Ch. 506..510: Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother Chapter 506-510
Chapter 506
Dorothea waited until the elevator door closed before she dropped onto the floor.
"That's it..." she muttered. "I've lost my only chance to have a family. I'm just a bitter old woman that nobody wants, and I cannot change that anymore."
Dorothea knew this was her punishment, but she still couldn't help to weep over the spilled milk.
She wished she could turn back the time and treat her sons right, especially Vernon. She hurt that boy to the point that his hatred flowed in his blood.
She wanted to blame Vaughn for making her like this, but she couldn't.
Because it was her fault that she used Vernon as a scapegoat for all her hatred for her bastard late husband.
"If only I could be a bigger person like Chloe, none of this would happen...." Dorothea felt her heartache keep getting more excruciating with each passing second. Her tears dropped on the elevator floor.
She wiped her tears. Though she was feeling a little faint right now, she would never pass out here, or her second son would hate her more and brand her as an attention-seeking, manipulative, dying bitch for passing out in his elevator. She had enough derogatory nicknames already.
Ding!
Dorothea got up and stood straight as she exited the elevator. She walked to the receptionist named Anna, whose face was so pale and acted nervously. Vernon probably yelled at everyone before he came up to the eleventh floor, and this receptionist was one of the victim of his wrath.
Dorothea stood in front of the receptionist counter and looked down at Anna. They stared at each other for a while until Dorothea raised her brow arrogantly, "Why are you standing like an idiot? Call a taxi for me."
***
Chloe and Vernon stared at the elevator descending to the ground floor in silence, but their expression differed.
Chloe had a defeated face, full of grief and disappointment.
While Vernon had a face full of satisfaction. He was satisfied that the old bitch was finally out of Chloe's life.
Now he had to take extra measures, so this kind of thing wouldn't happen again.
'Maybe I have to limit her phone as well, making sure she wouldn't contact anyone that's not good for us,' Vernon considered.
He knew he might sound like a controlling bastard-- or maybe he was right now.
But to him, Chloe and Mackie's safety was his priority. He didn't want them to get hurt, and he had to protect them from any possible harm.
Vernon bowed his head to look at Chloe, who was still staring emptily at the elevator. His gaze darkened for a second before pulling her wrist as he headed to the VIP elevator, "Let's go. We need to go up to the penthouse. Mackie is waiting."
Chloe resisted for a second, and Vernon noticed it.
Vernon stopped on his track. He turned around and frowned, "What now?" he stared at Chloe, who stared back at him. There wasn't much emotion on her face except for sadness, and that was normal. She'd move on from this problem eventually.
"You don't need to hold my hand," Chloe said as she tried to pull her hand.
Vernon's brows creased even deeper, "What's wrong with me holding your hand? Are you still upset because of what just happened?"
...
Vernon sighed, "Look, I am not in the mood to coax you right now. I'm glad you're not cheating on me because if you did, I would--" Vernon paused and decided not to continue that topic because he'd sound like a total psycho.
He had to admit his head was messed up, but it was because this whole thing turned him into a madman, just the thought of Chloe being embraced with another man was enough to drive him insane.
"Anyway, I will forgive you for this," Vernon said. "It's not your fault that you're being manipulated. That dying bitch has the skill to ruin people's lives."
"Don't call him a dying bitch...." Chloe murmured. "She's not that mean...."
...
"Dorothea truly wants to help us. She wants to disturb Vincent's charity works, because she's the one that has full control over it. As long as she can disturb Vincent just a little bit, that'd be beneficial for you, right?"
"That's just her trick! She wants you to believe her, but she will never do that!" Vernon's voice started rising. "Damn it, Chloe, wake up! She's not a good person!"
"... You're filled with hatred, Vernon...." Chloe said.
Vernon gritted his teeth and yanked Chloe's hand instead. Chloe winced in pain as she tried to match Vernon's long steps to the VIP elevator.
Vernon yanked Chloe inside the elevator, pulling her like a rag doll as they went up to the penthouse.
Meanwhile, Chloe tried her best not to whimper or beg him to release her hand to show that she wasn't going to back down.
Chloe knew Vernon hated his mother so much, and he was justified to do so.
She thought she could completely side with Vernon once he found out about Dorothea's presence.
