Ch. 756..760: Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother Chapter 756-760
Chapter 756
A week passed since the new owner, Vernon Phoenix Gray, acquired the Gray company.
Nigel had prepared himself to leave this company, even though he had been dedicating his life for a long time here.
He had a lot of good memories with his coworkers, though he never had a good memory with Mr. Gray or Secretary Maria. He knew those two were doing terrible things, but he had no power to fight them back, so all he could do was do his intended job.
After all, the Gray company might be led by an absolute monster, but the thousands of staff were honest people who worked to make ends meet every month.
Nigel didn't know the character of Vernon Phoenix Gray. But based on some insider information he gathered, he was a lot more ruthless and efficient than his older brother, so Nigel simply thought he was an even bigger monster than Vincent.'
'I can't imagine having to work with another monster. I've had enough,' Nigel thought as he began to put his belongings on his office desk into a cardboard box, thinking that he had to prepare himself before Mr. Phoenix Gray handed his severance pay.
Nigel hadn't heard any of the employees getting laid off, but he just assumed that Vernon would fire the ones at the managerial position, such as him, because he would see those at the managerial positions as Vincent's lapdogs.
And just as he expected, one of the staff suddenly entered his office and said, "Sir, the CEO wants to see you. He's in his office right now."
"Okay," Nigel nodded. "I'll be there soon."
Nigel used the elevator and stood in front of the CEO's office.
He saw Khloe sitting at the secretary's seat, playing with her phone and checking on some email on the computer. She didn't seem to be panicking even though she was the prime target of this massive layoff their new boss would do.
Khloe looked at Nigel and said, "Mr. Phoenix Gray is waiting for you inside."
"Do you know what he wants me to do?" Nigel asked. Though he already knew what would happen next, he still wanted to get moral support from his coworkers.
"No idea," Khloe shrugged. "Maybe he wants to give you a promotion?"
Nigel laughed dryly at that bad joke. He wished Mr. Phoenix Gray would be kind enough to let him stay, but the chance was close to zero anyway.
So he braced himself and opened the door.
As expected, Mr. Vernon Phoenix Gray sat on the CEO seat, replacing his older brother as the new CEO through a legal acquisition. But that wasn't what shocked him.
He was shocked upon seeing an old woman sitting on the sofa. She looked frail and was wearing a long white dress that made her look like a kind old lady.
She smiled at Nigel as their eyes met and asked, "It's been a while since the last time we met, Nigel."
"M—Madam Gray?" Nigel couldn't believe that he would be able to see his old boss once again. He thought Madam Gray was dead after her stunt by stopping all the scholarships from the Gray Foundation, creating a buzz on Twitter that Vincent stopped the charity foundation erected by Vaughn Gray long ago.
Dorothea had a kind smile as she saw Nigel. It had been a while since the last time she saw him, and she wouldn't lie that she missed him.
Nigel was her direct subordinate who managed the Gray Foundation. He was a good man who had his own ideal. That's why he preferred to work with Dorothea as the manager of the Gray Foundation before Drotohea suddenly made a crazy move that basically shut down the entire foundation, putting it to sleep.
And thus, Vincent, who still saw potential in him, put him in a managerial position in the Gray company instead.
"Long time no see, Nigel. You seem to be doing well. I'm glad," Dorothea said.
Nigel was still too shocked to react. He stared at her with a gaping mouth, which was quite funny that Dorothea chuckled while covering her mouth elegantly, "Are you surprised that I'm still alive? Well, I've been hiding for a while without telling you or anyone on Vincent's side. I guess that's natural for you to think I'm dead."
Dorothea glanced at Vernon, who was busying himself by reading some documents, but of course, Dorothea knew that Vernon was actually on ears the whole time, listening to what Dorothea was about to say to Nigel.
"I've been hiding under Vernon's protection all this time. That's why Vincent can't find me," Dorothea said. "But as you can see, I'm alive and well. Though I do feel a little old."
Nigel felt emotional as he saw the sweet smile that Madam Gray had made.
Many people called Madam Gray an old witch because of her cold demeanor. But Nigel had been working with her for so long. So he knew that Madam Gray hid much of her sadness.
