Chapter 514 Fully Awake
"Seriously, dude? It's bad enough that you cheated with a woman ten years younger than your mistress, but now you're also mooching off your stepdaughter, not paying back your debts, and making people go to your stepdaughter for money? As a man, I'm embarrassed for you," the leading boy said.
He looked utterly contemptuous.
He had seen his share of cheating scumbags.
Justin's face was deathly pale.
Surrounding gazes dripped with scorn.
All his life, he'd been bathed in respect—never before had he encountered such contempt.
Maria listened as the people they'd hired dissected Justin with devastating accuracy.
She was suddenly rooted to the spot.
So, the onlookers knew the real Justin, and he was this despicable?
Then, what had her last twenty years been for?
Had she ever truly seen Justin?
"Justin, we're pretty busy, can you and your wife hold off on your fight? Just tell us—are you settling the bill today or not? If not, we're off to handle our business," Brad spoke, then suddenly inquired, "Isn't Chris getting married soon?"
Justin's complexion locked up even tighter.
He and Chris were seriously at odds now.
So, it wasn't about worrying over Chris's wedding.
Rather, he was concerned about the Ayre family's investment in his overseas factory, a hefty sum of over ten million dollars. If the marriage fell through, it would be over for him.
They'd surely claw back that money, and since the investment was recent, he didn't have a chance to launder it.
"Fine," Justin spoke through gritted teeth.
"Just wait!"
He scooped up his endlessly weeping wife and headed upstairs.
Moments later, he returned with a check.
Brad hadn't expected it to be so easy.
However, upon seeing the amount, his face darkened. "Can't you do math? What about the emotional distress compensation? Nine hundred thousand for the nine of us!"
"That's all I have. Go to Maria or Thalassa for the rest. I won't pay a penny more," Justin sneered with disgust. "And if you want to keep making a scene, forget about getting this money too!"
Brad was left speechless.
After a brief consideration, they decided to cash the check first, then continue pursuing the emotional distress compensation.
"Alright!" Brad forced a smile. "Then we won't disturb you and your wife from continuing your spat."
"Brad, I'm your sister, after all. I've helped you so much over the years, and now you won't lend a hand when I'm in this state?" Maria asked in disbelief.
In her time of need, her own family turned their backs, while it was the hired help that stood by her.
"Your son-in-law is so capable, go ask him for help!"
With that, Brad led the Shaw Family out of the cozy cottage that Justin had bought for his mistress.
At this time, a sizable crowd of onlookers had already gathered outside.
Justin slammed the door furiously and yanked the curtains shut.
"Happy now?" Justin glared at Maria with vehemence. "The money I managed to scrape together was for emergencies, and your family just snatched it all. Are you satisfied?"
"Uncle, how can you stand there looking so damn self-righteous?" the hired hand incredulously snapped back.
Maria had a moment of realization.
Indeed, he could be so self-righteous, but there was nothing to do with her.
He was the one mismanaging the company, yet she had even put forth all her savings to bail him out.
“Justin, I want a divorce!”
Maria blurted out, her voice breaking with emotion.
Justin was stunned.
The person Maria had hired started clapping vigorously.
"Good for you, Maria! Cut ties with that scumbag clean!"
"I'll find a lawyer to divide our assets. Once the divorce papers are ready, I'll have you sign them without delay, so you can be worry-free to be with that whore!"
With that said, Maria turned and walked away.
Her hired assistant quickly followed.
"Don't be too heartbroken, Maria. The world is full of better opportunities, and you've got such an amazing daughter. Pick yourself up and keep on living!"
"Thank you," Maria said with a smile, wiping away her tears.
Oddly enough, after dropping the divorce bomb, she didn't feel the expected anguish.
Instead, she felt a weight lifted from her shoulders.
"Are you heading home now? We can give you a ride!"
"I think..." Maria looked down. "No, it's fine. I'll manage on my own. Thanks for your effort. I'll send the final payment to you guys immediately."
"Okay, we'll sort out the video footage and send it to your email."
"Thanks."
Inside the villa, Justin stood by the window, peering through a sliver just wide enough to see Maria walking away.
‘The audacity! To request a divorce after all this time? And to expect a division of assets?’ he thought.
Maria was blissfully unaware of the gaze following her.
She hailed a cab and arrived at the base of Thalassa's company building.
It was almost lunchtime.
She sat there, watching people passing by, hoping Thalassa might come down for lunch.
However, as she waited, lunchtime passed, and then dinner time arrived.
Among the throngs of people leaving work, she still hadn't spotted Thalassa.
After some thought, Maria took out her phone.
She texted Thalassa, "My dear daughter, I've finally seen Justin for who he truly is, though I'm afraid it's too late. When I was blinded by him, you must have endured so much. I'm truly sorry. This time, I am determined to divorce him."
"About the assets you mentioned before that you gave to me, how should I handle them before the divorce to make sure your interests aren't harmed? Awaiting your reply."
The message went out.
As before, it vanished into the ether.
Maria sat there, glancing back at the bustling streets around her, filled with an endless stream of people and cars.
A sudden wave of desolation swept over her.
Approaching midlife with nowhere to go.
She considered her options and decided to pay a visit to Thalassa's father.
Maria had just risen to her feet when the realization hit her; he wasn't in his original resting place anymore. She didn't know where he was now.
She remembered how good Thalassa's father had been to her since they first met, and how that kindness continued after they got married and had kids. He had been genuine, never causing her any distress.
"Why have I ended up like this?" Exhausted, Maria sat down, no longer able to hold back her tears, and began to cry.
Today, Thalassa hadn't gone to the office. She and Kenny had decided to move back into his father's old house. They had spent the entire day buying all the things they needed for their new home. Once everything was in place, Thalassa collapsed on the sofa, worn out from the day's efforts.
Kenny was at the bedside, calling a restaurant to order food. Thalassa picked up her phone and noticed an unread message with a new alert. She glanced at it.
"Darling, mom has finally seen Justin for who he truly is..." Thalassa was briefly stunned. Then, she chose to disregard the message. A person shouldn't be fooled by the same lie twice, especially not after what she and Kenny had promised. They would stop testing the waters. She would move forward and never look back.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