But the way Vernon treated his mother so harshly and how he refused to take a second opinion from Chloe made her realize how stubborn Vernon could be.
Now, she started wondering if Vernon was truly a good man she fell in love with, or was he just the second Vincent?
Because Vincent was also gentle to her at first but turned violent once they married.
Vernon unlocked the penthouse door and was greeted by Mackie, "Welcome back Mommy--" Mackie's jaw dropped when she saw her Mommy come home with Uncle, and both of them were not smiling at her.
"Ah, um, welcome back, Uncle," Mackie greeted awkwardly.
"Hm, go back to your room, Mackie. I want to speak with your Mom," Vernon said straight to the point. His mood wasn't the best right now, even a seven-year-old noticed that easily.
Mackie looked at her Mommy, wondering if her Mommy would be alright.
Chloe sighed and nodded, "Go to your room, dear. Mommy wants to talk with Uncle for now. Don't worry about me."
"Um... are you sure, Mommy?"
"Yes," Chloe glanced at Vernon with a bitter look. "Mommy will be alright."
Chapter 507
"Um… okay then…" Mackie was a little lost now. She wanted to protect her Mommy from all harm. But Mommy said she'd be alright, and she seemed to be sure about it.
Besides, she was staying with Uncle, and Mackie believed that Uncle would never hurt Mommy, unlike Daddy…
Thus, the little girl decided to just believe in her Uncle and went downstairs to play with her toys again to pass the time.
Vernon's eyes followed Mackie until he was assured that Mackie was downstairs and wouldn't hear the shit that was about to go down between them.
Vernon pulled Chloe to enter his bedroom and forced Chloe to sit on the bed as he closed the door behind him. He flipped the switch so the bedroom was brightly lit.
Vernon leaned on the door, crossing his arms in front of his chest, while Chloe sat at the edge of the bed.
They stared at each other, but none of them wanted to speak. The mood was just too terrible right now.
Vernon clicked his tongue annoyedly. He didn't know that Chloe could be upset like this. He was so used to the ever-tolerant and meek Chloe that this came out as a surprise, and not a good one.
"How long will you keep getting upset about this?" Vernon finally opened his mouth. "You know, I should be the one who's upset right now. Even if you're not cheating, you're still talking to my enemy behind my back!"
"… Dorothea is not our enemy, Vernon," Chloe said. Her voice was calm, and there was no trace of fear in her. She stared at Vernon with unwavering faith.
"I don't know what's going on inside your thick skull," Vernon's gaze peered at his beloved. "Didn't I tell you that she's abusive towards me as well? She beat me when I was a kid. She hit me with her beer bottle plenty of times, and shoved and kicked me as well. She has never been a good mother— heck, other than giving birth to me, she has done nothing else!"
"Chloe, you know how I feel, right? You've experienced the same thing after marrying that bastard, and I want nothing but to destroy his life so I can protect you! Why can't you do the same for me?" Vernon asked. "I don't need you to destroy Dorothea, but I want you to at least stop talking to her!"
"Why do you need to be the one who sacrificed everything for you? Why can't you do the same for me!?"
…
Vernon thought that Chloe's silence was a sign of defeat. She'd eventually turn meek and stop arguing with him, which would be great. Because he truly had no more energy to be patient with Chloe right now.
However, Chloe kept on staring at him. She looked calm as if Vernon's intimidation didn't work on her at all.
She suddenly stood up and walked towards Vernon.
Vernon frowned but said nothing as Chloe stood in front of him. She looked up, and her sweet doe eyes were filled with determination.
"I certainly acknowledge all the abuse that Dorothea did to you when you were a kid," Chloe said. "And I will not defend her for that. She did wrong, so wrong in fact, that it's justified for you to hate her forever."
"Then, if you've acknowledged her shitty behavior, why would you still want to defend her? You're not making sense, Chloe!" Vernon yelled. "Do you even care about me?!"
"Oh, I care about you," Chloe said. "So much so that I'm willing to sacrifice myself back to Vincent as long as you're safe, in case you fail to destroy him."
"But you should know that I'm also a mother, and I'm defending Dorothea not for her shitty actions. I'm defending her for you," Chloe said firmly.
