Ch. 431..435: Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother Chapter 431-435
Chapter 431
"Whaaa! Uncle is the best!" Mackie opened her short arms and hugged Vernon's neck. "Thank you, Uncle!"
Vernon placed his palm on Mackie's back and patted her a few times, "You're welcome. Now go and focus watching your play. You'll see how good you're playing as the Big Bad wolf."
Thus, Mackie released her arms around her Uncle's neck. She sat on the bed with a big bucket of popcorn on her lap and started watching while eating the caramel popcorn.
Chloe looked at Vernon and whispered so she wouldn't disturb her daughter, "How did you get the recording?" Chloe asked. "This is the official recording from the school, right? I don't think that the Old Principal will give you a pass…."
Honestly, Vernon got the recording with Diamond's help. They just found out that one of Diamond's university friends was working in the school as an admin.
She gave Diamond a copy of the recording since she thought there was no harm.
"I have my ways, worry not, I did not rouse any suspicion," Vernon pacified Chloe, who got anxious. "Just watch and enjoy the movie.
Chloe still had plenty of questions, but Mackie suddenly pulled the hem of Chloe's shirt and pointed at the screen with her other hand, "Mommy! Look! I'm blowing the straw house made by the first piggie!"
Chloe shifted her attention quickly to her daughter and stopped asking Vernon immediately. Vernon watched how the two mother-daughter duos complemented each other. It was very refreshing to see them.
Because Vernon never gets that from his mother.
His mother was always busy drinking her pain away and spending money unnecessarily to get revenge on his father.
'She's a good mother,' Vernon commented in his heart. 'Not that I ever doubt her, Chloe took care of me much better than my real mother.'
Sometimes, Vernon wondered if Shailene's words were true. That he was in love with Chloe because she was the one who took care of him when he was young.
Chloe could be replaced by any woman, and nothing would change. Vernon would still fall in love with that random woman, just like how he fell in love with Chloe.
Maybe it was true… maybe it was just a load of bullcrap coming from Shailene's vengeful mouth…
But one thing was for sure, Vernon couldn't imagine the adult him without Chloe's care because there was no way he could survive that nightmarish household without turning insane.
Besides, Gray Mansion was filled with beautiful young maids in their early 20s, and Vernon never liked any of them.
None of those beautiful maids understood Vernon more than Chloe. She knew how to make him open up, pacify him when he was distressed by his parent's fight, and discipline him when he made a mess. She also knew all the simple things that could make his day.
'True, she is gorgeous, I don't think anyone other than my Big bro will ever deny that,' Vernon thought. He leaned and stared at Chloe and Mackie from behind. 'But I crave for her presence more than I crave for her beauty. As long as she's by my side, I think I can fight anything.'
The edge of Vernon's lips perked up. He didn't realize that he had been staring at Chloe and Mackie for thirty minutes until the cinema screen went dark, and the movie ended.
The lights turned on, and Vernon snapped out of his daze when he heard Mackie's loud cheer and claps as she was so proud of her achievement.
"Mommy, I did great!"
"Yes, you did great, dear!"
Mackie twisted her back and looked at Uncle, waiting for his validation.
Vernon smiled and nodded, "You did great. I watched everything."
"Yayyy!"
"Well, do you want to watch other movies?" Vernon offered. "You can ask any movie that you want and they will play it."
"Oh! Uncle, I want to watch Home Alone!"
"Home Alone?" Vernon frowned. "That's an old movie, when did you watch it?"
"I watched it once a few days ago, I like it so much! Mommy said that this is your favorite movie when you're my age!" Mackie claimed.
Vernon glanced at Chloe, and the latter shrugged, "It's true, though. Your Uncle loved watching that movie when he was your age. He watched it at least once a month!"
"Well, that's not wrong…." Vernon actually watched the first Home Alone at least once a week. He loved the movie, but the fact that Home Alone CD was the first gift Chloe ever gave to him set it apart from anything.
It was his first Christmas gift from Chloe, and the little him had never gotten a gift like a CD. He always got a real sports car, a helicopter, or some ultra-expensive toys that he'd destroy in less than a week if he was in the mood.
