Chapter 2
Clayton tried to serve her more food, but Audrey stood up, dumped her utensils in the sink, and walked straight to the bedroom.
They had a nanny at home, but Audrey liked doing things herself. She used to cook Clayton’s favorite meals and laid out his suits for the day. Zoe came in for an hour daily just to tidy up.
She used to think it was a sweet little routine between them, yet now, recalling what happened, Audrey felt like she was out of her mind in the
past.
Clayton’s mother, Lillian Patel, always thought Audrey was after Clayton’s money. She made Clayton hand over half his paycheck every month for her to keep and said she’d return it when she was sure Audrey wasn’t a gold digger.
Their finances had basically been split fifty–fifty since the wedding. And outsiders still loved gossiping about how Audrey married up, about her being some clingy, fame–hungry wannabe.
Audrey put up with all of it because she loved Clayton. But now? Now she couldn’t believe how blind she used to be.
The husband she always felt proud of, the man who once stood for justice, fighting tooth and nail for unpaid factory workers, now threw his own wife under the bus to protect another woman’s reputation.
Clayton’s hand froze in the air, and he clearly felt the weight of her cold shoulder. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and knocked gently on the bedroom door. “Audrey, I can explain that thing.”
From inside, Audrey let out a bitter laugh and thought, ‘If you had anything to say, why didn’t you say it a month ago in front of your coworkers, your friends, and in front of her? What’s the act for now?‘
She remembered that look in his eyes that night was nothing but
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irritation, and he said to her, “You can leave Ashwood once you calm
down.”
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He even said, “Vally and Luna have had it rough. If you’re gonna make things worse for them, then maybe it’s time you felt what being truly alone is like.”
He knew she was an orphan, and he always knew he was her only lifeline. But instead of standing by her, he sided with Valerie and crushed what little hope she had left.
When Valerie watched Audrey being dragged into Ashwood, she didn’t even try to hide the satisfaction in her eyes. She smiled, as if saying, ‘Say what you want, Clayton won’t believe you. The more you fight it, the crazier you’ll look.’
Audrey tried to break free from the nurses and scrambled back toward the hallway. With just one door between them, she heard Valerie sweet–talking Clayton, “Clay, the doctor just said I can’t draw anymore, but I can still have other jobs. Audrey only hurt me ‘cause she loves you too much.”
Audrey didn’t hear what Clayton replied because she was already forced into a room with bars on the windows.
She’d clenched her teeth and thought, ‘If Clayton wants to play savior, he better chain himself to her for life. Just don’t drag decent people down with them. I’m not interested in his lame excuse!‘
Clearly thrown by Audrey’s sudden silence, Clayton loosened his tie, feeling irritated without knowing why. He raised his voice to say, “Why do you hate Vally so much? She’s just a friend.”
Audrey didn’t buy that for a second. She couldn’t believe he still pretended
not to know how Valerie felt for him.
After all, Valerie was jobless, divorced, and took her three–year–old daughter with autism back to Ironhaven and stepped into their life.
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Audrey sneered inwardly, ‘What kind of friend pushes others to divorce? What kind of friend throws herself into the arms of another woman’s
husband?‘
If things kept going like this, Audrey knew she’d finally go crazy one day.
She suddenly flung the bedroom door open and sneered, “Your family owes Valerie. That’s your business, not mine. You want me to take care of your parents, but now I’m supposed to repay your debt too?”
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She thought bitterly, ‘Just because I married a superior and famous lawyer, I should play the good wife role? I didn’t get any benefit from this marriage but got hurt mentally and physically!’
She looked him straight in the eye and said firmly, “You were scared people would talk trash about her, so you told them I was violent and unstable. Her father saved your father, so you wanna sacrifice my reputation to protect her name?”
Her voice shook with rage. “What right does she have to live in the house I bought and spend the money my husband gives her? What right do you have to send me to that darned mental hospital?”
Audrey had been holding her rage all in for too long, and now the dam burst. She let all her rage and her heartbreak out.
She hated Valerie for twisting the truth, but even more than that, she hated the man who once promised her a warm and safe home. She took a shaky breath, wiped her face, and realized her cheeks were wet with tears.
Clayton’s expression turned more serious. He hadn’t expected her to be this furious. Lowering his voice, he said, “I know you lost your job, but I’ll support you. Once Vally and Luna settle down, I’ll hand over the rest of my paycheck to you.”
Audrey let out a long breath, feeling tired. She thought to herself, ‘If I fall for his crap again, I’m the dumbest woman ever. You betrayed me once,
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and what makes you think I’ll believe your promise again?‘
She’d seen through him completely. Clayton’s heart had already gone rotten. He’d always side with Valerie. This time, she was sent to Ashwood Mental Hospital. But she didn’t know if she had a fight with Valerie again, what her heartless husband would do to her.
After all, she had no family. Clayton, as her legal guardian, had the power to do whatever he wanted.
Audrey looked at Clayton. Her eyes contained no more softness, no love, just a sheet of coldness.
She said, “Don’t bother dangling carrots in front of me. I got fired due to Valerie. You’re gonna pay me 150,000 dollars. Then we get a divorce. You can play house with whoever you want after that.”
“I’m not divorcing you,” Clayton shot back without hesitation.
Yanking off his tie, he flung it onto the couch. His chest felt tight, like he couldn’t breathe. He thought, ‘She wants a divorce over something so small? What the hell is wrong with her?‘
The tie hit a decorative piece on the coffee table, knocking it to the floor. It shattered with a sharp crash, broken into pieces.
For once, the always–composed lawyer Clayton raised his voice. “You lost your job, and I’ll make it right. But divorce? Out of the question.”
He thought he’d already lowered himself enough. He was Clayton–the admired, respected, and untouchable top–tier lawyer. Now that he was trying to meet her halfway, Audrey should’ve known when to quit.
But Audrey’s eyes were colder than ever. There was even disgust in them.
Clayton suddenly felt something slipping out of his grasp. He couldn’t name it, but the feeling irritated him more than he cared to admit.
He muttered, “It’s all in the past. Can’t we let it go?”
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“Clay? Is Audrey back?” Valerie’s voice rang out as she walked in, decked out in a Chanel dress, a Coach bag on her arm, and a pair of shining high
heels.
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Valerie was five years older than Audrey, but she dressed younger and more fashionably. Audrey had always been practical–saving every cent to pay off the mortgage early, never splurging on luxury brands.
However, Valerie, a jobless single mother with a sick toddler, strolled in head–to–toe brands. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who was footing
the bill.
She stopped at the entryway, pretending to be shocked at the pieces on the floor. “Audrey, if you’ve got a problem, take it out on me. My hand’s ruined already. Go ahead and slash me again if it makes you feel better.
“That piece is a foreign art exhibit, you know? Clayton really likes it. It cost a few grand.”
Audrey let out a laugh that was anything but amused. “Valerie, with that kind of imagination, you seriously missed your calling. You should be stalking celebs for gossip sites. I bought that piece, okay? How this involves you?”
Before Valerie could get a word in, Audrey turned to Clayton. “You heard her, right? That thing’s a foreign exhibit, cost 6,000 dollars. You broke it. You gotta pay.”
Valerie’s eyes filled with tears instantly. She turned those helpless,
wounded eyes toward Clayton. “Clay, I thought you guys were arguing about me, so I—”
Clayton clenched his fists, feeling fed up. “Vally’s already forgiven you for what you did to her. You don’t need to keep pushing.”