Vernon's heartbeat skipped for a second. He didn't understand why, but Chloe's words made him somewhat unsure.
"Dorothea is a shitty woman, I know that, and she deserves all the pain in the world. She deserves your hatred, I know that as well," Chloe said. "But I want to give you peace of mind, Vernon. You may think that kicking Dorothea out of your life forever will give you a peace of mind, but I know that deep down, you will never feel satisfied until your problem with Dorothea has been solved."
"Yeah, I won't be happy until I can kill that dying bitch for ruining my childhood!"
"… Does revenge satisfy you?" Chloe asked. "If I've ever done something wrong to you, will you ruin my life so you'll be satisfied?"
Vernon's body stiffened instantly. He gulped as he stared at Chloe. He got nervous and tried to dodge Chloe's piercing eyes subconsciously.
"I never have that kind of idea about you," Vernon said. "Believe me, Chloe. I never have any kind of bad thoughts about you."
Of course, he was lying. He took her in initially to ruin her life, just like how she ruined his. He wanted to humiliate her just like how he felt humiliated and discarded.
However, his idea changed once he realized that Chloe was a victim and suffered more abuse than most people could bear and that he still had feelings for her.
His heart loved Chloe more than it hated her.
"Oh, I believe in you," Chloe nodded. "That's why I also believe that you're capable of forgiveness— or at least tolerance."
"I know that she hurt you badly, and I will never justify what she did," Chloe said. "But I want you to try, just for this one person. Try to tolerate her presence and see what will happen next. I want to give you a peace of mind. I want you to know there is something else to look for other than revenge."
…
"Dorothea is already suffering from the constant guilt. You don't even need to kill her, she'll die out of heartbreak and depression sooner or later," Chloe added. "I don't know if I'm qualified to say this, Vernon, but I… I don't want you to be filled with hatred. Vernon, you are a man with heart, you can forgive."
Chapter 508
Chloe's words pierced straight into his conscience.
His heart was beating abnormally, and he started having cold sweat under his suit.
He didn't know why, but Chloe's words made him weak. He should be angry at her. In fact, he should be able to yell at her for being so thick-headed!
But Chloe's surprising determination was like a kryptonite to him. She still had her sweet doe eyes, still with the beautiful face and tender lips that he really loved to nibble.
But her stance, gait, and words coming out of her mouth were different.
Chloe was so bold that she didn't even back down, no matter how much Vernon tried to intimidate her, and the power dynamic started to shift between them.
Realizing he was losing this argument, Vernon gritted his teeth and vehemently shook his head, "If I forgive everyone in my life, then they will stomp on me! You don't understand how I feel, Chloe. I live in a world without my family's help, so I have to climb my way up with my own ability, and it's not a road filled with flowers and shit!"
"Don't you understand that your kindness can be used by everyone? That's your weakness and Vincent used it against you!"
Vernon started raising his voice again, thinking Chloe would eventually stop this argument completely. The power dynamic shift between them made him feel uncomfortable as if he was about to be dominated by his woman.
...
Chloe stayed silent for a moment. She kept her steady gaze on Vernon, who kept dodging her eyes nervously.
Vernon's words actually hit her nerve, but she didn't want to turn this argument into a fight. She was exhausted.
"Yes, I don't know how you feel, Vernon," Chloe said. "To be a multi millionaire entrepreneur at such a young age-- that must've required a lot of sacrifice and struggle that I'll never experience in my life. I will never deny your success."
"But you also know nothing about my suffering. It's not my kindness that forced me to stay with Vincent. It's a lot more complicated than that. So better not judge each other, because we have different struggles."
'Damn it!' Vernon cursed in his heart. He was frustrated because somehow Chloe always got a way to counter his words. He had to admit defeat at this point.
"You keep saying that Dorothea is trying to apologize to me. You also said that she is trying to help us by messing up with Vincent's charity works," Vernon scoffed. "Those are just tricks to fool you! She loves her first son so much, she'd probably kill herself if Vincent told her to do so. She is playing with death if she dares to disturb Vincent's public image."
"What if we suddenly get the news that Dorothea actually does her job and prevents the scholarship awardees from getting their monthly allowance from the Gray foundation starting from next month?" Chloe asked. "Will you finally believe that Dorothea is trying to make peace with you?"
