Chloe hung up the call once she heard another insult coming from Vincent's mouth. She sighed full of pity, and rested her forehead on the steering wheel.

She knew that Vincent wasn't a man with a sweet mouth. He was cold and wouldn't hesitate to blast at anyone who pissed him off.

But Chloe had been very gentle and careful with her words, hoping that Vincent would at least stop with the insult for a few minutes.

She had never been verbally abused by Vernon, so it had been a while since she heard the word bitch, slut, useless gold digger, peasants thrown at her. So she got disturbed when she got called as one.

She was about to tell Vincent that Mackie missed him a lot. But he kept insulting her, and the line was drawn when Vincent said that he burned the divorce paper for whatever reason.

So she changed her mind and decided not to tell him about Mackie.

"I don't think he will care anyway," Chloe murmured.

"I don't know what's in his mind. I gave him what he wanted, he wanted to sleep with any woman he liked, and I just want my freedom so I won't get hurt by him. Divorce is the most logical method, so we can be happy in our ways…."

"Now my divorce is stuck in jeopardy. What should I do next? I can't simply go to court. He will use his power to go to a 'marriage counseling' which would end up with them calling me crazy and forcing me to return to Vincent ...."

Chloe remembered when she was really depressed and thought about killing herself.

Vincent hired a psychologist to console me, but she knew the psychologist was also one of Vincent's people.

The psychologist said that her depression stems because she was not grateful for what she got right now, and that was why she needed to be more thankful to her husband.

'Like hell I would be thankful for a man who ruined my life in the first place,' Chloe thought.

Chloe felt stuck, and she didn't know what to do next as she didn't have anyone by her side except her daughter.

"The only thing that I can do is to continue hiding with Mackie, and collect enough money before running away."

"But I'm afraid it will take too long, and Mackie will eventually throw a huge tantrum to meet her Daddy…."

Chloe was scared that all her effort to run away would be in vain, and once she was forced to return to Vincent, she would suffer pain worse than death.

Chloe's whole body trembled, and she started excreting cold sweat all over her body. She kept imagining the viper eyes of her ex-husband and all the venom he spouted from his mouth.

She didn't know what would happen once she returned to him, but knowing Vincent, she would probably wish she was dead instead.

She shook her head out of distress, "No, No! I've had enough with him! I don't want to get hurt anymore!"

Chloe's gaze got blurry, and it was difficult for her to breathe. She started having a panic attack as her mind was clouded with nightmares of her life with Vincent.

This continued until the ring on her phone snapped her out of her daze.

She checked the caller and picked it up immediately;



"H—Hello, Diamond?"

"Gurl, what's with your shaky voice? Did you cry just now?"

"Ah, n—nothing, I was just— nevermind," Chloe quickly shifted the topic, not wanting to burden her friend with her problem. "Why did you call me, Diamond? Did something happen in the office?"

"Gurl, I was just calling because I need to hear your story of that night! I was waiting for the whole weekend because I didn't want to disturb you two! Come to the office, and let's have a chat!"

"Haha… okay…"

Chloe hung up the call and sighed deeply as she tried to suppress her anxiety. She didn't want to burden anyone with her pain. Even telling Diamond a few bits of her nightmarish experience living as Vincent's wife was already a full stretch of what she could do to open up to someone new.

"Okay, Chloe, pretend that everything is alright. Nobody is going to be your savior here. So it's best to keep it by yourself…."

Thus, Chloe calmed herself down and drove to the office to meet Diamond.

**

'

She arrived an hour later. The office was already crowded, but she couldn't find Vernon's car parked in his usual VIP parking spot, so he probably had a meeting outside.

Chloe went up with the VIP elevator and was greeted by Diamond, who was busy at her secretary's desk, typing a report that seemed to have no end.

"Morning, Diamond," Chloe greeted gently, and Diamond turned her head towards the elevator.

Her eyes widened instantly. She got up and rushed towards Chloe.

Diamond grabbed Chloe's arms and led her to sit on the sofa, "Gurl, you look so pale, what happened?!" she asked worriedly.

"Ah— I—It's nothing, Diamond," Chloe panicked a little. She forgot that she might already wipe her sweat and tried to push a smile on her face.

But she couldn't hide her pale face, which she often had when she was distressed or panicked.

'',

"I—I just didn't have breakfast. That's why I feel a little weak, haha…."

"Geez, you should tell me!" Diamond got up, picked a piece of croissant she had just bought in the pantry, and then handed it to Chloe. "Eat this first, gurl."

"Thanks, Diamond…"

'',

Chloe ate slowly but surely, something that Diamond was used to seeing. After she was done eating, Diamond finally asked, "Soooo~ How was it?"

"About what?"

"Oh lord, do I need to keep mentioning this? You're a grown ass lady!" Diamond complained. "Your night with Mr. Phoenix Gray! How was it? Did he go rough? Did he go raw and shoot it inside? Gurl, I'm so excited, tell mee!"