Ch. 691..695: Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother Chapter 691-695

Chapter 691

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

"Home…" Vernon murmured that word, and it instantly filled a space in his brain. He stared at Chloe, who looked emotional. She looked earnest and sincere, which made him unable to argue with her at all.

Sometimes, Vernon wondered if he was just too weak against Chloe. He truly couldn't fight her in any situation, especially if she began to shed tears. He'd feel like a failure as a man and, in the end, had to nod to everything she said.

But Vernon didn't want Chloe to keep pushing this.

He knew that she meant well. She wanted to give him a home, a family that could love him.

But he didn't need this much in his family. All he needed was Chloe, Mackie, and their future children—no more, no less.

His heart was aching, knowing that he would probably make her cry, but he had to fight her, or else she'd completely dominate their relationship without giving him a chance to voice his disagreement.

Vernon gently caressed his beloved's cheek and said, "You are my home, Chloe. I don't need anyone else in this life other than you. The moment we reunited, I know that you will be the first and last place I will harbor my heart."

"So you don't need to do so much just to give me home, Chloe," Vernon said. "Besides, don't you feel pity for me?"

"Pity?"

Vernon sighed, "Chloe, it took me a great deal of self restraint just to accept Dorothea into our life. I've done so much, but that doesn't mean I can accept her easily."

"You're forcing me to accept my abuser, Chloe," Vernon said. "You're rushing things. You're hurting me, because I keep being reminded of my bad childhood whenever I see Dorothea."

Vernon kept his eyes on Chloe as he said all those things. And just like he expected, Chloe's eyes were glazed with tears. She looked hurt, and usually, by this time, Vernon would've admitted defeat and let her have her way.

Thus, Vernon toughened his heart and assured himself, 'This is for the best of us. She needs to know that what she did makes me sad as well.'

"How about this, I will tolerate Dorothea and those boys to join our Christmas, but only on Christmas. You're not allowed to let them stay in here when I'm home, deal?"

Chloe wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.

She actually felt so guilty.

She hoped that Vernon would be happy with all the arrangements she made because she thought that was the best for Vernon, but it seemed that she was rushing it to the point that it hurt Vernon.

Thus, she nodded to seal the deal and added, "I'm sorry, Vernon. I just… I just want to make you happy…"

"But I am already happy, much more than I deserve to have," Vernon said. "I have you, we have our daughter Mackie and our future children later, and you will be separated from that bastard Vincent soon. What more do I need?"

"I just thought that you won't be happy unless you have everything solved, including your trauma…." Chloe admitted.

"Look, I've talked with Dorothea before, and I told her that I can't just accept her easily after what she did to me back then," Vernon said. "And she understood what I meant. She knew that she couldn't obtain my forgiveness easily. She has to work for it, that's why I told her that I might give her a second chance once I see her treating those boys kindly until they grow up."

"Forgiving an abuser to your life is already a huge effort, Chloe, let alone accepting them into your already perfect life."

Chloe nodded.

She was definitely pushing things.

She acted upon her idea of what was good for Vernon, but she didn't listen to the main person involved. She thought that Vernon had to be pushed a little so he would accept everything she idealized.

"Yes, I understand, Vernon," Chloe said. "I'm sorry for forcing you to accept things quickly. I finally realized that you need time as well. Just like how you give me time to heal from Vincent."

Vernon saw the teardrop from the corner of her eyes. He was holding it for so long but couldn't help it in the end.

He embraced her gently and pushed her face on his chest, allowing her to hear his heart that only beat for her.

"My beloved, you're hurting me if you cry. Please don't shed those tears, or I might go crazy,"

The more Vernon tried to comfort her, the sadder Chloe felt.

"I just want to be useful," Chloe admitted. "I don't know what I should do to make myself useful to you. You've done so much for me, and all I did is make trouble for you."

"How am I supposed to hold my head high and stand beside you when I feel like a parasite to you?"

Vernon sighed.

Sometimes he wondered what he should do to convince Chloe that she did more than enough for him. In fact, Vernon was the one who felt that he hadn't compensated her enough for all the accusations and grudges he had against her for the past ten years.

