Ch. 306..310: Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother Chapter 306-310

Chapter 305

Vincent lowered his head to look down at Priscilla, 'Good thing this side piece didn't hurt my wife.'

Priscilla was still lying on the floor, the concussion made her unable to get up, and the pain spread from her head to her entire body, making her paralyzed for some time.

"V—Vincent… darling… what's wrong with you?" Priscilla asked.

Vincent scoffed, "Don't call me darling. You're no longer allowed to come to my mansion, and you're fired as my secretary. I have no use for a loose hole like you."

Vincent walked over Priscilla's body and headed to the door. He opened the door and was greeted by the worried maid who was eavesdropping the whole time.

"Master, about Miss Priscilla, what should we do to her?"

"Kick her out. I've given her fifty thousand dollars as compensation," Vincent replied. He walked past the maid and headed to the dining room, feeling a little hungry.

"Oh, if she's daring enough to threaten to publish this to the media, tell her I know all about her family. I will make her regret if she ever did something stupid," Vincent said unfeelingly before leaving.

The maid was staring at Priscilla, who lay on the floor. Her body trembled, and it seemed that she was sobbing.

The maid sighed. She heard from other senior maids that Master Vincent Gray had many side chick he kept for a year or two before ditching them heartlessly.

This woman was the one he kept the longest, but that didn't mean she would stay forever.

The maid approached Priscilla, who was still lying on the floor. She nudged Priscilla's body with her shoe and said, "Miss, please get up and leave now."

…

Priscilla was unresponsive. She continued crying until her tears flowed to the floor and made a pool.

She felt so much pain that was very new for her, and it was devastating.

'I thought we had something. I've been in love with him for the past four years…' Priscilla grieved. 'Turns out, you only see me as a bitch you can use whenever you're horny….'

'Then what's the point of saying that you'll marry me after we had such a wild and loving sex? Did you lie? Or did you change your mind?'

The maid sighed when she saw this woman crying as if the world had ended and she had lost everything in her life.

She had no need to be respectful to this woman since Master Gray had officially ditched her.

The maid nudged Priscilla's body again and said, "Do you really think that you have a chance with Master Gray? Here, let me tell you, you're just one of his side chick. He has a lot of side chick before you, and also other flings outside."

"He is also fucking some of the maids here too!" The maid continued without a filter. "Well, all of us already know what kind of man he is. As long as we got the money, then we simply forgot about it and continued living as usual."

The more the maid attacked Priscilla with the cold hard truth, the more painful it was in her heart.

"I know he has other women he slept with other than me. But I'm the one by his side for the past four years…." Priscilla finally replied.

Her voice was weak and coarse, but she continued mumbling, "Aren't I supposed to be special?"

The maid sighed again, dropping the bomb, "You're not special. Nobody is special to him other than his wife and daughter."

"You might think that Mrs. Gray is just a woman to be bullied, and well… that is the truth," the maid replied. She felt a little guilty because she slapped Mrs. Gray once under the order of Master Gray.

"But she is the one who stayed by his side for the past ten years. You're literally nothing," the maid added. "So you better forget about him. You've gotten enough money, right?"

The maid took out her phone and started calling the security guard outside.

"Yeah, come here and drag this woman out. She has been crying on the floor for a while," the maid said.

Two security guards rushed to Vincent's private office.

"Ah, there you two— go grab this woman and kick her out. Master Gray said she's not allowed to enter this mansion anymore," the maid said. "And he also told me that… he will make you regret it if you ever told this to the media."

Priscilla's heart was crushed once more. She knew that Vincent was so powerful. She and her family would suffer if she dared to say something to the media.

She witnessed— and participated in the intimidation of one woman who claimed to have had sex with Vincent.

Vincent made that woman leave this country for good because she felt unsafe everywhere.

The security guards grabbed Priscilla's arms and dragged her like a ragdoll out of the mansion.

She slumped in front of the main gate like a puppet whose string had been cut.

"Go, miss. Move on and stop pestering Master Gray," a security guard said. He threw a quick glance at the check in Priscilla's hand. The maid told them it was a fifty thousand dollar check.

"Well, if you don't want it, I will take it—" the security guard crouched, wanting to take the check from Priscilla, who was still too shocked to react.

