"Ah—" Chloe didn't realize that something so trivial could have a huge impact on Vernon.
She was just asking about it because she wanted to see if a father-daughter relationship for Mackie and Vincent would be possible once they divorced.
But it seemed that Vernon interpreted it the wrong way.
Chloe smiled at Vernon and asked, "Do you really think that I will go back to him in case he changes to be a better man?"
"It's not impossible," Vernon replied. "You have a soft heart, Chloe. You're kind, but too kind for your own good. I don't want you to be soft on him if he begins to beg for your forgiveness."
"Do I have a soft heart, or am I just stupid enough to stay with a bastard like him for ten years straight?" Chloe ridiculed herself. She chuckled and then gently caressed Vernon's cheek with her hand. She said, "I don't think you fully understand me, Vernon. I might be kind, but even the kindest woman has her own limit."
"I tolerated him for all the abuse, humiliation, and neglect. But that doesn't mean I will do that for the rest of my life," Chloe said. "I want happiness as well, I want to have a good life with someone who won't hurt me. I want to be happy with a man whom I love and loves me back."
Chloe leaned forward and took the initiative to kiss Vernon on the lips to assure him, "So you don't need to worry. You are still the only one for me, and will be for the rest of our life."
"Well, at least until you get bored of me and maybe ditch me like what he did," Chloe had a self-ridiculing smile as she said that sentence. "If that happens, then maybe I will just raise Mackie and then live the rest of my life alone."
"NEVER!" Vernon raised his voice. "I will never get bored of you. You don't know how much you mean to me, Chloe. Even one lifetime is not enough for me to love you!"
Chloe giggled, "Then I will hold into that promise. Please love me for the rest of your life, and I will do the same to you, my handsome man."
Vernon was a bit assured by Chloe's statement. But that didn't stop him from feeling suspicious. He then asked, "But why are you asking if Vincent has gotten better or not? What's the point of asking when you don't think about going back together with him?"
"It's for Mackie," Chloe replied.
"For Mackie? She's just a little girl, she doesn't need to know about this heavy stuff," Vernon said. "All she needs to know is that her biological father is evil and you have your reason to leave."
·?θm "Well, I just think there might be a chance for Mackie to reconnect with her father," Chloe argued. "After all, Vincent is still her biological father, and if Vincent turns out to be a better person after this, then I'd want him to at least have a supervised visit to see his daughter once or twice a month."
"I see," Vernon acted as if he understood Chloe's intention.
Truthfully, he also didn't get why Chloe would give Vincent a chance to be close to Mackie. What if something bad happened, such as him kidnapping Mackie and forcing Chloe to give herself up in exchange for her daughter?
Vernon understood his brother as much as he understood about himself.
They were both monsters, and no matter how kind they were on the outside, they might do something crazy as long as they got what they wanted, and it could happen when they were trying to get the woman they loved.
"So, let me ask you one more time. What happened to Vincent right now?" Chloe asked, hoping she might get a different answer since this small misunderstanding had been solved.
But Vernon sighed and replied, "Just like what I told you before. He's still angry at you. He can't wait to kill you, and can't wait to drag you into the pits of hell. He is born evil, Chloe. Nothing can change that."
…
"Okay then," Chloe still felt that Vernon wasn't speaking the truth. Her gut feeling was rarely wrong, but she still believed Vernon because she knew he had good intentions. "I trust you."
"You should trust me, I want our family to be safe, Love," Vernon said.
Despite having been assured by Chloe, he still refused to tell the truth because he wasn't on the same page with Chloe about Mackie.
He already saw Little Wolf as his daughter. It didn't matter if he was just an 'uncle' or 'adoptive father.'
Mackenzie Phoenix Gray was his daughter. She didn't need another father because Vernon promised to give the little girl a great life.
Besides, he already claimed Mackie as his, alongside Chloe.
They did not need another man except him, and he would never allow Vincent to see his daughter anymore.
Vincent had wasted ten years abusing his ex-wife and also neglecting his ex-daughter. He didn't deserve redemption after being a piece of shit.
Chloe might be a forgiving and soft lady, but he was not a soft man.
He knew in order to protect his precious family, he had to be cruel.
Chloe smiled and gently patted Vernon's head, "I understand you're trying your best to keep us safe. So, why don't we talk about the elephant in the room instead?"
"The elephant in the room?" Vernon frowned. It seemed that he already made sure everything was smooth sailing and didn't need to worry about anything.
"Is there something I missed?" Vernon asked. "Is it about the boys' school and preschool? Is there something wrong with them?"
"Not about them. You did great helping me," Chloe giggled. She put her hand on top of Vernon's and then gently whispered, "I'm wondering when would be the best time for me to file for divorce? A week? A month? A year?"
This chapt𝙚r is updated by fr(e)ew𝒆bnov(e)l.com