Vernon patted the back of Chloe's head and comforted her more, "Stay by my side forever, Chloe. That's the best way if you want to repay me."

"That's now the way for me to repay you, because that's given!" Chloe argued. "I will stay by your side no matter what, because you show me what love truly is. You're asking me for a bare minimum, Vernon!"

Vernon had never seen Chloe this desperate to please him. Could this be the reason for all the excessive things she did?

She really thought that she was doing the bare minimum.

Vernon bit his lower lip and uttered the sentence he had wanted to say for a long time, "You already did everything to help me, Chloe."

Chapter 692

"You already did everything to help me, Chloe," Vernon said. "When you came into the mansion and noticed me, the little boy that nobody wanted to take care of. You gave me everything that I needed, and you taught me love and care."

"You protected me from my mother, brother, and father. You gave me security, love, and warmth. You did everything already. It's my turn to do everything for you."

Vernon's words shocked Chloe. She could hear Vernon's heartbeat accelerate after he said those words.

Back then, she didn't think much about getting recognition or love from this man.

She had always been the caring type since she was a kid.

She was the one who took care of her single-mother family. She also became a paid babysitter around her area in middle school because she needed money.

So when she visited the Gray family mansion, her attention was quickly stolen by a scrawny boy hiding behind a pillar while watching her talking with Vincent.

The boy looked so pale and weak as if he'd die if he got beaten.

He glared at everyone around him, and nobody dared to approach him. They simply ignored him either out of fear or anger.

Vincent told her that kid was his little brother, Vernon, and advised Chloe not to get too close to him because he was like a rabid dog that would bite at anything and anyone who dared to get too close.

He was uncontrollable, and everyone in the house treated him like air until he made a big mess.

Unfortunately, Chloe wasn't the type of person who'd stand and watch.

She had dealt with so many kids before and quickly noticed that Vernon wasn't rabid or uncontrollable. He was just hurt and craving attention.

So she treated her carefully, and they gradually became so close. She treated him genuinely like a little brother she had never had before, and Vernon became very sticky to her.

She filled him with love that he never received before, but she never asked for anything in return. She was naturally a caregiver, and seeing Little Vernon as a happy kid was the best feeling ever.

Thus, Chloe shook her head to deny it, "I—I never wanted anything from you back then, Vernon. Trust me. All I wanted was to see you happy and grow up to be a good man!"

"I know," Vernon said without hesitation. "I can feel your sincerity when you took care of me when I was a kid. I know that you treat me like a little brother. But I don't want to be your little brother, I want to be more than that."

"I want to be the man for you, Chloe, it has always been like that," Vernon confessed. "I've loved you for years, and you don't need to do anything to pay me back. You already paid for my love in advance."

Chloe felt complicated.

She felt so guilty because she had taken advantage of a little boy's vulnerability for her gain. Thus, she tried to separate herself from Vernon.

But Vernon quickly wrapped his arms around her tightly and whispered, "This is your chance Chloe. If you feel like you haven't done enough for me, then this is your chance to pay me back."

"Don't try to push me away," Vernon said with his voice half begging. "Don't leave me because I told you the truth. It's not your fault that I fell in love with you since I was just a kid."

"I know that you're sincere. I'm not an idiot who can be manipulated easily, Chloe," Vernon said. "There were so many people back then that wanted to take advantage of me, but I can sense their true nature easily. You are the only one that is sincere to me."

"Chloe Phoenix Gray, you will break me if you push me away right now."

…

There was a long silence between them for a while until Chloe stopped struggling.

She murmured 'I'm sorry' many times, and Vernon kissed her head to assure her, "It's never your fault. It's me who feels these things. I know that you're a good woman, Chloe."

"And thank you for not pushing me away after I tell you the truth. You don't need to do too much for me anymore. You should just let me pamper you, because you deserved it after all the things you went through."

Thus, Chloe and Vernon spent the night embracing each other in the living room. Chloe was the first one to fall asleep because she cried, so Vernon carried her to the bedroom and embraced her to sleep.

He caressed her cheek while gazing at her softly, "You are the only gift from God for me, Chloe. I love you."

