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Chapter_86
Disrespecting Her Elders
Melanie’s words, laced with arrogance and malice, did nothing but fuel the fire in me. Matthew, still glaring, turned his attention to me. “What else do you want to say?” he asked coldly.
I met his gaze firmly. “Your sister knows it, and I bet you do too. When you engage in such disgraceful activities, it’s only a matter of time before it comes to light. You should have prepared yourself for this.” My words hit their mark, and I could see the flicker of unease in Matthew’s eyes. But before he could respond, I continued, “You’ve let this fester for too long.”
It was then that I noticed Grace’s concerned gaze shifting toward me. She must have sensed the tension in the air. “Chlo, don’t be upset. Did she provoke you again? She’s such a stubborn child.”
Before I could reply, Henry, who had always coddled Melanie, raised his voice. “Why are you talking about our daughter like that?! You don’t know what happened, so stop making such accusations. Chloe’s a married woman, but why is she fooling around instead of staying home?”
Henry’s tone dripped with disdain as he smirked, thinking he had the moral high ground. “Hmph, like father, like daughter. She’s a mess now because of you,” I retorted, my anger bubbling to the surface. “Before you criticize others, you should teach your own children some decency.”
“What did you say?!” Henry roared, his face turning red with fury. “Matthew, how can your wife disrespect her elders like this?”
Matthew’s anger flared as his father berated me. He glared at me, probably feeling embarrassed that his father had spoken to him in such a way. “You’re getting out of control!” he snapped. “You’re quick to anger and don’t know your place. I think I’ve spoiled you too much—”
“Are you sure about that?!” I interrupted, not caring about the consequences anymore. “It’s more like you’re spoiling her! Now she’s lost all sense of shame and does disgraceful things.”
Matthew scowled, growing impatient with the situation. “Just cut to the chase!” he barked. “There’s no need to bring her into this.”
Melanie, sensing her brother’s support, looked at me triumphantly. “Matt won’t let you have your way,” she said, her smug expression almost too much to bear.
I turned my eyes coldly to Matthew, the weight of our failing marriage heavy between us. It was clear now that he no longer cared about me—his wife. I could see it in the way he reacted to her. Once a marriage reached this point, every memory, every moment of closeness felt distant.
“Matthew, you’re crueler than I thought you were,” I whispered, my voice trembling with the raw emotion I could no longer hide. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I wasn’t going to let him see me break. “Why do you insist on protecting her?”
Matthew looked at me dismissively. “I’m not protecting anyone. And don’t cry like someone has hurt you deeply. If you didn’t do anything wrong, why would she cause trouble for you?” His words sent a chill through me.
I felt the sting of betrayal in every syllable. “I hope you won’t regret your words later,” I said, my voice steady now, despite the tumult inside. Then I turned to Melanie, who was still grinning like a cat that got the cream. “You want to bite back at me, even now? Fine. I’ll tell everyone what you’ve been up to.”
Without waiting for her reaction, I pulled out my phone and opened the voice recording app. I slammed my phone on the table with a loud bang, making sure everyone in the room heard it. The message was clear: this was just the beginning.
The silence that followed was deafening, and in that moment, I knew that I had just set the stage for everything to change. Melanie’s smugness faltered, and the weight of the truth was about to come crashing down on her.