Ch. 761..765: Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother Chapter 761-765
Chapter 761
Vincent snatched the document from the head maid's hand and quickly opened the seal.
He thought that he had misheard the head maid, or maybe his head was fucking up with him again. It often happened whenever he had nightmares about Chloe, who left him.
Unfortunately, when Vincent pulled all the stacks of paper inside the document, his biggest nightmare finally came true.
It was a summon from the court because Chloe had filed a divorce against him, and he only had a week to respond.
Vincent couldn't read further because his hand started trembling, followed by his eyes getting blurry because tears began to pool in his eyes.
He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.
He turned around and said, "Get out."
The head maid was silent momentarily and reminded, "Don't forget to respond to the divorce court's summon, Master."
"GET OUT!!!" Vincent's voice echoed through the corridor, shocking every maid who was busy doing their activities.
But the head maid was used to Master Gray's outburst. She just flinched a bit and bowed respectfully, "Take your time, Master."
The head maid took a few steps back and closed the door, leaving Vincent alone in the dusty dressing room.
Vincent tried to hold back his tears, but it was like a damn that burst after a while. He began to cry silently. He didn't want to look pathetic because he knew those maids outside would hear him.
But this was a huge blow for him. He always thought that his marriage with Chloe would always stay safe.
She might run away and cheat on him, but no man would ever want to marry her.
And thus, Chloe would be stuck to be his official wife for the rest of her life.
So this divorce paper was a huge blow to him because he never expected the day Chloe would file a divorce to the court would finally happen.
He always thought this was just something that came out of his nightmare.
"This can't be. How could you be this cruel to me, Chloe?" Vincent murmured. "Never once have I ever considered divorcing you, not even when you're ugly, fat, and disgusting. But now, you left me for another man just because I am not in my prime anymore? What a heartless woman you are!"
Vincent scoffed, mocking Chloe in his mind because he now felt their sacred marriage vow was a joke, and Chloe never meant all of her vows.
But for Vincent, he meant it when he said, 'until death do us part.'
Because he would never divorce her no matter what, even if the situation between them was not ideal.
"So fucking cruel. How could you hurt me like this…" Vincent said before the tears began to drop and wet his hand. "I've lost my wife…"
Vincent wanted to scream like a madman right now, but he had done it so much in the past that he had grown weary.
So, he slumped to the floor, buried his face in his thighs, and began sobbing like a little boy who had lost his precious toy.
**
It took almost six hours for Vincent to cry and fall asleep. Again, he was caught in a nightmare that was extremely painful for him.
He saw that Chloe was being hugged by none other than Vernon, and they looked so compatible together as if they were meant to be.
They stared at him with mocking smiles, and said;
-
'You're all alone now, Vincent Gray. Nobody wants you anymore, not even your wife.'
-
Vincent gasped when he woke up from that short nightmare.
He looked around as he was disoriented and realized he was still in the dressing room. He had been sleeping after sobbing for too long, which was pathetic, knowing that he used to beat Chloe in this same dressing room whenever he felt like it.
He beat her because he thought she showed interest in the finer things in life.
She would marvel at many of his expensive suits and praise the gems he used to adorn his cufflink and many more.
Vernon disliked it because his wife might get greedy and began to adorn herself with jewelry.
That's why he always beat her whenever she wore a simple necklace or earrings. She had to look bad constantly, so she would never attract other men or cheat on him!
He had good intentions all this time. He wanted to protect their marriage.
"I don't get it," Vincent murmured. "I don't get it at all, Chloe. Why are you hurting me like this when all I'm trying to do is to persevere in our marriage? Is this your way to thank me after all of my efforts?"
Vincent still didn't understand what he did wrong. All he did was try to protect his beloved woman, even if his method was extreme, but Chloe turned out to be an obedient and submissive woman who wouldn't cheat on him for ten years straight.
That was good, right?
He did a good job.
But that good job was unappreciated.
Vincent bit his lower lip until it bled. He tried to get up from the floor by grabbing a desk and propping himself up.
He felt so weak, and it took him a while to recover.