He even remembered how embarrassed Big sis Chloe was when she handed her gift to Vernon after knowing what kind of gifts he got.
-
'I will buy you something better next year, okay? Big sis needs to save up first,' Chloe promised.
-
Then, Big sis Chloe bought her a skateboard as a Christmas present the next year. She was still embarrassed because Vernon was still getting all those lavish gifts while she could only buy him a skateboard.
But Vernon was so excited about that skateboard he immediately forgot about all that expensive stuff and treasured that skateboard instead. Because that was all he wanted when he was eight years old.
He wanted to skateboard, but none of his family members listened to him, thinking it was stupid and humiliating for them to give the son of a Billionaire something so trivial as a Skateboard for Christmas or a Birthday present.
Now, the Home Alone CD and the skateboard were still in his possession. He stored them in his villa in Bologna, Italy.
Vernon remembered his childhood fondly, and it was also the only coping mechanism for him not to be a terrible person.
Big sis Chloe taught him to be good, so he had to be good.
Chapter 432
Thus, they spent almost two hours watching Home Alone again. Mackie was happy that she could watch Home Alone on the big screen with Mommy, while Vernon was happy that he could watch over Chloe and Mackie for two hours straight.
When the film ended, Vernon was about to offer if she wanted to watch another movie, but Chloe quickly signaled him by tapping her wrist, telling him not to offer another movie or else they'd stay in this cinema for the whole night.
Vernon chuckled. He patted Mackie's hair and said, "Happy with your reward?"
"Um! Thank you so much, Uncle!" Mackie hugged her Uncle's neck again, but she hugged him for a long time.
"Mackie, let go of Uncle, we need to go home," Chloe said.
Mackie shook her head and buried her face in her Uncle's chest, "I want to be carried by Uncle."
Chloe gave Vernon a sorry look, and Vernon laughed in response, "Sure, why not?"
Vernon carried Mackie in his arms without trouble, and they left the cinema. It was almost midnight when they entered the car, and Mackie yawned from time to time in Vernon's arms.
Vernon carefully put Mackie in the backseat, allowing the little girl to rest before he started the engine.
He glanced at Chloe, "I think this is the first time you ever drive with me, right?"
"Yeah, this is the first time...."
"Do you want to go somewhere else?" Vernon offered. "We've been spending our night celebrating for Mackie, I think we can go somewhere you want before we return home to spoil ourselves a little."
Chloe went silent for a while. She looked over her shoulder and checked Mackie, who had fallen asleep in the backseat.
She knew she should just call this a day and return to the apartment, so Mackie could sleep well.
But the mood was perfect, and it was unfortunate to end the night so early.
She wanted to spend more time with Vernon, even if they had no clear direction for the night.
"Why don't we just drive around?" Chloe requested.
"Drive around? You sure you don't want to buy anything?"
"Nope, I'm content with what I have right now," Chloe stared straight at the road and muttered, "Well, maybe a snack. I'd love to eat taco while exploring New York."
Vernon smiled wide when Chloe requested a snack. The more she asked for food, the happier he got. Because that meant Chloe started to take the initiative to eat, she didn't need to be forced anymore.
Thus, Vernon drove through the city and stopped at the nearby taco restaurant and ordered a few boxes of tacos in different fillings.
He returned to the car and gave it to Chloe.
"I only need one taco," Chloe muttered while checking the plastic bag.
"You forgot to tell me what filling you want, so I just have them make one for each filling," Vernon said, though it was just his trick so Chloe would eat a lot.
Chloe picked a random taco and started snacking while Vernon drove through the busy street of New York. Even at midnight, the street was still quite bustling.
The fluorescent lights from the rows of tall buildings on each side of the road truly gave the image of a city that never sleeps.
Vernon drove without direction. He just wanted to extend his time with Chloe even if she hadn't said a thing for an hour.
She was just staring straight, sometimes glancing at the window to check a shop sign or the ads on the billboard.
Even though she grew up in New York City, she acted like a tourist.
"You know, this is the first time I experienced a night in New York..." Chloe mumbled while munching her taco.
