Chapter 99
Frederick, who had started walking ahead toward the exit, stopped in his tracks. Zoe bit her lip, looking thoroughly humiliated as her eyes rapidly filled with tears.
“Maeve… Felix is gone. I’m pregnant, and I have to raise Charlie all on my own. If I had the money, I would gladly give it to you. But outsiders don’t know my financial situation—surely you do? I admit the scandal was my fault, but if you really didn’t want to help, you could have just said no. Why agree to help, only to viciously insult me afterward p>
Maeve’s face hardened into a glare. “You think I actually wanted to do this? If Frederick hadn’t p>
“Shut up!” Frederick was suddenly right beside her. He grabbed her arm roughly, dragging her aggressively away from Zoe.
Pulling her behind a decorative partition wall out of sight, he released her arm with a violent shove, his face dark with fury.
“When the hell are you going to stop throwing these tantrums, Maeve? Would it kill you to act normal for just one day p>
Maeve ground her teeth, ready to scream back, but the force of his shove threw her off balance. Her stiletto twisted awkwardly, and a blinding, needle-like agony shot straight up her ankle.
She couldn’t hold back a muffled groan. Slapping her hand against the wall to keep from collapsing, she clamped down on her bottom lip to suppress the pain. A cold sweat broke out across her forehead as she leaned heavily against the wall, waiting for the worst of the throbbing to subside.
Frederick’s hands twitched at his sides. He took a hesitant step toward her.
“Maeve, I didn’t mean to p>
“Didn’t mean to what?” Maeve cut him off with a vicious sneer.
“Were you about to say I volunteered for this? That you didn’t hold my parents’ livelihoods hostage to force me here p>
Frederick raised his hand, freezing mid-air as if he wanted to clamp his palm over her mouth to silence the ugly truth.
She kept her back pressed against the wall, subtly putting more distance between them as she continued her verbal assault.
“Besides, didn’t you give Zoe your black card? How could she possibly be broke p>
She hadn’t known about the card initially. Martha had casually mentioned it over dinner after seeing Zoe flaunting it on social media.
Frederick frowned. “How much could Zoe possibly spend? I’ve never deprived you of anything in the years weve been married. Why are yo being so vindictive over a credit card p>
“Are you listening to yourself? Until the divorce papers are signed, I am your legal wife Taking care of re financially is the bare minimum,” Maeve retorted, her voice dripping with righteous fury.
“If you want me to stop being ‘vindictive,’ fine. Hand over the black card p>
Frederick stared at her like she had lost her mind. “I already gave it to Zoe. I can’t just demand it back. What kind of man do you think I am p>
“What kind of man?” Maeve let out a sharp, mocking laugh, staring directly into his eyes.
“A two-faced hypocrite p>
She finally understood the dynamic perfectly. The one who reaped all the benefits got to play the innocent victim. while the one acttially being abused was labeled a hysterical shrew.
When she demanded what was rightfully hers, she was ‘vindictive.’ When Zoe shamelessly took her husband and her money, she was ‘obedient and understanding p>
She had already asked for a divorce. She had told them they could have each other.
So why?
Why was she being dragged back to be their public shield, only to be verbally battered when she refused to suffer in silence?
In the past, she had loved Frederick too much. She had constantly compromised, endlessly indulging his behavior while allowing Zoe to repeatedly walk all over her.
But now p>
The moment Frederick weaponized her parents, any remaining shred of loyalty or mercy between them was incinerated.
If they were completely devoid of shame, why should she hold back?
Frederick looked at her as if he were seeing a stranger. His brain seemed to short-circuit for a second. “What did you… just call me p>