Ch. 726..730: Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother Chapter 726-730

Chapter 726

Even if that meant Vincent had to destroy her self-confidence and reduce her self-worth until she felt more disgusting than a sewer rat every day. He would do anything as long as Chloe stayed by his side.

"I was cruel," Vincent murmured. "But I did it because I love you, Chloe. I know no better, and I thought that's the only way for you to stay."

"Had I known that you would never betray me, then I wouldn't have done that horrible stuff to you…" Vincent said. His lips began to tremble as he tried to hold his sobs. He didn't want to look absolutely pathetic, but he couldn't help it.

He was just so heartbroken, knowing that Chloe must be the one who did everything just to ruin his reputation. She must have advised her new man to manipulate public opinion by trapping him in a scenario where he couldn't escape his fate.

She wanted to shred his angelic public persona and show his true nature for the people to see.

And she did it successfully.

Because now, nobody would remember Vincent as the perfect gentleman anymore.

Everyone would remember him as an abuser instead, a man who failed to keep his family intact, and now was under public scrutiny for abandoning his own wife and daughter.

After all these things happened, Vincent didn't feel disappointed that his public persona had been shattered.

After all, he had grown tired of maintaining that persona.

But he was devastated after knowing that Chloe was the mastermind behind his downfall.

His wife.

The woman that he fell in love with and married.

"Is this what you want? Do you want me to suffer as a revenge for what I did to you for the past ten years?" Vincent murmured. He tried to picture Chloe's beautiful face in his mind, but somehow the only face he could portray right now was his wife's haggard face, which he had abused for ten years.

She was frail, with only skin and bones left. She looked hollow as if she could die soon.

Vincent had successfully turned a beautiful, promising young lady into a sickly, traumatized woman with a lot of physical and emotional scars.

"Then, would you forgive me after all of this? We're even now, right?" Vincent said. "Or do you need to torture me for ten years more, so you will be happy?"

Vincent began to laugh but was laughing at himself as he knew how desperate he was right now, "Then so be it. You can torture me for ten more years, but please forgive me after that, so we can start anew. It's never too late when I'm with you, Chloe."

Vincent was staring emptily for a long time until he heard the click from the door. He darted his eyes at the door and saw the door was opened from outside, and a woman with a beautiful smile, chestnut hair, hazel eyes, and a meek appearance entered his bedroom with a bowl of warm soup.

The girl was shocked when she saw that Vincent had opened his eyes. She quickly put the food on the table and rushed towards him, "Mr. Gray!"

The girl sat next to the bed and began checking on him. She made sure that Vincent was responsive and breathing normally. And after she made sure that Vincent was alright, she shed some tears.

She tightly wrapped Vincent's hand and said, "Thank God, I really thought you won't wake up anymore!"

"… what are you doing here?" Vincent asked as he frowned at the young woman. The first thing on his mind was the presence of another woman in his bedroom with Chloe.

Nobody was supposed to be here except for them, including this woman who had just become his secretary for a day.

"A—Ah, I'm sorry, Mr. Gray," Khloe, his new secretary, quickly released his hand after knowing that she had gone overboard. She lowered her head and replied, "Um, you've been unconscious for a whole week, Mr. Gray. You fainted after the press conference. The doctor said that you suffered a mental shock that makes your brain shut down indefinitely. You're basically in a long slumber, Sir."

"They want to send you to the hospital for treatment, but the doctor said that all they could do was to feed nutrition into your bloodstream to keep you alive," Khloe explained. "So you've been in your house for a while, and since no maid dares to take care of you personally, so I volunteer."

"I—I'm sorry that I might not be good at taking care of you, Sir," Khloe said sheepishly. "I tried my best, and I made sure to call an older maid to clean your body. B—Because, you know…."

Khloe's cheeks reddened as she got shy with the idea of bathing Vincent.

Meanwhile, Vincent kept staring at Khloe.

Deep down, he knew this woman was definitely Priscilla or at least someone related to her.

