Ch. 71..75: Divorced My Scum Husband, Married His Evil brother Chapter 71-75

Chapter 71

"All you have to do is sit and play with your daughter, right? You don't need to worry about money after all," Chelsea suddenly said. She sneered at Chloe as if it was Chloe's fault in the first place.

"I never said that…." Chloe replied.

She should be hurt, of course. But she was actually used to her big sister's rant. At least when you were given the same dish over and over, you'd get used to it, even find it a little boring.

"I… I will go to mom's room now. Talk to you later, sis," Chloe didn't want to hear Chelsea's annoying rant for now because she had something much more problematic waiting for her.

Chloe knocked on the bedroom door twice before pushing it open slowly. She saw her mom, Judith, sitting while watching a random TV channel.

She looked in Chloe's direction, and her expression turned worried instantly, "Chloe, come and sit beside me. I need to hear your problem."

"Mom…"

Chloe entered the room and closed the door shut. She sat right beside Judith, waiting to be interrogated by her mother.

Judith gently put her hand on top of her daughter's hand on the armrest and asked, "Chloe… I heard that you have a problem with Vincent. Can you tell me?"

…

"It's not a problem anymore, Mom," Chloe replied. She was scared, so scared that her body turned stiff. She curled her toes inside her shoes as well.

"Not a problem anymore? Really?" Judith knew a big problem in her daughter's marriage, and she wanted to know the detail before making a fair judgment. "You should tell me, Chloe. I'm your mother. I will understand you."

…

"Well, it's not a problem anymore because it's done. It's over," Chloe replied, not wanting to stretch this out any longer. She felt so guilty just looking at her mother's concerned face. "I… I've filed for divorce…."

Chloe lowered her head. She expected a gasp at least, followed by a more shocked expression from her mother.

Chloe waited for all kinds of questions coming from her mother. Because her mother was the first supporter of her relationship with Vincent. In fact, Judith was the first one to say that she and Vincent should get married soon.

So, Chloe expected her mother to lash out, probably barraging her with questions. But, none of her expectations came true. There was only silence between them, so Chloe lifted her head and looked at her mother.

She saw Judith Carlson— her mother, sigh full of woe, "Chloe, did you cheat on Vincent?"

…

"What?" Chloe thought she had misheard.

No, she must've misheard it. How could her mother accuse her of cheating! She was the one who suffered here!

"Chloe, you're an educated woman. You should be able to know what's wrong and right. I'm not university-educated, but I know that cheating is just wrong."

…

"I don't know why would you do this to your beautiful family," Judith said. Her tone was actually a little condescending to Chloe's ears.

Chloe felt weak from head to toe. She stared at her mother, who didn't seem to be shocked about the divorce.

In fact, Judith's eyes were very cold while looking at her, as if she was looking at dead meat.

"I—It's not me. I didn't cheat—"

"Stop your bullshit, Chloe. I know what happened," Judith said. All of her gentlenesses suddenly disappeared, leaving only a shell of a woman filled with hatred.

"… Mother?"

"Don't call me mother with your filthy mouth. You used your mouth to suck another man's cock, right?" Judith said ruthlessly. Chloe had never seen her mother like this in her entire life.

She was always so gentle and brimming with hope. Despite being a single mother, she worked many jobs in the past to make ends meet for three of them.

She never remarried after divorce because her husband was a cheating bastard. So Chloe and Chelsea grew up fatherless, with only their mother supporting them.

So Chloe idolized her hardworking mother so much.

But now, everything was shattered right in front of her eyes. Because her beloved mother— who was already sixty years old, glared at her without pity.

"I heard everything from Vincent. He came this morning. He looked haggard and sad. You've seriously ruined a good husband like him," Judith said mercilessly. "He told me what you did with the gardener, driver, security. YOU SCREWED THEM ALL, RIGHT?!"

"I—I—I—" Chloe could not mutter even a word to defend herself. Her whole body started trembling as her mother continuously gave her a mocking gaze full of ridicule and anger. She looked at Chloe as if her daughter had no worth at all.

"And now that he learned everything, you're filing for divorce to get his money?! YOU'RE A DESPICABLE WHORE!"