She was constantly crying, even when she was drunk. She was a kind woman, at least from all the interaction that they had for years, but she was trapped in a family that didn't appreciate her, hoping that she'd die soon, so they could split the inheritance or at least kiss Vincent's boots so he'd share some of that money.
Dorothea had been holding the assets under her name for so long because she knew many useless branch families wanted a piece of the cake. Vaughn's family was old money that went downhill after their big investment failed, leaving many of his relatives scattered.
Vaughn successfully rebuilt a massive business empire that had lost its vigor back then, which came at the cost of those old relatives and their descendants trying to try their luck to be instantly rich.
Dorothea held the asset for Vincent before because she thought that Vincent was still too rash and immature, even in his 30s, to hold so many assets.
But now that she had no more motherly feelings for that Vaughn 2.0, she wanted to give the massive inheritance to someone else.
Chapter 757
"Sit, Nigel. I want to talk to you about a few things," Dorothea said.
Nigel was hesitant initially, but he obliged in the end and sat directly facing Madam Gray, believing that Madam Gray had no hostile intention towards him.
He stared at Madam Gray for a while and realized how much had changed after she disappeared.
She looked older, weaker, and softer, but at the same time, she looked like she was at peace.
Nigel remembered how cold and indifferent Madam Gray was before. She looked youthful and strong despite her age, but she was miserable. So, Nigel had to admit this old woman in front of him looked more pleasant to the eyes compared to the previous Madam Gray.
Nigel glanced at Mr. Phoenix Gray on the CEO's desk, busy reading some documents, acting as if Nigel and Madam Gray were invisible.
"There are two topics that I want to talk about with you," Dorothea said. She chuckled as she noticed Nigel's restlessness, "Don't worry, you won't get fired by my son. I've requested that you continue to work here, but not within your current position."
"Nigel, I know that you don't like working with Vincent before, and I'm sure your calling is not within this company. That's why I'm going to hire you as the manager of a new foundation," Dorothea said.
"A new foundation?"
"Yes, since the Gray Foundation will disband soon, I plan to build a new one, and I want you to manage everything in that new foundation. Of course, I will be watching over your activity there," Dorothea said as a subtle warning, making sure that Nigel was still the same loyal coworker of hers.
Nigel was still trying to process what was currently happening. The idea of Madam Gray still alive and well was enough to put him into shock, and now Madam Gray asked him to manage a new foundation.
Of course, he wanted it.
His true calling had always been about charity work. He liked helping people, and managing a charity foundation was his most favored field.
"That would be an honor for me, Madam," Nigel said. "And yes, you're right, I don't enjoy working in this position. I prefer to work in the charity foundation like before…"
"That's good. Then I will trust you to manage this new foundation."
"But what is the name, Ma'am? And which kind of charity work will we work on this time?"
"Oh, we will continue funding the same charity as the Gray Foundation. On top of that, we will also fund the impoverished, mostly single mothers with children and no child support from their husbands," Dorothea replied. "About the name…"
Dorothea looked at Vernon, who finally opened his mouth, "Clover Foundation," he replied nonchalantly. "It's her idea, not mine, by the way."
Dorothea smiled, "Yes, it's Clover Foundation, derived from the name of the two founders, Chloe and Vernon. Right, Vernon?"
Vernon's cheeks reddened a little. He always thought the name was a bit tacky. He preferred a cooler name, like his company's name, Golden Star, but Clover Foundation was Chloe's idea, so he didn't dare to say no.
"Clover Foundation…" Nigel murmured. He was pondering about something for a while.
As he expected, Vernon Phoenix Gray must be the one who hid Mrs. Chloe Gray the whole time. After all, for someone to evade Vincent Gray's clutch and stop any manhunt, that man needed to be stronger than Vincent and had a lot more influence than him.
New York might be filled with plenty of billionaires, but none would be willing to take Chloe, Vincent's wife. It was too much of a risk.
So that mysterious man who became her benefactor must be madly in love with her, mad enough to risk everything for that woman, and nobody except Vernon Phoenix Gray could do that.