By the time he could stand on his feet, he saw the divorce document still on the table. He didn't dare to read the divorce paper before. He was still in such a mental shock.
But now.
He had to face the reality that Chloe was divorcing him, and he had no more power to do a wide-scale manhunt like before.
"But that doesn't mean I can't find a way to stop the divorce," Vincent muttered. "There must be something. Maybe she demands half of my wealth or wants me to pay ridiculous amounts of child support. I can use those as a ground for marriage counseling, and thus we will never be separated."
"I will not allow you to leave me, Chloe."
Chapter 762
Vincent returned to the master bedroom and began to read the summon notice carefully.
They specified all the things that Chloe demanded, so Vincent didn't need to go to court as long as he agreed with everything and then prepared his documents to sign up for the divorce.
Of course, they could make this hassle-free without any divorce court or involving any divorce lawyer.
But of course, Vincent didn't want that.
He refused to simply sign the documents and called it a day for the divorce.
He would do everything as long as Chloe couldn't divorce him. He wanted them to stay husband and wife until death did them part!
Unfortunately, that idea was soon defeated when Vincent saw the demands that Chloe wanted from him.
He expected her to demand compensation in the form of assets, probably wanting half of his money or the mansion, and wanting him to pay child support for a ridiculous amount, so he could use those grounds to contest the divorce.
But what he saw was… nothing.
Chloe literally demanded nothing.
She didn't demand any assets.
She also didn't demand to pay child support.
She didn't try to rip him off his money, which frustrated him.
"What is this?" Vincent asked himself. "Why aren't you demanding money from me?! How am I supposed to challenge this kind of divorce?!"
He was frustrated because this was also a direct mockery to him.
This was a sign that Chloe was happy being pampered by her new man and a direct show off that her new man was far richer than Vincent could ever be.
Vincent gritted his teeth, "No, there must be a way to challenge this divorce!"
Thus, Vincent continued reading, trying to find anything that could help him, and there was one that could help.
-
The child's complete custody is on the mother's side, and no visitation is allowed.
-
Vincent saw a chance for him. His eyes glimmered with hope as he could challenge this one.
"I don't care about Mackenzie. But if this is enough to stop the divorce, I will demand visitation—no, full custody!"
Vincent quickly called Khloe, as she was the only professional worker he had right now, and she picked it up quickly.
—
"Y—Yes, Sir? Can I do something?"
"Khloe, find the best divorce lawyer in New York. My wife had just filed a divorce against me. And I want to contest her appeal," Vincent said coldly. He regained a bit of his vigor, thinking he could save his marriage.
Khloe went silent for a moment and then replied, "Alright, Sir. I will try to contact as many famous divorce lawyers as possible in New York. I will call you back in an hour. I should be able to contact all of them in a short time."
"Good, I expect a good result, Khloe," Vincent said.
—
Vincent was relieved once he hung up the call, "Don't ever think about divorcing me, Chloe. I won't let you, even if I have to go through hell and back!"
Priscilla hung up the call and stared at her real boss, who sat at the CEO desk of the Gray company.
"You heard everything, Boss," Priscilla said as she had already put the phone on the loudspeaker, so Vernon could hear everything they discussed. "What should I do next?"
"What should you do next? Heh…" Vernon sneered. "The best divorce lawyer in New York is Graham Hubbard, and he is busy handling a case of a billionaire's son, Henry Grant, and his new girlfriend who wants to get divorced from her deadbeat husband."
"How did I know? Well, I called him, and he said he'd be unavailable for an indefinite amount of time. That's why I have to find an alternative," Vernon said.
"So, what should I do next, Sir? Should I find an alternative divorce lawyer for Vincent?" Priscilla asked.
Vernon smirked, "Just play along. Call all of those lawyers you can find. You will all refuse to take Vincent's case. Because I already told them all and compensated them, they will refuse any request from Vincent Gray if they still value their career as a lawyer."
…
Priscilla shuddered when she saw Vernon's smirk.
This man was beyond evil. He was no different than Vincent. He was just the lesser evil because he had Chloe as his anchor.