"Really? But you grew up here. Don't you ever sneak out with... that guy when you were young?"
Chloe chuckled when Vernon called his Big brother 'that guy.'
Thus, she also referred to Vincent as 'that guy.'
"Well, I dated that guy when I was in high school, and it was an elite one. I need to study hard to keep my scholarship. That guy never asked me on a night date or whatsoever, because he was busy getting tutored."
"When I was in university, I took a part time job. I have to juggle my life between part time and university. I never asked that guy's money because I was in love with him, not his money," Chloe had a bitter smile as she kept telling the story. "I should've known the red flag when he insisted on paying my student debt, even though I said I can just get a job like normal people."
"He insisted on me to marry him as soon as possible, and also told me to never find a job. He also told me to cut off all of my old friends since he said I didn't need any of them."
"He's a controlling man, and I was so blindly in love. So I said yes to his proposal, ditched all of my friends, and stopped finding a job because I thought I'd be a housewife anyway. But it was all just a ploy to make a prisoner in his new mansion."
Vernon listened to Chloe's story attentively. He had rage steadily growing in his heart, wanting to lash out as he realized how depressing it was for Chloe to live as a prisoner, abused until she lost all her bright personality, all that just to fulfill his Big brother's sick fetish.
Vernon knew he needed no more reason to hate his Big brother. He had enough hatred that he already wanted to end that bastard's life.
But every time Chloe spilled Vincent's sin bit by bit, his rage and hatred grew until he wanted a fate worse than death for that bastard.
Vernon clenched the steering wheel until his fingers were white but soon took a deep breath to relax, 'Calm down, Vernon. The mood is really good right now, don't ruin it just because you can't control your anger.'
Vernon tried to calm his raging heart so he wouldn't scare Chloe, but there was a question that continuously bugged his mind, and he couldn't rest until he got an answer.
"Do you still love him?"
Chapter 433
"Do you still love him?" Vernon blurted out the question that had been staying in his mind.
Chloe stopped munching her tacos and swallowed them hardly. She went silent for a while and then turned her head at the window, staring at the fluorescent lights in a daze.
The perfect atmosphere was shattered instantly, and Vernon continuously cursed himself for being so stupid by asking a stupid question.
'Fucking idiot! Why are you asking that?' Vernon blamed himself. 'Are you even ready for the answer? What if she says that she's still in love with Vincent? You'll only hurt yourself, dumbass!'
Vernon always wondered what'd he do if Chloe was still in love with that bastard. He might say it was alright, and Chloe would eventually move on from him.
But deep down, he knew he'd be hurt.
Because by confirming that Chloe was still in love with Vincent, Vernon had become the second choice, and no man wanted to be the second choice for the woman he loved.
He wanted to be the one and only, and he'd even take drastic measures to ensure he had no competition.
'Even if that means I have to cut his head….'
Dark thoughts started swirling in his head as his insecurity grew worse. He had fantasized about ruining his Big brother's life for a long time.
He just didn't have the exact motivation at first.
But now, with the love of his life on the line, he would hesitate no more.
Vernon continued driving through the city aimlessly. He was still waiting for Chloe to open her mouth since she seemed engrossed with the question.
As if she was also conflicted about the answer she'd give, and that only gave Vernon even more anxiety.
"Chloe," Vernon called her name to check if she was still with him.
"Mmm…" Chloe responded, signaling Vernon that she was still thinking about it. "I don't know, Vernon…."
Vernon's heart dropped when he heard that. He clenched the steering wheel, trying so hard not to give in to his anger, or they might crash this car somewhere.
He took a silent deep breath and asked, "And why so? I thought after experiencing all the abuse from him the answer would be very clear."
"Do you still want to stay with him? Even after all he did to you?" Vernon got agitated with the scenario playing in his head. He imagined Chloe returning to Vincent after all this, leaving Vernon alone and stranded in this world.
Vernon thought he could live his life without the woman he loved. After all, he became a successful young CEO when Chloe was absent from his life.
But now that he had tasted the sweetness, he refused to let it go, even if it'd hurt him.
