Chapter 4

Before Chloe could speak, tears streamed down her face.

"Ryan, I'm so sorry. You were so tired last night, I just wanted you to sleep longer, I didn't mean to offend Evelyn."

She sobbed, trembling, like a helpless little rabbit that had been horribly bullied.

Yet, her earlobes were conspicuously red.

Ryan cleared his throat, then spoke.

"Evelyn, you've really misunderstood Chloe. Apologize to her."

I ignored him and sat on the sofa.

I looked up and noticed that the photo frame with my and Ryan's picture on the display shelf was gone.

In its place was the glass jar filled with paper stars Chloe had folded by hand.

On the coffee table were scattered pieces of underwear that weren't mine.

"No wonder you tried to stop me from coming in. Ryan, you two really know how to have fun."

Chloe cried as she bent to pick up the underwear.

"These are mine, I, I just washed them, and was just drying them here…"

"Drying them in the living room?"

I scoffed.

"Can Ryan, with one broken leg, still satisfy you so well?"

Chloe's face instantly flushed crimson. She stammered.

"Evelyn, you, you really misunderstood. I, Ryan and I, didn't do anything."

"Enough!"

Ryan glared at me impatiently.

"Evelyn, do you really have to say such vulgar things to humiliate her?"

"She's just an innocent young girl, not like you, with a mind full of schemes!"

I looked up at him.

"What have I schemed?"

"You scheme to embarrass her, to ruin her reputation, to make me obey you, and revolve around you forever!"

Ryan grew more agitated as he spoke.

"Yes, I let her stay, but nothing happened between us!"

"She took care of me, and I'm grateful to her, it's that simple! Why do you always think the worst of people?"

"Whether people are dirty or not, I'm not interested."

I pulled out a document.

"But what I am interested in is that six months ago, you used Miller Group's funds and resources to open a car dealership for her, investing twenty million dollars, yet you marked it as 'public welfare investment'."

"Ryan, did you get board approval? Embezzling company funds to support a mistress, how does that charge sound?"

Ryan's face turned ashen.

"You investigated me? She's not a mistress!"

"Then what is she?"

I stood up and walked over to Chloe.

"Miss Chloe, tell us, what are you?"

Chloe bit her lip.

"I, I just admire Ryan and appreciate his help, so I came to take care of him for a couple of days…"

"Admire him so much that you wear my clothes and sleep in my bed?"

I pointed to the slightly ajar master bedroom door.

"Ryan, I saw with my own eyes both of you coming out of the master bedroom. How do you explain that?"

Ryan gritted his teeth.

"Believe it or not, Chloe slept on the floor to take care of me. We didn't do anything!"

"I don't care if you slept together or not."

I put away the document and placed a divorce agreement on the coffee table, my tone leaving no room for negotiation.

"Ryan, sign the divorce agreement, and transfer the ownership of the car dealership back to the company. Property will be divided according to our prenuptial agreement, and we can end this gracefully."

"Otherwise, I will sue you for embezzlement and marital infidelity, and report you to the board. Do you think those old sharks will miss the chance to kick you out?"