Chapter 13:

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“I was with someone, sure. But, you know, that’s none of your business!” Allison said straightforwardly, her eyes locking onto his.

“He had a body that’d turn heads, and as for the rest, well, let’s just say he knew his way around the sheets. Things got a little… intense, hence the marks.”

“You…” Colton choked on his fury, words slipping from his grasp as if they’d turned to ash in his mouth. Her casual tone, paired with that complete lack of shame, only threw gasoline on his anger.

“And you know what? He was worth it—easily one of the best. Probably the best I’ve come across!” Allison said with a calm, almost thoughtful air, then let a smile curl her lips as she watched his face twist in rage. “But don’t lose sleep over it. We’re divorced, remember? You don’t need to care so much about your ex-wife.”

Colton clenched his teeth, seething with a rage he couldn’t fully express. He couldn’t lash out, because deep down, he knew that he was the one who had brought Melany into their home, pushed for the divorce—and cut the last string between them. He had no right to feel this way, and yet it gnawed at him, like an itch beneath the skin he couldn’t scratch.

“You’ve got some nerve, Allison!” he finally spat, bitterness dripping from every syllable. “You had me fooled for three years, parading around like some perfect, proper woman. And all the while, you’re just a two-timing cheat!”

It stung him more than he cared to admit.

“At least I waited until we decided to divorce,” Allison shot back, coldness in her tone. “Unlike you, I didn’t bring someone into our home while we were still married!” The hypocrisy in his accusations was almost laughable. He had cheated while they were still bound by vows, and now dared to point fingers because she moved on afterward? It was like watching someone try to patch a sinking ship with holes in their logic.

But she was always vocal about her suffering, never choosing to endure it silently.

“But looking at you now, you’ve got the heart of a womanizer, but none of the skill to cash in on it. Must be rough!”

Lᴀtєѕt chαptєrs ιn g𝓪lnovєl𝑠.𝒸о𝗺

“You…” Colton had never felt this level of fury, boiling to the point of no return.

He couldn’t wrap his head around how he had never noticed how sharp-tongued she could be.

Melany, ever the opportunist, was by his side, her hand gently rubbing his back, though her soft words were anything but soothing.

“Don’t be too angry, Colton,” she murmured. “Poor Allison… try to see things from her perspective. With her parents gone and now the divorce, she’s got no one to lean on. Without money or connections, what else can she do but find a new benefactor? We should…”

Before Melany’s words could fully land, a sharp crack filled the air.

Smack!

Allison didn’t hold back.

The slap rang out like thunder on a quiet night, and in its wake, Melany stood frozen, her cheek already swelling and blood beading at the corner of her mouth. Shock painted her face—she couldn’t believe Allison had struck her, and right in front of Colton.

“If you had even half a brain, you’d know when to stop talking,” Allison said, her voice steady but laced with razor-sharp precision. “But I suppose that’s asking too much. Keep running your mouth, and before long, the entire city will hear about how you came back from abroad just to crawl into a married man’s bed!”

Allison lifted her gaze to Melany, her expression ice-cold, and snapped a photo of her with her phone.

“A headline like, ‘Courthouse Slapdown: Mistress Gets What’s Coming!’ would definitely stir things up,” she said.

Melany let out a panicked squeal, immediately covering her face with her hands.

But when Allison casually flipped her phone toward her, Melany’s pulse began to slow—the screen was black.

“Relax,” Allison said, her lips curving into a smirk. “I wouldn’t let something that revolting taint my phone. I like to keep things clean!”

Just as Melany’s tension started to ease, Allison’s voice cut through again, smooth as glass. “But hey, don’t sweat it. There are security cameras everywhere here. They probably caught it all in perfect HD.”

At that, Melany’s frail nerves snapped under the weight of fear.

“Shut up! Colton and I are innocent!” she blurted out, her voice shaking as she held back the urge to lash out at Allison. With her anger bubbling just beneath the surface, she turned to Colton, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Even if I’ve messed up, she has no right to ruin me like this! Slapping me to let off steam is one thing, but threatening my whole reputation? That’s way out of line!”

Colton, watching Melany with her tear-streaked face, felt his heart begin to soften. His jaw clenched as he turned his glare to Allison, irritation rising to the surface.

“If you’ve got a problem, deal with me. Why are you dragging Melany into this? Honestly, I still don’t know what my grandfather ever…”

“You act all prim and proper when people are watching, but behind closed doors… you’re nothing but a…”

Before he could finish, a sharp smack rang out.

The force of Allison’s slap sent him reeling, his cheek swelling in seconds. Now, with Melany’s left cheek puffy and Colton’s right equally so, they looked like a bizarrely matched set!

Colton froze, blinking in disbelief. “You…”

“That was for all the nonsense between us,” Allison interrupted, her tone eerily composed. She pulled a tissue from her pocket and carefully wiped down each of her fingers, one by one. “Oh, and best wishes to both of you. Really. You deserve each other!”

Colton’s shock gave way to fury, his jaw clenching hard enough to grind his teeth. “Allison! Have you completely lost your mind?”

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