But when she felt the check was about to get snatched, she regained some of her strength and grasped the check even tighter.

She glared at the security guard, "Fuck off or I will scream."

The security guard's body stiffened. He sighed and got up, "Alright, alright. Go take your check and leave the mansion before I get scolded by Master Gray."

The security guards returned to their post and closed the gate, leaving Priscilla alone on the street.

Priscilla slowly got up. She stood still for a while, trying to process what had just happened.

Chapter 306

Priscilla slowly got up. She stood still for a while, trying to process what had just happened.

Her tears had dried up since she cried too much in Vincent's office, but the pain still lingered in her heart. It might be permanent at this point.

"He ditched me so easily, even though I dedicated four years of my life to him…." Priscilla murmured. "Then what about all the sweet moments we went through? Was it all just a lie? Or maybe just a product of a heated moment because he was so horny about fucking me?"

Deep down, Priscilla knew that Vincent never loved her. That guy didn't love anything or anyone other than himself.

But she continued deluding herself, thinking she had a chance.

Priscilla opened her fist to see the crumpled fifty thousand dollar check.

"So this is what you call the 'last payment', huh?" Priscilla scoffed. "Oh well, I'll take it. This is also compensation for the assault you did to me just now."

Priscilla called an Uber and returned to her apartment. She was silent the whole time, but her heart was burning with fury.

She took another bath, washing away all the dirt and tears that stained her beautiful face.

After she was done with the bath, she stared at herself in the vanity and calmly said;

"I will find a man better than you, Vincent. I will find a man richer, stronger, smarter, and a lot more handsome than you! I'll make you regret ever ditching me."

"And I know the right man to look for."

**

Shailene had just finished another therapy session with her most prominent client.

An old woman who had a cheating husband. She was rich after her husband passed away and inherited all the money for her.

But the emotional damage was permanent in her heart, straining her from making a new relationship with another man, and making her unable to get close to her two sons.

Shailene sighed, "Dorothea Gray is obviously suffering. But I can see why Vernon doesn't like her at all. Because he was groomed by a woman named Chloe.

Shailene listened to some of the words from Dorothea from the most recent session.

How she could not take care of Vernon because she was dealing with her own trauma, and in exchange, he was being taken care of by Chloe since he was seven years old."

—

"That girl… she comes from a poor family. She used her charm to hook my first son, and then used her charm to groom my second son," Dorothea said during one of her sessions.

"Grooming? That is a strong allegation, Mrs. Gray," Shailene frowned, but her hand continued writing something in her notepad. "Maybe she is just taking care of him? Since you're unable to do so."

"No, I have proof that she is seducing my first and second son! She's a pedophile!" Dorothea claimed.

"A proof?"

"Yes! My second son was so innocent before Chloe came to his life. But in only a month after her arrival, Vernon suddenly knew about how to have sex in a very detailed way, and he was only seven at that time!" Dorothea yelled as she got worked up.

She might not be close to Vernon, but he was still her second son! So she was worried when Vernon suddenly told her he wanted to have sex with Big sis Chloe at seven.

She wanted to do something but was busy with her depression, and Vernon was too much for Dorothea to handle.

So she ignored it and dealt with her depression by buying a lot of expensive stuff with Vaughn's black card.

"And you think Chloe was the one who taught him about it?"

"Who else?!"

"Maybe it's Vincent? Or your late husband," Shailene theorized. "Boys usually discover and talk about sexual stuff with their male relatives, whether it's father, brother, uncle, or male cousin."

Dorothea got annoyed because Shailene didn't believe her completely, "Do you really think that my husband and first son would do something so despiseful such as teaching my seven-year-old son explicitly about sex?!"

"They might not be saints, but they're not that deprived! The only one who can teach Vernon about that stuff is Chloe!" Dorothea insisted. "You don't know how obsessed Vernon was with that woman when he was a teenager!"

'I know, I know very well,' Shailene replied in her heart.

After all, Chloe was the reason why she and Vernon broke up at university.

Vernon called the wrong name. He called his 'Chloe' instead of 'Shailene' when she gave him a blowjob.

So she knew that Vernon was still obsessed with that woman named Chloe.

"That kid boldly claimed to everyone that he would be the one marrying Chloe. He didn't even care if he had to face his Big brother," Dorothea said.

