Chapter 5 Watching Her Unravel

Patience faded on Marilee's face as she waited for a reaction, but Alexia wouldn't even meet her eyes. Instead, she directed her attention to Roger. "Is the Gibson fortune going up in flames? This is all I'm worth?"

A shadow crossed Roger's face. "That's what the prenup says, so that's all you're entitled to."

Even before they got married, he'd closed every door to the family's fortune, making sure she'd never find a loophole.

Realizing Alexia was blatantly ignoring her, Marilee butted in, "You're getting more than enough, Alexia. Was it love or money you wanted from Roger, anyway?"

Alexia still refused to acknowledge her, not so much as a glance. "With an amount this pitiful? Hang on to it-you'll need every last cent when the Gibson empire falls apart."

Those words wiped any patience from Roger's face. "Don't push it, Alexia."

Suddenly, Marilee's eyes shimmered with tears and her voice went brittle, as though her heart might break. "Please, Alexia, don't do this to Roger," she whimpered.

The crowd's attention snapped toward her as sobs and sniffles filled the space.

Marilee reached for the delicate pink diamond at her throat. "Maybe you never knew, but Roger and I have loved each other for years. He gave me this necklace on your wedding day-it's a symbol of his devotion. That cherry blossom garden in your backyard? Roger built it just for me, hoping I'd smile. You stole my life. Everything you have should have been mine. Don't you think it's time you let go and left quietly, without asking for more?"

An uncomfortable hush settled over the room.

It was rare to see a mistress acting so brazenly, demanding the wife walk away with empty hands.

Finally, Alexia turned to meet Marilee's eyes, her voice colder than ice. "I stole your life? Was it me who went to the Jenkins family, begging them to accept me? Was I the one who refused a DNA test and strutted around calling myself their true daughter? Did I chase after Roger, desperate for a marriage?"

Every pointed question shattered the silence, each one sharp enough to cut.

All color drained from Marilee's face, her body rigid beneath Alexia's icy stare. Not missing a beat, Alexia delivered the final blow. "Go blame your own foolish parents."

That snapped the last of Marilee's restraint. "If it weren't for them, you'd still be digging through garbage. You've been living a luxurious life for twenty years. Without them, you'd be nothing but a pauper."

A sharp laugh spilled from Alexia. Her gaze drifted to the faded needle marks on her wrist. "If this is what luxury looks like, I must have missed out. Pain, though? There was always enough of that to go around."

Disbelief filled Marilee's eyes, her words trembling with contempt. "Lies. You grew up surrounded by filth-you're nothing but garbage. If my parents hadn't stepped in, you'd be gone by now. Some gang would have had its way with you and left you in the gutter-"

The rest never left her mouth. A sharp slap rang out, echoing in the room.

Stunned, Marilee pressed trembling fingers to the swelling red mark, speechless.

A cold smile curved Alexia's lips. "There's nothing I despise more than people who never learned basic decency. The Jenkins family or not, I'd still be standing here as myself. But you? Without that divorce agreement, you're nothing more than a shameless mistress."

Not waiting for a reaction, Alexia hurled the signed divorce agreement straight at Marilee, landing the hit with brutal precision. "Think of it as my parting gift."

Marilee flinched as the edges nicked her forehead, letting out a startled cry. The shock left her shaking, the color draining from her lips.

Alexia watched the panic unraveling Marilee's composure, noticing the nervous twitch on her face. Pretending to care, she cocked her head and offered, "Do you need me to call an ambulance for you?"

That question broke whatever restraint Marilee had left. "Why would you ever do that?" she snapped.

Alexia gave her a look laced with fake concern. "It just seems like you're not well at all."

Marilee's voice cracked as she screamed, "I am not sick!"

Even Roger turned, uncertain and uneasy as her shrill denial filled the room.

Unbothered, Alexia let her reply drip with venom, hitting every nerve. "Funny. People who are actually unwell always insist they're fine. Might be time to book yourself a session with a psychiatrist. And before I forget... cute necklace. But honestly? Junk stones aren't worth much these days."

Marilee's face turned ashen, her fury and humiliation overwhelming her. Without warning, she collapsed straight into Roger's arms.

Anger carved hard lines into Roger's face as he pulled Marilee close, glaring at Alexia. "I never realized you could be so cruel. Just because you wore my ring, you think you can say whatever you want?"

Before Alexia could offer a comeback, a familiar voice cut through the tension, heavy with mockery. "Really? That's your angle? Just because she wore your ring, you think you could speak to her like that?"

A collective gasp swept through the crowd, all attention snapping to the doorway. There, tall and dangerously handsome, a man entered, charm radiating effortlessly with every step.