But he also wanted to live in this illusion for a moment. He wanted to relive the time when he was just a man living with his wife.

She had the same long, chestnut hair—the same kind of hazel eyes and a sweet smile that could melt your heart.

One time, Vincent got very ill at the University, and Chloe juggled between studying, working part-time, and taking care of him. She was tired, but she still had the same sweet smile when she took care of him.

'Why did I do it?' Vincent asked himself. 'Why did I ruin her? Why did I ruin my own wife?'

He didn't know either.

"Yes, Chloe."

"… Yes, Sir. I… I am Chloe."

Maybe it was the devil who whispered to his ears, or maybe he was just a cruel man who had gotten enlightened after realizing his beloved woman was out to get revenge on him.

"I see, thank you for taking care of me, Chloe."

"Ah—M—My name is Khloe, Sir," Khloe said. Though they were pronounced the same, she felt Mr. Gray was referring to his wife right now.

"I know, Chloe."

"K—Khloe, Sir."

"Yes, Chloe."

"… Yes, Sir. I… I am Chloe."

Chapter 727

"Chloe, please hug me, I need to feel your warmth," Vincent said as he opened his arm, waiting for Khloe to hug him.

Khloe hesitated for a second, but seeing how desperate Mr. Gray looked, she thought he must've missed his wife so much.

So she helped Vincent to sit on the bed and then hugged him.

Vincent responded by hugging her tighter.

'This is different,' he realized in his heart. 'This is not how Chloe is supposed to feel. This woman doesn't have the same feeling as Chloe, even though they have the same eyes and hair, even the same demeanor. But this feeling cannot be fooled.'

Vincent wasn't an idiot. He could fool himself into thinking that he was hugging Chloe right now. But his heart still felt empty. He craved the real person.

The real Chloe that he couldn't have right now.

The Chloe that he wasted for ten years straight.

"I was stuck in a long nightmare, Chloe…." Vincent said.

"Nightmare? What kind, Mr. Gray?" Khloe asked.

"… you should call me Vincent instead of Mr. Gray. We're husband and wife, remember?" Vincent said.

Khloe went silent again before she murmured softly, "Vincent."

"Yes, Wife," Vincent responded. "I had a nightmare, and it involves you."

"Involves me?"

"Mhm, in that nightmare, I was stuck in a dark place. I can't move my body from neck down, and no matter how hard I scream, nobody will be there to respond," Vincent recalled. "I was all alone, and it's so scary."

"And then, I saw my little brother. The dog that I raised since he was young. He came to me and tormented me, saying all the stuff that got me angry. But since I couldn't move my body at all, I can only glare at him and yell in retaliation," Vincent said. "But that's not the worst part."

"The worst part is you," Vincent's heart ached when he remembered the content of his dream. "Vernon said that you're his new woman, and you actually walked in and stood right next to him. You allowed him to hug you tightly, and even let him kiss your head."

"I was so angry, I became a mad dog out of anger, but again, I was still hopeless because I couldn't move my body at all," Vincent then hugged Khloe even tighter as he remembered how Vernon embraced his wife as if they had been in love for so long.

"I kept begging for your forgiveness. I regret everything. I regret cheating on you, I regret hurting and neglecting you, and I regret ever thinking that I can keep you by my side as long as I suppress you enough until you have a mental breakdown," Vincent confessed. "I'm a horrible man, and I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I still want to. I want to start a new life with you, and I will try to be a good husband and father for you and Mackie."

Khloe was listening to him the whole time. She zipped her lips but couldn't hold it as she felt that Vincent was being ridiculous, "And you think by apologizing, it will erase ten years worth of abuse?"

Vincent's body stiffened.

He didn't know why this fake Chloe was trying to make him feel even guiltier than before. But he still wanted to talk to her, "I know that it won't erase anything. I've put you under so much pain, and I know that you probably don't want to be with me for the rest of your life. But I still want to try, Chloe. I want to be the good husband that you want."