"I didn't know I've raised a whore my whole life! All of my hard work to raise you to be a good woman, and this is what you gave to me?!"

"GOD, I'VE RAISED A WHORE!"

Judith continuously berates Chloe, venting all her anger and frustration that just exploded out of nowhere. She couldn't hold her rage when Chloe acted so sad and pitiful, while she was the one who cheated on her husband!

Chloe was too stunned and terrified at the same time. She was still trying to recover from the shock. She tried to form a single word but couldn't.

Thus, she just stared at her mother with her doe eyes, full of fear mixed with confusion.

Judith was already angry at Chloe, and now that Chloe kept staring at her, trying to get her pity, she couldn't handle it anymore.

Thus, she decided to get up from the chair before standing right in front of Chloe;

"You're seriously fucked up, Chloe! I thought you would tell the truth about your adultery and sincerely apologize to Vincent. But you're filing for a divorce instead?!"

"I—I'm not cheating! Mom, I didn't cheat at all! He is!" Chloe got a shot of courage when her mother called her an adulterer. But what she got was…

SLAP!

Chapter 72

"I—I'm not cheating! Mom, I didn't cheat at all! He is!" Chloe got a shot of courage when her mother called her an adulterer. But what she got was…

SLAP!

Chloe was stunned when she felt the sharp pain on her cheek. She covered her cheek that was throbbing in pain with her palm and stared at her mother with eyes glazing with tears.

She never expected to get a slap from her mother. She was always a good daughter since she was a child. She knew her mother's struggle. Thus, she tried her best not to make her mother's life even more difficult.

But now…

"I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO SLAP YOU!" Judith yelled as she grabbed cupped and clenched her hands together. "GOD HAVE MERCY ON ME TO HAVE A WHORE DAUGHTER LIKE YOU!"

Judith's chest was undulating, rising up and down as she tried her best to hold her rage. She got even more disgusted when she saw Chloe crying.

"Why are you crying? Don't act like you're the victim when you're the adulterer!"

"Mom, what did Vincent say to you?" Chloe asked. She already knew that everything stemmed from that bastard.

"He told me everything, Chloe. He told me he found out about you cheating with so many people about two weeks ago. He tried to be a good husband by confronting you carefully, even wanting to start anew between the two of you," Judith remembered Vincent's expression as he told everything that happened between him and Chloe. Never in a million years, she would expect his filial son-in-law— who was also a billionaire to show such weakness in front of her.

"But you don't want it! You refused to reconcile, even filing for divorce to get his money from the divorce settlement! Oh my dearest God, what did I do wrong to raise this kind of woman as my daughter?!"

"That's— That's a lie!" Chloe retorted. She didn't want to be the one who always is in the wrong here. She never cheated, nor did she ever hurt that bastard.

,m "I never cheated! And I already told him I don't need his money, so he'd leave me alone!" Chloe said desperately. "Mom, you have to believe me! You're my mother. Why would I lie to you!?"

She thought her mother's heart would soften as she told the truth.

But it was far from that.

Her mother only stared at her coldly and said, "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"How— How am I suppose to make you believe me!?"

"Fine, if you want to make me believe in you, then can you tell me why you refused to go on marriage counseling with Vincent?" Judith asked.

"T—That—" Chloe wasn't sure if she had to answer this in the truest way possible. Surely, Vincent twisted the fact to make himself a victim, right?

"I—I don't want to reconcile! I just want a divorce from that cheating bastard!"

Judith's expression changed, but not for the better. Her lips trembled, and she sat on her bed. Judith covered her eyes with her palms and started sobbing.

"M—Mom?"

"Why are you doing this, Chloe? I trusted you to have a life that I don't have. Vincent is a good husband. Why would you betray him?!"

"Vincent told me the whole thing. He came and cried here, right on the chair you sit on. He told me that you're cheating so many times that you filed a divorce after you got caught red-handed."

"He also begged you to start anew, and when you refused, he begged you to go on marriage counseling. But you refused…." Judith continued sobbing, and from her sobs, the tears started streaming down her cheek and fell on her long skirt.

