Chapter 3
The next morning, a special notification reminded me of the Thorne family dinner.
Despite the absurdity my marriage had become, I still respected Dominic’s parents enough to maintain appearances in front of them.
So I pulled myself together, applied light makeup to hide my sleepless exhaustion.
When I arrived, the door to the Thorne mansion stood slightly ajar.
As I was about to push it open, I froze-
In the courtyard, tables were already set. Regina sat in an ivory silk dress, her hair elegantly pinned up, quietly sipping soup Dominic had just handed her.
“Ginny, this soup is good for your health. Drink more,” he urged softly.
His parents chatted merrily nearby, completely unbothered by the scene. But I cared-
I remembered my first family dinner, when Mrs. Thorne had me stand and serve everyone, only allowing me to eat cold leftovers after everyone had left the table.
Dominic had merely said: “Old families have their traditions. Sorry you had to deal with it.”
Apparently, those “traditions” only applied to those who weren’t favored.
My nails dug into my palms, but I couldn’t feel the pain.
As I turned to leave, a voice called out.
“Riley?” Regina looked up with feigned surprise. “Come join us!”
Every eye at the table shot toward me like arrows.
Dominic strode over and grabbed my wrist. “What are you doing here?”
“Should I not be?” I asked with bitter amusement.
“My parents think we’re divorced…”
Hearing this, I whipped my head to stare at him.
So I’d been the only one maintaining appearances, worried about hurting his parents‘ feelings over this farce.
While they–all of them–knew and approved!
At this point, there was no reason for me to stay.
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Attempting to Steal My World? Easy! My Rebirth Comes with a Playbook
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I’m not feeling well. I should go rest.”
“No!” His grip tightened. “Regina invited you to join us. If you leave now, she’ll overthink things…”
“Dominic! You-” My voice trembled.
“Riley!” he cut me off sharply, his eyes cold as if looking at a troublesome stranger. “I know exactly why you showed up unannounced today.”
My eyes instantly welled with tears.
At the table, Regina suddenly broke into violent coughs, as if she might die
second.
Dominic dropped my hand without hesitation and rushed to her, not sparing a glance at my stumbling figure.
Regina spoke weakly: “Riley… are you still upset with me? If you leave now, it means you haven’t forgiven me!”
Dominic’s face darkened. “Riley Reed, come here. Sit down.”
But I didn’t move.
Then, at his silent command, two housekeepers immediately flanked me, gripping my shoulders and forcibly dragging me to the table, pushing me into a chair.
“Show some class,” Dominic said coldly. “Don’t make this awkward for everyone.”
I let them restrain me, beyond feeling the pain.
Seeing I wouldn’t resist, Dominic turned back to Regina, continuing to dote on her attentively.
Meanwhile, I was positioned in the farthest corner, like an outsider.
His sister–in–law and sister whispered and snickered:
“Some people hold a position for three years and still can’t match what others accomplish in three days.”
“Exactly. My brother wanted to divorce her ages ago, but kept putting it off out of courtesy.”
“Regina is so perfect–gracious and elegant. Not like certain people who always wear that cold expression…”
I endured their barbs until the dinner ended.
When I stood to say goodbye to Dominic’s parents, his mother barely acknowledged me with a nod. “Yes, I was strict with you, but I was training you according to Thorne family traditions. And how did you repay us? Frequenting nightclubs every evening. If Regina hadn’t told me, I’d never have known how truly classless you are.”
My blood froze instantly.
This baseless accusation–was this my sister’s parting gift to me?
“Mother!” Dominic suddenly spoke up, his brows furrowed. “That’s enough.”
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Attempting to Steal My World? Easy! My Rebirth Comes with a Playbook
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Chapter 3
I looked at him, feeling slightly better that he would defend me.
But the next moment, he put his arm around Regina’s shoulders: “Ginny’s heart condition is fragile. Don’t let her hear such filth.”
Suddenly, I was stunned to silence.
So the man who’d shared my bed for three years couldn’t even spare me a simple “she’s not that kind of person“…
16:20