"Let me tell you, Chloe. You will not live a happy life with him! He will not change for you, he's just using you to fulfill his fetish! Do you really want to get back to him?" Vernon started raising his voice while Chloe went silent the whole time.
Vernon translated Chloe's silence as an affirmation that she still wanted to return to Vincent.
Vernon clenched his jaw so hard that the veins around his neck started popping, "You're unbelievable. Why would you return to that bastard?! Do you lack something with me? Just tell me, I will give it to you!"
"Vernon—" Chloe gently placed her palm on top of Vernon's hand on the gear stick. "Lower your voice, Mackie is sleeping in the backseat."
Vernon's chest heaved up and down, and Chloe's hand was cold— a stark contradiction from his always hot hand.
Her voice was also gentle, like a soft feather tickling his heart.
Usually, Vernon would soften when Chloe acted so gently toward him.
But not now.
He was so worried that Chloe would eventually leave him. His mind was chaotic, and so did his heart.
"I just don't understand," Vernon said. His voice was hoarse and trembling as if the big guy would cry anytime soon. "Why would you leave me for him? Did I hurt you somehow? Just tell me what I did wrong, and we can work it together…."
Chloe sighed and patted Vernon's head gently before lifting her butt a little. She gave Vernon's jaw a quick kiss, so quick that Vernon was left stunned.
"Why—"
"You're such a worrywart," Chloe commented. She smiled at Vernon and continued caressing his hand with hers. "I never said that I want to get back together with him. That will never happen."
Vernon gradually cooled down after Chloe confirmed that, at least, she would never return to Vincent.
Though it still left him confused, "Then what's with the silence? Just say that you don't love him anymore, isn't that easy?"
"It's not easy," she stopped caressing Vernon's hand and looked away toward the window for the second time.
She leaned deeper in her seat and let out another sigh, "I never said I want to return, nor do I want to give him a second chance. He already got countless 'second chances' for the past ten years," Chloe said. "I was just unsure of my own feelings."
"Unsure?"
"Mhm, you see… I've been with him for the past ten years. I really thought I could endure all of his horrible treatment as long as I can raise my daughter."
"But the more I tolerate him, the more he starts testing boundaries," Chloe recalled the first time Vincent cheated on her. It wasn't when she was pregnant, actually. It was during their honeymoon in Greece.
They were newlyweds, and they were supposed to be in love.
"I caught him kissing one of the resort staff during our honeymoon. He kissed her in our hotel room, and I was shocked when I saw that."
"The staff left immediately, while Vincent simply scratched his head and apologized half-heartedly," Chloe said. "I was heartbroken, we were newlyweds and not even two months of our wedding vows, he was already kissing another woman."
Chapter 434
"Why didn't you ask for a divorce back then?" Vernon asked. He recalled two months after Chloe and Vincent's wedding.
Vernon had already left for Europe at that time. But he kept checking his phone, hoping that Big sis Chloe would try to contact him with another number even after he blocked her.
He knew he was childish for blocking her number, but he wanted an effort. He wanted Chloe to just do something to find him and ask him to return to New York.
If Chloe asked him to return at that time, he'd return despite all his heartbreak, just to meet with Big sis Chloe again.
But there was no phone call.
Not even a text.
Or even an email.
He checked all of them every day just to make sure he didn't miss a thing.
But there was no effort as if Big sis Chloe simply discarded him because she was too happy to care for the inferior version of his Big brother.
After all, just like what she said back then with his late father; Vernon was a dimwit, an inferior version of his Big brother. Why'd she cared about Vernon when she was married to Vincent?
Chloe scoffed as she ridiculed herself, "You know what I did after witnessing him kissing another woman? I forgive him."
"I thought it's just Vincent trying to be a bit adventurous. I thought it's just a simple mistake that will never happen anymore. There is nothing to worry, and that Vincent will always love me. I believe all that, trying to play down the cheating."
"But it's not a simple mistake, because Vincent kept doing it over and over. He kept pushing the boundaries, wanting to see how much I would tolerate," Chloe lowered her head, a bitter smile pasted on her lips. "And I stupidly tolerate him. I keep expanding my boundaries, giving him even more chances to cheat."
