Chapter 4 The Biggest Joke

A strained laugh escaped Allison. The sound carried no joy, and tears gathered in her eyes.

She was Nolan's lawful wife, still sick, and she had not even moved out of the presidential residence.

Yet her shameless husband had already brought his mistress straight into the house.

Hollie and Nolan looked composed and perfectly dressed. While she, on the other hand, stood on the marble floor wearing nothing but a thin nightgown.

When the maid had dragged her out of bed earlier, she had not even allowed her to put on her shoes.

Her body burned with fever. Her bare feet felt the cold of the floor. Heat and chill fought through her body at the same time.

While Allison endured that misery, Hollie clung to Nolan and continued to act innocent right in front of her. The scene was ridiculous.

"What exactly are you laughing at?" Nolan finally spoke. His gaze moved across Allison's flushed face, down to her bare feet, and then to the outline of her body beneath the thin fabric.

Sunlight passed through the tall windows and fell on her. Under that light, she looked like a fairy.

Nolan's throat tightened. He pushed Hollie aside and stood up, planning to place his suit jacket around Allison's shoulders.

"Ah!"

Hollie refused to let him leave her side. She pretended to lose her balance and collapsed onto the sofa.

"My foot..." she murmured. "I twisted it. It hurts..." Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked up at Nolan.

Her expression seemed fragile; she looked as if she could wither if he left her side.

Concern appeared on Nolan's face. He returned to her side and sat down. "Let me see it. Is it serious?"

Hollie did not hesitate. She lifted her foot and placed it on his lap. Phyllis hurried over with a tube of ointment and handed it to Nolan. "I am afraid to hurt Ms. Pearson. You can do it."

Nolan accepted it. He squeezed some ointment onto his palm and began rubbing Hollie's ankle.

Allison remained where she was. Her bare feet pressed against the cold floor. The air around her felt suffocating.

During Nolan's presidential campaign speech back then, an attack had nearly taken his life. At that moment, she had stepped in front of him without hesitation and used her own body to block the bullet.

The scar left by that graze still marked her arm.

But the man she had once risked her life for now felt like a stranger to her.

"Nolan, there's no need for you to do this," Hollie said, pretending to refuse. "I'll handle it myself. Look at Allison. She's about to cry."

She only behaved this boldly because Nolan indulged her.

Earlier that morning, Nolan had already submitted the divorce papers to Congress.

In only a few weeks, Allison would become a discarded ex-wife, and her every connection with the Reid family would disappear.

Hollie's words barely reached Allison. The fever burning through her body continued to rise, and her vision began to grow hazy.

Right now, she needed to return to the hospital.

"Who said you could leave?" Nolan's voice turned firm when Allison moved to go. "Apologize to Phyllis first."

Phyllis had been placed in charge by him. After Allison beat her like that, how could she continue working in the presidential residence without facing ridicule?

All he required was an apology from Allison. He intended to settle the matter with that.

"Are you sure?" Allison asked. Her breathing came out in hot bursts, yet her tone remained cold.

"Can you stop being unreasonable?" Nolan said with a sigh.

In his mind, he had already shown her enough leniency. But she wouldn't even pretend to comply?

"Alright." Allison forced herself forward despite the weakness in her body and stopped in front of Phyllis.

Phyllis looked at her with a satisfied expression, expecting her to lower her head and beg. Instead, Allison spoke calmly. "You claim that I hit you. Do you have proof for that?"

Phyllis stiffened at once. "You hit me inside the guest room. I don't know how I should prove that."

Allison gave a cold smile. "Then I will make sure to let everyone see it right now."

Before Phyllis even realized what she meant, Allison's hand struck her face twice with full force.

Both sides of Phyllis' face swelled instantly. Clear marks appeared on her cheeks.

"Take a good look," Allison said calmly. "That's the strength I usually use when I hit someone."

For two years, Phyllis had tormented her. The two slaps finally felt like getting even.

Since Phyllis insisted on pushing the matter further, Allison believed she didn't have to hold back.

"Phyllis!" Hollie hurried over and shielded the stunned Phyllis, while Nolan strode forward with anger on his face. "What are you doing, Allison?"

"Allison, how could you hit her in front of everyone like this?" Hollie turned to Allison.

Her words had barely left her mouth when Allison's hand struck her face. The slap echoed through the room.

"So you wanted attention, too?" Allison said coldly. "Then take a few slaps as well." She lifted her hand again, but Nolan grabbed her wrist before it could fall.

He stepped in front of Hollie at once, shielding her as if protecting something precious. The sight turned Allison's stomach.

"Allison, have you gone crazy?" Nolan asked, staring at her in disbelief. "Are you just going to attack anyone you see?"

Allison tried to pull her wrist free, but the fever had drained her strength. "Take your dirty hand off me!" she shouted.

After touching Hollie, he had no right to touch her. It disgusted her.

Nolan's expression hardened. "What did you just say? I'm your husband! How could you say something like that to me?"

"Not anymore." Allison met his gaze without hesitation. Her eyes held nothing but cold hatred. "From this moment on, everything I gave you is withdrawn."

She was not only speaking about her feelings for Nolan, but also the support she had once given him that had carried him to where he stood today.

And since she could help him rise, she could also bring him down.

Hollie dreamed of becoming the First Lady, right? She intended to make that dream turn into the biggest joke!