Chapter 11
Selene’s mind was a blank, as if a tidal wave had crashed through her, tearing at her body and churning up anger and humiliation.
With a calm expression, she reached out and picked up the necklace.
Felicity’s eyes sparkled with a mocking glint.
Harrison lounged on the sofa and looked away. In his eyes, Selene was like some obedient pet–ignored one moment, then, with the crook of a finger, she would come wagging her metaphorical tail.
Selene hooked her finger beneath the chain around Felicity’s neck and drew it out.
She laid both necklaces side by side.
“Felicity, the mother–of–pearl on yours is of a much higher quality. How about we trade?”
If she outright accused Felicity of giving her a fake, Felicity would have a dozen excuses ready to deflect blame. Selene wanted her to swallow the humiliation in
silence.
The delicate chain tightened against Felicity’s neck.
Felicity froze, caught off guard. She’d been waiting for Selene to cluelessly wear the fake necklace out, ready to be the laughingstock. She never expected Selene to spot the difference instantly.
A flicker of guilt crossed Felicity’s face. She glanced anxiously at Harrison, searching for his reaction. The so–called peace offering had been her own idea–she’d never actually cleared it with Harrison. She couldn’t let him think she’d deliberately given Selene a fake.
“Selene, if there’s something you want, just say so! I’ll give it to you!” Felicity said, trying to sound magnanimous as she unclasped her own necklace and offered it to Selene.
Selene didn’t take it. Instead, she slowly fastened the fake chain around Felicity’s
neck.
“This one suits you better.”
Felicity’s cheeks burned. Suits her? That knockoff cost all of twenty bucks, while her real necklace was worth over ten thousand!
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22:25
Selene took the genuine necklace from Felicity’s hand and tossed it straight into the trash.
“Selene! If you’re angry at me, take it out on me! Why ruin a perfectly good
necklace?” Felicity protested.
Selene cut her off. “If you like it so much, you can pick it out of the trash and wear it again.”
“Selene! Are you really not going to make up with Harrison?” Felicity cried, fumbling to unclasp the fake necklace from her neck. Even a second longer and she felt like she’d break out in hives.
“I’m not here to reconcile.” Selene turned to Harrison, her voice steady. “Harrison, I don’t want to be married to you anymore.”
She pulled a folder from her bag and placed it on the table in front of him. “Here’s the divorce agreement. I need your signature.”
A chill crept over Harrison’s handsome face.
His laugh was cold, edged with contempt. “Keep this up, and I might start to think you’re serious.”
“Read the agreement. I hope you’ll sign it soon.”
If she’d been angry, he would know she wasn’t truly ready for divorce. But now, staring at Harrison’s striking face, she felt nothing at all.
Seven years of marriage–her heart had finally gone numb.
She needed to sever all ties with the Vaughn family if she wanted a fresh start.
Harrison flipped through the agreement and saw that Selenè wanted half of everything acquired during their marriage.
He laughed, as if she were delusional.
But then, his expression darkened. “How do you know so much about my liquid assets and property holdings?”
“You don’t need to know how I found out. I’ve been a stay–at–home wife for seven years. Now it’s time to settle accounts. The cash, the cars, the houses, the land, the shares–everything in your name, we split fifty–fifty. And you’ll pay twenty thousand dollars a month in child support until our daughter turns eighteen.”
For the first time, a spark of life flickered across Harrison’s perpetually stoic features.
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Chapter 11
“All this… just because Felicity and I wore matching watches?“.
Selene drew a slow breath. “Three months ago, on your birthday, I used my own savings to buy you a watch. You never wore it. Not even once.”
Felicity blurted out, “Selene, your taste is so tacky! If Harrison wore that thing in public, people would laugh at him!”
So, Selene was just being unreasonable after all.
Harrison’s voice grew icy as he gripped the divorce agreement. “You really think you can threaten me with this?”
“Selene, are you divorcing Harrison… because of me?” Felicity asked, feigning innocence.