"So please, please allow me to be with you. Please give me a second chance."

Vincent began to hug Khloe so tight that she could barely breathe right now. He was desperate and knew he must've looked pathetic right now.

Khloe waited a while until she tried to push herself away from him. But then Vincent suddenly trembled and begged, "Chloe! Please don't push me away! I—I will change! I will change for you and our daughter, I promise!"

…

Khloe sighed and, in the end, whispered, "Vincent, you're hugging me too tightly. I feel suffocated. Don't worry, I will never leave you, unless you're the one who kicked me away, Vincent."

"I will never!" Vincent vowed. "Trust me, Chloe. I will never leave you. I will never hurt or ignore you, and I will never cheat!"

Khloe could sense the desperation in Vincent's words. She didn't really understand why this man could be such an asshole.

How could he ruin a woman's life, tormenting, taunting, humiliating, and even assaulting her many times for the past ten years, only to beg for forgiveness after he got knocked from his high horse once by the same woman?

He was so overbearing before, claiming that nobody in this world could stop him.

But look at him now, desperately begging a woman who had similar hair and eyes as his wife. It was pathetic beyond belief.

'But well, no matter how pathetic he is. I still can't help falling in love with him,' Khloe thought. Her smile bloomed as she patted Vincent's back. 'I don't care what he did after this, but as long as he won't kick me away, then it will be more than enough for me.'

'After all, I just want to be by your side, Mr. Gray. I want to be Mrs. Gray, even if that means I will be Khloe Gray from now on.'

**

A week had passed since the press conference, and there was no news about Vincent after he fainted.

Vernon worked tirelessly for the past week because of the golden opportunity of destroying Gray's family businesses.

Vernon got the insider information that he got hospitalized but ended up discharged and was now resting in his mansion since he was in a coma.

Priscilla gave him a daily update, and today's update seemed a little different.

Usually, Priscilla would text him saying that Vincent was still bedridden. He was sleeping peacefully, as if there was nothing wrong, even though the Gray company was about to crumble soon.

But she called him today, so he knew this must be important.

—

"What's with the call?" Vernon asked. "You better bring me good news, Priscilla."

"Oh, sure is, Boss," Priscilla giggled. "Vincent woke up about an hour ago. I heard him screaming Chloe's name, and then he hugged me so tightly just because I look like Chloe with my dyed hair and colored contact."

Priscilla had that sneer, as if she was also angry at Vincent, even though she loved him enough to dress up as Chloe, even dyed her hair, wore colored contact, and changed her name.

"He told me what kind of nightmare he went through, and he said that he was trapped in a dark place with no way to break free," Priscilla said. "And then you came with Chloe, tormenting him with the fact that you two are going to marry, and all that stuff."

"In the end, he begged for forgiveness," Priscilla laughed mockingly. "Can you imagine that? He's the one who told me to assault Chloe. Telling me that I will be on his good side as long as I can beat her up. I was so blind back then, thinking that Vincent wants to divorce her as soon as possible."

"But turns out, it's just his way to express his twisted love and obsession at Chloe," Priscilla said. "He wants her to suffer, so she wont run away from him. It's crazy, yet pathetic at the same time. I can't believe that I'm obsessed with this man."

"Hmm," Vernon already expected everything that Priscilla said. He knew that Vincent must've had an awakening about all this after he knew that Chloe was the one who set up everything to destroy him.

After all, Vincent and Vernon were blood brothers. They had the same way of thinking.

Vernon was also destroyed when he realized he had lost his chance to be with Chloe because Chloe accepted Vincent's proposal, and they married soon after.

That realization was like doomsday for him, and Vincent must've felt the same thing right now. This was his doomsday, and he would never recover after this unless Chloe returned to him.

'And of course, I won't let that happen.'

"So, what will you do next?" Vernon asked. "After realizing how pathetic he is, will you stay with him? The choice is yours, I will support you nonetheless."