"Mom, it's him who cheats! He has a lot of women outside, and he doesn't even try to hide it!" Chloe insisted. This was the real truth because she was the one who knew everything— she experienced it firsthand.

"Oh my dear, I can't believe that, Chloe…."

"Why not?! I'm your daughter! You should trust me instead!"

"Because you're obviously lying, Chloe," Judith replied. "If he is the one who cheated, then why did I never see any news of it on the TV? He is famous, right? I remember that he always announced on the TV that he was married and had a daughter at home. He is a loving father!"

"If he was the one who cheated, then why won't you go to marriage counseling? Chloe, your father and I were divorced because he cheated on me so many times, not once or twice. I forgave him three times before I decided to end it all."

"But Vincent… you're the one who loves him, and you have a daughter with him. Are you telling me that you refused to go on marriage counseling if he is the one who cheated?"

"He told me that he doesn't want a divorce, not because of money, but because he still loves you! How could you— How could you be so selfish!? Your daughter's future is on the line! Do you want her to be raised fatherless like you and your sister?!"

"CHLOE CARLSON, I DON'T HAVE A WHORE AS A DAUGHTER!"

Her mother's voice was ringing like thunder that blasted Chloe's heart. Now she knew her relationship with her mother was already ruined.

Everything was ruined because of that bastard Vincent Gray.

Judith continued crying for a while, and the room was completely silent except for the muffled sound of an old lady sobbing, lamenting over her daughter. This good daughter cheated on her husband, even though she had a life everyone dreamed of when they were young. She was a complete ungrateful whore.

Judith got up with difficulty and walked to the door. She opened the door wide, "I can't look you in the eyes, Chloe Carlson. Not after what you've done. You must leave and never return unless you reconcile with your husband."

Chapter 73

"I can't look you in the eyes, Chloe Carlson. Not after what you've done. You must leave and never return unless you reconcile with your husband."

Chloe stared at her mother, and her mother immediately dodged her eyes, not even wanting to look her in the eyes anymore.

Her heart was so heavy that it might burst at any moment.

Her eyes were glazed with tears, but she couldn't cry, not in front of her mother, who was already crying in the first place.

Thus, she got up and walked to the door. Before leaving, she turned her head for the last time, hoping her mother would change her mind and maybe listen to her.

But it was all just an unreachable wish because her old mother was siding with that cheating, lying bastard Vincent.

Chloe had a bitter smile as she said, "Mom, this might be the last time we will ever meet again. Because there is no way, I will reconcile with that bastard. Never in a million years."

"YOU—"

Before Judith could unleash her rage anymore, Chloe walked away from her. She heard her mother cursing at her from afar, but she tried to keep walking forward despite the excruciating pain in her heart.

She stood in front of her sister— Chelsea, who was blocking the door with her body. Chloe stared at her for a moment and asked, "Did you know about this whole thing?"

"Of course, I am the one who got contacted by Vincent. He told me that you two's relationships are strained because you're cheating. Seriously, Chloe, you're an ungrateful whore."

…

"I will leave now, sis. Send my regards to my nephews. Mackie and I might not be able to visit them for a long time from now on," Chloe said.

Chelsea sneered, "Oh, please, I don't want my sons to see you. After all, I don't want you to give them a bad influence."

"Ah, the only bad influence here is you with your constant quarrel with your husband," Chloe said. She grabbed Chelsea's arm and pulled her away from the door, "Bye, sis."

SLAM!

Chelsea was stunned that she didn't have the moment to retort Chloe's shade.

"That bitch! How unbelievable!"

**

Chloe walked calmly to her car and drove away. She had nowhere to go and definitely didn't want to return to Vernon's apartment.

Thus, Chloe continued driving aimlessly until she suddenly realized she was driving in the direction of her old house with Vincent, the mansion.

She snapped out of her daze and stopped right in front of the gate.

She observed the mansion from across the road. Unfortunately, the mansion had a big gate that was tightly closed, so she couldn't see the situation after she left.

She wondered if the mansion was still well maintained because she was the one who controlled everything there. It was hard work that was mostly unpaid— Well, Vincent paid him with insults and nitpicking most of the time.

