All Chapters of After Our Fake Divorce, I Vanished for Real: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

When I crossed paths with Talia Rosenthal again, I was out on the deck in a bespoke suit, clutching a glass of liquor. Having worked on my design sketches until midnight the day before, I hadn't wanted to show my face, but duty called as the cruise line owner's husband. I sighed and raised my glass, but before I could take a sip, I heard a hurried set of footsteps behind me. The very next second, I was yanked around against my will. Talia and I stood frozen in place. Her pupils contracted, and her voice was filled with disbelief. "It really is you, Justin! Where have you been all these years?" My expression remained stoic. However, before I could answer her, Lucas Hawthorne gasped dramatically. "Why are you so skinny now, Justin? I still remember when you used to be so fat you didn't dare show your face in public!"Joyce Rosenthal burst into laughter. I hadn't seen her in years, and she had grown much taller. Yet, the haughty look on her face was a carbon copy of Lucas'.Joyce

In the blink of an eye, Talia planted herself in front of me. She helped Lucas to his feet, his face flushed red, and snapped at me, "Apologize to Lucas right now, Justin!"The moment I heard that, my whole body shuddered as memories of the past came rushing back. Because I'd put a bit too much salt in a dish, Lucas threw a fit at the dining table, claiming I was jealous of his physique and attempting to make him gain weight. Without a moment's hesitation, Talia had ordered her men to pin me to the ground, treating me like a dog with no dignity whatsoever. Memories of the past were still fresh in my mind, and I balled my hands into fists until my nails bit into my skin. However, things were different now. I wasn't going to be spineless and allow others to smear my name anymore. Hence, I scoffed. "In your dreams!" Joyce, who had been fussing over Lucas, turned around and shrieked at me in utter disappointment, "You're so malicious, and you still refuse to admit you're wrong. I re

Talia sprinted over and gaped at me before demanding an answer from Lucas. "Why are you laying a hand on him?" Right after asking that, she wanted to help me up. Lucas flushed crimson after being publicly reprimanded by her. He smacked her hand away and bellowed, completely losing his composure. "He provoked me! Don't touch him. You're a married woman now; stop flirting with other men!" Talia's expression hardened, and after two seconds, she ordered Joyce, "Help your father up."Joyce was still mad at me, so she intentionally responded loudly, "My dad's standing right there!"Clutching my spinning head, I pushed myself up with the support of a chair. The security guards were about to rough me up again when someone in the crowd hesitantly piped up, "Isn't that Ms. Silverstein's husband? He rarely shows his face, but I caught a glimpse of him from afar two years ago, and he looks a lot like him." Another onlooker immediately countered, "No way. How could her husband possibly ge

Talia had been beaten black and blue. She tried to help Lucas up, but he slapped her across the face. Talia immediately shrieked. Furious, she shoved him away, flailing her hands like a madwoman. "Have you lost your damn mind? Why did you slap me? If you hadn't gotten us into this mess, I wouldn't have been beaten up to a pulp!" Joyce also persuaded him softly, "Hurry up and get up, Lucas. It's so embarrassing to be gawked at by everyone here!"Lucas had already been holding a grudge against her. Now that he had learned the truth about why he couldn't have children, all the grievances and bitterness he had bottled up for years detonated inside him like a bomb. He abruptly seized Joyce and slapped her hard across the face. "You little bastard, you have that idiot's blood running through your veins; you're the one who jinxed my baby! Your whole damn family is rotten to the core! Your father has another kid now and a beautiful wife; he's left you and your mother in the dust!" Joy

I hurriedly scooped Jeremy into my arms, eyeing her warily. "We're done here. Get out!"Jeremy repeated my words in his little voice, "My daddy told you to get out!"Talia wobbled, tears almost spilling from her eyes. "You promised our daughter that she would be your only child!" She had also promised to be faithful to our marriage, but had she kept her word? I couldn't be bothered to argue with her. I simply looked at her with indifference. Her guilt trips might've worked on the old me, but they didn't faze me in the slightest now. Talia felt furious at being made a fool of. "Did you marry her for her money? I didn't know you were so shallow! Did you cheat on me back when we were still married? Have you just been hiding it from me all this time?" Her furious roar was deafening. Worried that she might scare Jeremy, I instructed the housekeeper to take him upstairs. Then, I used her words against her. "She once saved my life. You told me we should repay those who have helped u