"Now, do you think that kind of idea is normal for a teenage kid? He is too obsessed with her, to the point that Vernon's mind is all about her. That's why I agreed immediately when he said he wants to leave New York and study abroad!" Dorothea claimed. "I want him to forget about that manipulative woman Chloe. She had gotten my first son, I don't want her to seduce my second son too!"

"That bitch— Chloe, she must've been manipulating Vernon the whole time. She knew that Vernon was just a kid, so she indoctrinated him to think that he cannot love anyone other than her."

"Now, do you really think I will ever forgive her for that? I already hate her for marrying my first son, and I will hate her even more if she dared to seduce my second!"

…

'It seems to be too late for that, Mrs. Gray,' Shailene replied in her heart. 'That guy now lives with Chloe, and is still as obsessed as ever.'

Shailene only nodded as a response in front of Dorothea, which prompted Dorothea to say;

"You have to trust me, Shailene! That bitch is dangerous! She is using her charm to hook my sons, and I will forever resent her for it!"

...

"Yes, Mrs. Gray. I trust you."

Chapter 307

Shailene worked on her report while she was waiting for Vernon to come.

She recalled all the words said by Vernon's mother;

"But what she said makes sense," Shailene murmured while writing her report on Dorothea Gray. "There is no way Vernon can be so obsessed with his sister-in-law without any kind of mental manipulation when he was a kid."

"Especially when they had been separated for ten years straight without contact, and Vernon maintained his obsession even after going through countless dates," Shailene added more reason not to believe that Chloe was innocent.

Shailene stopped writing when she realized something unethical with her observation, "Am I biased against Chloe because of my experience with Vernon?"

Shailene started questioning herself. She put her pen down and leaned on the chair while looking at the ceiling. She wondered if she might have a clouded judgment because of her animosity against Vernon.

"I may also have animosity against Chloe as well…" Shailene murmured. "She is the one who indirectly caused me to break up with Vernon. After all, I am just a woman for Vernon to spend his free time with before he returns to Chloe…."

Shailene started thinking about Mrs. Gray too.

Initially, she took the job as Dorothea Gray's main psychologist because it was her specialty to deal with a woman who suffered from the trauma of cheating and an abusive husband.

But that wasn't the only reason…

"I wish to know more about Vernon. I thought I could get more information about that scum through his mother, but what I found is… Chloe."

"Even his mother only knows him because of his attachment to Chloe," Shailene concluded. "So it's not wrong for me to say that Chloe is a groomer knowing their age gap. Vernon must've been in his most vulnerable state when he was a kid because of his parents' marital problem too…."

"Added with the fact that Chloe comes from a lower-middle class family who could barely survive per month, it's very logical for her wanting to have a good life by manipulating Vernon."

As much as Shailene claimed she hated Vernon, she wouldn't lie that she still had feelings for him.

He was her first love and also the one she genuinely fell in love with.

He was wild and emotional, with that devil-may-care attitude that was the polar opposite of Shailene, who always calculated everything.

"You might never love me, Vernon. But I'll do you a favor and help you to escape the chain of a pedophile," Shailene promised. "I'll knock some sense into you."

Ding-Dong!

"Ah, that must be him."

​ Shailene got up and left her private counseling office. She opened the front door of her apartment and was greeted with the sight of Vernon, who seemed to have a lot on his mind.

Which was rare, knowing that Vernon usually didn't think twice when deciding upon something and wouldn't think about the aftermath.

He would rather deal with what was in front of him. At least, that was all based on Shailene's observation of her ex-boyfriend.

"Uh… hi," Vernon greeted awkwardly. No matter how often they met, he felt guilty for breaking her heart.

Shailene checked her watch, "You're earlier than I thought."

"Yeah, I went here right after meeting with one of my clients," Vernon replied. "Is that a no? Do you still have another client inside?"

"No, I've emptied my schedule in the evening for you," Shailene replied. "Come in."

Vernon followed Shailene to enter her apartment. He thought she'd lead him to the private office to start the counseling.

But she went to the kitchen instead and started rummaging through her fridge, "Have you had dinner?"

"Uh… I haven't…"

"Then I'll cook something for you," Shailene said. "I'll make two plates of spaghetti meatballs."

