Ch. 286..290: Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother Chapter 286-290
Chapter 286
"Mr. Gray, what would you do to the culprit behind all this once you find him?" Mr Maxwell asked.
"Hmm..." Vincent seemed to be thinking for a few seconds. "Death is too kind, that one is for sure."
"I will not kill him, but I will make sure he wishes to die instead," Vincent replied calmly. "I will ruin his life, making sure he cannot financially recover. I will destroy all of his properties, and I will burn his family if I have to, leaving him a broken man without any family by his side."
"Then, I shall make him die of overdose by supplying him with a lot of drugs while he is in his lowest state. He will die a pathetic man, and that should put a smile on me," Vincent started with a meaningful smile.
'I shouldn't have asked....' Gregory Maxwell thought. Because that plan was so crazy and cruel, I thought it was befitting coming from Vincent Gray.
"So, you should know the punishment that you'll get, in case it is proven that you're the one who hid my wife and daughter, right, Mr. Maxwell?"
Gregory Maxwell shuddered in fear. Even though it wasn't him who hid Chloe and Mackenzie, just imagining the fate of that poor man already scared Mr Maxwell enough.
He nodded quickly and got up from the chair, "Mr. Gray, if there is nothing I can do, may I excuse myself to leave?"
"So quick? I was about to invite you to an evening snack," Vincent said. He smiled, but the smile was deep and malicious, forcing Gregory Maxwell to shake his head hard.
"I--I dare not, Mr. Gray. I also have to meet my wife, she has been waiting for me," Mr Maxwell said, hoping it would be a good enough reason for Vincent to release him.
Vincent chuckled and waved his hand, "You can leave now. Don't forget to work hard if you don't want your company to be ruined."
"Y--Yes, Sir!"
Gregory Maxwell sought out as he wanted to escape Vincent's viper eyes as soon as possible. Just staying in the same room with Vincent made the old Gregory almost piss himself out of fear.
'I know he is crazy, just like his late dad. But I didn't know that he can be a lot crazier when it's about his wife and daughter,' Gregory Maxwell thought.
'Now I understand why she ran away. If you have to live with a man like Vincent, you'd probably want to escape every single day.'
Vincent watched the old man finally leave his office. He sighed and quietly picked up the framed picture of Chloe and Mackie on the desk.
He smiled at the little girl in the picture, "Mackie, my princess, you should bear for a little longer, okay? Daddy is trying to punish your Mommy for being an ungrateful whore. You'll understand Daddy someday."
He then shifted his eyes towards Chloe, and the gentleness he showed to his daughter disappeared instantly.
"And you, fat bitch. Look what you made me do. I have to go on my way to create this kind of elaborate plan just to destroy the man who hid you," Vincent's glare became even more apparent the more he stared. As if he wanted to tear Chloe in half.
"I will turn you into a pig once more, then you will never be able to escape. Know your place, you're my woman, you're supposed to be beneath me."
**
Vernon arrived in his office around nine in the morning. Diamond was already sitting on her secretary's desk, but Chloe was nowhere to be found.
"Where is she?" Vernon asked before he entered his CEO's office.
"Mrs. Gray texted me, saying that she will be late because she still has to cook lunch for Mackie and you."
"I see..." Vernon nodded. He walked to the CEO's office door, but Diamond stopped him on his track.
"Sir."
Vernon halted his step, "What?"
"I've received a little information about the attacker. Though I'm not sure if this would be enough since we've only investigated in less than a day."
"Tell me now," Vernon said.
Usually, he'd tell Diamond to go to his office for this kind of talk, but since there was no Chloe around, they could talk freely about this.
Diamond took a deep breath. She knew that her homegirl might disapprove of this, and Chloe would probably hate her for snitching.
But she was not a kind-hearted woman like Chloe. Once anyone dared to hurt her, Diamond would go on her way to hurt that person back as revenge.
'Gurl, I'm sorry about this. But you will never find justice if you don't do anything. I know this will ruin your sister, but she got what she deserves,' Diamond thought, hoping Chloe would forgive her if she got discovered later.
"Sir, the attacker's name is Chelsea Davis, 36 years old. Her maiden name is Chelsea Carlson. She is the first daughter of Judith Carlson. She is also Chloe's older sister."
