Chapter 6
"Are you freaking kidding me?" Luke snapped.
He ripped the emerald necklace from Abbey's neck and hurled it at Leslie with furious force.
"Here, take back your broke-ass mom's worthless glass beads! If Abbey hadn't liked it, you think I'd even touch it? If you love this piece of junk so much, then take it and get the hell out of here!" he spat.
The emerald necklace crashed to the floor, pearls scattering in every direction, the gemstone splintering into shards. It was just like their relationship, shattered and beyond fixing.
Staring at the broken gem, Leslie felt her heart break into a million pieces.
She finally snapped, grabbing a plate from the table and hurling it at Luke. "Luke, you're a scumbag!"
The plate smashed into Luke, then hit the floor with a loud crack. Shards flew everywhere, cutting the back of his hand, and blood started pouring out.
Abbey screamed and jumped aside.
Luke looked at Leslie, terrified, and yelled, "Leslie, are you crazy?"
He yelled toward the door, "Where the hell are the security guards? Are you all dead out there? Get in here, now!"
The security guards burst in, flanking Leslie and pinning her between them, locking her down.
No matter how furious Leslie was, there was no way she could take on two guys at once.
Luke stormed forward, hand raised, ready to hit her back.
Leslie lifted her head, messy hair falling across her face, but her eyes were clear and piercing.
Luke stopped short, hesitating for a moment.
Once, those eyes overflowed with love for him. Now, they burned with nothing but rage and loathing.
Leslie locked eyes with him, breathless. "Go ahead, hit me! Kill me if you can!"
Luke glared back at her, unflinching.
After years of clawing his way through the business world, everyone around him was always sucking up to him. He was used to being in control, and almost no one ever dared defy him.
If Leslie hadn't gone all out for him back then, he wouldn't have tolerated her this much.
But in the end, Luke's hand never came down. His face was stormy.
"Leslie, I'm on top now, and I'm still letting you keep the title of Mrs. Garner. Don't forget who gave you everything," he said coldly.
Leslie let out a bitter, mocking laugh.
"You think I actually care about being Mrs. Garner?" she shot back.
Every bit of Luke's success, every ounce of his reputation, he owed it all to Leslie and her connections. Without her, he'd be nothing.
Leslie looked at him, her eyes cold as ice.
"I don't need your handouts. I'm done. We're getting divorced. I'll make sure you know what it truly means to lose everything," she said, her voice chilling.
For a moment, Luke was taken aback. Then he sneered.
"Sure, let's get divorced! But all the money's mine. You walk out with nothing to your name!" he spat.
He was just trying to scare Leslie. He was certain that after all these years stuck at home, she wouldn't last a day on her own.
Abbey's eyes sparkled, barely able to hide her glee.
Leslie never thought Luke could be this cold-blooded. The icy anger in her chest only burned hotter. Twelve years of love meant nothing at all.
The crowd was still gossiping in hushed voices.
"Mr. Garner's built such a big business now. Is she really gonna walk away from all that?"
"Who could put up with their husband parading his side chick around at every event?"
"Even if she can't take it, what can she do? She still depends on him for everything. If she leaves, she'll probably be worse off. Better to just pretend not to see..."
Leslie didn't pay any attention to the comments, whether they were sympathetic or mocking. She gave Luke an icy stare, shoved the guards off her, and strode out without a second glance.
Luke watched her go, his expression unreadable.
Abbey tugged gently at his arm. "Luke, are you really going to divorce Leslie?"
Luke snapped back to reality, turning to look at her, his eyes still blazing with anger.
"She started it. Like I'd be scared of her," he replied.
Abbey's smile grew even brighter as she hid the glint of ambition and hope in her eyes.
"Luke, you're such a great guy. Leslie just doesn't appreciate what she's got. Don't be upset, okay? Come on, let me be your dance partner tonight," she said, her tone gentle and coaxing.
Abbey's oh-so-considerate act made Luke's anger fade a little.
He didn't give Leslie a second thought, pulled Abbey close by the waist, and headed straight for the dance floor.
Leslie stood outside, the pounding music from inside still echoing in her ears. Her arms throbbed where the guards had grabbed her, and her chest felt suffocating.
People said even a dog knew how to be loyal. But after twelve years of devotion, the man she'd given everything to had turned out to be worse than a beast.
She pulled out her phone and called her father's secretary.
"Denzel, pull all the resources and projects the group invested in Luke's company. I want everything withdrawn, effective immediately," she said.
Ever since she married Luke, her father, Albert, had tried to stop her. But when his efforts failed, he could only tolerate Luke's presence as his son-in-law.
These days, plenty of Luke's business deals were thanks to the Marsh family. He was always smug about latching onto their powerful connections, never realizing that the wife he looked down on was actually the Marsh family's sole heir.
Denzel Wiley froze for a second at Leslie's command, but didn't ask anything. He simply answered, "Yes."