Chapter 81
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Though the marriage certificate was obtained in Daloria, Ventia, and wasn’t recognized back in the country, calling her ” stepmom” wasn’t exactly a stretch.
Irvin , with his proud and lofty nature, could never truly accept the idea of marrying someone who had once been his stepmother. No matter how brief Julianne’s role in that position had been, the fact remained—she had been with his father.
Phillip was notorious for his philandering ways. Even when Irvin’s mother was still alive, he’d been discreetly involved with other women. After her passing, he no longer bothered to hide his behavior, flaunting his affairs openly. Julianne had briefly caught his attention with her “pure” and “innocent” demeanor.
It didn’t last.
After quickly tiring of her, Phillip tossed her aside before their honeymoon was even over, moving on to his next conquest. Their Daloria marriage was brief, barely a blip, and with it taking place overseas, almost no one knew about it. Irvin , in an effort to protect Julianne’s reputation, had buried the entire incident.
I never would’ve uncovered the truth if I hadn’t spent a fortune hiring a world–class private investigator.
At first, all I wanted was a quiet divorce, to walk away without causing unnecessary drama. Let them gossip, let them paint me as
the villainous third party–I didn’t care. As long as I got my divorce, I was willing to endure it all.
But Julianne had made a fatal mistake. She used Mr. Holland to threaten me. That was a line I couldn’t ignore.
If she wanted to dig her grave, I would happily hand her the shovel.
Calmly, I pulled out my second phone and showed everyone the photos of Julianne and Phillip at their Ventia wedding.
The reaction was immediate.
Everyone who looked at the pictures turned to Julianne with a mix of shock, disgust, and disbelief.
It didn’t take long for them to piece everything together. That was the same year Phillip had kicked Irvin out of the house, leaving him with nothing.
A handsome, young Irvin versus a 50–something–year–old man.
Who in their right mind would choose the latter unless it was for money? Even a fool wouldn’t make that choice.
The conclusion was obvious–Julianne had ditched Irvin when he was at his lowest, opting to chase after Phillip for wealth and security. Now that Irvin had rebuilt himself into the powerful CEO he was today, she wanted to come crawling back
She wasn’t some pure, untouchable goddess or the perfect, untainted love of Irvin’s life. She was a gold digger. A woman who had once been Irvin’s stepmother.
It was like someone had flipped a switch.
Everyone around her stepped back as if moving in unison, instinctively putting distance between themselves and Julianne.
These weren’t just clueless rich kids–they knew Irvin well enough to understand one thing. With this kind of history, there was no way he’d ever end up with Julianne.
Julianne had managed to gather this group of spoiled trust fund kids under her influence, thanks to Irvin’s apparent favoritism toward her. They all assumed that she was destined to become the next Mrs. Sawyer.
But if it became clear that Julianne had no chance of taking that title, then what would be the point of currying tavor with her?
As a result, not only did they stop listening to Julianne or following her lead, but many instinctively began keeping their distance from her.
No matter how good he seemed to her now, they all assumed he must have his reasons. The most logical explanation was that
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+25 BONUS
Irvin was biding his time, playing the long game to get revenge for how she’d abandoned him. He wanted her to fall for him, deeply and completely, only to rush her the way she had once crushed him.
And no one wanted to risk being collateral damage when that happened.
The shift was palpable. Julianne, who had always been the center of attention, suddenly found herself alone, surrounded by a sea of cold, judgmental stares.
Her mask cracked.
The elegant, gentle facade she had worn so carefully shuttered. For the first time, she was completely unraveling.
Her hands clenched into fists, her body trembling with rage. She couldn’t handle the disdain, the rejection. She’d brought these people here to humiliate me, but instead, she was the one being torn apart.
Finally, she snapped.
All pretense of grace was gone as she lunged at me, screaming like a wild animal. “Emilia, you bitch! How dare you?” She clawed at the air, her voice shrill and cracking. “How could you do this to me?”
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