Chapter 82
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1 sidestepped her lunge, letting her swipe at nothing. A cold laugh escaped my lips.
“Why wouldn’t I dare?”
+25 BONUS
I had tried to stay calm, endure their insults, and focus on a peaceful divorce. I didn’t retaliate when they spread lies about me or painted me as the villain.
But them? They saw my silence as a weakness. They thought I was an easy target, someone they could humiliate without
consequence.
Icould have tolerated everything they said about me, but when they dragged Mr. Holland into it? That crossed a line.
Julianne missed her mark and only got angrier. Her frustration boiled over, her voice shrill and hysterical.
“Emilia! How dare you? How dare you!”
She was used to walking all over me, used to always having the upper hand. Every confrontation between us had ended with her as the victor. She thrived on that superiority , on being untouchable
But now? Now, I had hit her where it hurt, and she couldn’t handle it.
She snapped completely. Grabbing a teapot from the nearby table, she hurled it at me.
Mr. Holland was right next to me, so I couldn’t dodge without risking it hitting him. The teapot slammed into me, pain radiating through my shoulder as I nearly doubled over. Tears sprang to my eyes, but anger burned hotter than the pain.
Without a second thought, I grabbed a plate from the table and threw it back at her with everything I had.
Before the plate could hit its mark, a tall figure darted in, using his body as a shield to block the impact. The plate shattered against his back.
Everyone froze.
The man who had taken the hit slowly turned. It was Irvin.
Of course.
He seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to Julianne. Anytime she was in danger–real or imagined—he magically appeared. But when I needed him? He was nowhere to be found.
Irvin winced from the pain, the force of the plate leaving its mark, but his first thought wasn’t about himself. He glanced down at Julianne, his concern palpable. The idea of that plate hitting her delicate frame seemed to fill him with dread.
He turned to me, anger blazing in his eyes.
“Emilia, how could you throw that at Julianne?”
He looked at me like I had committed some unforgivable crime like I was the worst person on earth.
But he had arrived fast enough to see what had happened. He had to know Julianne was the one who threw the teapot first. Yet,
somehow, in his mind, she was innocent, and I was the monster.
Before I could say anything, Mr. Holland spoke up, his tone sharp and unyielding.
“Why shouldn’t she throw it? Julianne hit Emilia first. What, Emilia can’t defend herself now?”
Mr. Holland had always been fiercely protective of me. He would have backed me without hesitation, if I had started the fight. The fact that I had been the one attacked first only made him angrier.
He turned to Irvin, his eyes narrowing in disdain. “I knew from the beginning you were no good. And now you’ve proven it. You’re a disgrace.”
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+25 BONUS
Irvin, despite his powerful position and massive ego, didn’t show any anger toward Mr. Holland. Maybe it was the remnants of respect for his mentor, or maybe it was guilt. Either way, his voice softened.
“That’s not what happened, Mr. Holland…” he started.
But before he could finish, Julianne burst into tears and threw herself into his arms.
“Irvin…” she sobbed, clinging to him like her life depended on it.
Her voice, high–pitched and pleading, echoed in the room. Once, her cries of his name might have evoked images of a sweet childhood romance, of two kids who grew up together, destined for love.
But now?
Now, everyone in the room shivered at the sound , unable to ignore what they knew about her past with Irvin’s father. The once- innocent way of calling him now carried a disturbing weight.
As if on cue, Julianne’s body went limp, and she fainted in Irvin’s arms.
It was her favorite move–the fainting act. Every time things didn’t go her way , she conveniently passed out, leaving Irvin to rush to her rescue.
Irvin’s anger only grew as he looked down at her unconscious form. He got even more furious when he turned his gaze back to
“Emilia, why do you always have to go after Julianne?” he demanded, his voice filled with frustration and rage.