**

Chloe woke up in the morning after she heard Mackie's loud voice in the living room. Judging by the heat around her body, she must've been spooned by the one and only the big bear, Vernon, throughout the night.

She turned around and saw that Vernon was still in a deep sleep.

He has always been a heavy sleeper who would not wake up to noises since childhood.

Chloe stared at the sleeping Vernon for a while, then took the initiative to kiss him on the lips.

"I'm so sorry, Vernon. I had no romantic feelings for you when you were a kid. I genuinely took care of you as a little brother," Chloe said. "But now that we're both adults, you showed me what love should've been. You showed me that I deserve so much more than Vincent. You make me fall in love, and I… I refuse to let you go as well."

Chloe took a deep breath and asked, "Can I be honest to you for once?"

Chloe checked on Vernon again, and once she ensured he was still sleeping, she whispered, "Back then, when you were only fifteen years old, I had a little wish that you'd be ten years older than your actual age. Because I thought you'd be the better choice."

Chapter 693

Chloe's cheeks reddened as she confessed. She was embarrassed, but at least she could utter this secret while Vernon was still sleeping, so he wouldn't know what kind of idea Chloe had when he was only fifteen.

Truthfully, Chloe already had a bad feeling about Vincent when they were about to marry back then. She just felt that Vincent wasn't as good as he portrayed himself to be.

He often acted so cold to Chloe, even going as far as snapping at her for the smallest problem. He looked like he had a lot of repressed anger.

Her relationship cooled before they married, and Chloe wanted to leave, but Vincent already proposed to her, so she couldn't say no when the peer pressure was enormous.

She then began to notice the fifteen-year-old Vernon. He was strong, smart, almost as tall as his Big bro, and was just a ball of sunshine.

Chloe would lie if she said she wasn't attracted to Vernon back then.

But she wasn't a predator and a cheater. She admired him, hoping Vernon would find the right woman that could treat him well.

Unfortunately, her relationship with Vernon around that time seemed to be worsening.

She didn't know what happened, but after late Vaughn Gray forced her to say those mean words about Vernon in front of him, Vernon began to alienate himself from her.

He refused any invitation to go and hang out and even refused to eat anything that Chloe cooked, which was something very strange.

To top it all off, Vernon suddenly went to Europe only a few days after her wedding reception and simply disappeared from the earth until about a year ago when he showed up during Dorothea's birthday party, and his hostility to her was so obvious.

'Did he hear what I said to Vaughn back then? No, right?' Chloe began to get anxious. 'I remember that Vernon was supposed to be in school around that time, and he shouldn't be able to roam around his late father's office. He's actually forbidden to go there.'

'I didn't even want to say those mean words. I have a strong connection with Vernon. He's a good young man and I want nothing but the best for him.'

'It's just… back then… Vaughn threatened to call the whole wedding off unless I said those cruel stuff about Vernon….'

Her mind wandered back to when Vaughn Gray, the real Master of the Gray family, was still alive.

—

"Truth to be told, Chloe. You are not my first choice for Vincent," Vaughn said as he puffed the smoke on Chloe's face as they were in his home office. "I admit that you're a good caretaker, you're beautiful, smart, and have been trained to be a good lady for Vincent."

"But you are also a low born. You're just a young woman from a single-mother family. You have no credibility or backing, and I just know that your family will only drag my son down."

Chloe could feel her heartbeat accelerating as Vaughn judged her.

"So I will call the wedding off," Vaughn said coldly.

Chloe lifted her head immediately. She stared at Vaughn with eyes glazed with tears, "M—Master Gray, please don't call off the wedding. Vincent and I are both in love, and I've been waiting for this for a long time! Besides, what would happen if Vincent knows this? He will get heartbroken!"

"I don't really care about you. But I do care about my son," Vaughn said. "So you're right. I don't want him to be angry at me. But I have to test your loyalty to him first."

"Y—You can test me, Sir! I've been loyal to Vincent for years!"

Vaughn smirked maliciously, "Good, then say it to my face that you hate my second son, Vernon. Tell me that he is a good for nothing trash that has no future. Tell me that you would stay with Vincent rather than Vernon because Vincent is the better option."

