Ch. 686..690: Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother Chapter 686-690

Chapter 686

"Why are you calling me, Mr. Maxwell?" Vernon asked. "Surely you don't call me just to say good afternoon, right?"

"Not at all, Mr. Phoenix Gray. I'm here to report to you about something, but I'm not sure if you'd be happy with my report," Gregory Maxwell said.

"Is there any problem with the shipping of those metals to Europe?" Vernon guessed.

Gregory Maxwell was responsible for sending the metals needed to produce cans for his beverage. So far, all he got was quality products, and there was never a problem with the shipping.

But it was winter, and everything in winter was prone to accidents.

"N—Not at all! Everything went well!" Mr. Maxwell replied quickly. He got nervous because he didn't want to disappoint his boss. "This is about your brother, Mr. Gray."

"My brother?" Vernon frowned. He guessed that his Big bro finally made a move against him because Vincent had had enough of acting weak in front of Vincent. He daringly declared war against Vincent, not caring if that bastard wanted to attack him because Vernon knew he was more influential than Vincent.

"Do tell me more," Vernon requested.

"Uhh… Mr. Gray called me about fifteen minutes ago, Sir," Mr. Maxwell reported. "He told me to get a contract with you, and once I've done that, he told me to go to his office and report about the contract and the system that you apply to me and all of the business partners you have."

"And what do you say to him?" Vernon asked.

Naturally, he already knew the result. It'd be stupid for Gregory Maxwell to jump ship right now. Vernon was a much better boss and gave him even better profit without having to kiss his shoes, unlike Vincent.

But Vernon also wanted to hear what this old man was about to say.

"He threatened to cut off our cooperation. He said if I don't obey him, he will make me suffer by stopping all the remaining cooperation the Gray company and mine have," Gregory Maxwell cleared his throat as he wanted to boast in front of his new boss. "But I refused everything, Sir. I told him that he can cut off all of the ties between our company, because you offer me a much better business and you don't humiliate me like what he did!"

Vernon's lips perked up. That was definitely the answer he was expecting from this old man.

"Good, you made a wise choice of choosing my company over his," Vernon said. "Don't worry, I won't disappoint you and the rest of my new business partners."

"Y—Yes, Sir! You don't need to assure yourself. You already showed us that you're a great businessman, that's why we're following you without hesitation!" Gregory Maxwell praised. "Don't worry about the rest of my friends as well, we don't really care about the Gray family. Vincent is too overbearing, he's like a monster that wants to kill us over the smallest mistake!"

"We will focus our businesses with you instead, Sir! Our businesses are more lucrative, and we are willing to invest in any of your new businesses too if you want!"

Vernon knew that Gregory Maxwell liked to do some bootlicking. But it seemed he was genuinely excited to make money, which Vernon also wanted. He wanted to make money and business connections, not mingle with these old men.

After reuniting with Chloe, he didn't want to mix with some businessmen circle who'd bring women to their table just for a show. He just felt gross, thinking he had to touch another woman other than Chloe.

So he was well known in Gregory Maxwell's circle as the rich young man who was henpecked by his secret wife.

'And I actually like that title. I guess I am kind of henpecked,' Vernon thought.

"I will call you once I want to branch out," Vernon said. "For now, just focus on your work shipping those metals to my factory."

"Yes, Sir! Understood!"

Beep.

—

"Pfft—Hahaha!" Vernon couldn't help but laugh freely, knowing that his Big brother was in trouble right now.

He was attacked by countless rumors on the internet. Everyone was slandering him because of his case with Chelsea Davis and because everyone was rooting for the poor boys and Mrs. Gray, aka Chloe.

His major shareholders must've attacked him as well. So now, since he couldn't find Chloe and Maria was also nowhere to be found, he wanted to get a release by bullying Vernon.

"Well, too bad, Maria is dead. She'll be nothing but ashes soon, hahahah!" Vernon laughed heartily. "I know that you never have that kind of brotherly feeling to me, Big bro. You treat me well because I obey your words, like an obedient dog that will never fight back."

"That's why I never felt anything when you tried to treat me well when I was a child," Vernon said. He reminisced about his Big brother when he was a child.

Despite showing care to Vernon, Vincent never actually stopped their mother for beating him.

