Chapter 18
Serena was organizing the closet when the sudden loud noise startled her. The clothes in her hands slipped to the floor. She opened the door, and her face darkened when she saw who it was.
“Victor, what are you doing?” Serena asked, trying to stay calm.
“What am I doing? You seriously have the nerve to ask me that? What did you say to Ellie?” Victor pointed at her, his voice raised with anger.
Serena’s expression turned cold. “What exactly did I do?”
“Ellie’s packing up to move out with Oliver, and you’re saying you didn’t do anything?” Victor glared at her.
Eliza gently tugged on Victor’s sleeve and said softly, “Vic, it’s not Mrs. Powell’s fault. It’s mine. I shouldn’t have stayed and caused you trouble.”
Victor replied, “Ellie, stop defending her. She did it on purpose. She can’t stand seeing you happy.”
Eliza spoke, “Vic, don’t say that. Mrs. Powell really didn’t do anything to me. I made this decision myself.”
Watching the scene in front of her, Serena could only feel how ridiculous it all was. The man she once thought she knew so well was now so easily fooled by Eliza, not even willing to give Serena a shred of trust.
Serena looked at Victor in disappointment and thought, ‘So all these years meant nothing? All it took was a few words from Eliza, and everything crumbled. Is this really the kind of person Victor thinks I am?‘
?
Serena looked at Eliza’s pitiful act and felt a wave of disgust. “Eliza, are you done putting on your little show?”
Eliza responded, “Mrs. Powell, how could you say that about me? I really-”
She tried to keep pretending, but Serena cut in, “Drop the act. You think I don’t know what you’re after?” Serena’s eyes turned sharp as they locked onto
Eliza.
“Mrs. Powell, I swear I didn’t mean anything by it. I just didn’t want Vic and you to keep having misunderstandings because of me. That’s the only reason I wanted to move out,” Eliza sobbed, choking back tears.
“Misunderstandings? Yeah, right. Eliza, do you really think I’m that stupid?” Serena scoffed, furious. She wasn’t going to hold back anymore. If Eliza loved playing the victim so much, Serena would help her complete the act.
A crisp slap rang through the room. Red finger marks instantly bloomed across Eliza’s delicate cheek. Eliza clutched her face, her eyes welling with tears, her body trembling slightly. She stared at Serena like she couldn’t believe what had just happened.
That slap only made Serena look more arrogant and aggressive in Victor’s eyes–and made him even more protective of Eliza.
“Serena, what the hell is wrong with you?” Victor rushed forward and pulled Eliza into his arms, checking her face with deep concern. “Elli okay? Does it hurt?”
Eliza gently shook her head. “Vic, I’m fine. Please don’t blame Mrs. Powell.”
Victor snapped, “Serena, that was out of line. I don’t care if you’re jealous of Ellie, but you can’t hit her.”
Serena sneered, “Jealous? What am I supposed to be jealous of? Her hypocrisy? Her manipulative little games?”
Victor shouted, “That’s enough. Apologize to Ellie. Right now.”
Serena scoffed. She couldn’t, for the life of her, understand how she ever fell in love with a man like this.
Victor yelled, “What right do you have to hit Ellie? You’re nothing more than her stand–in–a tool I used to fill the emptiness.”
YOU
An
“A stand–in?” Serena asked. She thought, ‘That’s right. That’s all I’ve ever been. No matter how much I’ve done over the years, he never once saw it.
Chapter 18
She fought back the bitterness rising in her throat. Her fists clenched tightly at her sides, her nails digging into her palms, but none of it compared to the pain in her chest. “Victor, you make me sick.”
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