Ch. 291..295: Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother Chapter 291-295

Chapter 291

Vernon's words offended… and saddened her at the same time.

'That is the same words said by Vincent back then….'

Chloe had an almost photographic memory of all the terrible things Vincent had said and done to her for the past ten years. She remembered Vincent said that same sentence.

Word by word, Vincent and Vernon literally said the same thing.

Chloe knew that was bound to happen. After all, Vincent and Vernon were blood brothers and seemed to have a good relationship. So it was bound to happen that they would share a similar way of thinking and a similar view of a woman.

'Both of them think that all women are only into money…' Chloe sighed. 'I know that money is important. But is it enough to cover all the damages that have been done?'

'Dorothea doesn't seem to be happy with all the money she has,' Chloe often watched how Dorothea bought so many expensive things just for the sake of it. But no matter how much she tried to cover herself with gold, Chloe knew that deep down, Dorothea was depressed by how her husband cheated on her many times.

'I mean, I married a billionaire, which is the worst mistake in my life….'

'Maybe I need to be as materialistic as Dorothea, so I can be happy with Vincent… and Vernon….'

Chloe thought that Vernon would be different from Vincent. But it turned out he also had the same view.

'Maybe it's just in their blood, they are a traditional family in a sense…' Chloe tried to rationalize Vernon's words, hoping it would mend the damage that had been done. 'It's fine, you're used to seeing a man who looks down on a woman like you. You experienced that for ten years anyway.'

Chloe knew that deep down, she was angry and disappointed in Vernon. But she wasn't the one who could reprimand him for his view.

'He's an adult. He should've known better.'

Chloe finished preparing for Vernon's lunch, and she put it all in a tray.

She walked past Diamond, who sensed the sadness in Chloe's eyes, and she stopped Chloe abruptly, "Hold on Gurl. You look sad. What did he do to you?"

"Ah—" Chloe was surprised that Diamond noticed her sorrow even though she said nothing.

But that shouldn't be a compliment because Chloe wasn't good enough at masking her pain.

"I—"

"Gurl, before you say there's nothing wrong, you should've known that you're not really a good liar," Diamond interrupted, ensuring that Chloe told the truth.

Chloe zipped her lips immediately. She was about to lie, but Diamond must've been used to seeing her lying at this point.

"I… I'm just a little disappointed at Vernon…." Chloe said truthfully. "But it's alright. It's not my obligation to teach him. He's already an adult."

Chloe quickly left Diamond alone and then went inside Vernon's office.

Diamond watched Chloe's back worriedly.

'That sorry excuse of a man must've said something hurtful again,' Diamond theorized. 'He often said something that hurt others without realizing. And I know damn well it must've been so offensive.'

Diamond knew that her boss didn't seem to grasp how to be a proper gentleman who could care for a lady, especially a frail one like Chloe.

'I have to ask him after this. I will give him a flash course on how to be a proper gentleman that won't hurt a woman's heart for at least an hour!'

Chloe saw Vernon already sitting on the sofa while waiting for his lunch. It looked like he was pondering about something so heavy that he didn't realize Chloe was already inside his office.

Chloe walked towards Vernon and called him, "Vernon, I bring your lunch."

"Huh? Ah— okay…"

Vernon snapped out of his daze. He was trying to recall all the words he said towards Chloe to find any flaw.

But he couldn't find any. He wasn't trying to offend her at all!

Vernon watched Chloe arrange the lunch on the table, "Alright, all done."

"And where's yours?" Vernon asked. He quickly grabbed Chloe's wrist to make sure she didn't escape.

His eyes swept through the food on the table, scanning everything, and he realized there was no food for Chloe. "Didn't I tell you we're having lunch together?"

Chloe kept her silence.

She didn't feel like having lunch with Vernon, at least not right now. Because what Vernon said reminded her of Vincent, and there was no way she would want to be in the same room as that guy.

'Besides, if I eat while thinking of Vincent. I will probably vomit everything I ate….'

"I—I will eat outside…."

"No, I want you to eat with me. Didn't I make it clear before?" Vernon insisted.

"I—I'd rather eat alone for now…."

"NO! Damn it, I told you that I want to have lunch with you! Why are you avoiding me?!"

"I'm not avoiding you…."