He'd watch Dorothea beat Vincent from aside in silence. But Vernon noticed that in his eyes, there was satisfaction, as if he couldn't wait for Vernon to get beaten even harder.

He also noticed that Vincent sometimes deliberately tried to stress Dorothea out, knowing he was the golden child. Thus, whenever Dorothea was stressed out by Vincent and got physically abused by Vaughn at the same time, she'd unleash her frustration at Vernon at night.

"You just treat me like a dog…" Vernon murmured. "It was only her. All this time, only Chloe ever showed me genuine care. She knows she can't fight Dorothea, so to lessen my beating, Chloe would try to stay in the Gray family mansion as much as possible, even going as far as having a sleepover in my room, just to make sure that I won't get beaten while she's not there."

Vernon leaned on his executive chair, staring at the ceiling as he reminisced, "Maybe… just maybe… if you treat me like a human being, things won't end this badly, Big bro."

Chapter 687

It was late in the evening. Diamond was still busy checking emails before forwarding them to her Boss. She checked her watch and grumbled as she guessed it'd take at least two more hours before she finished her tasks.

"Damn, today is Christmas Eve, and I'm yet to finish my work," she complained. "Why do I still have to do this when my brothers are already taking a break, probably watching cheesy Christmas movies with Mom and Dad?"

Vernon happened to overhear everything as he opened the door. He stared at Diamond, who was still busy checking emails. She seemed in such a bad mood that she kept cursing her Boss while working.

Thus, Vernon waited for a while until he opened his mouth.

"You can go home now, Diamond," Vernon said.

Diamond looked over her shoulder and jolted when she saw her Boss. She was complaining about many things, including how her Boss was a crazy workaholic that forced everyone to work everyday nonstop.

Diamond remembered how Vernon forced her to work during Christmas and New Year last year. She was so miserable that she couldn't wait to resign. She knew the pay as Vernon's secretary was amazing, but she also had a big, warm family. So Diamond didn't want to miss any kind of family gathering, be it only for a small party or a big feast, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year.

In the end, she stopped herself from putting that resignation letter on Mr. Phoenix Gray's desk because she knew she had to return to Modeling again after she resigned.

Modeling was fun, but it wasn't paying as much, and she wasn't keen on the drama as well.

Knowing that she might've offended her Boss, Diamond apologized, "I'm so sorry, Boss. I'm just a little stressed out with the tasks. I'll finish it quickly and give it to you."

"… Go home now," Vernon said. "Why are you still in the office during Christmas Eve? Don't you have a big family?"

"I—I do," Diamond nodded reluctantly. Then she remembered her brothers and parents, who were probably eating her Momma's special fried chicken and potato wedges while watching a random Christmas movie. Then she got sad again, "But I care about my job too. I'll try to finish this quickly and go to my parents' house after this."

"You won't have enough time," Vernon said. "There is too much to do, just do it on the 26th."

"But Sir, I can't leave you alone in the office!" Diamond insisted. She remembered how Vernon spent his Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even New Year in the office. He looked so lonely, yet he'd busy himself in his office, trying to work his ass off.

Vernon was also usually very prone to anger during the holiday season. He'd snap at anyone or anything that irritated him. He was basically a ball of unpleasantness.

He also never brought any women during the holiday season, which was weird, because many women wanted to have sex with him during Christmas, becoming his Christmas 'gift.'

"Huh? What are you saying?" Vernon frowned. "I'm going home soon, that's why I told you to go home now."

Vernon lifted his left hand, showing his briefcase, indicating that he didn't want to spend Christmas Eve here.

Diamond's jaw dropped. This was the first time her Boss left so early on Christmas Eve.

Noticing her shock, Vernon finally explained, "Chloe told me to go home early for Christmas Eve, because she cooks a lot of food for all of us. She's been cooking since noon, so it's a feast I can't miss."

Vernon had a big smile on his face as he talked about Chloe. His eyes also brightened, anxiously wanting to see his beloved in person once more. It was so obvious that he was antsy. He couldn't wait to return home to meet with his family. Which was something that Diamond never saw him doing during the holiday season.

She was actually so busy with work that she had briefly forgotten that her Boss wasn't a single dog anymore.