"Uhh… why don't we just do the counseling instead?" Vernon suggested. He found eating weird in someone's house, especially a woman.

Because he already had a woman at home, and Chloe's food was the best.

'Though, I don't know if she's cooking me something for dinner tonight. Since I said something wrong that hurt her heart, apparently,' Vernon thought.

"Nonsense," Shailene retorted while preparing the ingredients. "It's much better to have counseling with a full stomach, so we can focus on your problem. Besides, I'm also starving, my main client was so fired up telling the story of her second son."

Vernon didn't give a crap about that main client of hers. He didn't understand why Shailene kept mentioning her main client whenever they met.

'Maybe she just wants me to know that she's a professional? Well, I won't return to her after what she said before if she's not the best in this field.'

Vernon wanted to refuse Shailene's invitation to dinner, but Shailene had already put the spaghetti in the pot, so he had no choice.

"Go sit at the dining table. It won't be long," Shailene said.

…

Vernon still felt weirded out by the fact that he would be eating Shailene's cooking.

'It makes me feel like I'm cheating on my wife—' Vernon thought. And then he quickly snapped out of his stupid idea. 'Wait, wife? W-w-w-why would I think of Chloe as my wife? I do love her, and I… I want to spend my time with her… for eternity.'

'But wife? T—that's too much man! I won't let myself be tied up by a woman, never!'

While Vernon was busy with his own dilemmatic world, Shailene had finished her spaghetti and served a plate in front of Vernon and the other one for her.

She sat and started digging her food when she noticed that Vernon was still unresponsive.

"Hey, Vernon," Shailene kicked Vernon's shin lightly to snap him out of his daze.

"Huh, what?"

Shailene rolled her eyes, "The dinner is ready. Go eat it, and then we can continue with our counseling."

"Oh, yeah, thanks…." Vernon stared at the spaghetti and meatballs served to him. The food looked good, but he had no appetite. Because the one who cooked this wasn't Chloe…

Chapter 308

Vernon stared at the spaghetti and meatballs served to him. The food looked good, but he had no appetite. Because the one who cooked this wasn't Chloe...

Shailene noticed his reluctance and said, "I would be offended if you're not eating the food I made. I hate you, but I won't poison you over it. So don't worry and eat it."

"Well, that's not what makes me reluctant...." Vernon replied.

"What's the cause then?"

...

"Tch, fine, I'll eat it," Vernon grabbed the fork and started eating the dinner served by Shailene because he didn't want to tell Shailene that her food wasn't as good as Chloe's.

Shailene lowered her head and smiled thinly as she was happy. She cooked simple stuff for Vernon when they were in uni.

He would thank Shailene for it, even going as far as praising Shailene for being a good girlfriend, and it was Shailene's pride to be able to do so for her loved one.

"How is it? Tasty?" Shailene asked.

"Uh... yeah, tasty..." Vernon replied, even though he had a different opinion in his head.

'It's bland. There's no difference in the spaghetti meatballs that you made compared to the store-bought instant spaghetti meatballs.'

'Chloe made me spaghetti meatballs once, and the sauce is so good, I actually licked it clean. Maybe you should ask for her recipe instead.'

Vernon finished the spaghetti meatballs slowly. He was dissatisfied and still feeling so hungry because he had just finished bland spaghetti meatballs.

But he said nothing because he didn't want to make Shailene angry because he was the one who needed her help.

Shailene drank a glass of water before wiping her lips with a tissue, "Okay, we can start the counseling now, come in."

Vernon followed Shailene into the home office. He laid on the same chaise lounge and stared at the ceiling as Shailene turned on the heater with lavender aromatherapy that eased Vernon's mind.

Shailene picked up her note and sat on the seat beside the chaise lounge, and started the counseling;

"Alright, Mr. Phoenix Gray. Let's pick up the session with the topic from the last session."

"The one when you said that Chloe is a groomer and pedophile?"

"Yes."

"Well, fuck you, Shailene," Vernon cursed without hesitation. He didn't yell this time, as he knew that yelling would only tire him out.

"Hm... you haven't changed your opinion?" Shailene asked back.

"Never, She is not like that. All she did when I was a kid was take care of me, and teach me how to be a good kid even though my family was a mess."

