Chapter 2: The Roots of Deceit
As Sarah gently helped Martha to her feet, guiding her away from the cold floor and toward the quiet warmth of the kitchen, Victoria stood frozen in the center of the foyer. The reality of what was happening began to claw at her composure.
"You can't do this!" Victoria hissed, her voice rising in panic as she followed Julian toward the living room. "My family name carries weight in this city! The board members, the socialites—everyone knows who I am! You think you can just throw me out like trash because of an old woman playing the victim?"
Julian stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. The expression on his face made Victoria involuntarily step back.
"You think this is about society, Victoria?" Julian asked softly, stepping closer. "You think I don't know what you've been doing for the last two years?"
Victoria’s breath hitched. "What are you talking about?"
"I know about the inheritance trust my father left for my mother," Julian said, his voice cutting like a razor. "I know how you’ve systematically tried to isolate her, cutting off her phone lines, locking her out of the garden, and treating her like a trespasser in the home I bought specifically so she could live out her final years in comfort."
The truth hung heavily in the air. Victoria hadn't just been cruel today; her cruelty was systemic. She had despised Martha from day one because Martha reminded everyone of Julian’s working-class origins—a past Victoria had spent millions trying to erase from her social media profiles and polite conversation. To Victoria, Martha was an embarrassment, a stain on the pristine, fake image she had cultivated.
"She doesn't belong here!" Victoria finally screamed, her mask entirely slipping away. "She’s a peasant! She smells like old-fashioned cooking and cheap soap! I am your wife!"
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"You were my wife," Julian corrected coldly, pulling a manila folder from the side table where he had tossed his mail. He opened it and dropped a thick stack of papers onto the glass coffee table. "And those are the signed prenuptial amendments, along with the forensic financial audit my legal team completed this morning."
Victoria stared at the papers. Her face turned the color of ash.