Chloe bit her lower lip as she continued staring. It was nostalgic…

"I remember that time again, the sweet memory when we were just married," Chloe mumbled, staring at her old mansion invoked her old memory. This memory became fuel for her to persevere for ten years straight.

The first two years of her married life with Vincent were bliss, man-made heaven created for Chloe. She was like a princess— Cinderella picked from her shabby home to marry the prince charming in a castle.

For the first two years, she thought that Vincent would never cheat on her, no matter what. So she was confident with herself and their relationship.

Until she got pregnant…

Chloe had to admit that she wasn't a good mother because she resented her daughter for at least three months of Mackie's life. Because when her daughter was born, Vincent was nowhere to be found.

She had to call the ambulance alone and went through labor pain alone. Vincent finally came once the baby was born, and he looked very disappointed when he found out that he got a daughter, not a son.

,m —

'All that no ultrasound surprise, thinking I could get a strong son as my child. And you gave me a daughter instead? Damn, I guess even your womb is cursed, fat lady,' Vincent said as he carried his baby for the first time.

Chloe said nothing, but the baby cried hard as if she sensed that her father didn't like her.

'I mean, I already prepared a lot of names for a son, but a daughter… I'll just give her the name of my late grandmother's first name, Rose. She is a great woman.'

'Your name will be Mackenzie Rose Gray.'

Chloe wanted to protest because she didn't get a chance to give her a name. But Vincent just smiled at her and shoved their newborn daughter to her;

'What? Do you want to show your disagreement? I mean, I already tolerated you enough by giving me a daughter instead of a son. Surely, the first thing you could do with your cursed womb is making an unnecessary ruckus.'

—

Chloe vividly remembered everything, the good and bad memory were mixed into one.

Luckily, Mackie grew up to be a feisty little ball of energy. She was smart, talented in many things, and sensible— well, most of the time. She was still a kid in the end.

Vincent didn't like her at first, but after seeing how Dorothea liked Mackie so much that she made Mackie her favorite grandchild, Vincent finally accepted Mackie as part of the family.

She leaned and continued staring at the closed gate.

Her tears had been dried out because of her fight with her ex husband for so long. So she could only smiled bitterly.

But her body was trembling, holding the rage, grief, and frustration.

"Ah, it hurts so much. What can I do now? Even my mother doesn't want me anymore. I have nobody to rely on…." Chloe murmured. "But Vincent has always been so charming, people believed him easily. Even I fell for his charm for years, thinking he is the perfect man…."

Chapter 74

"But Vincent has always been so charming, people believed him easily. Even I fell for his charm for years, thinking he is the perfect man…."

Chloe kept gazing at the mansion's gate for a good while until she had a little courage to finally turned on the engine and drive away from her old, married home .

She returned to her apartment in Phoenix Tower and started doing chores again. She did whatever she could to distract herself from thinking about her mother and ruined life.

There was nothing to cry about, not anymore.

Chloe was busy doing laundry for three people— Vernon, Mackie, and herself then her phone suddenly rang. She thought it was Vernon who called for an errand. Her job was to be a maid, after all.

But once she saw the caller, she had the urge to just blocked his number.

'But if I blocked him, he might do something more extreme….'

Chloe gulped and finally picked up the call;

—

…

…

"Oh? It's connected already. Why are you so silent?" Vincent asked. He chuckled lightly.

Hearing the man didn't seem to have an ounce of guilt after ruining her relationship with her mother made Chloe's blood boil instantly.

This person was naturally despicable, but she never expected Vincent to do this while chuckling.

"What did you say to my mother?"

"Whaaat~? I'm just telling her my part of the story," Vincent replied.

"YOUR STORY IS ALL FABRICATED, YOU BASTARD!"

"Hm? And how would you prove it? Maybe everything is inside your head the whole time, Chloe. Maybe I was just a loyal husband who had a whore wife that fucked so many people. Who knows about the truth," Vincent taunted her even more, finding this to be more entertaining than he expected. "Besides, what I said is true, right? I asked you to go on marriage counseling, but you refused."