"YOU ARE AVOIDING ME!" Vernon raised his voice out of frustration, and he regretted it immediately. "L—Listen, I don't know if I said something wrong before. But could you just let it slide? It's nothing big after all, right?"

Chloe darted her eyes at Vernon immediately. She was glaring at Vernon, who dared to say it was 'nothing big.'

"Vernon, release my hand now."

Vernon was stunned by her glare.

It wasn't scary. Chloe couldn't be scary or intimidating with her doe eyes.

But Vernon felt Chloe's doe eyes were like a knife that stabbed his heart.

"Chloe?"

"Release my hand now. I will eat outside."

…

"Vernon."

"Urgh, damn it! Fine!" Vernon released Chloe's wrist, and the latter quickly took a distance away from Vernon.

Chloe rubbed her wrist that Vernon held just now. There was a feeling of disgust in her heart, to the point that she couldn't control her facial expression.

She was disgusted to be touched by someone with the same mindset as Vincent, even if that man was her cute little Vernon, whom she raised and adored so much.

Chapter 292

She was disgusted to be touched by someone with the same mindset as Vincent, even if that man was her cute little Vernon, whom she raised and adored so much.

Vernon sensed the hostility and disgust in Chloe's eyes. He noticed how she kept rubbing her wrist as if she wanted to get something dirty off her skin.

Vernon's eyes turned red, and his veins popped out almost instantly. He got up and yelled at Chloe, "How dare you rub your wrist like that?! Do you think I'm disgusting?!"

Chloe said nothing. She was scared right now, of course.

But there was another feeling that beat fear, and it was disgust.

"Say something!" Vernon yelled again. Chloe's action seriously angered him to the point that he was losing control.

He didn't want to be looked down on by anyone, especially not by Chloe, whom he had built his entire career for.

Chloe kept glaring at Vernon for a while. She wanted to yell back at him, telling him that he was disgusting for looking down on her just because she was a woman.

But she didn't have the urge to be mad.

Or perhaps she simply couldn't raise her voice at Vernon, the little boy she raised so dearly.

Thus, Chloe opened her lips slowly;

"I raised you and taught you to be respectful, Vernon Phoenix Gray," Chloe said. Her voice was shaky, and she was absolutely terrified right now.

But she stood on her ground. Because she wanted to save a little bit of dignity that she had.

She had thrown most of her dignity for the sake of survival. She became a maid and a bed warmer for her brother-in-law because she needed to survive with her daughter.

But she was working an honest job that didn't hurt anyone.

So when someone said that all women were materialistic, it also poked that small dignity she desperately tried to protect.

"Yeah, you raised me to be respectful, and then what? I AM respectful to you! Don't you see how kind and patient I am?!" Vernon continued yelling.

He saw that Chloe didn't look scared or run away like usual. She stood on her ground, and that somehow made him very uncomfortable.

The way she kept glaring at him as if she was challenging his authority!

"What? Why are you looking at me like that? Am I some sort of criminal to you?!"

"Vernon..." Chloe called his name gently but with a certain reprimanding tone that she usually used when he was a kid. "You don't understand, do you?"

"W--What? What do you mean?" Vernon was taken aback by that question. Because truthfully, he didn't understand anything right now.

He was like a lost kid that got angry when someone pointed out that he was lost.

His defense mechanism told him to get angry, so he could mask the fact that he was ashamed for knowing nothing.

"I--I understand! I understand that you're offended by some of my words!" Vernon retorted, trying to get some confidence back. "That's why I told you to let it slide, because I feel like I haven't said anything wrong!"

"I can't let it slide. Because it's offensive to me...."

"Then tell me what I said wrong!" Vernon gritted his teeth and pointed at Chloe's face. "Why are you so dramatic over this? Just tell me and we can sort it out!"

...

"If you don't realize what you said wrong, then I have no obligation to tell you, Vernon. You're an adult...." Chloe said. "But let me tell you why I don't want to eat with you now...."

Chloe took a deep breath, knowing this would be painful and she would definitely regret everything after this.

But she couldn't endure this in her heart for too long, especially after Vernon called her dramatic.

"You want me to be healthy and eat well, right?"

Vernon nodded without hesitation, still not understanding the connection between those two different topics.