Chloe was astonished by his instruction, "B—But, Sir, t—there is no connection between this and Vernon—"

"Say it or I will call off the wedding," Vaughn threatened.

"B—But I have no such feeling for Vernon—"

"Say it now or you can leave, Chloe."

Chloe gritted her teeth. Her heart ached as she had to say those cruel words about Vernon, even though she adored him so much.

'I'm sorry, Vernon. I hope you won't listen to these cruel words,' Chloe thought. 'I never mean these things, and never will. You are a boy I raised. I love and adore you so much.'

—

Chloe bit her lower lip as she stared at the handsome sleeping man who embraced her. The guilt was eating her from the inside. She knew Vernon didn't know what she said, but that still didn't make her less guilty for selling him out just to marry Vincent.

Thus, Chloe kissed Vernon for the second time and said, "I'm sorry, Vernon. I never meant any of those words. I was forced back then. I hope you can forgive me."

Chloe finally wiggled her way out of Vernon's embrace and went out to check on her daughter. She wanted to tell Mackie to keep her voice down because her Uncle was very tired.

Chloe closed the door and gave Vernon time to rest.

But Vernon quickly opened his eyes after the door was closed.

He stared at the empty space next to him on the bed and wondered.

"If only I could turn back time. I would never leave you with Vincent. I will fight as hard as I could so we could be together, so you didn't need to suffer," Vernon murmured, regretting all the rash things he did back then because he was just too heartbroken to face Chloe.

He also wondered about the last sentence, "I don't understand what she was apologizing for. Was it about all the cruel things she told to Vaughn about me?"

If that were true, Vernon would be more than happy to know that Chloe never meant any of those cruel words to him and that she was just forced to say it.

But what for? Why did she have to be forced to be mean?

What was the use of his late father, Vaughn Gray, to force Chloe to mock him?

"What was the point of her saying those words except to trash me in front of my father?"

Chapter 694

"Christmas! Christmas! Whoo!" Mackie was excited. She ran around the living room, circling every piece of furniture and the Christmas tree. She LOVED the Christmas tree because this would be the first time she ever had one that she decorated herself.

Back when she lived with Daddy, they would have the huge one in front of the mansion, decorated with so many expensive golden things that looked awesome.

But Mackie didn't feel connected with that huge tree because it wasn't her who decorated it.

So, usually, Mommy would buy that mini Christmas tree and also bought lamps and a few ornaments so they could decorate it together in Mackie's room.

Mommy said she couldn't buy the bigger one because she didn't have money, which was weird now that Mackie had more time to think.

Because her Daddy was supposed to be very rich, but why didn't Mommy have money?

When she was with Uncle right now, she always brought her to the restaurant and even bought the toys she wanted.

She dressed better and even wore sparkly things such as bracelets and necklaces, which had never happened before with Daddy.

Chloe went out of Vernon's bedroom and carefully closed the door behind her. She looked at Mackie, who was yelling excitedly while circling the tree, "Dear, keep your voice down, Uncle is very tired. He's still sleeping."

Mackie stopped running around after getting a warning from her mother. But she still had a big smile on her.

The little girl rushed to her Mommy and hugged her, "Shhh… Mommy… Merry Christmas…" Mackie said, half-whispering.

Chloe chuckled, "Merry Christmas, dear. Can you sit on the sofa first? I have to make the hot choco and reheat the food from yesterday for breakfast."

Mackie nodded as she watched her Mommy going to the kitchen.

Chloe already prepared their breakfast last night, so she had to reheat them and add some more to the menu to make it a small feast for them.

It took her at least an hour to prepare everything before she told Mackie, who was watching cartoons on the TV.

"Dear, you can eat breakfast now. I'll go downstairs to pick your cousins so we can celebrate together," Chloe said.

"Un! Okay, Mommy! I can't wait to meet them!" Mackie said excitedly. This would be the first time they ever spent Christmas together.

Chloe entered the elevator to the thirteenth floor.

She was nervous because she knew she'd break Dorothea's heart today.

Dorothea was actually excited to spend Christmas with them. She usually spent Christmas and New Year at a formal party, surrounded by people who felt nothing but contempt for her, and she also felt the same towards her guests.

