Skip to content
Novel Catalog
Chapter_85
A Trojan Horse
I needed to keep Johnson in the room. He was my ace in the hole. While I didn’t insist on keeping everyone else, that was part of my strategy. I wanted to leave myself an escape route. My goal was to get Matthew to reconsider his actions without pushing him to the point of no return.
But to my surprise, the next person to speak up was Henry, Matthew’s father. He was a man of authority, and his words carried weight. “Why bring this mess into the office? Can’t it be discussed at home? It seems like people have lost their sense of decorum,” he said in a commanding tone, his nose high in the air.
I looked at him, my tone calm yet firm. “Dad, is that directed at me? You’ll see soon enough if I have ‘decorum.’ But you should listen and watch closely. Who here really lacks decorum?”
Matthew shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clearly uneasy with my words. It was probably because I’d always been soft-spoken around the Murphy family, never challenging anyone directly. This was new territory for them, and it was making them uncomfortable.
I stood up, my voice louder now, my anger bubbling beneath the surface. “Matthew, are you so accustomed to my mild nature? Do you think I’m a pushover? Do you think you can take advantage of me whenever you please?” My lips trembled slightly, betraying the emotions I was trying to hold in check.
Matthew, ever the confident businessman, had assumed the ATL Empire project was already secured. His confidence was turning into arrogance. He had abandoned his role as the ideal husband and was ready to throw me under the bus if it served his purpose.
He squinted at me, trying to read me, but my resolve was unwavering. I wasn’t backing down.
Before he could respond, Melanie shouted, trying to shift the focus away from herself. “Chloe, don’t stir up trouble. It was you who ran off with another man, not me. Do you think you’re special?” She practically spat the words at me. “You’ve been meeting another man behind my brother’s back. How dare you come here and make stuff up?”
I could feel the anger rising, but I remained calm. “Is that so?” I asked, staring her down. “Then why don’t you explain why I ended up in the hospital?”
Melanie’s expression faltered for just a second, but then she quickly regained her composure. “All I saw was you lying in another man’s arms, looking quite comfortable. You were hugging him tightly in broad daylight. As for what happened next, I have no idea!” she said, her lips curling into a mocking smile.
Her words were a blatant lie, and I could see through the mask she was trying to put on. The rest of the room watched the exchange in silence, the tension palpable.
Ivanna, sensing the injustice, stepped forward, blocking Melanie’s path. Her eyes burned with fury as she crossed her arms. “Leaving already? Are you feeling guilty now? You jumped into someone else’s arms without hesitation. Why are you scared now?”
“Get out of my way! Who do you think you are? You have no right to meddle!” Melanie snapped, her face flushed with anger. But despite her words, she took a step back, standing with her father.
Ivanna didn’t back down, her posture unwavering. “That depends on whether you have a clear conscience or not,” I added, my voice icy.
Melanie was seething, her anger bubbling over. “That’s nonsense!” she shouted. “I warn you, stop making things up. Don’t turn the tables when you’re the one who made a mistake!”
Ivanna’s hands balled into fists, ready to charge, but I pulled her back, my gaze never leaving Melanie. “Tell them, Melanie. Why did I end up in the hospital?” I asked again, my voice steady, demanding the truth.
The silence that followed was thick, everyone waiting for Melanie to slip up. She glared at me, her false confidence slowly crumbling.
As I waited, I realized just how close I was to exposing everything. The Trojan horse was in place. I had set the stage. The truth would come out—whether she liked it or not.