"She is working as a teacher in a public elementary school with a small wage. She has four sons, and they are all six years and younger. She doesn't seem to be living happily because of all the mundane, yet troublesome things happening in her life."
"I see..." Vernon wasn't all that surprised by this. He knew that Chloe's side of the family was struggling financially. Which was unusual.
Usually, when someone marries the Gray family, that person and his entire side of the family get enough money to support a comfortable life.
But it didn't seem to be the case with Chloe's family.
However, he knew he still hadn't gotten his full report and asked;
"How about her husband?"
"Ah, that is...." Diamond hesitated. Because she knew when she told her boss about Chelsea's husband, Vernon would start thinking of a new idea to ruin Chelsea's family.
"Come on, Diamond. What are you hesitating about? I just need the full story before making a... fair judgment."
Chapter 287
Come on, Diamond. What are you hesitating about? I just need the full story before making a… fair judgment!" Vernon urged.
Diamond zipped her lips tight while signaling Vernon to enter the CEO's office.
She was afraid that her homegirl would suddenly pop out from that elevator and hear what they were talking about.
She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she saw the betrayed look in her homegirl's eyes.
Vernon was already impatient. He clicked his tongue as a sign of displeasure but understood the signal, "Fine, come in, and let's discuss this inside my office."
Vernon and Diamond entered the CEO's office, and Vernon told Diamond to lock it, just in case Chloe might accidentally storm in.
Vernon sat on his boss's chair and put his hands on the desk. He stared at Diamond, standing straight in front of him, "Okay, you can speak now."
Diamond sighed in relief.
"Sir, I did a small investigation about Chelsea's husband. His name is Tommy Davis, 40 years old," Diamond reported.
"A small investigation?" Vernon frowned. "Would that be enough for me to make a fair judgment of what I should do next?"
"Should be enough because there is nothing interesting about him other than this one fact that I discovered," Diamond said. She took another deep breath because the moment she opened her mouth and spilled everything, that would be the end of Chelsea's small family.
"Sir, Tommy Davis is an unemployed middle-aged man who works odd jobs that barely give him money. He is basically a deadweight for his wife," Diamond said. "And also, he cheats on her wife with a woman in her early twenties, presumably a college student."
Vernon frowned upon hearing the information, "Are you sure about that? You've just investigated her family in less than 24 hours and you already uncovered that kind of secret?"
"I am a hundred percent certain, Sir," Diamond confirmed. "And it's not really a secret, because I discovered his affair while he was going to the crowded mall, watching some movies with his date."
"I see…" Vernon nodded. "I got the gist now. I think I will use that bastard to hurt his wife."
Diamond gulped. She had a few rough ideas about what her boss would do next.
"May I know your plan, Sir?"
"Hm. I will send someone to attack Chelsea when she is on her way home, should be at dusk," Vernon said. "I won't kill her or even gravely injure her. But I will instruct that guy to slash her cheek, so she will have a permanent scar that will make her face ugly."
Diamond gulped. She knew that was a deserved revenge for what Chelsea did to Chloe, who wasn't even trying to attack.
But it was still scary to listen to.
"Then, I will use her husband— Tommy Davis. I will send someone to take a picture of him on his date with his girlfriend, and then use it to blackmail him."
"I will force him to drop as much money as possible to empty his wife's bank account, or I will send the pictures to his wife," Vernon said.
"And if he refused to send any money?" Diamond asked. As much as she remembered, Tommy Davis was literally broke 90% of the time. He was leeching off his wife's salary.
Working odd jobs in New York wouldn't give you a lot, especially when you have a family to feed and a side chick to please.
"That is still a win-win situation for me. His family will be torn apart if he gets discovered, and it will probably lead to divorce," Vernon replied. "After all, who would keep a deadbeat husband who's leeching off of your wallet and still has the audacity to cheat?"
'But, how about her kids?' Diamond wanted to ask that, but she refrained. She didn't want to think too much of the aftermath because she knew damn well her boss didn't give a shit about it.
Diamond knew how ruthless Vernon could be, and he must be furious when he saw the wound on Chloe's beautiful face.