But after talking with Vernon yesterday, she realized she was pushing it too far. It'd take Vernon a while to accept Dorothea into his life because even though it wasn't completely Dorothea's fault, she was still the one hitting Vernon.

Chloe was thinking for a while and finally decided to take Vernon's side.

Chloe pressed the bell, and Aaron was the one who opened the door. He smiled at Aunty Chloe and greeted, "Merry Christmas, Aunty. My brothers have been waiting for you."

Aaron called his brothers, and they gathered in front of Chloe with big smiles on their faces.

"Where is Grandma Dorothea?" Chloe asked.

"Uhm, Grandma said that she's not feeling well…" Aaron said.

Chloe frowned, "Really? Let me check on her first."

Chloe entered the bedroom and saw Dorothea lying on her bed, watching a youtube video while laughing because it was funny.

She definitely didn't look sick, but Chloe had to make sure.

"Dorothea?"

"Hm, yes?" Dorothea put down her phone and stared at Chloe.

"Are you alright?" Chloe asked. She sat at the corner of the bed, checking on Dorothea's condition. "The boys told me that you're not feeling well."

Dorothea giggled, "Thank you for checking on me. But I'm alright, I'm completely healthy," she replied. "I just need a reason to avoid the Christmas party in the penthouse."

"I know my place, Chloe," Dorothea said. "I know that Vernon still resents me so much to the point that seeing my face will only upset him. I understand, and it is a sin I'm willing to bear for the rest of my life."

Chloe lowered her head.

She felt so guilty for Dorothea but also had to prioritize Vernon's wish, "I'm sorry, Dorothea. It will take time…"

Dorothea smiled, "You've done your best, Chloe. I know that you mean well, but you need to focus on Vernon instead of me. You've done so much for me, and you deserve to be happy too."

Dorothea gave Chloe a hug and a pat on the back, "You should go now, they are waiting for you."

Chloe nodded. She was saddened, but she was also glad that Dorothea wasn't an unreasonable person.

She knew her place.

She knew that Vernon hated him, so to avoid ruining the party, she decided to act sick instead.

Chloe got up from the bed and said, "Merry Christmas, Dorothea."

"Merry Christmas, Chloe," Dorothea replied with a smile.

Dorothea watched Chloe as she left her room. Her smile turned bitter as she was alone once again.

She'd lie if she said she didn't want to join them.

She was so excited with the idea of spending Christmas with family. It was something she hadn't felt for so long.

But she also realized that she was unwelcome by Vernon. He hated her, and it was justified.

Dorothea didn't want to put a burden on Chloe. Chloe had done so much for her, so Dorothea didn't want to put her in a spot where she had to choose between her or Vernon.

"I don't want them to fight because of me. Naturally, she should choose Vernon over anyone else except her daughter," Dorothea said. "It's fine if I can't join them, maybe next year or a year after that…"

"Maybe one day Vernon would be able to accept me."

Chapter 695

Chloe put on a gentle smile as she left Dorothea's room. She grabbed Mike and Tony's hand and said, "Okay, boys, let's go up and celebrate Christmas together, your Boss Mackie has been waiting for you under the Christmas tree."

"Whoo!"

"Christmas tree!"

"Christmas with Boss Mackie!"

Aaron stared at his Aunt in silence and then asked, "Is it really okay, Aunty?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"I mean, is it really okay for us to come? What if Uncle doesn't want us there?" Aaron asked. He looked at his little brothers, who were excited to go but knew Uncle Vernon didn't like them.

He tolerated them all, including Grandma. But he was far from welcoming.

Though Aaron wanted to spend Christmas with Aunt Chloe and Boss Mackie under a real Christmas tree, he wouldn't want to make Uncle Vernon uncomfortable because he had done so much to let them live here, with a comfortable bed, good food, and running hot water. And most importantly, they didn't get hit for small mistakes or glared at every day.

Uncle Vernon even went as far as helping them to go to school later.

So Aaron knew that he couldn't ask for more.

Chloe's lips thinned. She nodded assuringly, "Don't worry, Uncle already told me that you boys can come."

