Chapter 5 Unmasking the Truth

After the two were done with their drama, Desmond gently tried to leave them.

If he continued to prove anything, they still wouldn't believe him and would only continue to lash out at him.

Seeing his silent treatment and indifferent reaction angered Tatiana even more.

As he tried to move away, she stepped in front of him again, blocking his path.

"How dare you leave just like that?" she snapped.

"We ain't done." She shouted.

"What else? The last time I checked, everything was totally concluded this morning." Desmond responded.

Tatiana frowned. "You think you can go scot-free? I need compensation."

"Compensation?" Desmond exclaimed.

"Yes, for being your wife all these years."

"No! You mean compensation for cheating on me the whole time we were married."

"Excuse me?" Tatiana scoffed.

"Why not compensate me if you feel the letter from Nicholas Everstone was true?"

Desmond was taken aback.

He remembered leaving some of his belongings behind, including the letter addressed to him, urging him to return home, and his once most cherished possession-the pendant.

Had Tatiana seen it?

How come she wasn't mentioning it?

Could it be that she forgot about the pendant and the incident that happened that year?

Not likely.

She had a sharp memory, always recalling things from years ago.

She should remember, especially something this significant.

Or was he the only one who had taken it so personally?

Had he been the only one who attached such deep emotions to it?

It should be worth remembering.

The pendant wasn't ordinary, it was special.

Despite being in a hurry to leave, Desmond managed to respond.

"Yes, the letter was true."

Tatiana hissed and stared down at him condescendingly.

"You mean Nicholas Everstone sent you a letter?" She chuckled.

"Well, someone else, by coincidence, could bear the name. It couldn't be the most powerful rich man in this city. Never!" Alex interjected, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Oh! Sure! How come I didn't think of that quicker?" Tatiana said, a sense of relief washing over her.

"Alex, can you believe this clown actually called himself 'Young Successor'?"

"Ki ki..." They both burst into laughter.

"He was only dreaming. It's not his fault."

"Young Successor of losers," Alex added.

"What else have we not heard from this clown? Nothing, I guess."

"That reminds me. Do you also add theft to your snitching and clown act?"

"I found a young girl's pendant among your belongings."

"You don't mean it!" Alex said, shaking his head dismissively.

Desmond's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Tatiana, what is really happening? Can't we just let sleeping dogs lie?"

"Really? You want peace after all these disgusting things you've done? Why can't you admit it?" Tatiana retorted, her eyes nearly bulging with anger.

She spat in disgust.

"It's fine if you don't believe that the letter was true. That's not a must. But what about the pendant? Isn't it yours?" Desmond asked, watching her reaction closely.

Tatiana scoffed. "What are you saying? My pendant is still lying perfectly in my box."

Desmond's heart skipped a bit. His expression shifted momentarily before he quickly masked it.

He couldn't believe it.

Tatiana wasn't the girl who had been kind to him years ago.

"Now I see why," he whispered to himself.

Shit.

He had only thought he was indebted to her, believing that was why she had stayed with him all these years-because he had saved her life that year at the orphanage home.

Thirteen years ago, Desmond was 15 years old when he found himself at the orphanage home, having lost his memory.

He had once been at the Ashford mansion, but now he was at the orphanage.

Sir George Lancaster and his 10-year-old granddaughter, Tatiana, visited one day.

While they spoke with the orphans, sudden chaos began outside.

Amid the commotion, a sharp knife flew into the orphanage compound, heading straight for Tatiana's head.

Desmond saw it just in time and shoved her away with full force.

They both fell before a security officer managed to catch Tatiana in mid-air.

As for Desmond, unfortunately, he was propelled forward and hit his head on a rock-like stone on the ground.

He was immediately rushed to the orphanage health care center, where he was treated.

Later, when it was realized that he needed further treatment, he was taken outside the orphanage for better care.

It was at the new hospital that he met a young girl who gifted him all sorts of edibles.

Her kindness had been unwavering. The last thing she gave him at her final visit was the pendant.

Unbeknownst to Desmond, he had assumed it was the girl he had saved who had reciprocated his kindness.

After all, it was their first meeting, and he couldn't really recognize which was which.

Now, it seemed he had gotten it wrong. Someone else had been the one who showed him kindness, not Tatiana.

What had he gotten in return for his kindness from Tatiana instead?

Slander. Betrayal. A divorce.

He had endured her cold actions and stayed by her side, all because he believed she was the girl who appreciated his kindness.

But now, the truth was hitting him like a ton of bricks.

A whirlwind of emotions surged through him -sadness, shock, disappointment.

"Why so quiet? Liar," Tatiana sneered.

She assumed his silence meant he had nothing left to say, that he had been caught red-handed.

To her, his lack of defense was a sign of guilt, a silent confession.

"Once loud, now silent. Why? Nothing more to prove yourself? I think liars don't run out of lies," she taunted.

Her ranting snapped Desmond out of his thoughts.

"Can you just let me hear a word? I didn't lie about anything," he said, his voice steady but firm.

His words felt like a heavy blow, knocking the wind out of her.

Tatiana's eyes widened in disbelief. This was the first time Desmond had ever spoken to her like that.

"What do you mean by 'let you hear a word'? A liar's ears do not deserve peace!"

Her anger, already burning before, now ignited into full-blown rage.