"So you don't you fucking dare calling her pedophile and a groomer. I know her more than you ever will!" Vernon claimed.

Shailene sighed. She was trying to help knock some sense in Vernon's head since he was obsessed with Chloe.

But it didn't seem to be working.

"Besides, I'm not here because of that. If you keep trying to convince me that Chloe is a manipulative woman, then I might as well leave and never come back."

Vernon got up from the chaise lounge, but Shailene quickly grabbed his wrist and said, "Okay, I think we started on the wrong footing. Let's just forget about what I said before and we can start by discussing other topics."

...

"Fine."

Vernon returned to lay on the chaise lounge so they could resume the session.

Shailene was relieved that Vernon was still open for discussion, or else, how would she be able to knock some sense in Vernon's head that his Big sis Chloe was a toxic, manipulative woman?

"I know that you're still angry at me about what I said before, and I apologize about that," Shailene said. However, she didn't directly say that she was wrong in her opinion about Chloe.

"As you should!" Vernon nodded in full agreement.

"I know that you're still angry with me from the previous session. So I suspect that you have another problem with her, correct?"

"... Yeah, I do...."

"How about we start with that?" Shailene suggested. "You may tell me about the new problem."

Vernon sighed. He stared at the ceiling for a while and started talking;

"I accidentally made her mad. So mad that she refused to have lunch with me today," Vernon said. "She told me that I said something offensive, so offensive that it hurt her heart."

As he told the story, Shailene watched how Vernon's expression gradually became sadder. It seemed that he was devastated by this problem because Vernon never showed that kind of sadness in front of everyone, not even when they were still dating.

Shailene clenched the pen in her hand, trying to endure the heartache that she experienced.

She was angry and envious because Vernon never showed that sad expression to her, to the point that she thought Vernon was incapable of showing remorse and feeling grief.

'I'm not special, I know that,' Shailene thought. 'But I still stupidly want him back....'

"Did it hurt you badly when she said that she didn't want to have lunch with you?"

"Mm..." Vernon nodded weakly. "It might be something simple. But it's so devastating to me. My mind is constantly thinking about it. I wonder what did I say wrong and how am I able to fix it, so she will accept me back."

"That means she is very important to you, right, Vernon?"

"Of course!" Vernon proclaimed without hesitation. "She is the sole reason for everything that I'm doing right now! I will never think about opening a business, broadening my reach over my sectors! I did everything because I wanted her!"

...

"I see..." Shailene started writing something in her notepad. She threw a quick glance at Vernon, who was still staring at the ceiling.

The heartache started to bother her a lot, but she tried to endure it for the sake of professionalism, "Vernon Phoenix Gray, you claimed that you love your Big sis Chloe, even went as far as saying that you did everything for her. But it seems that you know nothing about her."

Chapter 309

"Vernon Phoenix Gray, you claimed that you love your Big sis Chloe, even went as far as saying that you did everything for her. But it seems that you know nothing about her."

Vernon turned his head towards Shailene and glared at her, "How dare you question my love for her. Didn't I tell you that I did everything so I could be with her? We will never meet if it's not because of her."

'I know,' Shailene replied in her heart. 'I heard from your mom, that you left only a few days after Chloe's marriage with your Big brother. You must've been heart broken, right?'

Shailene had much information about Vernon from his mom, and she gathered enough information about Chloe from the same source.

'For example, I know that you only ate food that was cooked by your Big sis Chloe since you were a kid, Vernon. That's why I know that Chloe must've been training Vernon to be solely dependent on her,' Shailene stated in her head. 'What a poisonous woman.'

Too bad Shailene couldn't reveal everything in front of Vernon because it was against her ethics as a psychologist.

Shailene stared back at Vernon without fear, "You can claim that you're the strongest man in the world, but it will take a long road to claim it. Just like when you claim that you love your Big sis Chloe so much, do you have any proof of that?"

"I told I—"

"—then tell me the proof that you're in love with her," Shailene interrupted Vernon, knowing how stubborn this guy was.

"Ugh, you're so fucking annoying, Shailene. Why do I keep repeating myself?" Vernon clicked his tongue annoyedly. "I work tirelessly everyday because I want to show her that I am a capable man. I am also powerful, and I can afford anything that she wants."