…

…

There was a long silence after that question. Vernon didn't know whether Priscilla was considering it or she was just not in the mood to answer it.

"So, what's your answer?" Vernon urged as he wanted to know. Because if Priscilla decided to walk away, he had to form a new plan for Vincent.

"I think the answer is clear, Boss," Priscilla replied. "I will be Mrs. Khloe Gray from now on. I want to be with him no matter how pathetic he is."

Chapter 728

"I see, so you want to stay with him," Vernon smirked as he got what he wanted. With this, he didn't need to worry about finding another way to trap his Big Brother permanently. "Then I will support you in your endeavor. You will be Mrs. Khloe Gray soon."

"Great! I will help you in any way, Boss!" Priscilla said. "But what about my future with Vincent? Can you support me financially as well? Because you said that you want to make him poor as dirt."

"Don't worry, as long as you can keep him in check, then I will keep supporting your life with him. You will live decently in New York, you won't be hungry," Vernon replied. "This is a salary for taking care of my useless brother."

"Then I have no more doubt, Boss!" Priscilla said excitedly. "I will live comfortably with him, and I will devote my life to taking care of him!"

"Good, and I will live comfortably with Chloe. Isn't that fair for both of us?" Vernon said. "We get what we want, that's why we have to work together."

"Indeed, though it makes me feel so guilty for all the shitty things I did to Chloe back then…" Priscilla confessed. "I just… I just thought that I could get Vincent's validation as long as I keep hurting her. But I still got ditched in the end. I should've just hurt Vincent instead."

"You're right, Boss. In order to get what we want, we have to seize them. A man like Vincent will never be mine if I keep following what he wants," Priscilla said.

"Yes, that's just the true nature of a man like him. Keep him confused and depressed, so he won't try to fight back," Vernon instructed.

"Got it, Sir. Oh, I will hang up now, I still have a schedule to pacify him. He's been deluding himself by calling me his wife, it's actually pretty fun and fulfilling to be Khloe Gray."

"Good, I expect more information from you later."

Beep.

—

Vernon hung up the call after that. He was satisfied with Priscilla's work.

"As expected, rather than eliminating that crazy bitch, it's better to use her to do something she loves," Vernon murmured. "With this, I will keep my brother in check for the rest of his life. He will be my obedient dog, just like what he did to me back when I was young."

Vernon knew he was very cruel for subjecting his Big brother to this kind of torture, especially when he was heartbroken.

But Vernon saw this as karma.

Vincent was controlling him like a dog when he was young, and back then, Vernon thought that his life was unwanted and the only one who tolerated him was his Big Bro.

Until he met with Big Sis Chloe and realized that Vincent's love was not right, he didn't show the same gentleness that Chloe showed, and Little Vernon could sense the sincerity in Chloe, but he couldn't sense it from his brother.

"Well, I'm sorry that I can't be a good dog for you, Big bro. But maybe you can be a good dog for me instead, heheh."

**

Chloe told Meyer, her usual driver, and bodyguard, to stop the car as they reached Mackie's school.

She was sitting at the front today because two kids were sitting at the back. She turned her neck at them and smiled, "Okay, first day at school after winter break. Are you two ready?"

"Ready!" Mackie said cheerfully. She was always excited to go to school because she was naturally an extrovert who liked to socialize with other kids.

But the boy sitting next to her didn't seem to be excited. He nodded once but then lowered his head.

"Aaron?" Chloe called his name.

"R—Ready, Aunty…" Aaron replied with a low voice as he got hesitant.

He saw the school and realized this place must be filled with so many rich kids, and he was scared that he'd be bullied there.

He went to a public school and a cheap preschool because that was all his mother could afford.

But even in that place, he was still bullied because he was too poor to mingle with most of them.

He didn't bring his lunch because his Mom was too busy, but he also couldn't buy anything at the cafeteria because Chelsea didn't give him money.