But no matter how ruthless he was, Diamond knew that her boss wouldn't hurt the kids. After all, they were all innocent.
'I'm sorry, home girl. But I hope we can sort this out later. I hope I can help the kids with the compensation. But I will never allow anyone to walk free after inflicting horrible scars on your face!' Diamond toughened herself.
"Okay, I will start planning for it, Diamond. You can go out and resume your work as always," Vernon instructed. "And don't you dare tell me— I mean, don't you dare tell Chloe about this. She is too timid. Too soft hearted. She would be mad at me if she knew I did something to her family."
"Understood, Sir. Don't worry, I will never tell her because I am also involved in this."
Diamond and Vernon reached an agreement, something that rarely happened.
Diamond finally left the office after she spoke about everything she knew, and she saw her boss started calling someone to deal with this.
She unlocked and opened the door. However, when she went out, she stumbled upon Chloe standing in front of the CEO's office.
They were both startled and gasped at the same time.
"H—Homegirl, why are you here?" Diamond asked awkwardly. She quickly closed the door as she didn't want Chloe to see or hear Vernon calling one of his subordinates to deal with Chelsea and Tommy.
"Ah— uhm…. I'm here to deliver Vernon's lunch, of course…." Chloe replied. She noticed Diamond's nervousness, and it got her wondering. "Diamond, are you okay? You look… nervous."
"Nervous? Who? Me? W—Why would I be nervous? There's nothing to be nervous about, nothing at all!" Diamond was afraid that she would run her mouth and accidentally spill something.
Usually, she was someone who could keep a secret and act very calm and collected in any situation. But when facing her homegirl after reporting her findings, she felt indescribable guilt that made her nervous.
Chapter 288
Usually, she was someone who could keep a secret and act very calm and collected in any situation. But when she faced her homegirl after reporting her findings, she felt indescribable guilt that made her nervous.
"A—Anyway, I have lots to do. So I better return to my desk and work!" Diamond said.
"Okay, let me meet Vernon. There is something that I want to discuss with him," Chloe said. She stepped towards the CEO's office door, but Diamond quickly blocked her.
"L—Let me confirm whether he is busy or not, girl!" Diamond said frantically.
She opened the door and yelled loudly, "Mr. Phoenix Gray, Chloe is here to speak with you!"
Vernon, who was still busy calling one of the executors, was surprised. He quickly ended the call and cleared his throat before confirming, "Let her in."
Diamond sighed in relief.
Really, they were just discussing how not to be discovered by Chloe, and they were so close to getting caught red-handed just now.
She stepped out of the door frame and stared at her homegirl. She forced a smile and said, "He is free to meet you now, homegirl."
…
Chloe definitely sensed there was something off with them today. Because Diamond looked so nervous, Vernon's voice sounded nervous when he answered just now.
'Did they do something in private? Maybe Diamond and Vernon are… nah, I don't think that's even possible, knowing how low Diamond's opinion towards Vernon…' Chloe thought.
But she still had to confirm.
After all, it would be a joyful occasion if her little Vernon and best friend dated for real.
Chloe would be their first supporter!
Chloe entered the office and saw Vernon sitting on his chair with his back straightened. He looked so nervous, which had never happened before.
Usually, he'd either slump on the sofa or lift his legs and rest them on the desk while calling someone on the phone.
"Vernon?"
"Y—Yes, Big sis—" Vernon realized his mistake and fixed it immediately. "Yes, Chloe."
Chloe got even more confused by his nervousness. Usually, when Vernon was guilty of something when he was a kid, he would call her Big sis and sit straight on a chair.
He would listen to every scolding that Chloe gave him. He wouldn't cry. Instead, he would look sad and feel guilty for the whole day.
Chloe put Vernon's lunch bag on the table and walked towards Vernon.
Vernon's breath stiffened instantly. He clenched his armrest, afraid that Chloe might've heard about what he was planning and would be mad at him.
Vernon knew it was unnatural for him, a powerful CEO from the Gray family with great physical prowess and above 190 centimeters in height, to be intimidated by a petite sweet lady like Chloe.
But he truly feared Chloe right now.
