Chapter 16
The stone paved streets of Four Squares were still damp with moming dew. Maddox held Priscilla’s wool shawl in his arms as he leaned down to adjust the slightly
crooked silver bracelet on her wrist
Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass exploded behind them.
“Priscilla?”
That familiar scent of cologne hit her nose, mixed with the sharp tang of spilled red wine. Josiah stood there with his left arm wrapped around Brittany’s shoulder.
Priscilla tumed when she heard his voice. She saw Josial and Brittany strolling intimately together. The pain she thought she had long buried surged back with brutal clarity, as if the wounds had been inflicted just yesterday.
The pain was raw and fresh, searing into herchest..
The injury from the car accident that had long healed suddenly ached again. The scar that had closed over felt like someone had ripped it open.
Her eyes thed on the new platinum couple’s ding gleaming on Joslah’s left hand. At that moment, she recalled that he had never wom their wedding ring in all the years they were married.
So it wasn’t that he disliked rings. He just didn’t want to wear one for her.
And it wasn’t that he never had time to travel. He simply never had time to travel with her.
she fought the instinct to thee, forcing herself to stay composed as she spoke to the pair across from her.
“Can I help you?”
Meanwhile, Maddox’s band silently came to rest on Priscilla’s trembling shoulder. That simple gesture made Josiah’s pupils contract.
“You were gone for only a month, and you’ve already learned how to find yourself another man in an ancient town?” Josiah coldly remarked.
He then deliberately guided Brittany right up to them. “What, no hello for an old triend?”
He’d chosen the word “another man” on purpose, using it to Insult Maddox and, by extension, demean Priscilla.
“I don’t think that another man is the right word,” Maddox said. He suddenly smiled calmly.
His fingers gently brushed against the red string around Priscilla’s wrist–a safety chem he had spent hours weaving by hand the night before.
“After all, she’s already divorced. No?”
When Maddox saw Josiah, his mind flashed back to the file Hayden had sent him. Every detail in it had filled him with rage. He could barely restrain the urge to march over and punch Josiah in the face.
„He didn’t understand what kind of man would abandon his wife, leaving her in danger, just to chase after his so–called first love.
Before, Maddox didn’t have the right to interfere. But now that the divorce was tinal, he felt that Josiah had no business putting on airs.
Priscilla could feel Josiah’s eyes fixated on the silk dress beneath her shawl. The deep green fabric, trimmed with stiver, hugged her figure perfectly under Maddox’s cashmere coat
She couldn’t believe that the same man who used to complain that shopping was too tiring was now happily trailing after Brittany through the streets.
“I wasn’t informed about the divorce, so it i doesn’t count,” Josiah snapped, clearly embarrassed that another man had brought it up.
“Priscilla, have you found a new fling already? Aren’t you going to introduce him? Brittany, who had been silent until then, finally spoke.
She was clearly unsettled by the man standing beside Priscilla. It was clear that the man’s presencògivaled Josiah’s in every way, Brittany questioned why Priscilla could stand there like an equal when she had just beaten the latter.
“Do we know each other that well?” Priscilla, who was now calm, had no desire to engage with two people ale foupil utterly irritating.
“The divorce is in black and white. The state court’s seal is stamped on it. You don’t get to pretend that it doesn’t count just because you don’t like it.
“Try using your brain for once,” she said coldly.
is still with him? Why should she continue to listen to him back like a
She was just done swallowing her pride. Had she not endured enough humiliation while she was st rabid dog even after the divorce?
“What a way to ruin a perfectly good day. How unlucky”
Josiah froze where he stood, stunned by Priscilla’s sharp tour. “Priscilla, what happened to you? You’re being very rade.
“I didn’t believe what Brittany fold me before. But seeing you like this now, it’s clear that you really did bully her back then.”
“bullied her?” Priscilla couldn’t help but laugh. The sheer absurdity of it made her chuckle aloud.
“That’s rich Brittany Dresler, was I the one who bulled you?
Brittany looked visibly uncomfortable after being put on the spot. She didn’t dare confront Priscilla directly. After all, most of what she’d told joslah was pure fabrication
with no other option, she turned to Josiah with a pitiful look. “Josh, let’s just go. It’s clear that Priscilla doesn’t want us here.”
Even as she tumed to leave, Brittany made sure to throw one last jala. “Sir, Priscilla has a bit of a temper. Please be patient with her, okay?”
She played the victim to perfection, pretending to be considerate of her “end” even while poisoning the impression in front of her new companion
“Brittany, you’re just too kind” josial sighed as he looked at her with a touch of sympathy in hisryes.
He was moved that Brittany was still trying to speak kindly about Privilli
Chapter 16
“Honey, do you feel that?” Maddox said, Ignoring Brittany entirely as he turned to Priscilla. “The fake sweetness in the air is suffocating.”
“Mhm, it’s nauseating. Let’s get out of here,” Priscilla replied, instantly catching on to the fact that Maddox was helping her throw shade. She followed his lead without missing a beat.
“You–Brittany was so furious she nearly stomped her foot.
She’d always played the superior one before Priscilla. She couldn’t recall a time when she had been humiliated like this.
Josiah stood frozen while watching the two walk away side by side. His expression turned sour, but he said nothing. He didn’t even notice the flicker of venom that passed through Brittany’s eyes,
Didn’t Priscilla used to love him to death? He doubted that she’d already moved on.
