Maxine’s eyes flew wide open.
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She angrily broke free from Sebastian’s grip, gritting her teeth as she snapped, “Sebastian, what kind of person do you think I am?”
Sebastian let out a cold laugh. “Didn’t you judge me and Kathleen the same way? I just didn’t expect, Maxine, that at your age, after having a kid, you could still get involved with Urban.”
He paused, then sneered, “I really underestimated you.”
Maxine’s pupils trembled. The next second, she suddenly raised her hand and slapped Sebastian across the face.
The air seemed to freeze. Sebastian’s head turned slightly from the slap, and he stood there, unmoving.
Maxine’s heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might jump out of her throat. She pulled her hand back, hiding it behind her, clenching it to ease the numb sting in her palm.
Sebastian felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his burning anger, and his reason slowly returned.
He tugged at the corner of his stinging mouth and said hoarsely, “Sorry.”
A wave of hurt Maxine couldn’t even put into words suddenly washed over her, making her want to cry.
She looked away, her voice rough. “Go back to Brian. There’s nothing left for us to talk about.”
People tend to blurt out the truth when they’re angry.
Now Maxine finally understood how Sebastian really saw her.
She thought, ‘Maybe it’s for the best. We should’ve dropped the act and said everything outright a long time ago. That way, when we finally split, both of us would just feel relieved to be rid of someone we couldn’t stand, and end this miserable relationship:
A flicker of panic flashed through Sebastian’s mind.
He stubbornly planted his feet, refusing to leave. “You’re leaving with Urban? Maxine, don’t forget–we’re still not officially divorced
Maxine met his eyes. “It’s only a matter of time. Why are you so hung up on this? Am I really asking for that much? Or do you just not want to lose your free housekeeper?”
Sebastian clenched his fists, blurting out, “I never saw you as just a free housekeeper!”
Maxine didn’t react at all.
No matter what Sebastian said now, all she felt was exhaustion and a sense of irony.
She said, “That’s enough, Sebastian. I’m not going to argue with you here. There’s nothing between me and Urban–we’re just working together. I took his case because I need his help. Once that’s done, I’ll get back to Gabriel and Ivanna’s cases.”
Maxine forced herself to calm down. “There’s nothing going on between me and him. You don’t have to worry about me cheating on you or embarrassing you. Is that good enough for you?”
Sebastian clenched his jaw. “You’re my wife. Instead of coming to me for help, you went to some random guy? What is that supposed to mean?”
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Chapter 80
Maxine felt like she just heard the biggest joke ever.
“Sebastian, do you even hear yourself?” Maxine shot him a mocking look. “Have you forgotten how you always felt about me taking on the Ivanna case?”
Sebastian was left speechless.
Maxine closed her eyes, exhausted. “Sebastian, enough with all this nonsense. Go back and be with Brian. Don’t let him know I was here.”
Maxine turned around and headed toward Urban’s car.
But in the blink of an eye, a pair of arms locked tightly around her, pulling her into a warm embrace.
Maxine froze. She could feel Sebastian’s hot breath against her neck, so intense it made her lose all sense of reason.
Her lips trembled as she spoke in a hoarse whisper. “Sebastian, what are you doing?”
Sebastian sounded completely lost, as if he didn’t even know himself. “I…”