Vernon wasn't worried about someone else finding out about his relationship with Chloe. He won against Vincent, and there was nothing to hide anymore.
In fact, Nigel could call Vincent right now and tell him about everything, and Vernon wouldn't even budge.
Dorothea trusted Nigel enough for him to be on their side after knowing the truth, that's why she made it casual, to signify that Vernon and Chloe had been in love for a while now, and it wasn't a salacious scandal.
"So, what do you think, Nigel? Can you work in this foundation?" Dorothea asked. "Or maybe you're too shocked after realizing that Chloe is with Vernon now?"
"Not at all, Madam. I guessed about Mr. Phoenix Gray and Mrs. Gray," Nigel said. "I just think that someone with a very dangerous position as Mrs. Gray needs an equally powerful man to protect her, and I guess it narrows down to Mr. Phoenix Gray."
"Do not worry, Madam, Sir, I won't tell this to Mr. Gray," Nigel said. "After all, I've dedicated my work to the Gray company and foundation, not him."
"That's good. I know you can be trusted, Nigel," Dorothea said. "So? What's your final answer?"
"I will gladly work there, Madam. It is my greatest pleasure to work with you. Thank you for giving me a second chance," Nigel replied.
"Oh, you should thank my daughter-in-law instead. She's the one who accepts my proposal about building a new charity foundation and persuades my son for it," Dorothea giggled, much to Vernon's embarrassment.
"Thank you so much, Sir. I will not disappoint," Nigel bowed respectfully at Vernon.
Vernon replied with a simple nod but then added, "Your job here is not done yet. Dorothea still has something else to say."
"That's right. I also have a favor to ask you, Nigel," Dorothea said.
"Whatever it is, I will do it, Madam," Nigel said piously towards the old lady. "My loyalty is for you, not for Mr. Gray," he added as he wanted to assure Madam Gray about where he poured his dedication.
"That's relieving to hear," Dorothea said. "Well, I want to discuss about the inheritance."
Chapter 758
"Inheritance, Madam?" Nigel asked back to ensure he didn't accidentally misheard it.
"Yes, I want to do something about my inheritance," Dorothea replied. "Do you remember the contents of my inheritance?"
"Yes, Madam. After you pass away, all of the Gray family assets will be given to Vincent Gray," Nigel replied. Dorothea had no other will because she thought she only had Vincent in her life, and thus it was all fair to give him all the money he deserved.
"Well, as you can see, I am no longer the mother of Vincent Gray. I've disowned him after realizing he is just as terrible as his late father, Vaughn," Dorothea said. She had a bitter smile as she mentioned Vaughn.
She hated her husband to the bone because that bastard abused her to no end, to the point that she preferred to die.
But each time she tried to kill herself, Vaughn would save her. He'd treat her well and nicely.
But once she had recovered from her suicide attempts, he'd treat her coldly again, severely abusing her until she lost her will to live. It was a miracle that Dorothea was still alive at this point.
So when she realized that Vincent was no different than his father and how horrible he was to Chloe, she decided to disown him because there was no way she'd give billions' worth of assets to a Vaughn 2.0.
"That's why I want to rewrite my inheritance by excluding him from getting even a dime of that money," Dorothea said.
Nigel knew that things would've come to this point, and honestly, he always thought that Vincent Gray didn't deserve those assets because he was careless.
He did maintain the Gray Company, but maintaining was just the bare minimum.
Besides, his promiscuity was so well-known in the elite circle and the higher-ups that no young and dignified woman wanted to get close to him.
Nigel also got a few stories about Vaughn Gray from Dorothea and a few old workers in the Gray mansion, and they all said the same thing.
-
'Master Vaughn was a promiscuous, abusive bastard. He was a madman, but nobody dared to stand up against him because he was too powerful.'
-
"Understood, Madam. So how will you deal with your inheritance? Since you will emit Vincent Gray from it, who will be your inheritor?" Nigel asked.
He was the one who had close contact with the inheritance lawyer. Thus Dorothea always consulted him first before doing anything with her wealth.