If he didn't have Chloe, he would probably be ten times crazier and scarier than Vincent.
'I don't know how she could tame this man, but good for her,' Priscilla thought.
Though she hadn't met with Chloe after their last fight, Priscilla had made peace with herself.
She knew that she couldn't compete with Chloe Gray inside Vincent's heart because even she knew that Chloe was Vincent's true love. He never changed, but how he showed his love was twisted and pathetic.
Since she couldn't compete with Chloe, she decided to play along and BE her. She became a fake Chloe, and it worked really well!
Vincent still didn't love her, but at least he accepted her, which was the most important thing in Priscilla's life.
Even if she couldn't obtain his heart, at least she could get his body.
She would be Mrs. Gray no matter what.
And how about money?
Well, she was still working in the Gray company with a crazy high salary, enough to support herself and also Mr. Gray.
"Just wait for an hour and give him the bad news," Vernon instructed. "If he insists, tell him to call all those lawyers himself. **
I'm sure he will meet with the same response."
"I understand, Sir. "
**
Vincent walked back and forth as he was anxious about the news from Khloe. He wanted to know if she already got the best divorce lawyer for him.
So when Khloe called him, he picked it up immediately.
—
"How is it? Did you get the best divorce lawyer for me?" Vincent asked impatiently.
"I've called roughly thirty famous divorce lawyers, and they all refused Sir," Priscilla replied. "They said they refused to take your case because it's a losing game. They prefer to save their career."
Chapter 763
—
"They said they refused to take your case because it's a losing game, they prefer to save their career."
"THEY WHAT?!"
Vincent's heart was crushed as he got the bad news from Khloe.
He thought he had misheard it and asked again, "Be clearer Khloe. Because I fucking sure heard you said that everyone refuses to take my case just now."
…
"You heard it right, Sir. No lawyer in New York wants to take your case. They are too scared to do so because they know it's a losing game," Khloe repeated. "They said the backing behind Mrs. Chloe Gray is too powerful. It scares them."
"THAT'S BULLSHIT!" Vincent snapped. "There is no way that man has so much power to intimidate every lawyer in New York! Keep searching! I know you aren't doing your job right now."
…
"Master Grant, I've called over fifty different lawyers in New York, from the most renowned to the unknowns, and they have the same answer," Khloe replied. "If you don't believe me, you can do it yourself."
"FUCKING USELESS!!" Vincent hung up the call abruptly.
Beep.
—
He was so angry at Khloe and definitely didn't believe what she said just now.
"No lawyer wants to take my case? Don't fucking kid me!" Vincent yelled. He scrolled through his contacts to find any of the famous lawyers he knew, and he called them one by one.
He had an expectation that maybe those lawyers were too scared because Khloe, a meager secretary, called them, not Vincent himself.
So he had to ditch his pride for this one and ask them personally.
Unfortunately, he was met with the same answer that Khloe got.
—
"I'm sorry, Mr. Gray. But you're facing a very powerful man. As much as I value our —
"Sir, your enemy is very powerful. He paid me a lot just to refuse your request. So I friendship, I don't want to risk my career."
—
"Sir, your enemy is very powerful. He paid me a lot just to refuse your request. So I have to refuse yours, I am sorry, but I prefer to keep my promise to him because he is far more powerful than you."
—
"Vincent, you're facing the big shot. I mean, I know you were a big shot before, but you're severely outclassed. Besides, with all of the rumors outside about you abusing and abandoning your wife, I don't want to fight a losing game."
—
"Mr. Gray, I suggest you give up. Your reputation is on the ground. You should accept whatever divorce settlement your wife wants and move on. You're facing a giant and don't have enough capital and influence to fight him back."
—
"ARGHH!! USELESS!" Vincent shouted as he smashed his phone to the ground. He was so frustrated right now because what Khloe said was right.
Nobody wanted to take the case because it was a losing game, and he was facing a big shot.
They acted as if Vincent wasn't a big shot before he had to sell his company.
He was still rich as fuck! He was still THE big shot!