"Well, I can't look at your face right now, Vernon," Chloe said coldly. "You remind me so much of Vincent, and I can't eat anything when I imagine him around me. He... disgusts me."

Vernon was stunned the moment Chloe mentioned Vincent. He never expected himself to be in the same category as his vile Big brother.

"W--What do you mean by that?" Vernon's voice softened, but he was mostly confused and in shock. That sentence was hard for him to digest.

"You remind me so much of him, Vernon. You literally said the same thing that he usually said to me. You and him... have the same mindset."

Chloe was trying hard to cover Vincent's abuse from Vernon. But at some point, she knew that a few things were bound to get leaked, especially after Vernon accidentally triggered her trauma and she called him the wrong name.

'Ah, I regret this already...' Chloe fretted. 'But whenever I remember about Vincent, I feel like fighting back. There is no way I'll keep being his doormat after ten years of abuse.'

Chloe felt that her anger was misplaced towards Vernon. After all, Vernon looked absolutely devastated right now.

But she just couldn't hide her disgust.

'I don't know what Vernon will do next. Maybe I should be the one who apologized... but not now. I just... can't.'

"Please understand that I can't see you right now, Vernon...." Chloe said. "Please excuse me, and... don't forget to eat lunch. You have a meeting after lunch, right?"

Vernon continued staring at Chloe in silence. He watched her back as she left the office.

Vernon continued gazing emptily at the door until his gaze started getting blurry.

"Ugh! Don't cry, you loser!" Vernon scolded himself. He rubbed his eyes to stop the tears that almost dropped from the corner of his eyes.

Vernon lowered his head and stared at the food that Chloe had prepared.

"She's right...." Vernon murmured. "I seriously have no idea what I did wrong. But what should I do if she refuses to tell me? How can I correct myself?"

Chapter 293

"She's right…." Vernon murmured. "I seriously have no idea what I did wrong. But what should I do if she refuses to tell me? How can I correct myself?"

Vernon slowly put his palm on top of his chest and grasped it as he endured the pain.

He was experiencing the familiar heartache that he hated so much.

Usually, whenever he felt this heartache attacking him on an almost weekly basis, he would spend his time getting drunk and fucking his then-girlfriends.

But he couldn't do that now, and he didn't know how to ignore the pain without the use of alcohol.

He gritted his teeth while staring at the lunch served by Chloe. Knowing this was made by the woman he loved, he decided to grab the spoon and started digging.

First bite and his gaze got blurry again. He started tearing up and desperately tried to rub his eyes to ensure he didn't cry.

But he was heartbroken, like a child that had been scolded and reprimanded. He could only sob while eating his lunch.

"Ugh, so pathetic! Stop tearing up, Vernon!" Vernon yelled at himself for crying over a woman. But no matter how often he tried to man up, his eyes would eventually pool with tears again.

He had accidentally triggered his own fear. That one fear that could make a heartless devil like Vernon cry.

To be reprimanded, scolded, and yelled at by his Big sis Chloe. As if she saw him as a failure and disappointment.

Sob. Sob.

"Why can't you tell me my mistakes, so I can apologize, Chloe…." Vernon murmured. He was tearing up while eating his lunch, to the point that he tasted the saltiness of his tears inside the food.

"Pathetic, don't cry, Vernon. Why are you crying just because a woman yelled at you?" Vernon continued cursing himself for being weak. "Aren't you the one who broke many women's hearts in the past?"

Sob. Sob.

"Y—Yeah, that's true. I am a man. I'm a playboy that breaks many women's hearts! I shouldn't be crying like a bitch!" Vernon chanted to strengthen himself.

But it didn't seem to be effective…

…

…

Sob. Sob.

Vernon finished his lunch. He cleaned everything and was currently drinking the banana milk from the straw. He slumped on the sofa, staring at the ceiling emptily.

He had calmed down after a while. But the guilt was still eating him up inside.

He wanted to apologize to Chloe, even if he didn't know what he had done wrong.

"Maybe I should ask Diamond how to apologize properly," Vernon thought. "I'm gonna buy her a lot of expensive gifts as a compensation, hopefully she'll like it."

Vernon finished his banana milk and checked his phone. He was about to text one of his friends who was directly connected with many expensive fashion brands' executives.