He had a future wife, a daughter, and other family members waiting for him in his house. He was a completely different man once he met the love of his life.

"So, you should go home now, Diamond. I'm serious," Vernon insisted. "I know how depressing it was to spend this night without your family. Don't worry about work, I already managed the rest, making sure that we won't get any disturbance for two days."

Diamond was still astonished by her boss' initiative to help her. It was something that had never happened before.

'I really should thank my homegirl for turning my boss into one hell of a great man,' Diamond thought. 'I don't think she knows what kind of wondrous effect she has on Vernon. She basically turns him into a much better person, simply by existing on his side.'

'Though, it's also relieving to know that Chloe is a good person. So she actually does her best to support Vernon,' Diamond thought. Honestly, she was skeptical about Chloe before.

She already knew that her Boss had been obsessed with Chloe for a long time, though he never admitted it. She thought that Chloe was a bad woman because everyone who was emotionally connected with Vernon seemed to be a bad person, or at least a person you wouldn't try to befriend genuinely.

They were either cunning foxes that wanted nothing but money or power.

Or just genuinely evil, like Vincent Gray.

So she thought that Chloe must've been an evil person too. After all, she married a bastard like Vincent.

Until Diamond met with Chloe in person.

From one look, Diamond already knew that woman truly had a good heart.

She didn't know how a good woman could marry an evil bastard like him, but it was obvious that she was desperately trying to run away and cut ties with Vincent.

'I never thought that Vernon and Chloe would actually fit together as a couple. They are seriously two different kinds of people,' Diamond thought. 'But I guess they do complete each other.'

Chapter 688

"Anyway, I'm leaving now. I don't want to get stuck in traffic. I don't want to let my family wait for too long," Vernon said. "Mackie must've been grumbling right now, since she can't wait to eat the food without waiting for me."

"Merry Christmas, Diamond."

Thus, Vernon hummed happily as he walked to the elevator and went down. It took Diamond a while to process, then she said, "Merry Christmas, Boss."

Naturally, Diamond also didn't want to stay in this empty office. She wanted to go home to spend time with her family!

So she quickly packed her things and used another elevator to go down to the parking lot in the basement.

Vernon drove his car to the Phoenix Apartment. He couldn't wait to meet with Chloe and Mackie. He was thinking of preparing a surprise for Mackie as well. Since this would be the first time he spent Christmas with a kind and a (future) wife, he wanted to make it special.

For Mackie, he wanted to give her a memorable Christmas present, and for Chloe…

"I'll think about that later. I want to make it special for her as well," Vernon thought.

Vernon parked his car in the basement and went up to the penthouse.

He quickly unlocked the door with his fingerprint, and the moment he opened the door, the first thing he saw was a Christmas tree.

The Christmas tree was already beautifully decorated, with colorful lamps, cute baubles and ornaments, and a shining star on top. It was a medium-sized one since the ceiling of the penthouse wasn't that high, and Chloe didn't want to make a huge mess around.

But it was still beautiful, extremely beautiful that Vernon was dazed as he stared at the Christmas tree for a while.

Mackie was the first one to see her Uncle, "Welcome back, Uncle!"

She rushed to Vernon and hugged his thigh before pulling her hand to see the Christmas tree closer.

"Uncle, I want to show you the Christmas tree we decorated all day!" Mackie said. Vernon followed Mackie as the little girl tried to drag him. He stood in front of the Christmas tree and looked up, staring at the beautiful Christmas tree closely. He inspected every lamp, ornament, bauble, et cetera.

This was the first time in more than a decade since the last time he ever saw a real house-decorated Christmas tree. The last time he saw it was when he was very young. Back then, Chloe brought a box full of Christmas ornaments and asked Little Vernon to decorate the Christmas tree in the Gray mansion for the whole day.

He was so happy about it. Even after Big Sis Chloe left the mansion, he sat in front of the Christmas tree to stare at it all night, even going as far as sleeping near the tree because that was the first time he had ever decorated a tree.

Unfortunately, all the decorations he did with Big Sis Chloe were stripped off by the morning. His Big bro said that it was ugly and screamed 'peasant.'

Their Christmas tree had to be decorated with lavish things to show their power and money, and after that, Vernon always refused if Big Sis Chloe wanted to decorate a Christmas tree again.