'I understand if he doesn't like Dorothea to be around, and I don't want to argue with that because his hatred for Dorothea is justified,' Chloe thought. 'But these boys are pitiful, they did nothing wrong to him, and they are very close to Mackie. Besides, this is only a one year thing, it's Christmas.'

'If he still wants to kick these boys out, then I'll argue with him this time.'

Determined with her decision to bring the boys into their small Christmas party, Chloe brought them all to the penthouse.

She unlocked the door and walked in with the boys tailing her from behind like ducklings following their momma duck.

Mackie was busy eating a cake while drinking hot chocolate on the carpet in front of the TV as she just finished her breakfast. Her eyes brightened instantly when she saw her cousins come in.

She got up instantly and rushed to the boys, "Merry Christmas everyone!"

"Boss!"

"Merry Christmas, Boss Mackie!"

"Christmas!"

"Christmas with Boss!"

Chloe smiled as she watched the kids snuggling in a big hug. The room was filled with chatter of Mackie and the boys. It was indeed a lively Christmas morning that made Chloe happy.

Because this was the first time in ten years she had ever had an easy, non-stressful Christmas, surrounded by a family she loved, and she didn't need to hide in Mackie's room.

When she still lived with Vincent, he would yell at her for showing up at every Christmas Party in their mansion. So he would lock her in their master bedroom or in Mackie's room, which she preferred because that meant she at least could spend Christmas with Mackie, decorating the same mini Christmas tree she bought a few years back as Vincent didn't allow her to buy something like that because it was 'wasteful.'

Meanwhile, he gifted all of his mistresses lavish gifts that Chloe could ever dream of in her life. It was unfair, but Chloe could only stay silent because Vincent would beat her if she dared to protest.

'Ah, why am I thinking about that bastard? This is Christmas, I should be thinking about joyful things instead.'

Thus, Chloe warded off the thought about Vincent and asked the boys, "So, who's hungry?"

"Ah, um… we already ate breakfast, Aunty," Aaron replied. "Grandma Dorothea prepared us early breakfast, so we don't need to eat more here."

"I see…" Chloe nodded. She understood that Dorothea must've been well prepared for the worst. She thought none of them would be welcomed anyway, so she didn't want the boys to starve.

"Then, which one of you wants cake and hot chocolate just like your Boss Mackie?" She asked again."

The boys' eyes brightened, and they nodded in unison.

"I want cake…"

"Me! I want cake and hot chocolate!"

"I want it too!"

"Hot choco! Cake!"

Their voices were so loud that they accidentally woke the sleeping wolf in his den.

SLAM!

The door slammed open, and everyone immediately focused on Vernon.

Vernon yawned, then grunted. He peered his eyes at everyone around him, and the moment he shifted his scary gaze at the boys, they quickly rushed to hide right behind their Aunt.

Vernon scoffed and returned to the bedroom to wear a shirt before walking leisurely to the kitchen. He ignored the eyes who were checking his every movement and sat at the dining chair to begin eating his full breakfast.

…

…

…

There was a long silence in the room until Chloe opened her mouth, "Okay, you boys sit with Boss Mackie, I will bring out the cake and hot choco."

"Thank you, Aunty."

"Okay, Aunty."

"Un…"

"Okay…"

All the joyful mood disappeared instantly when Vernon appeared. They were too scared to make a noise, afraid they might anger the wolf and get eaten.

Chloe sighed and went to the kitchen to bring out the cake.

She put the cake on the kitchen counter and divided it into five for the boys and the Big Bad Wolf, who was still eating breakfast.

She gave each of the boys a cake and a cup of hot chocolate before returning to the dining table and giving one to Vernon, who had just finished his breakfast.

Chloe put the cake on the table right in front of him and kissed him at the corner of his lips, "Merry Christmas, handsome."

Vernon was stunned by the kiss. He already planned to ignore everyone at Christmas because Chloe still brought those boys. But that kiss was like a wake-up call that ruined his plan.

Of course, he couldn't ignore his beloved's kiss.

So he turned to the right and kissed Chloe on the lips, "Merry Christmas, love."