Chapter 19
19:
Christina saw no point in offering explanations. Brendon had already passed judgment, so nothing she said would matter. With a shrug, she said purposely, “I am exactly what you think I am. How’s that concern you? After all, you’re just my ex-husband now!”
She lingered on the words “ex-husband,” letting each syllable slice through the tension like a blade.
Instead of denial, her unapologetic admission threw Brendon off, and his features twisted with anger at her blunt dismissal. “You’re free to do whatever you like now, but were you already sleeping around while we were still married?” he demanded, voice raised.
A cold chuckle slipped from Christina’s lips. “That’s rich coming from you. If you want answers about my loyalty during our marriage, I can ask you the same question.”
Brendon retorted, “I never cheated on you—when did I ever step out on our marriage?”
She rolled her eyes, the sound of her laughter bitter. “Come off it. Even with a ring on your finger, your heart always belonged to someone else.” Her gaze flicked to Yolanda, a hint of scorn curling at her mouth.
Yolanda’s voice trembled with mock regret. “Christina, I’m sorry…”
In an instant, Brendon reached over and took Yolanda’s hand, his expression softening for her. He faced Christina again, voice turning cold and matter-of-fact. “Yes, I never loved you. This marriage was forced on me, and I admit I treated you poorly these last years. But wasn’t the settlement I gave you enough? You got more out of this divorce than most could hope to make in a lifetime. Three years, and now you’ll never have to worry about money. Most people would kill for that kind of deal. Christina, I owe you nothing. Yolanda doesn’t owe you, either. The real mistake here was this marriage—it never should’ve happened.”
A sharp, cold laugh slipped from Christina. “So, you think I owe you and Yolanda? You claimed this whole marriage was some grand mistake? But you could have saved us both the trouble by simply not proposing in the first place.”
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Had Brendon given even a hint of hesitation before their wedding day, Christina never would have said yes. All along, Brendon’s choices revealed his selfishness. After Yolanda left him shattered three years back with the abrupt departure…
overseas, he had grabbed Christina as a substitute to fill the void, especially since she had been there to care for his wounds left by the accident.
“My grandmother pushed me into marrying you,” Brendon said, brows drawn in irritation.
“Is that so?” Christina’s voice held a mocking edge. “Funny, I don’t remember you putting up any kind of fight. Pressure or not, you had options. You just didn’t use them.”
“I couldn’t exactly refuse! Not marrying you would’ve meant losing my place in the company,” Brendon retorted, exasperation creeping in.
“So much for true love. It falls apart as soon as your bottom line is threatened,” Christina said, her words dripping with sarcasm.
Katie suddenly barged into the conversation, bristling with indignation. “What’s that supposed to mean? Quit trying to sow discord here! Yolanda and Brendon are perfectly happy together, and your spiteful comments won’t change a thing. Don’t fool yourself—Brendon isn’t coming back to you, and you can forget about ever remarrying into the Dawson family!”
A glacial chill settled over Christina’s features. “You read too much into it. Even if the entire Dawson family came crawling, I wouldn’t rejoin them.”
Katie’s laugh was sharp and derisive. “Oh, come on! Don’t flatter yourself. No one in my family wants you back. With your reputation for fickleness and shamelessness, you’re nothing but trouble—no respectable family would take the risk. Forget about high society. Even average people wouldn’t want you around.”
Ice glinted in Christina’s eyes as she fixed her stare on Katie. “You might as well worry about your own skeletons. Wouldn’t want a few nasty secrets ruining your shot at marrying up.”
A flush of panic washed over Katie. “My skeletons? What are you talking about?” Her voice faltered, eyes darting away from Christina’s gaze as unease flashed across her face. Facing Christina always unsettled her, leaving her with the unsettling sense that nothing could be hidden from those sharp eyes.
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