Dorothea glanced at Vernon, and Vernon quickly noticed it. He sighed and finally put the document down, "No, I don't want to inherit any of the Gray family's money. I don't need them."
"I know, but I need someone I can trust for all those assets, and you are my only son now…"
Vernon wasn't used to how Dorothea tried to get close to him. She even dared to call him her only son!
His beloved always told him to at least give Dorothea a chance to fix all of the mistakes she made in the past, and Vernon had been trying to tolerate her.
So far, he has done a great job. At least he wasn't hostile to her anymore.
But that didn't mean they were close enough to be a mother and son. That would take a long time to do if that was possible in the first place.
"We already have an agreement about this, Dorothea," Vernon said. "You should give all of those assets to Mackie. She is your biological granddaughter from Vincent."
"I know, but she is too young. She needs someone to manage the assets before she's old enough to inherit everything. That's why I want to give it to you first," Dorothea insisted.
"No, I won't take it," Vernon kept denying because he saw that money as a form of humiliation from his late father.
Vernon wanted to show everyone that he could stand on his feet with his effort, and now that he had proven it, he didn't need all of those assets.
In fact, if possible, he'd prefer those assets from the Gray family to be burned. Mackenzie didn't need to care about those inheritances because Vernon could give her a similar amount of assets and probably even more.
"I told you before, just let Chloe become the manager until Mackie is old enough, and give Vincent 100 dollars as his share, so he won't be able to sue you—or Mackenzie for it," Vernon said.
Dorothea went silent momentarily when Nigel suddenly supported Vernon's suggestion, "Mr. Phoenix Gray is right, Madam Gray. If he refuses to take the inheritance, we can give it to Miss Mackenzie and put Mrs. Chloe Gray as the one who will manage it until she is old enough."
Dorothea was saddened knowing Vernon didn't want to take even a small percentage of those assets.
Actually, she was thinking that she might be able to get forgiveness from Vernon by giving him a lot of money.
'Ah, I should've known better. He isn't lacking in money. He is so rich right now. He doesn't need some inheritance from a man he hates the most,' Dorothea lamented for a few minutes.
She took a deep breath and nodded, "Alright, please put that in my will, Nigel. Here's my phone number. You should call me once I have to sign the inheritance again."
Nigel picked up the card with a phone number from Dorothea's hand and pocketed it, "I will set the plan in motion immediately, Madam. I will call you soon."
"How about the Clover Foundation, Madam? When will we start?" Nigel asked. He was eager to work for charity again since it was his true calling.
"In six months," Vernon replied. "I still have a lot of things to do. So I need six months for that."
"Understood, Sir," Nigel said.
"Hm, you may leave now, Nigel. Go handle whatever Dorothea wants you to do, that's your job now."
"Yes, Sir, with pleasure."
Chapter 759
"You heard him. Six months," Dorothea parroted.
"Understood, Ma'am. Then, please excuse me. I will resume my duty to handle the inheritance will," Nigel bowed before he turned around and left the office.
Dorothea and Vernon stared at the door in silence until Dorothea asked, "Are you sure you don't want the inheritance? I can give you everything."
"I don't want it. I have way more than that."
"It's just my way to compensate for all the damage I did, Vernon," Dorothea sighed. "I wronged you so much when you were a child, and I don't know how to make it up for you."
"You can't," Vernon said coldly. "The damage has been done. You can't undo your sin to me."
Dorothea smiled bitterly, "I know. Sorry for bringing it up."
"… I can't forgive you, Dorothea. You were my mother. You were supposed to be my safe space when I was young. Yet, you break me until I can't feel an inch of love from you," Vernon said. "I know that Vaughn abused you just like Vincent abused Chloe, but do you ever see Chloe hitting Mackie with a beer bottle? Did you ever see her locking her daughter in a bathroom for hours, leaving him screaming inside while you passed out after heroin use?"
Again, Dorothea recalled all the painful stuff that happened to her before and all the abuse she had done to Vernon.
She could've entirely shifted the blame to Vaughn, but she knew she was also wrong.
Just because she was abused didn't mean she could abuse a defenseless boy.