Vernon's brows creased, "What are you implying here? Do you really think that she will do that stupid thing? She is betting her life if she did that."
"Yes, she will do it," Chloe said. "I believe she will."
Vernon scoffed again. He puffed his chest as he saw that as a challenge, "Alright, if that's the only way to get through your thick skull. I naturally have ears around the Gray family. If I got the news that Dorothea actually stops all the scholarship funds, even just for one month, then I will yield."
"If I win, you can do whatever with Dorothea. You can even bring her here, though I will probably move to another apartment. Just thinking about her grosses me out."
"If I lose?" Chloe asked.
"You will never see her again, and you're not allowed to have any contact with anyone except me, Mackie, Diamond, and a select few people I trust. This is the deal if you want to bet, Chloe," Vernon said.
He knew the deal was unfair to Chloe. If she lost, she'd be trapped, and Vernon would control her life forever. But it was more of a threat, and he hoped Chloe understood the danger she was about to cross.
If she was smart enough, she would reject it and withdraw immediately. That'd be the end of this stupid argument between them.
Since there was no way that old bitch would be willing to destroy her life just to disrupt Vincent's public image, it was a guaranteed defeat for Chloe.
"Deal," Chloe said without hesitation.
Vernon's eyes widened, "You-- Do you know what you're getting into?!"
"Naturally," Chloe nodded. "I will take it because I want to prove my point. Dorothea has changed, and she's trying her best to get your forgiveness--"
"--And I will never forgive her!" Vernon interrupted.
Chloe paused for a moment, "It doesn't matter if you want to forgive her or not. As long as I win, you're not allowed to stop me from sitting you two at a table to have a talk."
"And it doesn't matter if you will reject me or not. If you lose, your life will be in my hands. Do you not see the risk?"
"I know, and I'm still firm in my belief," Chloe stated.
Vernon gritted his teeth.
Chloe wouldn't back down, no matter how many times he tried to intimidate and stop Chloe from arguing with him, "You're unbelievable. Fine then, give me your phone. I want to make sure that you won't contact her until next month!"
"It's on the kitchen counter. You can keep it until next month," Chloe said boldly. "Just keep it safe. There are... few photos that I treasure."
"Tch," Vernon turned around and opened the door. He strode to the kitchen and grabbed Chloe's phone before returning to his room.
Vernon waved Chloe's phone in front of her face, "Are you sure about this? You can back down now before it's too late."
"I know that I am right," Chloe stated. "Just keep that phone, and hide it somewhere that I cannot touch so I won't be able to contact Dorothea. I know that I'll win this bet, and you'll have to meet her again."
Chapter 509
"Fine, Deal! Don't you regret this, Chloe!" Vernon threatened. "You will lose your freedom! I will make sure you won't speak with anyone except me and our small family! I won't allow you to go out unless you come with me!"
"Alright. Mhm. Understand," Chloe reacted with plenty of nods and agreement.
Vernon might be the one who threatened Chloe, but he was the one who felt defeated in this argument. He pocketed Chloe's phone to make sure that she wouldn't be able to contact Dorothea after this, not until their bet had a result.
Though, the result was already obvious.
"I don't understand," Vernon murmured. "Why do you insist on me forgiving Dorothea so much? You know what she did to me, right?"
"I know, and though I wish you could forgive her, all I want from this bet is to sit you with her together at a table. I want you two to have a heart-to-heart talk as mother and son."
"And you think I will forgive her just because you sat us together? What do you take me for? A five year old in a kindergarten?"
"... At least you should listen to what she's about to say...." Chloe implored. "It won't hurt for you to listen, right?"
"No, you're hurting me right now, because you're forcing me to do something that I don't want to," Vernon said. "You're trying to make me forgive my abuser."
"At least learn to tolerate her presence. You don't need to forgive her if you don't want to," Chloe said. "It's for Mackie too. She is close with her granny."
"... Tsk," Vernon clicked his tongue. "You're so cruel to me. Do you even care about my feelings?"
Chloe finally lowered her head after hearing that last sentence. She felt guilty, but she wished that Vernon and Dorothea could talk before he decided whether he wanted to kick Dorothea out of their life permanently or tolerate her presence-- sometimes.
