Chapter 31
Chapter 31
Selene laughed. “There’s plenty of trash I’ve thrown out–take your time picking through it.”
Even if Felicity stripped naked and lay in Harrison’s bed, Selene wouldn’t be the least bit angry. She’d just watch, amused, as Felicity ruined her own reputation.
Victor Thompson, on hearing that the bracelet Felicity wore was a gift from Harrison, actually felt relieved. It meant Felicity still had a hold on Harrison’s heart. At the dinner table, Victor turned his wrath on Selene.
“Harrison divorced you–it’s obviously because you screwed up and made him angry! I’m telling you, fix this marriage right now! No woman in the Thompson family gets divorced. Are you not ashamed? You’re thirty, a single mom–who’s ever going to want you?”
Selene ate at her usual unhurried pace, occasionally checking to see if Daph was eating well.
“Dad, don’t you even want to ask why I divorced Harrison?”
“Why would I? You couldn’t even keep your husband! Do you have any idea what it cost me to secure our family’s alliance with the Vaughns? I begged for it! Clearly, you’ve gotten too comfortable and started acting out.”
“Dad.” Selene’s expression turned cold, but before she could say more, Matilda chimed in.
“Selene, just apologize to Harrison and ask him to forgive you this once. You’ll never–find anyone better than him if you go through with this divorce.”
Victor shot her a look of disdain. “Ignorant country girl,” he muttered, then turned to Matilda and gestured toward Selene. “She’s not really one of us anyway. Couldn’t even bother to tell us about the divorce in advance.”
Selene replied calmly, “If I’d told you ahead of time, you’d have made sure I never went through with it.”
Victor snorted, eyeing Felicity before turning back to Selene. “I heard you signed a settlement agreement with Harrison and took part of his assets.”
His tone turned commanding. “That’s a lot of money. You’re not just going to let it sit in a savings account, are you? Transfer it to the Thompson family’s business. account I’ll make sure you get a dividend every year.”
“I’ve already invested it in the stock market,” Selene said.
“What did you say?” Victor’s voice dropped, suddenly icy.
Knowing her father’s hearing wasn’t great, Selene repeated, “The six million Harrison gave me–it’s all in the stock market.”
“Selene! Are you out of your mind? You might as well have set the money on fire!” Victor slammed his fist on the table, livid.
His daughter was divorced, and now she’d thrown all that money from the Vaughns into the stock market, leaving him with nothing. Victor’s anger erupted like a
volcano.
“Dad, seven years ago, you already got your cut for selling your daughter off. Isn’t that enough?”
She hadn’t even finished speaking when Victor’s eyes flew open in outrage. How dare anyone talk back to him?
He grabbed his bowl and hurled it at Selene.
She didn’t have time to dodge–her eyes snapped shut instinctively.
But the pain never came. She opened her eyes to see Daph standing on her chair, tiny hands perfectly catching the bowl midair.
Rice spilled across the table as Daph glared at her grandfather. “Grandpa! You can’t waste.food!”
Being scolded by a five–year–old only enraged Victor further. “Neither of you money drains deserves to eat at the Thompson table!”
He snatched up the plate of scrambled eggs and tomatoes and flung it at Daph.
Selene leapt up, lunging toward her daughter.
Daph’s face grew determined. She gripped the edge of the table with both hands–and flipped the entire six–foot stone tabletop over.
The plate of eggs and tomatoes smacked into the slab, and the sauce splattered straight onto Victor Thompson’s suit.