"After he's done sleeping with countless women, he starts beating me in the meantime, maybe it's just his way to test how much I would endure his torment, and I stupidly endured it for the past ten years."
Chloe's chest started feeling heavy as she recalled all the batshit insane things Vincent did.
"Sometimes I wonder if Vincent has always been crazy, or am I the one who turned him into the monster that he is," Chloe muttered. "If only I reprimanded him when we were just married, maybe things would be different."
"It's never your fault," Vernon replied after listening. "He's always batshit insane. He inherited his perversion and abusive nature from our late father. What they did are almost the same. Both are just bastards."
Chloe didn't know whether she should be relieved that Vernon confirmed Vincent's nature or she should be sad about it.
She was relieved that she wasn't the main cause of Vincent's unhinged behavior.
But she was sad because it proved she had simply married the wrong man. She was no different from her mother, who married a bastard that left them in shambles when Chelsea and Chloe were still babies.
Vernon kept his eyes on the road while glancing at Chloe repeatedly to check on her.
He felt guilty for pressuring Chloe to recall the bad memories. He was so agitated with the idea of Chloe leaving him that he forgot this must be heavy for Chloe too.
Because he basically forced her to rip open her wound once more, just for Vernon to see whether her wound was real or not.
Thus, Vernon parked his car at the side of the road and apologized, "I didn't mean to make you remember sad things. I was just scared that you…." Vernon stopped briefly, wondering if it was proper for him to say this. But when Chloe lifted her head and stared at him with teary eyes, his guilt started eating him from inside. "…you will leave me. I'm sorry."
"Don't cry, Chloe. You hurt me when you cry," Vernon wiped Chloe's tears, wetting her cheek with his thumb. He continued caressing Chloe's cheek with the same thumb before adding, "I won't ask about this again, I promise."
Chloe was quite surprised at how fast Vernon changed his mood because she cried a little. She wasn't crying because she was intimidated. She was just a little sad whenever she remembered Vincent and their love life.
Chloe wiped the tears that welled at the corner of her eyes again and replied, "I'm not crying because of you. I was just sad whenever I remember about my failed marriage life with Vincent."
"I keep thinking of a way to salvage our marriage for the past ten years, thinking he would eventually stop hurting me, but it's just wishful thinking in the end…."
"That's why I can't give you a concrete answer whether I still love him or not," Chloe said. "I've wasted my ten years with him. I changed for him, and I try to make him happy in any way possible to the point that I don't even know about myself anymore."
"I changed so much, losing my innocence and joy just for him. I sacrificed everything just to be with him. It's so difficult for me to detach my life from him. It's too complicated, you don't know the feeling, Vernon."
Vernon went stiff instantly. He sighed and pulled his hand from Chloe's cheek.
He stared straight at the street and replied, "I know the feeling, Chloe. To change yourself, losing your innocence and joy, sacrificing everything just to be with one person important in your life. I understand that."
Vernon wondered if Chloe hadn't realized that SHE was the one who made him change. She was the reason he sacrificed so much by returning here and fighting against his Big brother, even though he could just live an empty life full of glamor by kissing up to his Big brother.
'But it'll be an empty life in the end. I don't want to stuff the void in my heart with alcohol and sex. Not when I have you by my side.'
Chapter 435
Chloe thought Vernon was just trying to sympathize, even if he couldn't understand her struggle, which she appreciated greatly. Nobody ever sympathized with her since she was the wife of a billionaire, so her life would always be great by default.
'It's nice that he's trying to sympathize, but this is supposed to be a good time for us,' Chloe thought. So she smiled and said, "Sorry that I can't give you a clear answer to your question. But rest assured, I will never return to him, and I won't give him a second chance."
"Whether I will fall in love with anyone after him—" Chloe paused for a moment, letting the fact that Vernon might be the next man she'd fall in love with if this relationship between them continued to develop. It was quite weird, yet fascinating at the same time. Because she didn't expect herself to think about falling in love again, and now here she was, opening her heart to her ex-husband's little brother. "—You will be the first one to know."