Because his family would always strip everything and replace it with lavish things that meant nothing to Vernon.

Instead, those expensive decorations only gave him heartbreak because he felt nothing but bitterness when staring at the expensive Christmas tree.

'Finally, after more than a decade, I can finally see a Christmas tree decorated by my Chloe,' Vernon thought. 'I never expected this day would come…'

"What do you think, Uncle? I spent all day with Mommy, Granny, and my cousins to decorate this!" Mackie said. She pointed at one ornament right in front of Vernon's face and mentioned, "That one is a wolf ornament. I buy that one because it reminds me of you, Uncle! You're my Big Bad Wolf!"

Vernon stared at the ornament of a wolf howling to the moon. He touched it and then rubbed it for a while. He smiled as he patted Mackie's head, "It's really cute. Thank you, Little Wolf."

"Un! You should thank Mommy more! She's been busy decorating the tree, and then cooking our food with Granny since noon! She's very tired!"

"Where's your Mommy?" Vernon asked.

Mackie pointed at Vernon's bedroom and said, "Mommy is in your room, Uncle!"

"In my room?"

"Yup, she's busy cleaning your room! Ugh, Uncle's room is so smelly!" Mackie protested while scrunching her nose. "Uncle, why is your room so smelly?"

Vernon chuckled, "That's because Uncle is an adult man."

Mackie tried to process that answer, but she didn't get it. So Vernon added, "You will understand when you're at my age."

Vernon patted Mackie's head again before he went to his bedroom to check on Chloe.

"Chloe?" Vernon called as he stuck his head into the room.

He heard an audible gasp in the dark room and something getting knocked before Chloe walked towards him. She looked nervous and a little embarrassed for some reason.

Chloe turned on the light and smiled nervously at Vernon, "G—Good evening, Vernon. I'm glad that you're home early. I just finished cooking everything, let's eat now, alright?"

Vernon stared at Chloe for a while, then asked, "What are you doing in my room? Why is it dark, and why do you look nervous?"

"A—Ah, i—it's nothing, really," Chloe replied nervously. "I just finished cleaning your room. I don't have time to do that in the morning."

"L—Let's just eat now. I'm sure you're hungry as well, right?" Chloe tried to push Vernon's chest to get away from his room. Vernon was confused about what his beloved was hiding from him, though he had no suspicion whatsoever because he knew that Chloe wouldn't hurt him.

'Is it a gift? A Christmas gift for me?' Vernon wondered. 'I guess that makes sense why she tries to hide it from me. But damn, this gives me expectation.'

Chapter 689

Vernon and Chloe walked to the dining table and saw that Mackie was ready for dinner with a fork and spoon in her hands. She smiled wide until her teeth were showing when her Uncle and Mommy walked in.

"Let's eat, Uncle, Mommy! I'm starving!"

Vernon looked at the food on the table. He noticed there was plenty of food that Chloe had never cooked before. He didn't know if Chloe was just trying out new things by using internet recipes or did she get any tips from Dorothea.

He glanced at the kitchen, which was a complete mess with so many dirty dishes stacked in the corner. The kitchen made it look like Chloe cooked A LOT of food, but the food on the table seemed to be only enough for three of them.

'Did she send the food to Dorothea and those boys?' Vernon wondered.

"It seems that you cook a lot for dinner," Vernon commented as he sat on the chair beside Mackie. "Did you send the rest of the food to those boys and Dorothea?"

Before Chloe opened her mouth, Mackie replied first, "Yes, Uncle! They are eating downstairs! Mommy said that our table is too small for all to fit, so we have to eat separately!"

Chloe's eyes widened. She panicked because Vernon already gave her an ultimatum that Dorothea and those boys were not allowed to enter their penthouse area when Vernon came home. He said that he only wanted to see Mackie and Chloe after work and definitely didn't want to see Dorothea, or else he would 'lose his appetite.'

Chloe looked at Vernon worriedly, afraid that he'd get angry because Chloe kept the boys and Dorothea in their place even though he already said no.

"T—They helped a lot," Chloe tried to reason with Vernon, whose mood turned sour instantly. "Mackie and the boys are the ones who decorated the tree, while Dorothea and I are the ones who cook. I—I'm sorry, Vernon, but I can't do everything all by myself."

