Beyond the Divorce

The Show Has Just Begun

Lauren was aware of the situation and offered to accompany me, but I declined. I didn’t want her to get

involved.

I suspected she had ulterior motives for wanting to be there, but I told her to let it go. There was no need for her to get mixed up in this mess. Material © NôvelDrama.Org.

Lauren relented, so I brought Carol, who used to work at Tanum Corporation. I had my reasons for bringing her, and I didn’t have to explain them. Carol was perfectly capable of handling the situation on

her own.

The party for the baby took place at La Dolce Vita. The venue was packed, and Matthew stood at the entrance, welcoming guests from all directions.

When Johnson brought my car to the entrance, Matthew rushed down the steps and opened the car door.

He seemed a little unhappy when asked. “Chlo… where’s my little girl?”

I calmly said, “Everyone already knows you have a son and a daughter.”

He forced a smile and said, “Well, you better come in!”

Carol quickly stood by my side and handed two cash envelopes to Matthew.

I asked Carol in a hushed tone, “When did you prepare these?”

“Well, I couldn’t show up empty-handed, could I?” Carol smirked mischievously.

I teased her, “You’re so generous! But you’ve just wasted your money.”

Carol just grinned devilishly without replying.

Many people stared at us as we entered the hall, surprised I was there. Their looks felt like a slap in the face. Luckily, Myra saw us and waved us over, making things less awkward.

She took my hand and whispered, ‘Chlo, I didn’t expect you to come. You’ve got guts!”

Ismiled, “Just a token gesture.”

After taking our seats, I spotted Melanie not too far away. She had gained some weight after giving birth

and had put extra effort into her appearance, exuding a newfound maternal charm.

Braca had a child beside her and appeared starkly different. She looked wom out like an old nanny who

Had done most of the work in the past month. Nonetheless, she smil ed

baby to the

Myra leaned over and whispered, “Poor thing. Caring for Melanie has been a real trial. She can be quite the hand ful. She practically tortured the old lady, and Grace has been up all night looking after the child.”

I smiled and kept my silence. This wasn’t the right time for me to speak.

However, staying quiet wasn’t enough. Some people were trying to take advantage of me, and I finally understood Matthew’s intention in inviting me.

Someone approached me, saying, “Hey, Chlo! I didn’t expect to see you here!”

I turned to see Stella, who looked beautiful. Although I had mentally prepared myself, I was still shocked. Liora, who I hadn’t seen in a long time, was with her.

Seeing the two of them together, I knew today’s performance would be tricky.

I also noticed that many around us were eager spectators. Some were reveling in the drama, some were simply curious, and some were probably nervous for me.

Good and ill intentions mixed in the air, but I didn’t care. Since they were prepared, I had to play along. After all, over the past year, Matthew had toughened me up to the point where my skin could deflect

bullets.

I smiled sweetly. “Yes! It’s a joyous celebration.”

“Chlo, you’re so kind. That must be why Liora says she wants to learn from you!” Stella said, trying to

smooth things over.

“Chloe is amazing. She’s not just anybody. No matter what people say, she’s part of the Murphy family! Well… she used to be!” Liora bantered, and Stella followed up with a witty comment.

Their teamwork was surprisingly seamless.

Suddenly, a lot of eyes turned our way. After all, it was unexpected for Matthew’s ex–wife to show up. The freshly groomed and radiant Melanie sauntered over, looking cheerful. We became the center of attention.