To be scolded and hear his Big sis Chloe say, 'I'm disappointed in you, Vernon,' was a childhood nightmare he didn't want to repeat.
Chloe noticed the nervousness immediately. He walked around the desk and stood beside Vernon, who was bound to his boss's chair.
"Vernon, are you okay? You look too nervous," Chloe asked. She gently put her hand on his shoulder, and Vernon jolted instantly.
"Wha—" Chloe took a step back out of reflex. "Vernon, did something happen while I was out?"
Chloe didn't want to assume. But the way Vernon jolted like he was about to get caught for doing a severe crime worried her so much.
"N—Nothing, Big sis!" Vernon replied quickly. But he dodged Chloe's eyes.
'Ah, he still keeps his old habit when he's trying to hide something. He'll try to dodge my eyes as much as he can, because he will eventually burst out crying when our eyes meet,' Chloe thought.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! Yes, I'm sure!" Vernon replied. "N—Now, go sit on the sofa, or somewhere not too close to me!"
'Oh, it's so obvious,' Chloe thought. 'But I don't want to embarrass him. So…'
Chloe returned to the sofa and sat there, staring at Vernon, who was still sitting on his executive chair while doing his best to dodge her eyes.
"Well, um… Diamond said you want to meet me. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Ah, before that… did you and Diamond have a… you know… affair?"
Vernon's eyes widened instantly. She glared at Chloe as if he had just been slandered and replied, "Why would I have an affair with Diamond? That's gross!"
"That's not nice…."
"I don't care if it's nice or not! Ugh, fuck, thinking about it seriously weirded me out!" Vernon was truly disgusted by the idea. Because he never actually saw Diamond as a potential partner.
He saw her as a work partner as she was competent and a quick thinker.
"If it's not about that. Then what makes you look so nervous?" Chloe wondered.
"I—" Vernon paused for a second. He was trying to find a good lie so Chloe would question no more. "I— I'm thinking about surprising you with something…."
"Me?!" Chloe's doe eyes were staring at Vernon with sparkle. She tried to hold her excitement, but Vernon could see that Chloe was happy with the idea of surprise.
"Y—You shouldn't do something for me. It's too much of a hassle, and you're very busy too…." Chloe said.
She tried to reject Vernon's idea, but she was so happy inside that she wanted to jump and dance around right now.
It had been ten years since she got a good surprise from someone. For the past ten years, Vincent only surprised her by fucking a random woman each time she caught him cheating, and he looked so proud of it.
Vernon saw how happy Chloe looked, and he went along with it. This would also coincide with his agenda, as he had been planning to buy her something as gift and also compensation for snapping at her many times before.
"It's not a hassle, Chloe! I've prepared the surprise, so you better expect something good this evening!"
Chapter 289
"Y—You shouldn't do something for me. It's too much of a hassle, and you're very busy too…." Chloe said.
"It's not a hassle, Chloe! I've prepared the surprise, so you better expect something good this evening!" Vernon insisted.
Chloe felt like she didn't do anything to deserve a surprise. All she did was just work as a maid in Vernon's apartment.
'Well, also his cook, his suit styler, and… his bed warmer,' Chloe counted all the work she had to do.
But she would get paid by Vernon at the end of the year anyway, so she hadn't done anything meaningful to Vernon.
She was scared that Vernon might give her something expensive, so she said, "I—It's not an expensive item, right?"
"Nope, not at all," Vernon said. He was thinking of the gift he would have to purchase this afternoon and thought it was pretty cheap for someone so precious.
'Hmm, what counts as an expensive gift to her?' Vernon asked himself. 'A yacht? A private jet? I think I have enough money to buy those if she wants me to buy them for her.'
'Nothing is expensive if that means I can make you happy, Chloe,' Vernon said in his heart.
"Y—Are you sure it's not expensive? I… I don't want you to spend a lot of money for me…."
Vernon sighed, "Stop looking down on yourself. Besides, there is nothing expensive in my eyes. Just be expecting to have a nice gift for yourself this evening, and worry not, I won't give you something too much."
"Okay…" Chloe was relieved that Vernon promised to go a little cheap on her. She would feel extremely guilty if she got an expensive gift for doing nothing.