Vernon's mood turned bitter instantly when he heard that Dorothea and those boys were downstairs.

Though he didn't hate Dorothea anymore, his resentment lingered, and he didn't want to spend too much time with her unless necessary.

While he didn't hate Chelsea's sons, he still carried a heavy responsibility to take care of them. So whenever he saw those boys, he'd be reminded of all he had to do to help them, which put weight on his shoulders.

The combination of Dorothea and the boys in his personal space ruined his mood.

He wanted to be free of responsibility and trauma once he returned home. So that meant there should only be him, Chloe, Mackie, and their future children in his personal space, no more, no less.

He was disappointed in Chloe, but he wasn't mad.

He knew that Chloe had a good heart. She was naturally nice, and of course, the sight of four boys and an elderly lady would melt her heart.

Vernon could only sigh, "That's right, Mackie. They can't eat here with us because the table is too small, it won't fit all of us."

"Yup, I understand, Uncle!" Mackie understood that the tables were only fit for six people at most, so it wasn't fair if they left out someone. But still, she wanted to celebrate Christmas with Granny and her cousins, so she said, "Don't worry, Uncle! We can gather together tomorrow morning in front of the Christmas Tree! Mommy said she will make a cake and hot chocolate for all of us!"

Vernon paused. He glanced at Chloe, who was panicking.

He already had everything planned for their Christmas but didn't include Dorothea and those boys.

Now that Mackie seemed to have that idea, he wondered if Chloe said something to her.

Chloe's face paled, she didn't want to see Vernon getting angry, and she definitely didn't want their Christmas ruined.

However, she also didn't want to exclude Dorothea and the boys. They deserved to have a happy Christmas as a family. They were all starving for the warmth and the love of a family, but it all still depended on whether Vernon wanted them in.

Vernon sighed again and then shifted the topic, "The food looks good. Let's eat them before they get too cold."

"Yes!"

**

Chloe finished her meal first and then got up from the chair.

"I'll check downstairs to see if they are eating well or not, you two should eat more, okay?" Chloe said before she went down.

Vernon and Mackie stared at Chloe, who seemed to be in a hurry. Mackie tilted her head, confused about why Mommy was panicked.

"I'm sure that my cousins and Granny must be eating well right now," Mackie commented. She looked at her Uncle and asked, "Uncle, did you scare Mommy?"

"I didn't," Vernon denied. Though he probably looked pretty unpleasant before, and that sent her to panic mode

"Umm, then why's Mommy panicking?" Mackie wondered.

"… just eat your food, Mackie," Vernon said. "Your Mommy cooks a lot for us, she'd be sad if you don't eat her food."

"Of course! I'm planning to eat everything!"

**

Chloe checked downstairs and saw that Dorothea and the boys ate well. They didn't seem unhappy because they were eating in a separate area from Chloe, Mackie, and Vernon.

Dorothea was the first one to notice Chloe, and she was surprised, "Chloe? Why are you here?"

"I—I'm just checking," Chloe said. She looked at the boys, who looked back at her with curiosity. "Are you guys eating well? Do you need something?"

"Um, not at all, Aunty."

"Yes, your food is delicious!"

"Yes!"

"I want to eat more!"

Dorothea smiled at Chloe and replied, "We're fine down here, Chloe. We're eating well, and the boys are happy with the food. You should go up to have fun with Mackie and Vernon."

"Chloe, we are happy," Dorothea assured. "You should take care of your little family as well, they need you."

Chapter 690

Dorothea's words were like an assurance that everything was under control and Chloe shouldn't worry about them too much.

In fact, she should be focusing on her little family—Vernon and Mackie, because they were also very important to her.

Chloe bit her lower lip.

She hated this gap between them. But she also understood that Vernon had a lot of resentment for Dorothea that he couldn't simply ignore. Dorothea abused him throughout his childhood, and he was already kind enough to let her stay with them.

She understood Vernon well.

But she wished that Vernon could eventually forgive Dorothea for her sins. So they could gather together like a real family.

"Alright then," Chloe nodded. "Do tell me if any of you need something. I'll be upstairs with Mackie and Vernon."