But he suddenly got a new text from someone he despised so much.

—

From: Shailene

I'm free this evening.

Do you want to go on another therapy session?

—

Vernon was staring at his phone screen for a while.

If this was a regular situation, he would just scoff or ridicule her for being so shameless.

She was slandering Chloe, insulting her by calling her a pedophile and accusing her of manipulating him since he was a kid.

She knew NOTHING about Chloe and was very unprofessional the whole time.

Vernon wanted to refuse, but she needed someone to talk to.

While Vernon was still deciding on whether he should go to Shailene or not. He got another text from her.

—

From: Shailene

I will apologize for what I said yesterday.

I may have been a bit too rash in my judgment, so I will give you another therapy session, and this time, I promise I won't judge her.

—

…

'Maybe it's worth giving another shot,' Vernon thought. 'She promises not to slander Chloe. So it should be alright.'

Vernon didn't give a shit if Shailene called him out or insulted him. Because honestly, he was involved in a big part of her love trauma.

He was such an asshole, and he admitted that.

But that didn't give her the right to insult his loved one.

Vernon took another minute to consider whether it was worth it to meet Shailene right now.

But he didn't want to talk to another psychologist and had to go through the process of opening up again.

Because truly, he really disliked the feeling of vulnerability.

Thus, Vernon texted;

—

To: Shailene

After dusk, around seven. I will be there.

—

Vernon sent the text.

He was thinking about contacting his friend who could net him a lot of limited edition branded fashion items, such as bags, shoes, dresses, et cetera.

He wanted to buy it all for Chloe.

But now he hesitated. He was afraid to make another wrong step. He didn't want to unknowingly hurt Chloe even more…

"Alright, I'll buy those stuff after I talk with Shailene. Maybe she will give me good advice, though I doubt that….'

Vernon went to the bathroom to wash his face and washed all the traces of tears. He might have had a moment of vulnerability just now, but he absolutely refused to show that kind of tears to anyone. Not even Chloe was allowed to see him cry.

Because he had pride as a man. And as a man, to show your weak side in front of the woman you loved was the worst thing you could do.

"I want her to see me as a powerful and rich man, worthy of her love. So better not show that kind of tears in front of her," Vernon reminded himself in the mirror.

Vernon fixed his hair and tie and stood straight. He had another meeting soon. So, he returned to his imposing self.

He was ready to face his business partner. He went out with his chest puffed out proudly, showing the world that he was the intimidating Vernon Phoenix Gray, the devil CEO you shouldn't mess with.

Chapter 294

He was ready to face his business partner. He went out with his chest puffed out, showing the world that he was the intimidating Vernon Phoenix Gray, the devil CEO you shouldn't mess with.

Vernon left his office and saw Diamond, who was ready with her iPad. She was going to go with him to another meeting as usual.

Vernon frowned when he saw the obvious frown on Diamond's face, "What?"

"What do you mean what?" Diamond asked back. She was so pissed right now that she didn't even care about her status as Vernon's subordinate. "My homegirl came out of your office crying. I asked her what happened, and she said nothing. She just picked up her bag and left."

"What did you do to her?" Diamond asked with full suspicion.

"Uhh… I… I don't know either," Vernon replied since there was no use hiding anything from Diamond. "Apparently, I said something bad, and that offended her."

"Did you apologize to her?"

"I did, I think…." Vernon claimed. Though he didn't remember if he ever said sorry to her the whole time.

…

"Do you not remember what you said wrong? Like, are you THAT clueless?" Diamond continued pressing Vernon, thinking that her boss was being dishonest right now.

Diamond's accusation pissed Vernon off, so he tried to brush off the topic, "Stop giving me that look, and stop questioning me. I'm not in a good mood right now."

'Not in a good mood? You make a grown woman cry!' Diamond yelled in her heart.

Vernon walked past Diamond and headed to the elevator, "Come with me. We have work to do."

…

Diamond took a deep breath. She was still angry at him, and she was also worried about Chloe.

But she still had to be professional, just like her boss, who could maintain a stone face after making Chloe cry.

Thus, Diamond followed her boss to the elevator, and they went downstairs to the meeting room as his client had been waiting.