So he had been skipping lunch since he was in preschool, making him scrawny for a kid his age.

Chloe understood his nervousness really well. After all, she came from a similar background to him, though Judith was at least a bit more sensible than Chelsea by leaving her with money if she was too busy at work or preparing an easy peanut butter and jelly lunch.

So she glanced at Mackie and said, "Dear, can you go to your class first? I need to talk with your cousin for a moment."

"Un!" Mackie nodded. She patted Aaron's shoulder and assured him, "Don't worry, just tell me if someone dares to bully you. I will fight them!"

"Thanks, Boss…"

Chloe waited until her daughter left the car and headed to the school entrance.

Aaron was still sitting in the backseat. He lowered his head even deeper as he felt ashamed, "I'm sorry, Aunty. This is my first day at school, and I disappoint you."

Chloe smiled, "You don't disappoint me at all, Aaron. What you feel is normal. Back when I was your age, I also had the same fear. Your late Granny was a single mom working two jobs to support her daughters, so we didn't have much money back then.

"I was also a scrawny kid when I was your age, because we couldn't eat healthy meals regularly. Something like meat was scarce for us because it was too expensive."

"I didn't have many toys, a good lunch, and I didn't have a story overseas, or even a trip to the local attraction to tell. I couldn't even follow my friends to go to the arcade, or buy a delicious treat for myself because I didn't have money," Chloe felt a little sad thinking about her past. But that past was also the reason why she could be so strong right now.

"But that didn't stop me from befriending my friends back then," Chloe said. "Because as long as you keep your head up with a big smile, they will think that you are confident and strong."

"Keep my head up…" Aaron murmured. All this time, Chelsea taught him to keep his head down because if he dared to rebel just a little, he would be beaten until he was bruised all over.

"Mhm, sometimes we have to be the one who approaches other kids first, so we can befriend them," Chloe said. "So go inside that school, keep your head up, show a big smile, and be kind to others. Talk to them, and I believe you will have a lot of friends at school."

…

Aaron gulped nervously, but he nodded after getting advice from his Aunt.

Unlike his mother, who always bullied him so he couldn't even talk to her properly, Aunt Chloe was gentle, and her advice made him feel better.

"I—I will try," Aaron said. "I won't disappoint you, Aunty."

Chloe smiled at Aaron and said, "Then go and make me proud. Remember what I said to you before?"

"Um, I shouldn't think about anything else other than studying. I must study hard, so I can make you proud," Aaron recalled what his Aunt had said before when he got the news that he would enroll in the same school as Boss Mackie.

"Yup, make friends, and study hard. You will be a great person when you get older," Chloe said.

"And I can take care of my brothers, right?"

"Yes, if you become a great person in the future, you can take care of your brothers," Chloe said. "So go now, don't be late on your first day at school."

Aaron nodded, "Thank you so much, Aunty."

He then hopped out of the car and walked into the school entrance.

Chloe sighed as she stared at Aaron's back.

Meyer, who had been observing the whole time, finally commented, "You are very good with kids, Ma'am. No wonder Mr. Phoenix Gray loves you."

Chloe chuckled, "I know you might find this a little too traditional. But I've always wanted to be a housewife with a lot of kids. I love taking care of kids in general, and I like to make sure that they grow up happily."

"I can see that. Miss Mackie is a very energetic and confident girl. You educated her well."

"Hahah, well, that one is because she inherited Vernon's gene," Chloe giggled. "Don't tell this to your coworker, okay? Let me share a little secret."

Meyer nodded, "I promise, Ma'am."

Chloe smiled and said, "If you ever wonder about your scary boss' behavior when he was a kid, then you just see my daughter. Aside from her gender and appearance, Vernon and Mackie are exact copies of each other. They have similar intelligence, taste, hobby, behavior, and even similar ways of throwing tantrums."

"That's why I keep thinking about him when I take care of my daughter."

