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Chapter_88
Condemnation of a Painful Past
I gazed at Melanie with a calm, unwavering expression, refusing to be shaken by her increasingly frantic attempts to divert the attention. “You should probably ask your brother that,” I replied coolly.
“What do you mean? Don’t try to play games with me!” Melanie retorted, frustration lacing her voice as she struggled to regain control of the situation.
Before I could respond, Johnson stepped in, attempting to calm things down. “Ms. Chloe, please, calm down.” His words were gentle but carried an unspoken warning — he was concerned that I might say too much, revealing information that could complicate matters even further.
But as I glanced at him, my resolve only hardened. Why should I protect them? Why should I hold back when they were so intent on destroying me? I turned back to Melanie and took a step forward, locking eyes with her. “Remember when I was alone at the airport on that rainy night?” I asked, my voice steady. “Wasn’t he sleeping with you on my bed? And when Ava was in the hospital with a high fever, he didn’t leave us a single cent but was having sex with you at a hotel in Operose. Do you remember those photos you sent me, Melanie?”
Her face drained of color, her confidence slipping as I pressed her with the cold truth. “Perhaps you two have slept together so often that you’re unsure which pictures I’m referring to. Is that it?” I continued, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
I shifted my gaze to Matthew, whose face had turned pale. “To secure ATL Empire’s project for Tanum Corporation, I met with Mr. Atlas and recommended our company as their exclusive agent. While I was working on the deal, you were busy buying her a new car and rushing off to Operose together. Does that sound familiar, Matthew?”
I glanced back at Melanie with a sly smile before turning to Matthew once more. “Care to enlighten us, Matthew? What’s my relationship with Mr. Atlas?”
Matthew, who had been silent up until now, looked visibly stunned. The weight of my words seemed to sink in as he opened his mouth, unable to formulate a coherent response. “You knew everything?” he finally managed to say, his voice tinged with disbelief.
I gave him a bitter smile. “What do you think, Matthew? Should I keep going?”
Ivanna, seizing the moment, didn’t hold back. “You’re truly shameless,” she said, her voice harsh but cutting. “I thought you were just having a few flings, but now I see you’ve stooped even lower. Sleeping with your own sister? How could you?” Her words echoed through the room, and I could see the shock and discomfort in the faces of the Murphys.
Ivanna continued, “No wonder Chloe lost so much weight. I kept telling her to see a doctor, but it seems the real reason she couldn’t eat was because of what you two did.”
Her words stung more than I expected. I turned away, unable to hide my sadness. “I wanted to ignore everything,” I said quietly, my voice breaking. “Especially since it was so disgraceful. I could endure this humiliation alone, for Ava’s sake. I thought no one would discover your affair if I didn’t make a scene. I wasn’t afraid of you or tarnishing your family’s reputation. I did everything for Ava. She’s still a child, and I didn’t want people gossiping about her family’s disgraceful acts.”
Tears welled in my eyes, but I wiped them away quickly, trying to hold on to what little dignity I had left. “But you thought I was a fool. It wasn’t enough for you to take everything from me, but you even told Melanie to drug me and get a group of men to rape me. You’re heartless, Matthew.”
“I didn’t do that!” Matthew protested, his voice rising in a defensive panic.
“Don’t blame my brother!” Melanie shouted, her face twisted with anger. “He had nothing to do with that. I just wanted you out of my family!”
Grace, hearing the commotion, let out a desperate wail. “What a tragedy for our family! You bastard!” She broke down, the weight of the revelations too much for her to bear.
I turned to Henry and Grace, my voice full of sorrow and disgust. “My dedication to Tanum Corporation has never wavered since I founded it. I considered your family my own and set aside my parents. I even used the money they invested in the company to serve your family.” I took a deep breath, my anger beginning to swell again. “And this is how you repay me? You live in the house I bought, yet you want to push me down and trample on my dignity? How dare you criticize me over your mistakes?”
Henry’s face tightened, his lip trembling with a mix of shame and frustration. He glanced at his son, but said nothing.
I could see the internal struggle in him — he didn’t want to confront the ugly truth, and perhaps he was hoping Matthew would take the blame and defend him. But that didn’t happen.
“Fine,” I continued, voice rising. “You’ve always dreaded anyone mentioning the past. You can forget all our hardships when we lived in cramped apartments, scraping by. You can forget the days I scoured the streets of Foswood to save a few bucks. I refused to take cabs just so I could buy you your first suit to make you presentable. And you can forget the ring you bought me from a street vendor when we got married, your vows, and what you told me when I was pregnant.”
I looked at Matthew, my eyes fierce with anger. “You don’t want to hear any of that because you’re afraid of the truth. You’re afraid of the shame. Well, too bad. I’m laying it all before you now. I kept all the evidence — medical records, surveillance footage from the bar, photos, and witnesses.”
I took another deep breath, trying to steady myself. “I’ve made preparations long ago, so you don’t need to take my phone away. I’ll show them to you now. If you destroy everything here, I’ll expose you to the city and make you pay for what you’ve done.”
I looked Matthew dead in the eye, my voice unwavering. “I will defend my dignity, even if I have nothing left. You may secure the contract with ATL Empire, but do you think they’ll want to work with you once they see the ugly truth?” I glanced at Melanie. “As for your sister, she has an evil heart, and I will make sure she faces the consequences.”
I took one last look at Matthew before walking away, my heart heavy but resolute.
“Chloe, no!” Melanie cried, but I didn’t turn back. The damage had already been done.