"And what's with this tough charade you're putting in front of me just now?" Vernon asked. "Are you that passionate to defend Dorothea? Why don't you do the same to defend me instead?"
Unable to stay silent, Chloe finally lifted her head and stared at Vernon with her usual sweet doe eyes, "I told you already. I do this for you, not for her." Chloe's voice finally softened. She had returned to her usual gentle and meek woman that Vernon was familiar with.
"For me? Heh, sure," Vernon said sarcastically. He had a mocking grin as he continued, "What's next? You're going to cheat on me because you care about me? You don't make sense."
"Vernon..." Chloe was about to argue again. But she realized there was no point in arguing for now. All she could do was wait, and Vernon would naturally listen to her once the truth was out.
"I don't have energy arguing with you anymore," Chloe said. "I just hope that you will eventually understand my choice."
Chloe tried to pass Vernon, but the door was barricaded by his big body, giving her no way out.
"We're not done talking," Vernon said curtly. "I haven't given you permission to leave."
"What more do you want to talk about? You're not going to listen to any of my words anyway," Chloe said. "It's better for us to be separated for a while, at least until next month after we see the result of this bet. Should I leave to find a hotel somewhere? I will bring Mackie with me-- AH!"
Chloe's words were interrupted when Vernon suddenly gripped her right arm tightly. He was already repressing his anger, but again, Chloe ignited his rage over and over, no matter how many times he tried not to be rough on her.
At this point, he felt he was being taunted by his beloved woman.
"You're not going anywhere," Vernon said. His words felt like a demand. "I won't let you leave me. You'll find Dorothea again if I let you out, and you'll use the chance to cheat on me."
"Stop with the cheating already!" Chloe raised her voice as she grew frustrated. "Why do you accuse me of cheating so much?!"
"Because you can hide things behind my back, so you can also cheat on me!"
"That's different! I can't simply tell about Dorothea to you, because you're going to kick her out!"
"Then you're still hiding things! We're not supposed to hide things from each other!" Vernon insisted. The more they spent time together, the more heated their arguments got.
Chloe had had enough of Vernon's nonsense at this point. She tried her best to argue civilly, but Vernon kept yelling at her.
So she wanted to end this heated argument for good before it escalated into something even worse. She endured the pain in her right arm and grabbed Vernon's tie.
"What are you-- wha!"
Chloe suddenly yanked Vernon until he lowered her shoulder, and their faces were at the same level.
She gave him a deep kiss, so much so that she started using her tongue to pry around Vernon's mouth.
Vernon struggled at first, he tried to pull himself away, but Chloe clutched his tie. If he used more force, he might accidentally hurt Chloe. So he had to yield.
Eventually, he started to drown under the pleasure of being kissed by his beloved woman.
"Chloe..." Vernon murmured her woman's name amidst their passionate tongue-on-tongue kiss. Vernon closed his eyes and eventually loosened his grip on Chloe's arm.
His hands went down instead, wrapping them around Chloe's waist, and pulled her closer for a deeper kiss.
Vernon's mind started getting hazy. He realized that he couldn't get angry at Chloe right now. But he didn't regret it. This kiss was worth the pain.
Because it was Chloe who kissed him first, it was proof that it wasn't one-sided.
His love for her wasn't one-sided, and that assurance was what he needed the most right now.
Vernon was enjoying the kiss when Chloe suddenly stopped and separated herself.
"Wha? Uh... Chloe?"
Chapter 510
She saw that Vernon was still confused and took the opportunity to shove him to the side until he lost his footing and fell.
"Ouch!"
Vernon landed on his butt. He looked up and saw Chloe standing in front of her with a reddish hue around her cheek.
"That's my answer for you, Vernon," Chloe said. "I'm not gonna cheat on you. I love you more than you know."
Vernon was amazed by how bold, and domineering Chloe could be. She never showed this tough self of her before and probably never showed it in front of anyone except him.
And that made him feel... special.
Also, the fact that she said love so lightly as if she had loved her far longer than he thought and his love had been reciprocated long ago.
Ba-dump.
Vernon felt his heart racing. He swallowed his saliva hard and kept staring at Chloe without blinking. He thought he'd hate it if Chloe lost her meek and gentle demeanor.