Chapter 729

Meyer went silent while listening to his female boss' story. He didn't want to react, but curiosity got her when Mrs. Phoenix Gray said his scary boss was cute when he was young.

"Does that mean he also had a good heart like Miss Mackenzie when he was young, Ma'am?" Meyer asked.

"Oh, he was a good child!" Chloe replied without hesitation. "He was very cute and had a good heart. He would follow me around, even insisting on staying with me when I was in the bathroom. He would always wait for me to return to that mansion, and he'd be enthusiastic whenever I said that I would cook for him."

Chloe sighed.

She loved the current Vernon. He had grown into a handsome and powerful man. But that also made him very different from the cute Little Vernon.

It was as if they were two different people in one body.

Meyer listened to Mrs. Phoenix Gray's story, and the more he listened to it, the more he realized that his boss must've developed his obsession when he was very young.

Chloe recalled her story with Little Vernon as if it was a very sweet memory, and maybe it was for her because Chloe had no malicious or perverted intention towards Vernon when caring for him.

She simply saw him as a little brother that she needed to take care of, and she seemed to do a great job.

Too good that the said 'little brother' had developed an obsession with her.

'I feel like, if she doesn't see things with her rose-colored glasses. She would realize that her Little Vernon is a little scary for a kid,' Meyer thought. 'But it's not my right to say things like that. I just hope that they can stay together for a very long time. They seem to fit each other very well.'

"Alright, it's time to leave now, Meyer," Chloe said. "Can you drive me to the office? I want to visit Vernon today."

"Sure, Ma'am. But please, sit at the back, Mr. Phoenix Gray will kill me if he sees us sitting side by side like this," Meyer mentioned. He shuddered as he imagined how scary his boss could be when he was enraged.

Chloe laughed, but she followed his request to sit at the back, and they went to Vernon's office.

**

Diamond was busy with her job, as always. Being Vernon's secretary wasn't easy, but she still enjoyed it because the pay was amazing, and she was working with her favorite people.

And one of those favorite people was her homegirl who just walked out of the elevator.

"CHLOE!" Diamond stood up from her chair and rushed to hug her homegirl. "Oh my God, it's been a while! How are you doing, Gurl?"

Chloe laughed and hugged back.

Indeed, it had been a while since the last time they met in person because of the situation revolving Vincent and Maria and the concern of their safety.

They did plenty of video calls but couldn't meet in person because Diamond was still busy with so many things to do in the office.

After all, Vernon didn't want to miss the golden opportunity of taking control of almost everything when the Gray company was under fire. So many people were boycotting their products, and so many also mocked Vincent for being a liar.

The public image that Vincent had painstakingly tried to build over the years was destroyed in less than an hour because of that press conference.

And Chloe felt nothing but joy.

She was so happy that she could finally go out of the apartment and do things such as grocery shopping, sending her kids to school, assigning the other boys to preschool, and shopping in a mall with Dorothea.

And the most important one;

Coming to the office to support her soon-to-be husband.

It was a freedom that she never knew she needed, and now she was finally a free woman.

Well, at least halfway. She still needed to get an official divorce from Vincent, which shouldn't take long since he was in a bad state right now.

-

'We need to make sure that Vincent can't fight back once you filed for divorce in court. So everything will be smooth sailing, and I can marry you as soon as possible,' Vernon said as he tried to assure her a few nights ago.

-

"How have you been, Diamond? I know that Vernon must've given you a lot of work to do. I'm sorry that I can't be of much help, but you should tell me if you need something. I will try my best to help, okay?"

"Ah, I'm doing fine, gurl," Diamond giggled. "Well, yes, it's very hectic in the office. But Mr. Phoenix Gray isn't that evil anymore. He allows me to leave when it's time to clock out, and he gives me a bonus, a lot of bonus enough for me to live comfortably for decades to come if I decide to retire early."

Chloe got worried when Diamond mentioned retiring early. She asked, "T—Then, are you going to retire early?"