"I'm sorry…" Dorothea murmured sadly, knowing there was no way to gain her son's forgiveness.
"… you may never get my love as your son, just like how I never got my mother's love back then," Vernon said. "But if you want my approval, you can start by treating my wife and daughter right. That's why I told you to send all those inheritances to Mackie. I don't need it, and Mackie definitely doesn't need it either, but it's a sign that you're on my side. That's the way for you to get my approval."
Vernon's heart ached when he realized he must've hurt this old lady.
He wasn't heartless, but he still couldn't hold this resentment in his heart. He couldn't forgive her, at least not until the next decade.
Dorothea had a sliver of hope in her heart.
Though Vernon couldn't forgive her now, at least she could get his approval by treating Mackie right.
Which was already a natural thing to do for Dorothea. He didn't need to tell her to do so because Dorothea loved her granddaughter so much.
Vernon tried to busy himself with his documents, but a question hovered in his mind, "How about the boys?" He asked while reading the documents.
He wasn't close to those four boys, but that didn't mean he hated them. He was just a very private man who preferred to be surrounded by his real family, and that small circle only included Chloe, Mackie, and their future children.
He still wanted to roll them all to a good school, the same as Mackie and made sure they didn't feel less loved.
Based on Chloe's report, Dorothea had been taking good care of them, and they clung onto her just like how they clung to Judith before.
They were also active in their school, preschool, and kindergarten.
But Aaron still needed the most care because he was the one who witnessed everything.
"The three younger boys are doing well," Dorothea sighed, "But Aaron still needs to meet the child therapist. He has opened up a lot, but he still has that distance in his eyes. He also had a lot of nightmares regarding that event."
"Alright, I will continue his treatment," Vernon said. He stopped reading momentarily and glanced at Dorothea, "Aaron depends on you, Dorothea. He has a lot of damage because of abuse at such a young age. He's no different than the younger me. I was saved because I had Chloe back then, and I hope you can save him."
"I will try my best," Dorothea said with strong resolve. "I also want to take care of him. Aaron has suffered enough in his life at such a young age."
Vernon stared deep into his mother's eyes and lowered his head. He covered his face with the document and said, "If you have nothing else to say, you can leave now."
Vernon tried to hide his face because he was smiling. He was happy that his mother turned over a new leaf and lived a good and honest life.
Maybe deep down, he still wanted a bit of that motherly love from her.
"Oh, before I leave, I'm here to give you the lunch made by Chloe," Dorothea said. She opened her bag and put the lunchbox on the coffee table. "Chloe said she can't come and give it to you because she's still scared to go to the Gray company. There have been too many bad things happening to her here."
Vernon put the documents to check on the food that Dorothea delivered.
Seeing his hesitation, she sighed and assured him, "Don't worry, I didn't touch it at all or cook it. It was all Chloe's, I swear."
"Hm, you can leave now," Vernon said.
Dorothea said, "Chloe told me you're too tired and stressed out these days. She said you should have a power nap at work and make a lunch full of spices and protein to replenish your energy."
"Vernon, you have a gem in your hand, don't ruin her or break her trust. She is the best woman you can ever have in your life," Dorothea warned. "You'll go insane if she leaves you, just like what happened to Vincent right now."
"Naturally, I know what will happen, so I will treasure her for the rest of my life," Vernon assured. "And you don't need to remind me of something so obvious. You know why I went through hell and back just to make her mine."
Chapter 760
Dorothea smiled, "I just don't want you to make a mistake you will regret for the rest of your life. It happens to Vincent, so there is a possibility there."
"There is something that differentiates me and Vincent, and that is love," Vernon said. "Vincent was never raised with love. He was raised by a monster we call Vaughn, and thus, he turned out to be the second Vaughn. But I was raised by my Big sis Chloe, and she taught me how to be a good person."
"You're right. There is no more hope the moment he becomes the second Vaughn," Dorothea sighed. "But that's life. You have to have the courage to break free from that chain of abuse, and that's what I did by leaving Vincent completely."
"It's also what Chloe did by leaving Vincent."
Dorothea finally left the office, leaving Vernon alone, contemplating what she said just now.
