Chapter 9 - The Waking Husband
At 3:30 PM, Julian sat at the kitchen island of the Katy house, clutching his head as a blinding migraine pounded behind his eyes.
Victoria sat beside him, pouring him a fresh cup of black coffee while patting his shoulder with motherly affection.
"Drink up, sweetie," Victoria said soothingly. "You had way too much whiskey at the reception last night."
Julian rubbed his face, his memory a blurry, dark fog filled with fragmented images and distant voices.
"Where's Elena?" Julian asked, his voice raw and raspy. "Why isn't she here? Where are her things?"
Victoria let out a theatrical sigh, shaking her head with profound, calculated disappointment.
"Oh, Julian... I hate to be the one to tell you this, my darling," Victoria lied smoothly.
"Elena packed her bags and left at six o'clock this morning."
"She said she realized she couldn't handle the responsibilities of being part of our family."
"She even took two hundred thousand dollars from your joint escrow account before she walked out the door!"
Julian blinked in utter confusion, his brain struggling to process his mother's words through the lingering fog of the drugs.
"What? No... Elena wouldn't do that," Julian stammered, grabbing his phone from the counter.
"Her father just died... she loves this house... I need to call her—"
Victoria snatched the phone out of his hand, her expression darkening instantly.
"She doesn't love you, Julian! She used you for your family's name!" Victoria barked, slamming her palm onto the counter.
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"She signed the annulment agreement this morning and handed the house keys back to my security team!"
"It's over, Julian! You are finally free from that gold-digger!"
