Chapter 7
The moment I finished speaking, Ivy stepped out of Kieran’s car wearing a hospital gown. She leaned pitifully against Kieran’s side, batting her eyes as she guilt–tripped me:
“Chloe, not only were you photographed flirting with this man at dinner, but now you’re hurting Kieran like this for him…”
“Are you really so shameless that you’d hook up with someone else in under two months? God, how could you do this…”
“Shameless” and “hook up“-what lovely words?
Not only did I take Ivy’s passive–aggressive insults in stride, I was extra generous toward Kieran:
“Look how much Ivy cares about you. Honestly, you two are perfect for each other. I sincerely hope you’ll be happy together and start a family soon.”
After hearing my calm, emotionless blessing, Kieran’s face visibly darkened.
Ivy’s eyes flashed with glee as she opened her mouth to throw more fuel on the fire, but seeing me and Grayson together seemed to wake Kieran up. He suddenly pushed her away.
Her knees scraped against the rough pavement as Ivy stared at Kieran in confusion while he rushed toward me, his voice more urgent than I’d ever heard:
“Chloe, Ivy and I absolutely don’t have whatever gross relationship you’re thinking. She was only in my car because she collapsed outside the office, so I had to take her to the hospital…”
I found it amusing. “Why are you telling me this?”
Seeing I wasn’t angry at all, Kieran obviously relaxed.
‘Chloe, I just want you to know you’re the only one in my heart. Always have been.”
Realizing Kieran was reaching to touch my face, Grayson suddenly pulled me into his arms, looking at Kieran warily:
‘Chloe’s my girlfriend now. Back off.”
At those words, before I could thank Grayson for playing along, Kieran immediately grabbed Grayson’s collar and threw a punch.
Grayson could’ve dodged it. But to protect me in his arms, he just stood there and took the hit.
SMACK!
15:23
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Nine Years Wasted–Now in Marrying Your Rival
Compet
The sharp sound of my slap followed right after Kieran’s angry punch, echoing through the empty parking garage.
Letting go of Grayson and unclenching his fist, Kieran–whose head I’d just snapped to the side–stood motionless for several seconds before turning to look at me with lifeless eyes.
“Chloe, have you lost your goddamn mind?”
Actually, he didn’t need to ask. Deep down, Kieran was already convinced I’d gone completely insane. If I hadn’t lost it, how could someone who’d loved him for eight years, who’d always been so submissive and understanding, possibly hit him over some random guy?
This had to be a dream… Just as Kieran was thinking that, he looked up to see me holding Grayson’s hand, fingers intertwined, gently asking if he was hurt and if we should go to the hospital.
Kieran went completely blank. Those gradually reddening eyes were filled with disbelief and shock.
Unwilling to give up, Ivy climbed up from the ground. No longer hiding the jealous hatred in her eyes, she pointed at me and screamed:
“You shameless bitch! Kieran’s been faithful to you, wanting to marry you, and you’ve been cheating with this guy behind his back!”
In the past, when Ivy stirred up trouble and twisted the truth in front of Kieran, I’d put up with it for various
reasons.
But now she was standing right in front of me, calling Grayson a homewrecker…
With a light laugh, I calmly took off my right high heel and marched over to Ivy.
In the blink of an eye, I did something that shocked everyone present-
“Mmph!! Mmph mmph… AHHHHH!!”
Getting her mouth smacked repeatedly with my dirty, dusty shoe sole, Ivy’s eyes went wide as she instinctively tried to back away, but I’d already grabbed her hair to control her.
A few hits had Ivy’s foul mouth swollen and bloody. She was howling in pain, tears streaming down her face.
While I was coldly teaching Ivy a lesson, she kept looking tearfully at Kieran for help.
Hilariously, Kieran not only stood there doing nothing while she wailed dramatically, but after I threw her on the ground like garbage, he eagerly took my high heel and knelt down, trying to put it back on my foot:
“Chloe, don’t be mad. I get it now–you’re not the kind of woman Ivy made you out to be.”
“I finally see what’s been happening. We’re like this because Ivy’s been playing us against each other… I promise I won’t be soft on her anymore out of pity. I’ll fire her as soon as I get back, okay babe?”
1321 O
Ming Years Wasted–base time o
Chapter 7
“So we don’t have to break up, right? Chloe, I really know I screwed up.”