Dorothea nodded, "Now go, I know he needs you around, especially after a long day at work."

Chloe nodded, and she went up to return to her small family again.

Mackie smiled when she saw her Mommy had returned, "How's my cousins and Granny doing downstairs, Mommy?"

Chloe glanced at Vernon, who seemed to be ignoring her. She was saddened but then faked a smile in front of her daughter and replied, "They're also having a good meal, dear, just like the three of us."

"Un! Okay!"

**

It took them another hour to finally finish everything. Mackie went downstairs on her initiative since she wanted to play with her cousins before brushing her teeth and went to bed, thus leaving Chloe and Vernon alone.

Vernon finished drinking a glass of water and then went to the minibar and opened a bottle of wine before sitting on the long sofa, watching whatever movie was playing on the TV.

Chloe got worried when she saw that bottle of wine.

It was the sign that Vernon was really in a bad mood because he never touched booze unless he was stressed out or angry.

It saddened her to think that she was the one who ruined his Christmas.

So she carefully walked towards the sofa and joined Vernon.

She sneakily snuggled right next to him. She waited for Vernon to say something, but he only gave her a quick look before ignoring her completely. He busied himself drinking from that wine bottle while pressing the remote to switch the TV channel.

Not wanting to have a cold war with her man during Christmas, Chloe hugged her man's strong arm and said, "Vernon, are you mad?"

Vernon stopped switching channels. He gave Chloe a second glance and replied, "No."

"So you are mad."

"I'm not mad."

"But you're drinking wine. You don't drink alcohol when you're not angry or stressed out."

"I'm just in the mood for wine," Vernon insisted.

"But you're ignoring me…."

"I'm not ignoring you. We're talking right now."

Chloe pouted.

She hated this kind of cold banter between them. So she hugged his arm tighter and said, "Forgive me for letting them in, Vernon. But I… honestly, I'm not sorry for what I did."

"I don't want to ruin their Christmas, they deserve to have a joyful Christmas as a family," Chloe said. "But I… I also don't want to ruin your Christmas. So, I will do anything as long as you forgive me!"

"I'm not in the mood for that, Chloe."

Chloe's heart was aching when Vernon called him 'Chloe' instead of the usual 'Love, dear, or wife,' when they were being intimate like this.

It made her feel alienated and unloved.

"T—Then, what should I do to make it up so you won't be mad anymore?" Chloe asked. "I'll seriously do anything except for stopping them from coming here tomorrow. I already promised Mackie that she can spend Christmas with her cousins and Granny…."

Vernon let out a deep sigh. He dropped his bottle and finally shifted all his attention to Chloe instead, "I'm not mad at you, I mean it. I'm just… disappointed."

"I wonder where you put me in your priority scale," Vernon said. "I don't mind that you put Mackie above me as priority, as that is something you should do as a mother."

"But do you put me under Dorothea and those boys as well?" Vernon asked. "Naturally, I put you as my priority above all else. You are my number one. But seeing what you did to me, I wonder if you ever care for me."

"Chloe, do you think that I'll tolerate everything just because I love you? I also have pride, and I can't help being disappointed knowing that you don't seem to love me as much as I love you."

"But that's not true!" Chloe insisted. Her voice began to tremble as his accusation hurt her. "I just…I just think this is the best for you…"

"The best for me?"

"I just thought that you need a family," Chloe admitted. She looked down, disheartened, knowing that her effort to make him happy was in vain and even made things worse. "You need a family that will make you happy. That's why I'm telling the boys to decorate the tree with Mackie, and Dorothea to cook with me."

"To have a big family in your house, at least during holiday season, is a blessing," Chloe said. "I just thought that you must've been lonely all these years. I know that you didn't like Christmas with the Gray family when you were a kid, and I doubt you enjoyed the Christmas you spent before we reunited, because you don't seem to be in a long term relationship with anyone."

Chloe took the initiative to kiss Vernon and stared at him earnestly, "You are the only reason I went so far to create this atmosphere of a big family. You're the reason that I accepted Dorothea so you could make peace with your past, and you're the reason why I insist on fixing my appearance, so I can look beautiful for you."

"Vernon, I did everything because I want you to have a real home!"