Vernon saw that as an opening for him. She might've been too traumatized to fall in love again. But Vernon would not give up, not when he was so sure about her, "Sounds like I have work to do," Vernon grinned. "Not that I complain, I don't mind chasing you for the rest of my life."
Chloe gasped. They had been hinting at each other for so long, but never once did they make it obvious that something more than a 'familial bond' was growing between them.
"Vernon, you—"
Chu.
Vernon didn't give her a chance to speak. He gave her lips a little peck and left her stunned as he shifted the gear and drove through the city again.
Vernon had a permanent grin on his lips. He was satisfied with the result of the night.
True, they had an argument, and Vernon panicked when he imagined Chloe would leave him stranded.
'But at least I get to say what I've been trying to say this whole time—' Vernon glanced at Chloe, who was still staring at him with gaping mouth and wide eyes, still trying to process what just happened. '—That I will do everything to make her fall in love again, and she will love none other than me.'
Vernon decided to return home after a long trip with Chloe around New York. It was already past midnight once they arrived at the penthouse door.
Vernon was carrying Mackie on his back while unlocking the door with his fingerprint. He tried not to make too much noise or movement because Mackie woke up briefly when Vernon lifted her up.
Chloe was a little guilty because she couldn't carry Mackie due to her injuries, "Vernon, you can just put Mackie on the sofa. I will sleep there with her, then u should probably take a warm bath and go to sleep."
"No, she needs to sleep in her bed," Vernon insisted. He walked downstairs to the kitchen, with Chloe following from behind.
"Where's her room?" Vernon asked.
Chloe pointed at one door and led them to the little girl's room. The room was dark, so they had to tiptoe to ensure they didn't accidentally step on one of Mackie's toys scattered on the floor.
Vernon gently put Mackie on the bed.
"Good night, little wolf," Vernon murmured before tucking her into the warm blanket.
He was about to leave with Chloe when they heard Mackie's grumbling before waking up.
"Mmm…" Mackie rubbed her eyes a few times. She was half asleep. The food she ate tonight really made her sluggish. She didn't know where she was, but it seemed to be her bed, and two people were staring at her. Her instinct helped her recognize her Mommy instantly, but she couldn't recognize the man beside her.
So she just mumbled…
"Mm… night, Mommy… Daddy…" Mackie closed her eyes and fell asleep once more.
…
…
…
Chloe and Vernon stared at Mackie for a good minute before they looked at each other. It was dark, but Chloe noticed that Vernon was still holding his tears.
Vernon was feeling all sorts of emotions right now, mostly the feeling of warmth inside his heart.
He never wanted to be a father. He was afraid he'd turn just like his late father, who was a total asshole.
But his heart quivered when Mackie called him Daddy, whether she meant it or not. It was a wonderful feeling that he never knew existed deep inside him.
'Shit, I might actually cry,' Vernon quickly turned away before Chloe noticed his tears, "You should go to sleep too, Chloe. You must've been tired."
Vernon left Chloe and returned upstairs. He didn't let Chloe say a thing, nor brush the topic about what he said back in the car.
Chloe stared at the door where Vernon exited just now, then at her daughter, who was sleeping peacefully.
She shook her head, unable to understand her feelings, "He is too good. I'm afraid I might fall in love way too soon, and it won't be love. It's just desperation to satiate my craving for love."
Vernon closed his bedroom door and went to the bathroom for a quick warm shower. He closed his eyes as he let the water stream from the top of his head, trickling down to around his muscular body before going down to the drain.
He recalled all the good things that happened today, from taking Chloe and Mackie to a restaurant and then taking them to watch a movie.
He told Chloe it was just him trying to celebrate Mackie's successful play— which wasn't wrong. He was pleased about Mackie's achievement.
But it wasn't the only reason why he took them out.
He knew that Chloe would refuse if he wanted to take her on a date like a normal soon-to-be couple, whether a restaurant or a movie date.
So Mackie's celebration was a perfect reason for him to take Chloe on a 'date.'