Chapter 4
I let out a bitter laugh.
Julian said, "I always wondered how the Lewis family could end up with such a dumb and spineless daughter. Turns out, she wasn't even a Lewis.
"The day Jasper and Luna found out the truth, they were absolutely thrilled. They officially welcomed Nova into the family that very day. Honestly, I was the happiest. Finally, I didn't have to deal with that fool anymore."
As he talked about the past, Julian couldn't hide the smile on his face.
George was still trying to process everything Julian had told him.
His throat tightened, and he blurted out, "No way. Jasper and Luna would rather see Nova upset than send Chloe away. How could they possibly hate her?"
"Now that you mention it, I was puzzled, too. Jasper and Luna originally planned to give Chloe some money and have her move out last Thanksgiving Day.
"Chloe told me she even had a place lined up, but for some reason, they changed their minds at the last minute," Julian said.
The first time George visited the Lewis residence to propose, under the guise of a family alliance, was right before Thanksgiving Day. He had a nagging feeling this was somehow tied to him.
"By the way, you married her because you couldn't stand her and wanted to bully her, right?" Julian teased.
George paused, feeling a strange unease. "Is it really that obvious?"
"Come on, anyone could tell," Julian said with a mocking grin. "Remember that time one of your admirers purposely shoved her, making her crash right into the champagne tower?
"She looked absolutely wrecked, cuts all over her arms, blood pooling on the floor."
Julian shrugged. "You stood there, watching her suffer like it was entertainment. I was the one who finally couldn't take it and called the ambulance. So, you've brought all this drama to my doorstep today. Are you two getting divorced or what?"
George stayed silent.
"Guess your silence says it all, huh?" Julian pressed. "Anyway, now that Nova's gone, and I'm kind of bored, I might as well get myself a pet to mess around with.
"It's been a while since I last saw her, and honestly, I kind of miss that little lapdog act of hers, always hanging around no matter how much I tried to get rid of her.
"You've had your fun, right? Why not give her back to me? What do you say?"
George snapped out of it and looked at Julian. Strangely enough, he could see a hint of excitement in Julian's eyes.
Instead of answering, George finally asked the question he'd been holding back. "I hate her because I feel like she took everything from Nova and kept picking on her at the Lewis residence. So why do you hate her?"
"Hating a phony woman is pretty normal, right?" Julian settled back in his seat, looking relaxed, but he avoided George's eyes.
"Phony?" George echoed, surprised.
"Chloe's the kind of girl who makes you feel like you're the center of her universe when you're with her," Julian said. "But then you look around and realize she treats everyone exactly the same."
George was quiet. Yeah, whenever he was with her, he really did get that feeling.
"She'll tell you she likes you, but then, if she catches you with another girl, she'll smile and say hi like nothing ever happened," Julian scoffed.
Hearing Julian's bitter, almost resentful words, George drifted into his own memories.
He remembered once when Chloe caught him talking business with another woman. How did she react back then?
She didn't seem bothered at the time, but back at home, she kept tiptoeing around the subject, subtly asking about that woman's identity.
She wanted to know if that woman was someone he was seeing on the side.
She spent the whole day sulking, lips pursed in jealousy. It took me reassuring her again and again before she finally cheered up and smiled at him.
Julian said, "After Nova came back, I told Chloe I'd fallen in love with her the moment I saw her. Can you guess how she reacted?
"That little lapdog used to trail after me, doing anything to please me, no matter how hard I tried to shake her off. But she didn't cry and didn't throw a fit. She smiled and gave us her blessing. She's quite phony, right?"
I felt a pang of injustice. Was it really wrong for me to wish him and the girl he loved happiness?
Doing anything to please him? I let out a sarcastic laugh. Honestly, it wasn't about pleasing him. I wanted to survive a little better in the Lewis residence.
After all, back then, marrying him was the biggest deal for the Lewis family.
Julian got more and more worked up as he talked, and when he looked up at George, he was surprised to see him actually smiling. "What are you laughing at?"
George froze for a second, then instinctively glanced at the mirror on the wall. Sure enough, he saw the smile still lingering on his face.
His face went stiff, and he forced the smile off his lips, but deep down, a strange, uneasy feeling started bubbling up, one he couldn't quite put into words.
Julian's one-sided story wasn't enough to clear Chloe's name. Reason kicked in, and George's heart turned cold again.
"Hey, you haven't told me when you and Chloe are getting divorced," Julian grinned.
George arched an eyebrow. "When did I say Chloe and I are getting divorced?"
Julian pursed his lips, as if he was making a concession. "Alright, here's the deal. The Morgan family has a new project coming up, and we could partner with your company. I'm willing to cut you in for this much."
He gestured a number with his fingers.
George was genuinely surprised. That number meant the Morgan family would barely make anything on this deal. It was practically giving all the profits away.
"Give Chloe back to me, and we'll sign the contract right away. What do you say?" Julian grinned.
"No deal," George shot back.
"If you're not satisfied, we can always negotiate." Seeing George about to leave, Julian got anxious.
"Chloe can't get divorced," George blurted out.
"Why?" Julian let out a mocking laugh. "Don't tell me you're about to say she's fallen for you and doesn't want a divorce?"
"Chloe's dead." George grabbed his coat, and as he was about to leave, he gave Julian a look, this poor fool who still hadn't figured out who he really cared about, totally blind to his feelings.
Of course, George caught the stunned look on Julian's face.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Julian blurted out. "George, hold up. What do you mean? Spell it out. George!"