Dean's Contempt

Third-Person's POV:

Neither Rachel nor Cynthia anticipated encountering each other in this setting. After a brief moment of surprise, Cynthia sneered with disdain, "It's like a ghost that haunts me wherever I go."

Rachel dried her hands on a paper towel and replied coolly, "If you're looking for a confrontation, just say so. No need to beat around the bush."

"What did you say ...

Cynthia realized she was no match for Rachel, especially with Jane at her side. Feeling outnumbered and outmatched, she struggled to maintain her composure.

Jane retorted sharply, "Do you want me to get a megaphone and show everyone what a real homewrecker looks like?"

Cynthia's response was laced with sarcasm. "Rachel, do you even have any shame left? Have you forgotten all the schemes you pulled to marry into the Murrays? And now you have the nerve to call me a homewrecker? Just because you've secured your position doesn't make you any better. Don't pretend to be a saint."

Jane was about to fire back, but Rachel stopped her with a firm hold on her wrist.

Rachel looked at Cynthia with calm composure and asked, "Did Dean tell you about that?"

Cynthia, more concerned with her appearance than with any real intelligence, had avoided this topic previously. Her current smugness suggested she had just recently heard this information.

"Yes, he did. He said he finds women like you utterly repulsive. He claimed his biggest regret is having met you at Twilight Lounge. To him, you're like chewed-up gum-disgusting and sticky, impossible to get rid of."

As Cynthia finished speaking, she noticed Rachel's indifferent expression and took a step back, wary of any possible retaliation.

To her surprise, Rachel did not respond or retaliate. She simply discarded the used paper towel and walked away.

Jane, noticing this, hurried to follow.

"Rachel, don't let her words get to you. Both she and Dean are beneath your notice. Just ignore them. They're not worth your anger ... "

Before Jane could continue, she saw Dean standing nearby, engaged in casual conversation with someone.

Rachel acted as if she hadn't seen him, her gaze fixed ahead as she quickened her pace.

Magnus Hayes, sensing the tension from behind, turned to look at the approaching woman and remarked, "Isn't that your wife? What's she doing here?"

Dean glanced up, his brow slightly furrowed. His dark eyes revealed a trace of irritation.

After their last encounter, Dean had assumed Rachel suggested getting a divorce due to Cynthia's pregnancy.

He had thought about explaining himself but quickly dismissed the idea as absurd.

It seemed he was reluctant to proceed with the divorce.

With work occupying his focus, he had forgotten about her. He thought she would settle down after a few days as usual.

I didn't expect her to follow me here. And she said she just wanted to get a divorce?

As Rachel drew nearer, Dean prepared to speak coldly, but Rachel didn't even look his way. Her stride remained steady and unbroken.

She passed him with a blank expression, moving swiftly as if she were a gust of wind.

Jane, trailing behind, stopped next to Dean. She seemed poised to scold him but decided against it and quickly walked away.

Magnus, who had observed the entire confrontation, let out a few awkward chuckles in an attempt to diffuse the tension. "Did I mistake her for someone else?"

Within their circle, it was common knowledge that Dean harbored a deep aversion toward his wife-some even described it as contempt.

It was well-known that he seldom, if ever, brought her to social events.

Magnus had encountered Rachel only twice before.

The first instance was when Dean had Torgotten some crucial documents. Concerned about causing delays, Rachel had taken it upon herself to deliver them to his office. Even though Dean had greeted her with a cold attitude, Rachel's fleeting disappointment was quickly hidden behind a facade of politeness and understanding, showing no hint of anger.

The second time was at Malvin Murray's birthday party, a year following Dean and Rachel's wedding. The entire Murray family seemed to disapprove of her, and she was never formally introduced to anyone.

That evening, Rachel moved around like an unpaid servant, taking care of various tasks without receiving any words of encouragement or acknowledgement, only met with disdainful looks.

Throughout the event, Rachel remained on the sidelines, enduring the snide remarks of those who viewed her with contempt. She did not retaliate but instead kept her head down and maintained her distance.

In Magnus's recollection, Dean's wife had always appeared as the epitome of a submissive, long-suffering spouse.

The formidable woman confronting them now seemed like a completely different person from the timid figure he remembered.