"Fine! If nobody will stand by my side, then I don't fucking care!" Vincent yelled. His chest rose up and down as he was holding his rage. "I don't need a lawyer for this. I am smart and capable enough to represent myself. I will stop this divorce no matter what!"
***
"Yeah, my secretary will send you the money tomorrow. Just make sure that nobody wants to take his case. It will be way easier," Vernon said before he hung up the call from one of the most popular lawyers in New York.
He was lying on the bed, hugging the waist of his beloved woman sitting on his lap.
"Who is it, darling?" Chloe asked.
"One of the lawyers. Don't worry. I have everyone under control. Vincent won't be able to find any lawyer. He will be forced to submit everything without appeal or represent himself," Vernon replied. "Well, he still has the choice of hiring an unknown lawyer, probably a novice who is stupid enough to take this losing game for money."
"But don't worry, we will win the case. Mackie won't need to visit Vincent," Vernon's eyes darkened as he imagined Mackie being fed lies by Vincent so his little wolf would go against her own family. "I will make sure my daughter is safe."
"Remember our deal, darling…" Chloe reminded me. "We will give him that visitation right if I deem Vincent to be stable and normal enough. But if he is still the same crazy man, then Mackie won't meet her biological father. They are allowed to meet when she is eighteen, and she wants to meet him."
Vernon's lips thinned.
He disagreed with Chloe, who still tried to give Vincent visitation right.
In his dictionary, Mackie's father was Vernon Phoenix Gray; there was no Vincent Gray.
He wanted to forbid Mackie to see Vincent's face for the rest of her life. She didn't need another father.
But he knew that was his possessiveness talking. Vernon admitted that he wasn't only possessive to Chloe and every member of his small family.
So his children were HIS, and he would protect them from any harm, including a bastard like Vincent.
But Chloe was very firm about this, so he had to agree, or they would get into a big fight.
"Alright, It's up to you, Love. I don't want you to make a wrong decision regarding Mackie's safety," Vernon said.
Chloe smiled and caressed his cheek, "Don't worry, I also want the best for our daughter. She deserves to know the full truth once she's old enough.
"She already knows that her biological father is an asshole," Vernon said. "And I didn't even say anything to her. She's smart, you know that, right? She learns by seeing the change in you."
Chloe smiled bitterly, "I know I can't hide anything. She will know the full truth eventually. I just want to ensure she is ready when it's time."
Vernon nodded. At least his beloved understood that they couldn't hide anything from that smart little girl.
Chapter 764
"Let's just wait until Vincent responds to the summons from the court. Knowing how unstable Vincent is, we might be summoned to the court next week," Vernon said.
"Oh, that would be great! It's early summer by the time I get my divorce paper, and… you know what that means, right?" Chloe winked as she boldly twirled her finger around Vernon's belly button. "It will be the perfect season for us…"
Vernon's breath heaved, "Yes, I can't wait to make you officially mine."
**
Vernon had expectations regarding Vincent.
He knew that his Big brother wasn't exactly a patient person.
He was prone to anger and, therefore, also prone to acting rashly out of his stupid pride.
And as expected, he got the good news about a week after Vincent got the notice from the court.
Diamond entered his office with a document from the court, "Sir, I've read it before, and Vincent is not backing down. He wants to appeal to Chloe's only request, which is a visitation to Mackie."
Diamond handed the document to Vernon, and the latter chuckled as he read the paper, "Heh, as expected, he will hang on the last rope he can find just to stop the divorce. I know how obsessed he is with my woman."
"Are we going to do the plan you discussed before, Sir?" Diamond asked as Vernon and Chloe briefed her before.
"Let's see his reaction once he knows the full truth. He is going to shit bricks," Vernon laughed at his own joke. "Answer to the court that we agree to the summon. We will come at the designated time, which should be three days from now, right?"
"Yes, Sir. Do I need to tell Chloe too?"
"No, I will tell her myself after dinner," Vernon said. "I want to make sure she is ready to face Vincent again since I know she must've been traumatized by Vincent."
"What would you do if she said she's not ready, Sir?" Diamond asked out of curiosity and concern.