But even now, when she had shown the other side of her, Vernon felt that he fell in love even harder than before.
So he discovered that...
'Is this how it feels to be so hopelessly in love?' Vernon wondered. 'How is she able to finish our argument with only one kiss, and I yield almost instantly? Damn, isn't that a little unfair?'
"It's fine if you don't want me to move out, I will just stay downstairs with Mackie. You don't need to worry about us," Chloe said before she opened the door and left.
"W--Wait! Chloe--!"
SLAM!
Vernon's words were hanging as he stared at the door. He still had a lot to say to Chloe, mostly asking if she was also down to make out after an argument-induced kiss.
"... I could ask that, or maybe I should've asked if I get another kiss if we make up...."
Vernon sighed defeatedly, "Oh well, guess this is my life now."
**
Chloe strode to the kitchen in silence. She slowed down once she was about to go downstairs.
She had to calm the chaos in her heart before she faced her daughter.
Chloe could feel that her face was so hot right now, and it must be red like a cherry.
"God, I can't believe what I did just now...." Chloe murmured. She never had that kind of urge to dominate Vernon. Heck, she never had the desire to dominate anyone in her life.
She was always a modest, shy woman and wouldn't say a thing as long as it saved her from a beating or two.
But when she saw how crazed Vernon got and didn't even want to listen to her, Chloe realized that she had to profess her love even in the most bold way she could think of.
"W--Well, at least now he won't question my loyalty to him anymore...." Chloe said. "Did he enjoy the kiss, though? I think he did. He looked like he was on cloud nine just now...."
"Ah, why do I think about stuff like that? It's weird...." Chloe shook her head. She took a deep breath, trying to regulate her breath and calm down her heart. Then she went downstairs to check on her daughter.
Mackie was playing with her dolls on the sofa. She tried to busy herself to distract her mind, or else she'd go upstairs to check on Mommy.
Despite her worry, she kept telling herself to believe in Uncle. Because Uncle would never hurt Mommy, no matter what!
Chloe went downstairs and smiled at her daughter, who surrounded herself with many dolls. She was relieved that Mackie didn't seem to be heavily affected by her fight with Vernon.
But before she could say a thing, Mackie asked her a difficult question, "Mommy, did you have a fight with Uncle?"
"Ah-- w--well, it's not that big of a deal, dear," Chloe replied.
...
"Mommy, please don't lie to me. Uncle and Mommy came in before, and you two didn't smile at me," Mackie said calmly while playing with her dolls.
...
Chloe was thinking for a while. Usually, when they were still living together with Vincent, Chloe would lie to her daughter.
She didn't want to show the ugly part of her marriage with Vincent, so she always lied and said that Mommy and Daddy were just talking about important stuff together.
Thankfully, Vincent happened to be the master of faking his kindness.
He would act so kind and gentle in front of Mackie and lie to her, saying he would never hurt Chloe. So Mackie had no reason not to believe it when both of her parents said the same thing.
But Vernon wasn't as proficient as Vincent at pretending and faking his mood.
He was an open book. It wasn't hard to spot whether Vernon was pissed, angry, sad, happy, or even when he was judging someone silently.
Besides, Vernon's temper was far too explosive to be able to handle a fight with grace, so even a little girl like Mackie could read his mood.
"Dear, in a relationship between two people, it is normal for us to have a fight," Chloe said, trying to ensure that Mackie didn't feel too stressed after witnessing an argument. "It's normal, and sometimes it can't be helped."
"But Uncle didn't beat you, right, Mommy?"
"Ah-- he never beat me...."
"Un, then it's alright!" Mackie nodded. "I had a fight with my friends before. But we never hit each other and apologized later! Um... well, except Jaden and Mia. They're mean to me! They like to hit me just like how Daddy beat you! Hmph!"
Chloe went silent instantly. Whenever Mackie brought up the topic of Vincent, she got a conflicting feeling in her heart.
Should she say yes, and tell Mackie that her Daddy did far worse than just 'beating' her Mommy?
Or should she just lie and defend Vincent again?
'I don't think I can defend him anymore, after what he did to me in the Principal's office before,' Chloe thought. 'And Mackie witnessed his deed with her own eyes, it was basically impossible to defend him at this point.'