Vernon watched Chloe looking shy when he promised her a gift. He was secretly glad Chloe didn't continue pestering him about what had happened between him and Diamond.
'At least I can divert her attention. I don't know what I would do if Chloe got mad at me,' Vernon thought. 'There's nothing scarier and heartbreaking than seeing Chloe reprimanding me….'
"So, what do you want to talk about, Chloe?" Vernon asked. "I heard from Diamond that you have something to discuss."
"Oh— uhm… I want to ask whether I can borrow more money from your black card…." Chloe asked meekly. Of course, she could use Vernon's money because everything would be billed by the end of the year anyway.
But she was talking about BIG money! The amount of money that she never had cash on, and if she dared to spend this amount in front of Vincent, that bastard would probably call her a wasteful bitch.
So, she thought she had to ask for permission first to avoid being yelled at.
Vernon's breath stiffened. He was about to get angry when Chloe asked his permission for such a thing.
Because it always poked Vernon's sore spot. He didn't want to be looked down on by anyone, especially Chloe.
But he knew that Chloe had a history with Vincent.
Vernon didn't know much about what Vincent did to Chloe. But he knew this habit of asking for permission must've stemmed from her experience with Vincent.
So he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and asked, "What do you want to buy? And how much do you need?"
'Ugh, this is humiliating,' Vernon thought. 'Why can't you understand that I don't give a shit how much money you spend! I became rich because of you!'
Chloe was relieved that Vernon didn't outright yell at her, which he often did whenever she asked for permission.
"Well, um… Mackie is going to have a drama play for the autumn festival in her school. She's going to play as the Big bad wolf in the story of Three Little Pig," Chloe explained. "She is so excited for it, and she will start practicing for the drama today. I want to buy her something as a gift for her hard work."
"So, um… I want to borrow a lot of money from your credit card…."
"How much?" Vernon started imagining a few possible numbers that should be enough for Mackie's gift. 'I think twenty-thousand dollars should be enough for a gift, right?"
"Um… t—two thousand dollars…." Chloe replied meekly, thinking it was a big amount since Vincent would never allow her to hold that much money and spend it all for herself.
…
…
Chloe raised her head, afraid that Vernon might've been angry with Chloe for spending that much money.
What she saw was a slightly annoyed face, but nowhere near angry.
"V—Vernon?"
"Is this a fucking joke?" Vernon asked. He was trying hard not to roll his eyes when he heard the number.
It was simply ridiculous! Why would you look so nervous for spending a mere two thousand dollars?!
"It's not a joke…." Chloe replied meekly. "I want to buy Mackie a few things, such as an iPad and let her buy whatever she wants in the mall. It's been a while since I bought her anything…."
"I—Is it too much? Then how about a grand? I think a thousand dollar is enough—"
"No, it's not that. It's so ridiculous that I—" Vernon facepalmed hard. "Just use whatever amount you need. I will give you that black card so you can spend as much as you like."
"I—I would rather spend on necessary stuff…." Chloe said. She didn't want to fall into the same trap twice.
Vincent also gave her a black card and told her to use it for whatever she liked. But Vincent would ridicule and even insult Chloe for using that card for anything other than groceries and buying Mackie's stuff.
Then, Vincent would use the black card as an excuse whenever he made a mistake or got caught cheating;
-
'Oh come on. I gave you my black card. That should be enough to shut you up, right? That black card doesn't have a limit. So you can use it to buy anything you want.'
-
Chapter 290
'Oh come on. I gave you my black card. That should be enough to shut you up, right? That black card doesn't have a limit. So you can use it to buy anything you want.'
'You're a woman, I know that you just want money. So just shut up and let me have fun outside. It's not a big deal, and it won't change a thing between us,' Vincent said while he brought another woman into their bedroom.
-
Chloe didn't want to experience that kind of situation anymore, to be looked down on because she used a man's money...
'I'll wait until I get my first salary by January, and then I will give this black card back to Vernon and use that salary to start living frugally,' Chloe fretted. 'After all, I don't want to be charged 10x every time I have to use it.'
Chloe shuddered when she imagined twenty-thousand dollars down the drain because of that 10x charge policy implemented by Vernon.
