Chapter 407
407:
Ruby saw right through his attempts to dodge the issue. She sneered, “I won’t divorce you. Do you really think you can just leave us and live with her? Not a chance!”
The Barretts had left their home empty-handed—no jewelry, no wallets, not even a phone among them. All their valuables remained locked up behind the high walls of their house.
Stranded without money for transportation, they had no choice but to walk to Lila’s place from Brenna’s.
The destination was quite far, about thirty kilometers away.
Even if they took the subway, it could take over an hour to get there. As evening fell, they finally reached Lila’s apartment complex. Their shoes were worn thin, blisters throbbing with every step, while hunger gnawed mercilessly at their insides.
When Ruby saw someone about to throw away a half-eaten hot dog, she rushed forward, begged for the discarded food, and devoured it frantically.
Upon arrival, the Barrett family collapsed from exhaustion at the entrance, drained and waiting for Lila.
Lila arrived around six-thirty in the evening, accompanied by her son, Hugh Barrett.
When Lila and Hugh saw Alec—disheveled and bruised—they paused, taking a moment to recognize the battered figure before them.
Hugh stepped forward to help Alec up, his voice full of concern. “Dad… What happened to you? Did someone beat you?”
Alec winced at his son’s blunt question. “No, it’s nothing,” he replied. “I just had a nasty fall.”
Ruby’s temper flared at the sight of Hugh. Pushing through her fatigue, she exploded in anger at Alec.
“How dare you!” Her voice shattered the silence. “You and this woman already have a child? How long have you been cheating on me?”
Seeing Lila dressed in designer clothes and Hugh wearing expensive sneakers only deepened Ruby’s resentment. To her, they were living the life that should have been hers.
𝙇ⲁ𝓉𝖊𝓼𝓉 с𝖍ⲁρ𝓉𝗲𝓇𝓈 𝖌𝖆𝗅𝗇𝗈𝖛𝖊𝗅𝘀﹒ⅽ𝗼𝗺
Fueled by rage, Ruby charged at them, driven by pure spite. Lila, however, reacted swiftly. With a quick motion, she pulled Hugh out of harm’s way and shoved Ruby hard, sending her sprawling to the ground.
Ruby’s exhaustion from the long walk showed as her legs buckled under Lila’s strong shove.
“How dare you shove me!” Ruby’s outcry echoed sharply. “You homewrecker!”
Before Ruby could say more, Alec’s hand struck her cheek, knocking her down just as she had managed to stand.
“Think about what you’re doing! Do you want to stay here or not? Is this how you ask for help?” he exclaimed.
Though Ruby didn’t recognize Lila well, Lila knew exactly who Ruby was.
Confronted with the younger, elegantly dressed Lila, Ruby felt humiliated.
The difference was glaring—Lila looked beautiful, refined, and youthful, while Ruby, with sweat-drenched clothes and greasy hair, looked like a shadow of her former self.
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