"She's afraid that I'll be another Vincent? That's… entirely possible…" Vernon murmured. "I was no different than Vincent or Vaughn. I also have dark thoughts about many things. Sometimes that dark thought might be overpowering that I can't think straight anymore."
"But I have my anchor, and he doesn't. Chloe is my anchor. As long as she is around me, I will never turn bad. I just know that" Vernon murmured. He got up from his seat and moved to the sofa.
He opened the food his beloved had prepared, and there was a small note for him.
-
Don't forget to take a power nap if you need it.
You can call me if you're having recurrent nightmares. I will be on your call until you wake up.
Love you, darling.
-
Vernon winced as he was a little embarrassed.
Chloe told him that he had recurring nightmares every time he closed his eyes, and Chloe had to hug him so tight every night to ensure the nightmare would go away.
Vernon had been living in this condition for the past ten years. He always had nightmares every time he closed his eyes, and those bad dreams could only be alleviated if he hugged a woman resembling Chloe.
That's why he always found someone with similar features to Chloe before he returned to New York.
But he knew he didn't love any of them, so he only dated them briefly before those women fell too deep into this fake love, even though they were a substitute for his real love.
Back then, his recurring nightmares were about Chloe, who called him a disappointment, dimwitted, and decided to go with Vincent because he had a better future.
Now that he finally knew the whole story of how Vaughn and Vincent fooled him, that nightmare simply vanished.
But that didn't mean he was free from the shackles of his childhood trauma.
Currently, his recurring nightmares were about Chloe, who might leave him because she would find someone better.
He knew he reached the height that no young man could ever do, but that didn't mean it would be forever.
Because maintaining your power and influence was far more difficult than obtaining it for the first time.
That was why Vernon felt he could relate to Vincent in some ways.
Because in his dark thoughts, he planned to lock Chloe forever in their home with their children, making sure they wouldn't see someone else other than him. It was the exact same thoughts that Vincent had.
But when Vernon saw Chloe's note and the food she made, every small thing she did to love him was the remedy for those dark thoughts. It made him feel at ease and feel loved.
Vernon stared at the food and murmured, "Please don't leave me, Chloe. I have nothing but you. You're my life."
**
A week had passed since Vincent signed the acquisition documents. He had officially transferred the Gray company's ownership to Vernon, and the latter already sent him all the money for the acquisition.
It was a huge sum of money, definitely something that even the billionaires in New York would gawk to.
But Vincent felt nothing.
He felt very empty.
He was currently sitting on his bed, staring at the wilted garden that had turned ugly.
He hadn't hired a new gardener because that was the Mistress of the house's job, not him, and the only house mistress he ever had was Chloe Gray.
Vincent sighed.
He got up and walked out of the master bedroom.
He walked through the corridor and stopped in front of his dressing room, where he stored all his expensive, custom-made suits and others.
He entered the dressing room and stood in silence as he stared at the suits that had become a bit dusty. It had been a while since the last time he ever used this room, and after so many stylists failed to meet his expectations, he decided not to hire any more stylists.
"As expected, Chloe is still the best stylist I would ever have," Vincent murmured. "She has a good perception of style despite being born in a peasant family and knows how to dress me well."
Vincent scoffed, "Too bad she's not loyal to me. After ten years of strong love between us, she ditched me and left for another man."
"Didn't she realize that many women would kill to be the mistress of this mansion, but she ditched it without thinking twice? How heartless, haha…"
Vincent turned around and asked, "What?"
"Sir, you get a notice from the divorce court."
Vincent had a bitter smile as he realized he was just trying to mask his sadness about losing the love of his life.
"I feel so empty without you, Chloe. Why did you do this to me?" Vincent murmured.
As he was still lamenting his fate, the head maid suddenly entered the dressing room and cleared her throat.
Vincent turned around and asked, "What?"
"Sir, you get a notice from the divorce court."
"Divorce court?!" Vincent's eyes widened.
"Yes, Master. Mrs. Chloe Gray filed a divorce against you."
The head maid said coldly before handing the divorce document to her Master.