Chapter 14
Before Serena could say anything, Victor cut in, “Dad, she definitely ruined it on purpose. She’s just jealous of Ellie.”
“Shut up,” Albert snapped..
Serena finally spoke, “Albert, at the dinner party, Mr. Watson drugged my drink. He touched me inappropriately and kept harassing me. I couldn’t take it, so I hit him and ran. When I woke up, I was already in the hospital.”
“Drugged?” Albert’s expression darkened.
Serena nodded, her face pale. She glanced at Victor, who sat off to the side with a cold, indifferent look. There wasn’t the slightest trace of guilt or concern in his eyes.
After a long while, Serena sighed quietly, her heart heavy with sorrow. She thought, ‘This is the man I’ve loved for so many years.
Victor sneered, “Go on. Keep making things up. Who knows where you really went? Maybe you were out sleeping around with some random guy.”
His words hit Serena like a knife to the chest. She thought, ‘Judging by the way he’s talking, he must’ve twisted the whole story in front of Albert again, in his eyes, am I really that disgraceful? That untrustworthy?
“Enough.” Albert slammed the table. “Seri, you’ve been through enough. Go get some rest.”
Serena nodded, got up, and left Powell Manor.
Victor started explaining, “Dad, Ellie’s not like that. She really wasn’t feeling well-
“Cut the crap. There won’t be a next time. Otherwise, I’ll start considering someone else to inherit Powell Group.” Albert shook his head with a sigh and waved him off. “You can go back too”
Victor walked out of Powell Manor and immediately spotted Serena standing by the road. “Serena, if you hadn’t ruined that deal, would I have gotten chewed out by my dad like that?” he scolded.
7
“Victor, that’s enough. You’re saying the failed deal is my fault? Do you even have a conscience?” Serena was shaking all over, her voice laced with hurt.
She thought, ‘After all this time, it’s still the same. What did I ever do to deserve this?‘
Victor snapped, “Cut the act, Serena. If you hadn’t screwed up the/deal on purpose, my dad wouldn’t have torn into me. You just can’t stand to see Ellie doing well.”
Serena snorted, “I can’t stand to see her doing well? Victor, ask yourself how much I’ve done for you all these years. And how have you treated me in
return?”
Victor spat, “Stop pretending you’re innocent. You got close to me for money in the first place, and now you’re here pretending like you actually sacrificed anything for me?
“You think I don’t know what’s really going on in that head of yours? I’m telling you, when we divorce, you’re not getting a single cent of the inheritance.”
As Victor’s words grew more vicious, Serena bit down hard on her lip, trying to keep the tears from spilling over.
She thought, ‘The inheritance? So that’s who I am to him? After everything we’ve been through together, does he really think our relationship was only ever about money?‘
Victor sneered, “One minute you’re playing the victim and filing for divorce, the next you’re showing up at a business party with me. Do you have any shame at all, Serena?”
Serena said, “That’s enough, Victor. I was drugged. I nearly died. You didn’t even ask if I was okay, and now you’re blaming me?”
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Chapter 14
“Drugged? Please. Who knows which random guy you were off messing around with last night,” Victor scoffed.
Serena stared at him, stunned. As she looked at this man- -so familiar yet now completely unrecognizable she couldn’t hold it in anymore. She raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.
For seven years, she had given everything to him. And all she got in return was endless doubt.
Victor held his face. “You actually hit me?”
Serena struggled to steady her faltering steps, her hand trembling from the force of the slap.
Victor stood there, stunned. Staring at her pale face, he clenched his fists.
He forced himself to look away and spoke cruelly, “Let me make one thing clear, Serena. Even if you come begging in tears one day, I won’t spare you a single glance.”
