?Chapter 38:


    Ste had been waiting for a chance to draw a clean line with her former mother-inw and to let Jazlyn know she intended to reim everything that rightfully belonged to her—possessions Jazlyn would soon have to relinquish.


    As the silence stretched, Jazlyn’s sharp voice continued grating through the phone. “Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear a word I said? Is this how you treat your elders? No wonder you lost my son!”


    The barrage of usations yanked Ste out of her thoughts, flooding her with irritation.


    During her marriage, she’d endured Jazlyn’s endless nitpicking with practiced patience, never once losing herposure, even before learning the truth about Marc and Haley.


    But years of civility had gotten her nowhere.


    Instead, Jazlyn had only grown more arrogant, using every chance to belittle her.


    Now, with everything unraveling, Ste saw no point in pretending any longer.


    Someone as petty as Jazlyn deserved to be put in her ce.


    “Fine,” Ste replied, her tone cool and unbothered. “I’ll be there.”


    Jazlyn’s mouth was already open, ready tounch another tirade, when Ste’s sudden agreement caught her off guard. For a split second, Jazlyn faltered, blinking in surprise, but she quickly recovered her domineering air.


    “You’d better show up,” she snapped. “You have half an hour. If you’rete, I’ll make Marc divorce you on the spot—and don’t expect to see a single cent from the settlement!”


    The threat almost made Steugh out loud. As if she had any interest in Marc’s pitiful fortune.


    He was the one chasing after her now, desperate to buy back the patent she owned.


    After the call ended, Ste gged down a taxi and headed straight for the Voyage Hotel.


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    Inside, it didn’t take her long to spot Haley and Jazlyn together.


    They sat side by side, putting on a show of solidarity and warmth, like two actresses ying the role of a loving family.


    Jazlyn’s eyes shed the moment she saw Ste walk in. Without hesitation, she mmed her palm onto the table, sending a jolt through the cutlery. “So, you finally bothered to show up. I want you to divorce my son, right here, right now. Tell me, after all these years of marriage, what have you ever done for the Walsh family? You can’t even give us a child. Absolutely useless. No ce in this family for a barren hen like you!”


    Her words stung, each one meant to cut deeper than thest.


    But Ste barely flinched. She’d lost count of how many times Jazlyn had spat out the same vicious remarks over the years.


    Haley lounged next to Jazlyn, an unmistakable look of satisfaction ying at the corners of her mouth. “Her family’s nothing—lost her parents young, raised without manners. You really shouldn’t lower yourself, Jazlyn.”


    Jazlyn, emboldened by Haley’s support, banged her fist against the table. “Get those divorce papers ready by Monday. I refuse to tolerate you in my family for one more day!”


    Now that Haley had worked her influence, Jazlyn truly believed she deserved a daughter-inw like Haley—someone polished and pedigreed, not a nobody like Ste getting in Marc’s way.


    Haley braced herself, half-expecting a fight, but Ste merely nodded, calm and unflinching. “Fine. I’ll divorce him.” The answer blindsided both of them.


    Their eyes locked, equally shocked by Ste’s ready surrender.


    Catching the chill in Ste’s smile, Haley stayedposed, sped Jazlyn’s hand, and pressed. “Ste, what do you want out of this?”


    With a sidelong nce, Ste’s gaze lingered on Haley, recognizing a glimmer of shrewdness absent in Jazlyn.


    “I’m not making any demands. Divorce is perfectly fine by me. But, Jazlyn, I expect you to pay back every cent I spent on your endless beauty appointments and imported supplements. And as for the casino? I hope you enjoyed yourst visit, because you won’t be stepping foot in there again.”


    Jazlyn had wed her way through a harsh youth, and once Marc’s fortunes soared, she wasted no time plunging into a life of extravagance.


    She reveled in every indulgence—her weeks filled with pampering sessions at upscale salons and rare imported supplements lined up on her vanity.


    She also had a taste for gambling, though she was hardly discreet about it. Bad luck dogged her at every turn, and when her losses piled up, so did her foul temper—her sharp tongue echoing through the casino until someone dragged her away. If not for Ste’s discreet intervention, the casino staff would have barred her years ago.


    Now, hearing Ste’s cool demands, Jazlyn’s face twisted with fury.


    She saw straight through the act—Ste was stalling.


    Clearly, she had no real intention of letting go and dared to bargain as if she still held any cards.


    “Ste, don’t you dare get greedy with me. Why should I pay you back a cent?” Jazlyn snapped, her voice dripping with indignation. “Those supplements? My son paid for them. As for the salon visits, I cover those with my own membership.”


    Haley interjected, her tone sharp and mocking, “Ste, honestly, isn’t this a little beneath you? Or could it be you’re not actually ready for this divorce—and you’re just making excuses to keep Jazlyn on a leash?”


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