Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Wife He Threw Away : Kabanata 171 - Kabanata 180

The atmosphere at KVEK was subdued after the verdict. The firm was too quiet. Too stiff. Associates who normally moved through the halls confidently now spoke in lowered voices. Phones rang less and noticeably, conversations died much faster. Losing a case that publicly—especially to Sinclair & Co—had hit the firm’s pride hard. And Victoria Merlyn’s mood certainly wasn’t helping. I stood inside my office, reviewing the documents spread across my desk again. Claire’s original infertility diagnosis. Eva Sterling’s original report. Claire’s latest medical results. Three documents. One life destroyed by a lie. My jaw tightened as I thought about it. This Dr. Ramon was finished— completely finished. I had no intention of negotiating with him privately anymore. No quiet settlement, no warning, no courtesy. He didn’t deserve any of that kindness. What he had done went beyond malpractice. It was cruelty— pure, calculated cruelty. Claire had mourned chil

The first thing I noticed when I walked into Sinclair & Co that morning, was the noise. Not literal noise. But energy. Movement. Phones rang constantly, assistants hurried through corridors, conference rooms were heavily occupied. And most importantly, new clients waited in reception. Victory changed everything. Especially a victory against KVEK. “Claire!” Daniel Reyes appeared beside me carrying two folders and coffee at the same time. “You’re late.” He said. I glanced at him dryly. “It’s eight-fifteen.” “Exactly,” he said. “You’re usually here at seven-thirty pretending you don’t need sleep.” I took the coffee from him with a grateful smile. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome. Also—” he lowered his voice dramatically, “three more major corporations reached out this morning.” I blinked. “Three?” Daniel grinned. “Apparently defeating Victoria Merlyn in open court has become very attractive to people.” I groaned softly while he laughed. By ten in the morning

My penthouse felt less like a home and more like a luxury showroom. White marble floors, fresh orchids arranged perfectly on glass tables, perfect floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. Soft instrumental music drifted through the speakers while three stylists moved around me carefully like I was royalty. And in every way that mattered, I was. “Not that shade,” I said sharply without looking up from my phone. “Do I look forty to you?” The makeup artist went pale. “No, Miss Sterling. Of course not.” The woman’s ignorance was wearing my patience thin. I held out my right hand. “Then stop contouring me like someone’s divorced mother.” The room fell quieter after that. A stylist hurried forward with another dress while I sat close to the vanity in a silk robe, my long legs crossed elegantly as I picked through a bowl of chilled fruit. I ate absentmindedly while scanning through event updates for the Langford Foundation Gala. Major networks would be present

The applause never came— not even polite applause. The ballroom remained unnervingly still as Lucian stepped away from the podium beneath hundreds of glittering lights. His cold expression never changed as he came down the stage. But I knew him too well. I knew what it had cost him to stand on that stage and say those words publicly. “The woman I love most.” My chest still hadn’t recovered from hearing it. Before anyone could recover, Nathaniel moved— fast. Too fast. My stomach dropped instantly. “Nathaniel—” He ignored me completely, and kept walking. People turned immediately as Nathaniel strode across the ballroom after Lucian, fury radiating off him. Conversations died mid-sentence, cameras shifted instinctively toward the unfolding disaster. Lucian had almost reached his table when Nathaniel grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. Then punched him. A wave of sharp gasps ripped through the ballroom. Lucian staggered sideways from the force. T

By the time I arrived at Dhark Holdings the next morning, the entire city already knew what had happened at the gala. Once again, my name was glowing from financial headlines across giant screens in the lobby. “DHARK PUBLICLY DECLARES LOVE FOR EX-WIFE.” “INVESTORS CONCERNED OVER LUCIAN DHARK’S LEADERSHIP STABILITY.” “KVEK PARTNER ASSAULTS DHARK CEO AT CHARITY GALA.” I walked past all of it without slowing. Without even letting myself think of it. Employees lowered their eyes immediately when I entered. Some nodded respectfully, while pretended not to stare. But I could feel it anyway. The stared, whispers, the uncertainty. The shift. Humiliation still wasn’t something I knew how to wear. The elevator ride to the executive floor felt endless. By the time I entered the boardroom, everyone was already seated. Waiting for me. The atmosphere was grim— cold coffee, stacks of financial reports, tension thick enough to choke on. No one said a word at first.