Chapter 30:

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Colton’s voice dripped with cold disdain. “Mr. Lloyd, you might not know the whole story. Allison once saved my grandfather’s life, then used that to worm her way into marrying me. She’s nothing but an uneducated orphan who didn’t even finish middle school. How could someone like her possibly grasp something as intricate as pottery? So don’t be fooled by her act.”

Melany, ever the shadow at his side, shook her head pitifully, playing along. “Colton, that’s not fair. Allison’s been through a lot. And, well… she just went through a divorce. I mean, before the divorce…” Melany trailed off, like she was on the verge of saying something but thought better of it. “Never mind, I won’t get into it. But you’ve barely been separated a few days, and already it looks like she’s moving on without batting an eye.”

“All she’s ever had is her looks,” Colton spat, his disgust palpable. “And now that she’s on her own, she can’t handle the idea of struggle. So, what’s her plan? She’s climbing the ladder again, of course, and this time she’s duped Mr. Lloyd with her lies.”

Allison’s hands paused as she lifted her head, meeting his words with a blank stare. It was hard to mask her disappointment. It was one thing to realize someone was flawed; it was another to see them turn downright ugly.

Years ago, she had saved Colton’s grandfather purely by chance. Back then, she had held onto the hope that Colton would remember the bond they once shared. As children, they had escaped kidnappers together, and he’d made her a promise: “You’ll be my wife one day, Allison.” She was the only one who had kept that memory alive. Later, when she learned he had a long-term love, she stepped aside without a word, believing their paths would never cross again. But when Melany ran off from an arranged marriage and went abroad, Keanu came begging, asking Allison to save their family. She agreed, stepping in where no one else could.

Now, after three long years, Colton seemed to relish dragging her name through the mud.

A soft laugh escaped her lips. Whatever feelings she could’ve had for him died in that moment.

Kellan, sitting nearby, sensed the shift in her, but he stayed silent. He knew Allison didn’t need anyone’s pity. She was strong enough to stand on her own.

Lаtєѕt chɑptєrs іn g𝑎lnοvєls.𝑐ο𝗺

Colton’s voice dripped with cold disdain. “Mr. Lloyd, you might not know the whole story. Allison once saved my grandfather’s life, then used that to worm her way into marrying me. She’s nothing but an uneducated orphan who didn’t even finish middle school. How could someone like her possibly grasp something as intricate as pottery? So don’t be fooled by her act.”

Melany, ever the shadow at his side, shook her head pitifully, playing along. “Colton, that’s not fair. Allison’s been through a lot. And, well… she just went through a divorce. I mean, before the divorce…” Melany trailed off, like she was on the verge of saying something but thought better of it. “Never mind, I won’t get into it. But you’ve barely been separated a few days, and already it looks like she’s moving on without batting an eye.”

“All she’s ever had is her looks,” Colton spat, his disgust palpable. “And now that she’s on her own, she can’t handle the idea of struggle. So, what’s her plan? She’s climbing the ladder again, of course, and this time she’s duped Mr. Lloyd with her lies.”

Allison’s hands paused as she lifted her head, meeting his words with a blank stare. It was hard to mask her disappointment. It was one thing to realize someone was flawed; it was another to see them turn downright ugly.

Years ago, she had saved Colton’s grandfather purely by chance. Back then, she had held onto the hope that Colton would remember the bond they once shared. As children, they had escaped kidnappers together, and he’d made her a promise: “You’ll be my wife one day, Allison.” She was the only one who had kept that memory alive. Later, when she learned he had a long-term love, she stepped aside without a word, believing their paths would never cross again. But when Melany ran off from an arranged marriage and went abroad, Keanu came begging, asking Allison to save their family. She agreed, stepping in where no one else could.

Now, after three long years, Colton seemed to relish dragging her name through the mud.

A soft laugh escaped her lips. Whatever feelings she could’ve had for him died in that moment.

Kellan, sitting nearby, sensed the shift in her, but he stayed silent. He knew Allison didn’t need anyone’s pity. She was strong enough to stand on her own.

“Every piece of pottery in our home was made by me. But I wouldn’t expect you to know that! You barely spent any time there, and when you were around, you didn’t notice anything.”

Her words were razor-sharp but spoken without an ounce of anger.

“And as for social climbing, I could never outmatch Melany even if I tried.”

Colton was momentarily taken aback. This wasn’t the reaction he had expected. Allison wasn’t flustered or defensive; she wasn’t even angry. Instead, she was calm—too calm—making his earlier insults seem childish in comparison.

The truth was, Allison had never hidden anything from him. But for three years, Colton had treated her like she didn’t exist. In his mind, she was shallow and conniving, so why would he have noticed the changes in their home? Eventually, Allison had stopped trying altogether. Lost in her thoughts for a moment, she didn’t realize the clay she was working on had wobbled slightly.

“Is there anything else you want to say?” she asked, her gaze lifting to meet his, eyes cold as winter frost. What had been a peaceful day had now been tainted by their intrusion.

Colton found himself at a loss for words. Allison had always been soft around him, easy to overlook. He had never seen her like this—confident, detached, untouchable. Her presence pressed down on him, making the air feel heavier.

Melany, meanwhile, could still feel the sting of the slap Allison had given her recently. The faint red marks were still visible, barely concealed under layers of makeup.

Kellan, watching the scene unfold, couldn’t resist adding his own biting commentary. “Mistaking a diamond for a piece of glass… It’s laughable how someone can toss aside a treasure and cling to something worthless!” His gaze flicked toward the clay, unimpressed. “Allison doesn’t need to climb anyone’s ladder. She could build her own, and once she does, you won’t even have a foot on the first rung.”

Kellan’s words hung in the air; his low, sharp tone sent a chill through the room. “So, either spit out what you came here to say, or get lost. Stop standing here, pretending you matter!”

He turned back to his work, unwilling to let them ruin their day any further.

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