shining through her dark path.
Chloe bit her lower lip, which she covered with a blanket. She was holding this kind of excitement in her heart, which she had never experienced.
Somehow, she felt excited by Vernon's statement that she simply wanted to discard all logic and say yes to him.
And she did.
"Um…" Chloe nodded weakly while staring at Vernon on his phone. "I won't do anything stupid, I promise…."
"Great!" Vernon was completely assured now. "Go take a rest at home, you don't need to cook, I'll buy something for dinner."
"And don't worry about Mackie, just tell me the exact time, so I can go there and pick her up."
Chapter 354
"And don't worry about Mackie, just tell me the exact time, so I can go there and pick her up," Vernon said.
"Um... thank you, Vernon..."
"Okay, take care, and wait for me and Mackie at home."
Beep.
When the call ended, Chloe's phone screen returned to Vincent's contact number. She was met with the choice to call Vincent again, and at this point, nobody would stop her.
"I know that calling Vincent is the most logical, but...." Chloe closed the contact and put the phone on her bosom again. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Strangely, she didn't feel an ounce of fear because of what Vernon had said before.
-
Discard any stupid idea of yours, and trust me.
-
"Ah, he's so reckless," Chloe commented. "But somehow, his recklessness makes me feel safe. So, maybe I will follow his way of recklessness for now. After all, I promised that I will always be there for him, through thick and thin."
Chloe knew that she was making a stupid decision by siding with Vernon.
'But I want to be happy. I want to feel safe as well,' Chloe said in her heart. 'I want to be with someone who can make me brave enough to stand on my own feet.'
'And I found that with Vernon....'
**
After Vernon hung up the call, he breathed relief and threw himself on the sofa. He was scared that Chloe might do something unthinkable, such as...
"No, I don't want to think about it," Vernon shook his head. "The imagery might be too much of a nightmare for me."
Knock. Knock.
Vernon was about to close his eyes when he heard knocking on the door. He knew who was knocking, so he simply said, "Come in!"
Click.
Diamond opened the door impatiently. She stood at the door, crossing her arms and tapping the floor with her heel.
She glared at her Boss, "I demand an explanation, Boss. What did you do to her?"
Vernon knew that he had to eventually explain this, "I didn't do anything. I told her that I know her meeting with Maria, and I naturally told her what I would do to protect her from Vincent."
"She was horrified with the idea of me fighting against Vincent, and was too shocked to react properly, that's why she looked so out of it."
"But worry not, I've called her just now. I want to ensure that she didn't do anything stupid at home," Vernon said. He gritted his teeth as he got annoyed at himself. "Diamond, is it wrong for me to tell her about it? I want her to know that I will protect her, even if that means I have to go against my Big brother."
Diamond paused for a moment and then walked towards her Boss. She stood right in front of Vernon and replied, "I will reply not as your subordinate, Mr. Phoenix Gray, but as your friend."
"You're not wrong this time," Diamond said. "I understand that she will be shaken by your statement, but she has to know this. The sooner the better."
"But Boss, you need to convince her even more after this. Tell her that everything would be alright, since you're well prepared, right?"
"Of course! I am well prepared!" Vernon yelled. "I am not afraid of him. I just... need more time. We're moving faster than before because I'm worried about Chloe, but we still need time."
"Yes, I know, Boss...." Diamond nodded. Though, she was actually impressed with her Boss. Despite saying he needed time, he had everything planned out and executed very well.
'Let's just hope there will be no distraction, or any set back in the future. I want happiness for my best friend...' Diamond thought.
"Well, for now, you need to sell or destroy her current car and buy her a new one, I want a new one to be ready in three days of work at most," Vernon commanded. "I also want your report about Gregory Maxwell. What was the result of the internal meeting within his company?"
"Ah, the shareholders of Mr. Maxwell's company rejoiced when they got the news from Mr. Maxwell. All of them agreed with the contract. Most of them have high hopes for you because you're Vincent's little brother."
"So they thought I could be as good as him or mend the relationship between Gregory Maxwell and my Big brother?" Vernon asked as he seemed to have a good grasp on this already.
"Correct, Sir," Diamond confirmed.
Vernon scoffed, "Heh, thinking about it already makes me disgusted. I don't want to be the second Vincent. I don't want to be a filthy abuser."
"But it can't be helped. People will still associate me with Vincent until I make a name for myself and overthrow him."
Vernon glanced at Diamond and gave her another order, "Keep Mr. Maxwell's project in track, we're going to focus on that once, since my small project with Vincent has just finished."
"Understood, Sir. I shall put that in my memo," Diamond slightly bowed respectfully, but before she left, Vernon called her again.
"Oh, one more, Diamond...."
"Yes?"
"Thank you... for helping me," Vernon said. He was ashamed to say it, but he thought Diamond deserved his gratitude.
He wouldn't be able to manage so many big projects without a competent secretary.
Diamond smiled in response, "I did this for money, Sir. I also did this for my best friend, Chloe."
"I know," Vernon nodded, then Diamond left him alone.
He sat idle for a while, resting his mind as so many things happened in one day.
To say that he was tired was an understatement. He was exhausted physically and mentally.
'Ah, I really can't wait to go home and have dinner with Chloe and Mackie...' Vernon thought. 'Oh right, I have to pick Mackie up.'
