Chapter 5 The Desperate Embrace

I thought Leonard would agree without hesitation. After all, if it weren't for me, he would probably be with the woman he truly loved by now.

Everyone around me watched with barely concealed glee, as if waiting for a show.

To them, everything I did was nothing more than a pathetic attempt to catch Leonard's attention.

They were waiting for him to humiliate me, to crush me underfoot.

And in Leonard's arms, Nora no longer even bothered to hide the anticipation in her eyes.

Yet Leonard just stood there, silent, giving no response.

At that moment, Thomas walked over.

After hearing what I had done, his expression turned colder by the second.

"Miss Grant."

Unlike this morning, he no longer called me Mrs. Harlow.

He must have realized I had already crossed Leonard's line, and soon the title of Mrs. Harlow would belong to someone else.

Perhaps by changing the way he addressed me now, he could please the future Mrs. Harlow.

"Miss Grant, you've gone too far this time. Mr. Edmund Harlow said you weren't just disgracing Mr. Leonard Harlow, you were shaming the entire Harlow family."

Every word made it clear-the entire Harlow family wanted nothing to do with me.

Seeing Thomas's stance, some had already begun congratulating Nora, sparing only a shred of pity for me.

"Congrats in advance to Mr. Harlow and Miss Ansel-looks like you two are finally getting your happy ending."

"Miss Ansel, we'll be counting on you to look after our family in the future."

"Who'd even want Selena once she's divorced?"

Their words made me realize they had all known about Leonard and Nora all along.

They also knew I had been degrading myself again and again, just to win Leonard back.

But in their elite circle, keeping up appearances always outweighed the truth, which is why no one openly acknowledged it before.

Now that the Harlow family's patriarch had made his stance clear, they no longer felt the need to hide behind pretenses.

Nora flushed and waved her hand, "No, it's nothing like that. Please don't talk nonsense."

The blond man let out a cold laugh, "You know very well whether it's nonsense or not."

I stared at the man in astonishment.

Everyone else here was fawning over Nora-why was he the only one who wasn't?

Then he swept his gaze over Nora, sneered at Leonard, and said, "I didn't expect Mr. Harlow's taste to be so... unique-you've got a rose at home, yet you go chasing weeds."

Leonard looked at me, then shifted his gaze to the man who had spoken.

"If you like her, she's yours," Leonard's voice was laced with disgust, and the way he looked at me was as if I were nothing more than a bag of trash.

He couldn't believe anyone could truly be drawn to me.

But to my surprise, the next moment the man dropped to one knee and pulled a vivid rose from his pocket.

"Beautiful lady, would you grant me a chance?"

Leonard's eyes widened instantly. He stormed forward, seized my wrist with a crushing grip, and gave me no chance to refuse.

He dragged me out of the venue.

"Leonard, let go!"

"Selena!" he cut me off harshly. "We're not even divorced yet, and you're already hunting for my replacement? Do you still see yourself as my wife?"

I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity, shrugging my shoulders.

"Leonard! We're not even divorced yet, and you're already desperate to replace me?"

That single sentence forced Leonard to swallow the anger he was about to unleash.

I yanked my wrist free from his grasp.

"You've always wanted to get rid of me. Now you've got your wish."

I turned to leave, but it must have struck a nerve-his gaze darkened, and he started toward me, step by step.

The next second, he pulled me into a crushing embrace.

"Did I go too far today?"

Leonard held me with such force it felt as if he wanted to press me into his very being.

I shoved against him.

"Leonard, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Was there some hidden scheme?

The thought flashed through my mind.

"Selena, don't leave me!"

"Let go! I don't even know what benefits I promised you at our wedding that make you cling to me this way..."

"It has nothing to do with that!"

Leonard cut me off, clutching me even tighter.

"Do you just want to keep me here to watch over me? To make sure Nora's safe? Listen up-I'll go after whoever I want, starting with Nora if I feel like it!"

Leonard cut me off again, "Do whatever you want-just don't leave me..."

The Leonard before me felt like a stranger.

His shoulders trembled slightly-he was genuinely terrified of me leaving.

He looked pitiful.

But I felt nothing.