**

Vernon and Diamond entered the meeting room. He saw that his new potential business partner had been waiting for him.

His new potential business partner was a man in his fifties. He was a bit fat, with thinning hair and a thick mustache.

He looked even more nervous than Vernon, even though he was thirty years older than the devil CEO and had tons of experience compared to Vernon.

"Sorry for the wait, Mr Gregory Maxwell. I didn't know you were this early for our meeting," Vernon greeted the old man with a handshake, and they sat face to face, ready for their first contract.

Gregory Maxwell observed the imposing man sitting across the table. He was calm and didn't seem interested in Mr Maxwell, which was a bad sign since Gregory Maxwell desperately needed more profit to keep his company running.

Ever since Vincent Gray halved the usual supply, Gregory Maxwell had tried to find a new client everyday. But, nobody wanted to take him because they didn't want to accidentally offend Mr Gray.

After all, Gregory Maxwell was well-known in the entrepreneur circle as the Gray family's lapdog for two decades.

Amidst his desperation, he found that Vernon Phoenix Gray— Vincent's little brother, was in the process of creating his new beverage product that would be sold around west Europe as a trial.

Thus, he was searching for a new supplier for the material for the beverage can.

Gregory Maxwell didn't know if it was alright for him to come to Vincent's little brother after he got stomped and kicked out by Vincent before. But he was too desperate to think clearly now, as his company was too reliant on Vincent.

'Besides, I heard that Vincent Gray and his little brother are in a very good relationship. They seem to be working in separate areas,' Gregory Maxwell pondered.

'From the information that I got, Vincent allowed his little brother to develop in the entertainment industry in America. He also gives his little brother enough freedom to develop many businesses in Europe by not entering the market until Vernon Phoenix Gray has enough footing of his own.'

'Even though Vernon Phoenix Gray is not as rich as his Big brother. But he seems to have inherited that wretched family's business skill. So his company would probably rival his brother's sooner or later.'

'I think it will be alright. Maybe this guy would recommend me back to Vincent as long as I do a good job,' Gregory Maxwell continued assessing the condition, and after he was assured that everything would be alright, he cleared his throat and said;

"I should be the one who thank you for giving me this opportunity, Mr. Phoenix Gray. I've heard a lot about your company. When I heard that you're searching for a new can supplier, I think that we can make a great team!"

Gregory Maxwell started his usual bootlicking to the Gray family. It was something he had done for twenty years, and he'd continue to do so.

Vernon's lips perked up as he listened, "Indeed, I am searching for a can supplier that can handle big batches and ship them across the continent."

"Then I must be the correct man for this, Mr. Phoenix Gray," Gregory Maxwell claimed. "I've been doing this for twenty years!"

"Oh yes, I know that you've been doing this for a long time, Mr. Maxwell," Vernon agreed. "After all, you're the main supplier for my family's company under my late father, and now under my Big brother, correct?"

"Yes, Sir! I've been working closely with your family for two decades."

"Hmm, you are surely a trusty businessman, Mr. Maxwell," Vernon said, and the old man almost choked on air by that statement.

Because that wasn't the case, he got caught by Vincent Gray for sending worse material to cut corners and earn more profit.

But it didn't seem that Vincent had shared anything about this, which was good for Gregory.

"Then, can we sign a contract—"

"—However—" Vernon interrupted Mr Maxwell. Vernon didn't want this old man to think that it was so easy dealing with him. "—I wonder if you're able to fulfill my demand, Mr. Maxwell. After all, you're supplying at least 80% of your material to my Big brother's company, right?"

Chapter 295

"I wonder if you're able to fulfill my demand, Mr. Maxwell. After all, you're supplying at least 80% of your material to my Big brother's company, right?" Vernon asked.

"That—"

"I'm afraid that you might bite off more than you can chew. This beverage will be launched in the early spring, and you need to ship a lot of them to the factory in Southern Europe," Vernon said. "I've made it clear that I won't be funding the shipping because I can always find another supplier located in Europe instead."

What Vernon said made sense. He wasn't really interested in taking a supply from the U.S when that beverage product would be launched in Europe.

He could take a supply from Europe or Asia, which was connected by land, and should be cheaper.

"You know that I never plan to take material supplies from the states, right?" Vernon said. "So, unless you can supply me with the best quality material, then there will be no deal between us, Mr. Maxwell."