Thus, Vernon texted Chloe about when he should pick Mackie up at her school, and he got a reply in less than a minute.
Chapter 355
From: Chloe
You can pick her up in an hour. Don't forget to call me when you're with her. Mackie rarely got picked up by someone else except when I was really sick.
So, she might get scared or anxious when I'm not around.
-
Vernon replied with a simple 'yes' and then turned off his phone. He was exhausted and decided to take a quick nap before picking Mackie up.
**
The bell just rang, and Mackie packed the books into her bag before she was ready to leave.
"Mackenzie…"
Mackie lifted her head when she heard someone call her. She saw Mr. Peterson— her teacher for the autumn festival drama crouching beside her.
"Yes, Mr. Peterson?" Mackie responded, staring at the teacher with her doe eyes.
Mr. Peterson handed a paper to Mackenzie and said, "This is your parent attendance submission paper. Don't forget to give it to your parents, and then submit it to me tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay! I'll give it to Mommy!" Mackenzie snatched the paper and nodded happily. It was a paper distributed for every event at school, so it wasn't anything serious.
But the teacher had another question, "Mackenzie, will your mother come this year?"
"Un!" Mackie nodded. "Mommy will come, but Daddy won't. He's always busy!"
"I—I see…." Mr. Peterson's expression was slightly stiff as if he had something in mind.
"What's wrong, Mr. Peterson?"
"N—Nothing, you can go now."
"Okay! See you tomorrow, Mr. Peterson!" Mackie quickly joined her friends in the main corridor as they left the main building.
Mr. Peterson kept staring at her with pity and then turned around. He walked to the Principal's office and stood in front of the old Mrs. Andrew.
"So, how was it?" Mrs. Andrew asked. She had been waiting anxiously for the news.
Mr. Peterson hesitated for a moment and nodded reluctantly, "Mackenzie said that her mother will come for the autumn festival."
"Oh thank god," Mrs. Andrew wiped the cold sweat that drenched her forehead. "I don't know what Mr. Gray will do to us if Mackenzie's mother refuses to come."
"Okay, Mr. Peterson, you can leave now. Thank you for your help," the old Principal said.
Mr. Peterson's heart tightened as he felt pity for Mackenzie and her mother. After all, he had heard a lot of rumors about them and how the other kids, Jada and Mia, were still trying to bully Mackenzie.
The school tried to stop them, but somehow, they also got the order from the Principal-- who must've gotten the real order from Mr. Vincent Gray not to intercept with the bullying that Mackenzie experienced.
Fortunately, Mackenzie herself was a feisty little girl, she fought all her bullies or anyone who dared to talk bad about her parents, so she became some sort of the popular little girl you didn't want to mess around at school.
But the rumor must've affected her nonetheless.
"Mrs. Andrew, don't you think we should stop this kind of involvement? We don't really know the problem between her parents, but she shouldn't be affected by this."
"Oh, we're not living in a fantasy world, Mr. Peterson," the old Principal replied. "I would help her if I could. But I want to maintain my position here, and I want this school to keep standing. Whom we're fighting right now is the real owner of this school."
"If Vincent Gray wants to demolish this private school, he could, and he would if we don't follow his orders."
"So, if you want to keep your job, just keep your mouth shut and give your care for the other students instead. Mackenzie is born with a gold spoon. She will be fine with all the money she will inherit in the future."
The Principal's words were like a knife that stabbed through his chest. He felt guilty for conspiring against a little girl.
But he wanted to keep his job. He just wished that Mr. Vincent Gray wouldn't do anything that'd hurt his own daughter.
**
Vernon was leaning on his car while staring at the school gate. He crossed his arms and ignored all the states of the moms around him.
Every woman around Vernon's vicinity stared at the handsome young man without blinking. They were all struck by his intimidating but somehow charming deep gaze.
Some of them gossiped with the others, and some immediately recognized him as Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray since he was very popular on TV and the internet.
But they never expected him to look 10x more handsome in real life. The camera did him no justice!
Some of the moms were about to take a picture, but they would get a silent glare from Vernon and immediately stop before taking any picture.
They were too scared since most of their husbands were directly or indirectly affiliated with the Gray family. So contempt from Vincent Gray would end up costing their husband's job or company.
'What is he doing in here?'
Vernon kept staring at the gate until Mackie came out of the main building.
Mackie's eyes looked left and right, trying to find her Mommy, but she couldn't find her.
'Is she late today? But she's rarely late….'
She stood in front of the gate and kept looking around helplessly.
Vernon's brow twitched, 'How come that little devil doesn't see me? I'm literally the tallest here.'
Vernon didn't want to look so uncool by going to Mackie, but he didn't want to call her and make too much ruckus.
So he walked towards her and grabbed her small hand, "WAH!"
Mackie panicked. She thought that she was getting kidnapped. But when she looked up, she got confused instead, "Uncle? Why are you here? Where's Mommy?"
"Your Mommy told me to pick you up," Vernon replied curtly. "Let's go in."
"Wait, Mommy always told me not to go with a random guy. It's stranger danger! I will scream now!"
"You— seriously—" Vernon panicked. He never had any competence in handling a kid and had thin patience with Mackie.
"Hehe, alright, alright! Mackie is just messing around with you, Uncle!" Mackenzie squabbled. "You did that to me everyday, hmph!"