"Then I will be the one who faces him. I will drop the bomb by myself."
**
Chloe, Vernon, and Mackie had a peaceful dinner in the penthouse, and Mackie was the first to open the conversation at the dining table.
"Mommy, how is my baby sister? Is she healthy? Are you okay?" Mackie asked as she stared at Chloe's slight baby bump.
Daddy and Mommy had already told her a week ago that Mommy was pregnant with a baby, and Mackie was so excited because she always wanted a little sister.
Chloe smiled, "Mommy is healthy and happy, and the baby inside Mommy's belly is also happy. Eat your food, Mackie. Why aren't you eating much today?"
Mackie dropped her spoon and stared at her Daddy, "It's because Daddy is the one who cooked today's dinner. He doesn't cook well, Mommy. Not as good as your food…"
"Hey, it's good!" Vernon insisted as he felt wronged after his daughter told him he wasn't a good cook.
He took a spoonful of pasta and frowned a little.
"Okay, it's not as good as your Mommy's food. I admit," Vernon sighed. "But you should understand we can't push her too much, Little Wolf. Your Mommy is pregnant with your baby brother."
"Baby sister!" Mackie pouted. "Daddy, I have a baby sister, not a baby brother!"
"Why do you want a little sister so much? Little brother is also good, right?" Vernon asked. Honestly, they hadn't done any ultrasound to check on the baby to determine whether it was a boy or a girl because Chloe's pregnancy was still in the first trimester, so they had to wait a bit longer.
Vernon didn't care whether he'd have a son or daughter. He'd love them equally. He wondered why Mackie insisted on having a baby sister instead of a brother.
"Because I already have four little brothers!" Mackie said. "Aaron, Nathan, Mike, and Tony, I don't need more!"
"I want a sister, so I can play house and dress her up with my dress collections too!" Mackie said.
"Well, we don't know about the baby yet. But you should promise me that you will treat the baby nicely in case it's a boy, okay?"
"Of course, Daddy! I finally have a sibling! I will treat her nicely!" Mackie said, but she looked at her Mommy and said, "But I still want a baby sister more!"
Mackie hopped off the chair and then rushed downstairs.
"So cute," Chloe smiled. "Well, I will make sure that she treats her baby brother nicely in case we have a boy."
"We should. But if it's a boy, then we will have to make more until Mackie has a little sister," Vernon teased, much to Chloe's embarrassment.
He finished his not-so-tasty dinner and then mentioned, "Vincent has responded to the summons from the court. We will meet him in three days, but I know you're pregnant, and it might be too much of a shock for you to meet him."
"So, if you think you're not ready to meet him, I will be dropping the bomb about the whole truth to him," Vernon offered. "Your safety and health are the most important, Love. I don't want you and our baby to be in danger."
Chloe put her utensil down and stared at Vernon with determination in her eyes, "Thank you for your support, Vernon. But I will still come and talk to him in private. I want to be the one who dropped the truth to him. I want him to know I have completely escaped his abuse."
"But what if he is threatening you? Should I stay in the room with you?" Vernon asked worriedly.
"You shouldn't. But if you're worried about my safety, then you can watch over me through the window, or you can watch it through the open door. Don't worry, I will scream in case he dares to touch me," Chloe said. Her eyes showed no fear, which was vastly different from the Chloe he met a year ago.
Chloe had regained her confidence and brilliance that had been lost when Vincent abused him nonstop for ten years.
And her courage gave Vernon assurance.
Thus, he nodded, "Alright, but I will interrupt when he tries to touch you."
Chapter 765
Vincent woke up early in the morning.
He would go to court today to settle this divorce with Chloe.
He knew there would be a second or even third trial for hearing, but a mysterious but powerful man backed Chloe, so Vincent knew this would be his one and only chance, or else Chloe would leave him forever.
"Sir, the car is ready," Khloe said as she entered the master bedroom carrying a suit for him.
Vincent grabbed the suit and wore it by himself. He stared at Khloe, who was obviously just Priscilla with dyed hair and color contact, and said, "You shouldn't come."