Gregory Maxwell gulped when facing such a question.

It was true. Mr Phoenix Gray didn't announce to anyone about his plan. He talked to a few circle members about it, and Mr Maxwell got the information.

So he came here trying to pitch a business deal because he was desperate to find a new big contract to cover the losses.

He thought he could just give Vernon all the cans with bad quality that had been discovered by Vincent. So he could make a lot of profit without spending a dime.

But it seemed that Vernon would've taken a clear inspection of the cans, so Gregory Maxwell couldn't do that.

'Ugh, now I really have tons of unused material. What to do with them then?'

Vernon smiled as he sensed that he had cornered this old man, "So, Mr. Maxwell. I might make a contract with you because you've been working with my family for two decades."

"But you need to answer these two questions," Vernon said. "First, can you fill the amount of supply needed, since I know that my Big brother has a lot of his material coming from you? Second, will you be able to send me high-quality material? Because I will closely inspect them before using them for my new product."

Gregory Maxwell didn't expect to be put in a tough situation again. He thought Vernon would be less troublesome than Vincent since he only had a few years of experience working on a big industrial-scale project.

'Fuck, they're the same,' Gregory Maxwell cursed. 'What was I thinking anyway? Of course they're the same, they're brothers!'

​ Mr Maxwell cursed at his own stupidity. He was trapped by another Gray now.

If he backed off and said that he couldn't fulfil those two requirements, Vernon would definitely ask about his incompetence and say that Gregory Maxwell was wasting his time.

'At least, that's what Vincent usually does. He will make sure to trap his business partner and make sure no time is wasted on his side.'

Gregory Maxwell wasn't all that bothered about this young man's opinion. But if he refused right now, Vernon might call his Big brother and say Mr Maxwell wasn't professional. There was nothing scarier than facing the pissed-off Vincent.

Thus, knowing there was no way out, Gregory Maxwell decided hastily.

"First, I can definitely fill the supply requested by your company, Mr. Phoenix Gray," Gregory Maxwell replied. "Second, I will make sure to give you the same quality as the one I used for Mr. Vincent Gray's products."

"Good, that means we're not wasting any time here," Vernon turned his head to the left, where Diamond stood with a document. "Secretary Johnson."

"Yes, Sir."

Diamond put the document she had been holding the whole time on the table. She slid it towards Mr Maxwell, who was stunned when he accidentally read the first sentence in that document.

'Contract.'

"This…"

"Yes, it is exactly like what you thought, Mr. Maxwell," Vernon replied. "That is the contract between us. I've come prepared. Since you said you can fulfill all my requirements, I see nothing wrong with working with you."

"You can read it first, and see if everything fits your standard," Vernon offered.

Gregory Maxwell carefully read the contract. His breath stiffened, and his body went cold when he realized that Vernon Phoenix Gray had already made a contract that would be a perfect fit for their companies.

He listed everything, including the required material, price per shipping, and even the tax cut.

'Fuck, the accuracy of this contract is terrifying. Did he already predict everything? Am I playing under his hand right now?' Gregory Maxwell raised his head and met Vernon's hawk-like eyes, who stared back at him without blinking.

Vernon smiled thin, "What's wrong, Mr. Maxwell? Is there anything wrong with the contract? I can ask my secretary to make a few adjustments if you don't agree with any point."

"Though, I believe the contract has been made fairly. So there shouldn't be anything that's not compatible with your standard."

'Well, because it's so fucking accurate, that's why it's terrifying!' Gregory groaned in his head. 'I feel like you have a dubious plan behind me, and you've planned everything, including my arrival here!'

Gregory Maxwell started sweating on his back. He didn't know what would happen if he signed this contract or if he didn't.

He was wondering if he could say a few things that needed to be discussed internally first, so he had to bring this contract to his company.

But since the contract had no flaw, Vernon would've continued pressing about the matter and told him to clear every disagreement between them right now.

"What's wrong, Mr. Maxwell? You don't seem well," Vernon commented, though he knew what caused this old man to be nervous.

"A—Ah, it's nothing, Mr. Phoenix Gray…."

"Then, if there's nothing to worry about, you may sign that document and we can start working soon."