"Anyway, isn't that a fair punishment?" Vincent said. "After all, I learned that you paid Mackie's tuition fee without begging. Hmm~ makes me wonder which man you sold your body to. I bet he is an old man. You're old, so I don't think a younger man would want you, filthy whore."

Chloe clenched her jaw, but she couldn't refuse because it was basically true.

Despite all her other jobs, she still had to be the bed warmer, the toy for Vernon to play around with when he was bored.

But to be called a whore by Vincent was so disgustingly hypocritical!

"Anyway, I have no interest in dwelling further into your current situation. I just want to say that everything will return to normal as long as you return with our daughter to me. I will tell everyone we made up, and everything will return to normal, isn't that easy?"

"It's never normal in the first place, Vincent," Chloe gritted her teeth. "You hate me, right? You are disgusted with me, so let me live my life!"

"My preference doesn't matter. Just you returning and resuming your old life with me, and everything will be fixed. It's that simple," Vincent shrugged it off. "Oh, come on, don't tell me that you can't understand something so easy. You can't be this dumb, right?"

Chloe clenched her phone until her hand trembled in rage. But there was no use in talking with this man.

He had a glib tongue and always had the last word to say. This was Vincent Gray— the famous heir of the old money Gray family and the one everyone loved because of his mature aura and gentle smile.

He was well-loved by everyone, except Chloe, of course.

"Stop meddling with my life and stop calling me! Sign up that divorce paper or just pretend I don't exist!"

Beep!

Chloe hung up the call and sat weakly at the dining chair. She didn't know what Vincent wanted. Obviously, she was already out of the picture, and Vincent could do whatever he wanted.

Yet, he still used his spare time to make Chloe's life a living hell instead of fucking whoever woman he found.

"I just want to be free. Why don't you give me my freedom and let us part ways? Isn't that what you want, Vincent?"

**

Beep.

Vincent scoffed when Chloe suddenly hung up the call, "That can't do, Chloe Gray. I won't let you off."

Vincent lay his phone down and looked at his other secretary, not his bitch one— Priscilla.

Her name was Maria, a middle-aged woman in her late 50s who worked with her late father before he died and had assisted Vincent since he took over.

"What? Why are you here?"

"Sir, I've prepared the contract that will be signed by you and your brother, Vernon Phoenix Gray," Maria said. She put the file on the desk and slid it towards her boss.

Vincent opened the file and read the contract. He nodded after skimming everything, ensuring it would benefit his little brother more.

He picked up his pen and signed it before putting it inside his desk drawer. Maria was still standing at the same spot, and Vincent said, "You can leave now, thanks, Maria."

"Sir…"

"What?"

"… Are you sure that it's a fair contract?" Maria asked. "Based on what I read, it will mostly benefit Vernon Phoenix Gray's company. Even if this cooperation generates profit, it will mostly be nothing but break even for you…."

"That doesn't matter. I intend to make it beneficial for my little brother," Vincent replied. "He left for ten years straight. He didn't want to meet me for ten years. This is the least I could do to build our relationship back."

Secretary Maria still felt that business was business, even her late boss, Mr. Vaughn Gray, would never let his siblings get in the way of his ambition.

But maybe, because Vincent and Vernon were close before he married his current wife, their relationship suddenly strained, with Vernon leaving to attend high school and university in Europe instead.

"Ah, Sir, speaking about your wife…."

Chapter 75

"Ah, Sir, speaking about your wife…."

"Hm? What about her?"

"I've been absent for a while, and I'm not sure what happened between you and your wife," Maria said. "I thought she was okay with your lifestyle."

"Oh, she is fine with it. But sometimes, a woman can be defiant, so you need to put her in her place, so she knows what she can and cannot do," Vincent replied with a sneer.

"I see. I thought you might need my help someway, Mr. Gray," Maria offered.

"Oh, no need, I can handle this. I just don't see the urgency. She will return to me in the end," Vincent said. "After all, this lifestyle of mine comes from my late father, and it's widely accepted in my family. Even my mom allows me to cheat without repercussion. My wife has no saying in my lifestyle."

"Indeed, she had been married to you for ten years. Maybe she is just a little tired," Maria agreed.

"You can leave now. I'm going to call Vernon, so we can meet while talking about this contract."