"I might just be a multi-millionaire for now. But I will be a billionaire sooner or later," Vernon claimed. "And by that time, she can be the queen of the world. I will make her the queen of the world."

…

"Is that it?" Shailene asked nonchalantly.

Vernon's eyes widened. He gnashed his teeth as he got offended by Shailene's nonchalant attitude.

"Fuck! You're supposed to be the best in this field! Why do you continue to undermine my hard work?! You're not helping at all!"

"Calm down," Shailene replied, still with a nonchalant attitude. "I am just asking. Because all I see is YOUR achievement. What YOU want, not hers."

Vernon was stunned by that statement, "What do you mean?"

Shailene sighed, full of woe.

'I know it. Vernon is not really in love with his Big sis Chloe. He's just obsessing over her.'

"Vernon, to love someone is to understand about your loved one," Shailene said. "You may have everything in this world. But if you don't know one thing about her, then you're not in love with her. You just think that giving her everything is what is called love."

"O—Of course I know everything about my Chloe!"

"Then, let's start with the easiest one," Shailene put her note down and leaned towards Vernon's direction. "What is her favorite color?"

Vernon was stunned. His breath stiffened for a second because he was caught off guard by the question.

"W—What is her favorite color? Ah… uh…" Vernon realized that he didn't know Chloe's favorite color. He never thought of that, in fact.

"I—It's not an important thing! Why do I have to answer the most trivial question ever just to prove that I love her?!"

"You have no idea about her favorite color, right? Something like that should've been very obvious just by looking at her stuff, mostly clothes," Shailene sighed. "What's her favorite food then?"

"That's—"

"What's her favorite tv show?"

"Wait—"

"What's her favorite place to go on the weekend?"

"I—"

"What's her favorite thing to do to unwind after a stressful day?"

…

Vernon was finally silenced when he realized he couldn't answer any of the questions from Shailene.

The realization hit him hard because he realized that he actually knew nothing about Chloe.

"As expected," Shailene said. "You don't know a thing about her. Do you call that love?"

"… Just… trivial things…" Vernon replied weakly as he tried to defend himself.

"Indeed, those are trivial things. But would you claim yourself to be in love, when you know nothing about her?" Shailene added. 'And let me knock some sense in your head, Vernon.'

"Let me tell you something, Vernon. You might be mad after this, but this is the truth and you should take my credibility as a woman, and a person who studied female psychology."

"You're not in love with her," Shailene stated boldly. "What you feel is called obsession and dependency. That feeling is usually created and molded since you were a kid."

"You're dependent on her presence, and you're obsessed with the idea of loving and owning her," Shailene said. "You know nothing about her, and you're not really interested in her as a person. You're just interested in the idea, and it is all about yourself."

"Admit it, Vernon. It's all because you want to have a nice, fulfilling life with any woman. If I'm the one who took care of you when you were a kid, you will latch yourself on me instead."

…

…

Vernon was completely speechless by Shailene's statement. He had a few things in mind that contradicted Shailene's statement, such as when she said he wanted to have a fulfilling life with any woman.

Vernon would boldly claim that he would rather never settle down unless it was with Chloe.

But he didn't want to deny her for now because he was confused.

'What she said confuses me. I don't even know what to think right now…' Vernon already had a lot of doubt in his heart. He was unsure about many things, and his only anchor was one truth.

That he was undoubtedly, hopelessly in love with Chloe Gray.

Chapter 310

Vernon already had a lot of doubt in his heart. He was unsure about many things, and his only anchor was one truth.

That he was undoubtedly, hopelessly in love with Chloe Gray.

'But... a concept of love? Am I in love with Chloe just because I'm obsessed with the idea of love?' The more Vernon tried to process Shailene's words, the more confused he got.

He wasn't well versed in psychology, and everything that Shailene said didn't help him.

In fact, it only made him wonder if everything he had worked on so far was in vain.

And whether his hard work to give Chloe a good life was all just because he was obsessed with the idea of love, not because he loved Chloe.

Vernon glanced at Shailene for a second, 'I feel like I'm the one getting manipulated here. But... Why would she do that? I'm here coming as a client, and I'm paying her for it.'