"Eh, of course not! I enjoy working in the office despite all the hectic schedule!" Diamond giggled. "Don't worry, Chloe. Even if I want to retire early, I will make sure that you're still my best friend."

Chloe's cheeks reddened. She felt shy because this was the first time someone truly wanted her as a best friend.

She had plenty of friends before she married Vincent but lost them all once Vincent began restricting almost everything, including her phone, to the point that she had no friends and was estranged from her family.

Nobody wanted to reach out back then, so she was glad Diamond took their friendship seriously.

They hugged long before Diamond said, "By the way, you should surprise Mr. Phoenix Gray right now. He is exhausted with so many things to do, and your support will be very helpful."

"O—Okay, I will talk to you later, Diamond," Chloe said. "How about we sit and talk in the Starbucks downstairs?"

"Sure! Now go and meet with him first. He has been waiting for you," Diamond said.

Chloe nodded and entered the office without knocking since it was supposed to be a surprise.

"I don't need another coffee, Diamond. I'll call you again if I need one," Vernon said with his eyes still on the document. He was in full focus because he didn't want to miss anything while dealing with Vincent's company.

Chloe said nothing but continued walking to approach Vernon until she stood right next to him.

Vernon clicked his tongue. He put his document down and said, "You're too close, Diamond. The only woman who can do that is Chlo—"

Vernon lifted his head, and his eyes widened when he saw his angel smiling.

Chloe had her usual gentle and loving smile at Vernon and said, "Good morning, Mr. Phoenix Gray. Do you want me to make you a coffee?"

"—CHLOE!" Vernon got up and opened his arm to hug Chloe immediately.

Chloe giggled, but her giggle soon disappeared when Vernon began to lift her easily like a child and sat her on the desk.

He put his hands on each side of her thighs and asked, "Are you here to surprise me?"

Chloe nodded, "I know you've been working hard. So I thought that my presence would help. If there is something I can do, just tell me!"

"Well, since you are here, then let me get my daily dose of vitamin C."

"Vitamin C? Do you want me to bring you fruits—" Chloe was stunned when Vernon suddenly kissed her. His kiss was gentle at first, but as he began to kiss her lips more and more, Chloe began to feel it, and she closed her eyes in response.

Vernon wrapped his arms around her waist while Chloe draped her arms on his broad shoulder.

Their kiss turned hot, but Vernon ended it abruptly when Chloe wanted to do more.

"Ah—" Chloe was at a loss while staring at Vernon. "You don't want it now?"

"I do, but I still have so many things to do. I don't want to think about anything but you when we do it," Vernon replied. "Besides, I already got my Vitamin C. Vitamin Chloe, hahahah!"

Chloe's cheeks reddened, and she scolded, "Bad boy, you really know how to talk sweet."

"Anyway, since you are here, then I also have good news for you," Vernon said. "I just got an update about Vincent. He just woke up from his whole week of coma, and he is currently having trouble making a difference between reality and imagination."

"It seems that what you did to him during the press conference was a huge blow, huge enough to shock him until he can't accept reality," Vernon said. "In short, it will take a while for him to truly return to normal, if that's even possible right now."

Chapter 730

"Oh, that's good," Chloe smiled. "I wonder what kind of nightmare he has, or has he ever regretted what he did to me. Because frankly, what he did to me is beyond horrible."

"Vernon, do you have any information about what kind of nightmare he's having right now?" Chloe asked. "I mean, maybe he starts mumbling about something… or someone, in his nightmare."

"And what would you do if you know what's in his mind right now?" Vernon asked. "There is no use of knowing, right?"

"Um, I just want to know if he ever regrets hurting me. I want to know if maybe… just maybe, he can turn normal," Chloe said. She had no ill intention when he asked that question.

The only thing in her head right now was to know if Vincent realized how much he had lost, and though she might never soften her heart and reconcile with him anymore, she could at least let him reconnect with their daughter.