"Yes, Sir."

**

Vernon had just finished a meeting in the morning. He was dazed the whole time, not because there was something difficult that the company had to handle.

The company was doing well, so he should be able to relax.

But in fact, he didn't.

He kept thinking about the possibility of the dream last night… that might not be a dream.

'Fuck, what if she heard everything? That's so fucking gross, dude!'

'No, if she heard everything, she shouldn't act so calm the next morning, right? But how come I woke up with bandaged fist and a blanket? She definitely did something while I was asleep.'

'No, Vernon, think about it. Maybe it's all just in your head. You're panicking for absolutely no reason!'

Diamond tailed Vernon as they returned from the meeting room to his office. They were inside the elevator when Diamond glanced at her boss and observed his behavior.

'What's in his head anyway? I don't think it's about work because there's no trouble at all,' Diamond wondered.

'Besides, what's with his sudden mood change? He was so peeved in the morning as if a small greeting would make him snap. He had Chloe's lunch bag in his hand before, but that poor bag almost got thrown to the wall before I saved it.'

Diamond remembered that Mr. Phoenix Gray went to the office in the morning as if he wanted to unleash all the rage in the world. When Diamond entered the office and asked what was wrong, she caught him checking the lunch made by Chloe.

Then, when he got caught, he said he wanted to throw this lunch bag away.

But now, he looked very skittish and anxious, as if there was something that concerned him a lot.

Diamond rarely saw this expression coming from her boss. Vernon Phoenix Gray was always a risk-taker. He had the devil-may-care attitude about almost— if not everything.

'Maybe it's about Chloe? Ah, I'm not sure either… what makes her different than the rest of the women he bedded? Other than the fact that she is his sister-in-law and worked as a maid— and sex partner in bed,' Diamond pondered.

Honestly, she also wasn't sure about Mr. Phoenix Gray and all of his antics. There was no guarantee whether the way he treated Chloe was just a part of a scheme, a way to pass the time, or that… he might actually have some feelings for her.

'Ah, why am I beating my head over this anyway? I know how unpredictable he is. I just need to make sure that Chloe doesn't get hurt.'

"Diamond."

"Yes, Sir?"

"I know that you must've been warming up to that woman—"

"—You mean Chloe?"

"… Make sure that she doesn't know anything. You should know what to say and what not," Vernon reminded her.

Honestly, Diamond didn't really care about whatever secret it was. At first, she had zero care about Chloe.

But now that Diamond had already pledged to protect her in whatever way possible, she would only filter out stuff that would harm Chloe. So she might have to spill one thing or two towards her in the future.

"Understood, Sir," Diamond nodded gently.

Ding!

The lift stopped at their floor, and Diamond followed the boss until he stopped in front of the CEO's office door.

He opened the door, but before he entered, Diamond asked first, "Sir, you seem to be spacing out and in a complicated mood today."

…

"Also, Sir, about your knuckles…." Diamond noticed in the morning that Mr. Phoenix Gray's hand was bandaged. It seemed terrible because his expression would clench whenever he accidentally hit his knuckle on the table or wall. "Do you have any problem that I can help with?"

…

"It's nothing. I was just stressed by work," Vernon replied. Though, both of them knew that was a complete lie. "About my knuckles… I accidentally hit the wall until it cracked."

'Oh, both are just complete lies. I've known him better than he expected,' Diamond thought. But she didn't want to hurt his fragile ego, so he bowed her head gently again.

"Understood, Sir. I'll return to work on a few documents again," Diamond said. She returned to her secretary's desk while Vernon entered his office.

He sat on the long sofa, staring at the lunch bag he almost threw, not because it was unpalatable— despite being a picky eater, Vernon always thought that Chloe's cooking was tolerable for his tastebud.

"There's no way she knows about it and still acts like there's nothing wrong. She is, in any way, a woman in need. If I show her too much kindness, she will take advantage of it."

Vernon tried to convince himself so he wouldn't feel too nervous, "It's okay, Vernon. Everything is under your control. Just don't be soft because she will take advantage of you."

"Vernon Phoenix Gray, remember your mission. You're here to ruin both of them, your brother and sister-in-law."