Shailene allowed Vernon to process everything before she continued. She leaned back on the chair and crossed her leg, "No wonder you accidentally said the wrong thing that hurt Chloe. You're not in love with her, Vernon."

"I--" Vernon hesitated.

Usually, he would be quick to jump and defend himself for this.

But right now, he wasn't sure about everything.

He was confused, too confused to process anything.

Shailene was quite satisfied with the development, 'That's good, Vernon. I'm helping you, so you will release yourself from the grasp of that evil, manipulative woman.'

Shailene cleared her throat and asked, "So, Mr. Phoenix Gray, shall we continue with the session?"

"No... no need..." Vernon replied weakly. He got up from the chaise lounge and walked away from her.

"Wait, really? But we've just started with our session. It's not even an hour yet," Shailene said. "Don't you have another thing in your mind you want to say?"

"No, in fact, I would rather not say anything to you anymore, Shailene," Vernon replied. "You're confusing me with my own feelings."

"That is normal, Vernon. You're just trying to fight off the truth that I just told you."

"It's not the truth! You're just putting words in my head, and confusing me!" Vernon insisted.

"What I said comes from the words of an expert. You might think I have a malicious intention to you. But I am 100% doing this based on my study and professionalism."

He looked over his shoulder and saw Shailene still sitting on the chair. "Professionalism my ass! I don't care if you're the expert in this field or whatever. I know in fact that you're not fucking helping!"

Vernon left the private office and grabbed his suit on the sofa. He left Shailene's apartment and slammed the door behind him.

BAM!

Shailene flinched a little when she heard the door being slammed. Though she wasn't surprised that Vernon would deny the fact again.

"He's always so stubborn. I know him very well."

"But it's fine. It's just the way he is," Shailene said confidently. "Like when he was yelling at me for calling his Big sis Chloe a pedophile and groomer. He was so mad, but he returned to me after a few days."

Shailene was certain that Vernon would eventually realize that Chloe was not a good woman.

Shailene stared at the view of the skyscraper in front of her and murmured, "Chloe, you've ruined a man's life. You confused him for your own selfish desire. You ruined a family, and I will not allow that to happen."

"Because the man you ruined is the man I love."

**

Vernon went to the parking lot and left Shailene's apartment building as fast as he could.

He was scared that he might be even more confused by Shailene's words the longer he stayed around her.

"That bitch!" Vernon gnashed his teeth as he drove through the city. "She knows that I'm not good at this psychological bullshit, that's why she's trying to manipulate me!"

"Does she think I'm just a kid who cannot differentiate between real love and not? Why does she keep on insisting that I'm not in love with Chloe?"

"I AM HOPELESSLY IN LOVE WITH HER! I FUCKING KNOW THAT!" Vernon claimed boldly.

However, no matter how often he tried to convince himself, a dark cloud brewed in his head, making him unsure about his feelings.

Shailene's words got into his head, and he hated himself.

"I shouldn't have come to her. I know she's just doing this to get her revenge on me."

Vernon knew that he had made the wrong move by coming to Shailene. But he was just so devastated by Chloe's words that he was trying to find someone who could ease him a little.

"I shouldn't have contacted her in the first place. She's nothing but a poison," Vernon said.

He continued driving until he saw his apartment building on his left.

All he needed to do was to turn to the left and enter the parking lot. But somehow, he was hesitant.

He wasn't ready to face Chloe. He didn't want to come home only to find Chloe staring at him with disgust in her eyes.

"I also want her to eat her dinner. She said she can't eat anything when I'm around because I remind her of Vincent...."

Vernon bit his lower lip as he drove away from the apartment, enduring the heartache that only worsened as time went by. He drove aimlessly as he just wanted to spend time alone.

"It hurts. My heart hurts so much because of your words, Chloe," Vernon said. "Why can't you just tell me what I did wrong, and then we can work on it."

"Now I feel lost, I don't know where to go when you reject me like this. I tried going to a psychologist, but she didn't help at all."

Vernon felt his heart get heavier and heavier until he couldn't handle it anymore.

He drove past the exclusive bar he usually visited before he reunited with Chloe. He knew that he shouldn't use alcohol as an escape, but...

"Ah, fuck it!"

Vernon made a U-turn with his car and went to that bar.