"A—Are you sure, Sir? I also want to support you. I would be good if you could be with Mrs. Chloe Gray again," Khloe said, though she sneered in her heart, knowing that Vincent was fighting a losing game right now.
He had no hope of winning against Vernon because he was just a failed man who had become the butt of many people's online jokes.
"Chloe doesn't need to see someone resembling her standing by my side. She needs to see that I, Vincent Gray, feel very lonely without her," Vincent turned his head to stare at the loving wedding picture of him and Chloe hanging over the TV.
He smiled as he imagined that beautiful day.
Chloe was beautiful. She was so bright and beautiful that it made him insecure about himself. He was scared that Chloe would leave him once she grew bored of him.
'Because all I have is money. I'm so scared she will leave me for someone younger, richer, and more powerful. That's why I must beat her to submission…' Vincent thought. 'And now I must defend my crumbling marriage just because Chloe decides I'm not good enough for her.'
"I will leave now. I am going to stand alone," Vincent said determinedly. "I don't care if I have to face a giant. I will return with Chloe by my side."
Khloe watched as Vincent left the master bedroom.
She stared at his back, and the corner of her lips perked up, "That is so funny, Vincent Gray. Look at you, being all brave and ready to fight a giant. Do you not realize that you have no hope? Or maybe you're just desperate at this point?"
"Honestly, I also don't understand why I love you," Priscilla shrugged. "But I know I must be Mrs. Khloe Gray no matter what. I will be your wife, and if you don't want to have a baby with me, I will force you with some drugs, hihi~."
**
"Ready for today, honey?"
"I—I'm ready," Chloe said as she finished helping Vernon with his tie.
She twirled in front of the mirror to ensure she looked proper with her cream-colored suit and knee-length skirt. She buttoned the suit to hide her baby bump, as she didn't want anyone outside of her family to know it, not yet, at least.
She looked like a proper working lady, which was funny because she never wanted to be an office worker before.
Vernon stared at Chloe in the mirror and then put his hands on her shoulders, "You look so good wearing this suit. If you want, I can build you a new company that you can handle, sort of trying out if you are fit to be an office worker. Maybe you had a dream as a career woman before? Of course, you can do it after you've given birth to our child. I don't want you to get exhausted."
Vernon tried to remember if Big Sis Chloe had a dream to become a career woman.
He asked her once about her dream, and she replied;
-
'My dream is to have a family. I want to take care of my family as a housewife, but if I'm yet to reach that simple dream, I'd want to be a kindergarten teacher.'
-
Chloe smiled, but she shook her head, "I never intend to be a career woman. My degree is in child education, and I was thinking of becoming a kindergarten teacher back then because I like kids and love taking care of them."
"Well, I don't need to be a kindergarten teacher now because I'm currently taking care of Mackie, the boys, and…" Chloe looked down and rubbed her belly gently. "Our baby and I'm pretty sure you still want more, right?"
"Heheh, you got me," Vernon was a little embarrassed. He wanted more kids because he thought life would be nicer if surrounded by the fruits of love between him and Chloe.
"Maybe you think I'm not really a great and flashy career woman, and I sometimes think they look amazing…" Chloe murmured. She saw those women in power sometimes, and though she had a bit of yearning for them, she knew that being a career woman was not her calling. She preferred to have a happy family and take care of them all.
"Why are you ashamed of that?" Vernon frowned. "Do you not realize that you saved me?"
"I… saved you?"
"If you didn't teach me how to be a decent human back then, I would've turned into a monster like Vincent and Vaughn, probably an even bigger one," Vernon admitted. "You know how to treat me right. You taught me there are still good people, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to keep walking until you reach it."
Chloe didn't really remember all the things she taught Vernon back then.
She just played with him and taught him many common decencies, and how to be a good boy, just like how she taught those little boys she cared for when she took the part-time job as a babysitter to her neighbors.
But maybe that was what Vernon truly needed back then, someone who genuinely treated him like a human being and treasured him a lot as a person.
"Well, I'm glad that I met you back then, Vernon. I don't want a good man like you to turn evil just like Vincent. You have so much potential to be a great man."