All Chapters of You Had This Divorce Coming: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Gwen's call came in just as Gideon tried calling again.Lucille declined his call without hesitation."Lucy! Where did you go?" Gwen asked. "I stopped by your place, and you weren't there!""I'm at Pinehill Estates. It's quiet here. No one's bothering me," Lucille replied.Gwen let out a shriek. "What? Since when do you live somewhere like Pinehill Estates? That place is for the top 1% in the country! You're seriously not messing with me right now?"Lucille pressed her lips together and lowered her voice. "Keep it down."She kept her tone quiet and answered honestly, "A relative arranged it. Give me a little time, and I'll bring you over to see it."Gwen sounded ready to explode. "A little time? Lucille, you don't love me anymore. You're living the high life, and you didn't even bring me with you!"Lucille laughed despite herself. "No, it all happened too fast. I didn't even have time to tell you."Before she could finish, Gwen let out another shriek. "Lucille, it's trending!

Elaine caught herself. Realization flashed across her face. She knew she had said too much, and panic flickered in her eyes before she quickly masked it."Your mother had so many scandals I couldn't even tell you which one I meant. But you know better than anyone what kind of reputation she had in Coasthaven."Lucille still gripped her by the collar. Her expression remained cold and unyielding. "You said 'we.' Those were your own words. That means you were involved. I don't know exactly what happened to my mother back then, but I will find out. And every single person who had a hand in it will pay for it."Elaine's slip tore open something Lucille had buried long ago. It was an old wound she had forced so deep inside herself that she had nearly forgotten it existed.She had been five years old when it happened, but she never forgot that day. A group of people forced their way into their home like thieves, taking whatever they wanted before finally shoving her mother into the bedroo

Lucille frowned and looked up, meeting Gideon's gaze.Gideon's eyes were dark and unreadable. The black suit sharpened the harshness of his features. One hand rested in his pocket, and a slight furrow creased his brow, yet he still carried the calm, polished composure she had once admired so much. He still looked like the man she used to look up to.Lucille smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "Stop hiding behind Otto. If you wanted to live under the same roof as Rayne, you could've just said it. Why go through all the trouble?"Gideon's expression darkened. "Is that really the kind of man you think I am? Someone with no sense of boundaries?"Lucille laughed softly, the sound cold. "At least you know yourself well. Those words suit you perfectly."Gideon stood still, as though something had cinched tight around his chest.Several seconds passed before he finally recovered. He crossed the room and stopped in front of her, looking down at her slight frame.She was petite. She ha

Gideon stood there for a few seconds before speaking. "Check the card I gave my wife. How much is left on it?""The card you gave her stayed in your mother's hands the entire time. Your wife never touched it. Every cent spent from that card was spent by your mother," Mark replied.Gideon went still. "Say that again. She hasn't touched it in five years? Then how did she..."The shock settled into him slowly, then all at once.How was that possible?The household expenses at Blossom Court over the past five years, his wardrobe, and the gifts she had given him had not been cheap. Added together, the total far exceeded what her salary could have covered.He had given her the card and never thought about it again. Without ever checking, he had simply assumed she was using it. He had been completely at ease with that assumption."That's right. Your mother kept a close eye on her and made it clear she wasn't allowed to spend a single cent of yours. Your wife was too proud to push back,

Gwen's barbecue dishes were exceptional. Without being asked, she had prepared a separate, milder batch for Lucille. After all, the latter was still recovering and needed to be careful.The two settled in with their plates and ate freely, laughing and talking between bites.Lucille couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this much.…Meanwhile, Elaine couldn't laugh at all. She sat in the back of the car with one hand pressed over her left eye, the chili seeds lodged somewhere she couldn't reach. It felt as though a hot iron had been pressed directly against her eyeball."It hurts! It hurts so much! My eye! I'm going blind, I'm going blind!"She grabbed the driver's arm and shook him, shrieking at him to do something, to get it out, to blow on it.But she had already rubbed the seeds in deeper. They had stuck to the surface of her eye, and the driver was not a doctor. He wasn't about to touch it."Ma'am, I really think we should get you to the hospital. Let a profession