Mackie deserved a chance to spend time with her biological father as long as he wouldn't hurt or try to manipulate their daughter.

Though, she doubted that Vincent could love. He had been a giant monster for the past ten years, and it was almost unbelievable for him to change just because he lost his company.

Vincent had a lot of money sitting as an asset and inheritance, at least for now, before Vernon did something to ruin Vincent's wealth completely.

But somehow, Chloe still wished there was a miracle to turn that bastard into a better man for their daughter.

Meanwhile, Vernon interpreted her question differently.

His smile vanished as he made up some scenarios in his head. He knew that Chloe had a soft heart, but he didn't know she was THIS soft.

She wanted to forgive the man who abused her for ten years!

'You already have me, Chloe. We are already living our dream life right now, and I will not allow you to leave me no matter what,' Vernon vowed in his heart.

He was angry right now. He was so angry that he couldn't wait to kill Vincent, so Chloe would never think about leaving him.

But he had to calm down and act normal in front of Chloe, or else he might scare her.

So he took a deep breath and replied, "I actually got the news about what he is murmuring about the whole day. He kept cursing at you, saying that he can't wait to beat you up for ruining his life. He said that he will not stop until he can kill you with his own hands."

"R—Really? That's what he said?" Chloe asked. Somehow, she couldn't believe that Vincent still had that anger even after he had lost everything.

She thought he would calm down and realized that his maniacal way of controlling things wouldn't work on everyone.

"Chloe, you should understand that he is not a good person. He is born evil," Vernon said. He grabbed Chloe's hand and gently squeezed it as he tried to assure her. "He can't be fixed. He is a lost cause. I'm also sad about this whole thing, but what can we do? I don't want you to get hurt because you keep wishing for him to get better."

Chloe lowered her head, "I guess, I'm just too naive. I'm sorry for doubting you, Vernon."

"Yes, you shouldn't doubt me, Chloe," Vernon said. He felt guilt in his heart as he was trying to trick Chloe.

Because he knew from the report given by Priscilla that Vincent was repenting right now, he seemed to be desperate to be forgiven by Chloe.

And who knew?

Maybe Vincent would actually turn out to be a better person after this, just like what happened to Vernon after realizing that losing Chloe made him feel things that he had never felt before.

But he didn't want to give Vincent a chance.

There was no way he would allow Chloe to think that she should return to that bastard.

'In fact, if things went south, then I will kill Vincent with my own hands. Making sure that he is dead, so Chloe will never think about reuniting with her abusive ex-husband.'

Vernon's mind was in chaos right now. He was scared that Chloe might be leaving him for Vincent or another man.

He was scared that he might not be good enough for Chloe.

As he began to make crazy scenarios in his head like a madman, he didn't realize that he began to grip Chloe's hand tightly, so tight that Chloe began to wince in pain.

"Aw! Ouch! V—Vernon, my hand. You are crushing my hand!"

"Ah—I—I'm sorry, love," Vernon quickly released Chloe's hand and checked if he had accidentally bruised it.

"I'm fine, Vernon," Chloe said while massaging her aching palm. "But I want to know what's on your mind. There must be a reason why you would grip me so tightly."

"I didn't think of anything," Vernon said.

"Are you sure?" Chloe tilted her head. "You can't fool me. I know that you must be imagining something upsetting. Ever since you were only seven, you would grip my arm so tightly whenever you were dazed, and then your eyes would be red as if you were holding your tears."

"Just like right now, you gripped my hand so tightly, and your eyes are red now, Vernon," Chloe mentioned all of Vernon's habits that she had learned since he was young. "So tell me if there's something weighing your mind. I want to help you as much as you want to help me."

Of course, Vernon didn't want Chloe to know many of his dark thoughts about her and his brother. He knew it would scare her.

But there was something he wanted to confess.

He wanted her to know about his worry, "Chloe, you should know that I am very angry right now."

"Angry? Why?"

"Because you're thinking about returning to him, even though you already know how much I treasure you."