'Damn it, now that I think about it, twenty thousand dollars is way too much! I should've saved a lot, then I can buy something for Mackie after I get my first salary!' Chloe quickly darted her eyes at Vernon and said;
"V--Vernon, I think I'll only need to borrow seven-hundred bucks. That should be enough to buy a new iPad for her--"
SLAM!
Chloe jolted when Vernon suddenly slammed the desk out of annoyance.
"V--Vernon?"
"I don't understand why you kept talking about this? Didn't I tell you just now, that you can use my black card for anything you want!" Vernon yelled. "I don't care what you buy. Heck, you can buy a literal private jet and I won't bat an eye! Stop making it sound like I'm a stingy poor bastard!"
...
'Did he forget his own words? I will have to pay 10x of the amount I used in his credit card for any purchase outside of grocery...' Chloe still remembered the agreement she made with Vernon when she was hired as his maid.
Chloe lowered her head as she didn't really know what to say to Vernon, and Vernon was caught off guard because he was acting out of emotion.
He was slightly annoyed at first, but the more Chloe raised the issue about being frugal and not spending too much on his black card, the angrier he got.
'Crap...' Vernon regretted his action instantly and tried to backpedal. He lowered his voice and tried to soften it as he didn't want to scare Chloe, knowing his history, Vernon often intimidated someone without even realizing.
"W--What I mean is... I don't care how much you spend. I gave that card to you. I know that all women are materialistic and only love their men because of their money. So I won't question a thing about what you buy, okay?"
Chloe's heartbeat skipped for a second. She lifted her head again and saw Vernon trying to smile at her. Though, it looked like he was smirking rather than smiling...
Chloe's face visibly paled, and Vernon got even more worried. He felt like he was walking on an eggshell right now. No matter what he said, it would turn out to be wrong.
"Chloe?" Vernon called her and waited for a response. "Is everything alright?"
Chloe paused for a long while and nodded, "Everything is alright...."
'Okay, that's definitely NOT alright. But I don't know what I said wrong!' Vernon thought.
"Um... I'll have to prepare for your lunch. Please excuse me," Chloe got up from the sofa and grabbed the lunch bag.
"Wait--!"
Chloe halted her step and turned her body to face Vernon, whose face looked so troubled, "Yes?"
Vernon wanted to ask what he did or said wrong. Because the face that Chloe made when she was sad lingered in Vernon's mind.
But he knew he wouldn't get any clear answer from Chloe if he simply confronted her.
Thus he asked;
"Did you make two portions of lunch for me today?"
Chloe nodded in response.
"Then prepare it on different plates and you should sit here to have lunch with me!" Vernon instructed.
"That extra portion...."
"Isn't that obvious? Of course that's your lunch!"
"But I'm not hungry...."
"I don't care! You have to eat with me!" Vernon insisted, and Chloe had no way to refuse.
Thus, she nodded reluctantly and left the CEO's office.
Vernon sighed in relief once Chloe left his office. He wanted to confront Chloe about her trauma. He asked her everything so there wouldn't be any more misunderstanding between them.
"But if I did, Chloe would just hide everything and become so defensive."
...
"I really need someone who can give me advice on this," Vernon murmured. "Well, that's supposed to be Shailene's job. But that bitch seriously thinks that my Big sis Chloe is a pedophile and a manipulator."
"I should probably find a new psychologist. But..."
-
'I know you WILL return to me, I know that you picked me as your psychologist for this case because you're not someone who can open up easily, especially to strangers,' Shailene said back then.
-
Vernon hated to admit it, but it was difficult for him to open up. If he had to find a replacement for Shailene, it would take him a long time to adjust and get comfortable with that new psychologist.
"Ugh, I feel like I'm stuck in a dead end. What could I do to make Chloe open up to me more?"
**
-
I know that all women are materialistic and only love their men because of their money.
-
That sentence lingered in Chloe's mind while preparing Vernon's lunch.
She put Vernon's lunch in the microwave and closed the lid.
Chloe saw her reflection on the microwave's lid and paused while staring at herself.
Her heart was heavy. Vernon's words really hit her conscience until she was speechless.
Vernon's words offended... and saddened her at the same time.
'That is the same words said by Vincent back then....