Chapter 9
474words
If Clara hadn't developed that pathetic crush on him, her father wouldn't have targeted his company with that ruthless takeover. He wouldn't have been left unable to pay his mother's medical bills, forced into a sham marriage disguised as a "strategic investment."
Though he and Isabelle had split three years earlier, she still owned his heart. They'd broken up because of his empty bank account—her parents wouldn't let their princess marry a nobody. His startup was supposed to be his path back to her—once he made it big, he'd win her back.
Then Clara happened, and everything went to hell.
Julian knew Clara hadn't personally orchestrated his downfall. But she was the catalyst for his misery. He hated her father with a burning passion—and that hatred spilled over onto Clara.
After the wedding, he played dumb, leveraging Clara's blind devotion and her family's connections to claw his way up. Within five years, he transformed into the formidable Mr. Vance that the business world feared and respected. Meanwhile, Clara's father's empire crumbled—a satisfying form of justice.
By then, Julian had the power to toss Clara aside like yesterday's trash. Yet divorce never crossed his mind.
Maybe it was because Clara treated him too well. He'd grown used to her presence—the shirts and trousers she selected with care, the ties and cufflinks she chose to match his eyes. The way she'd have hot soup waiting no matter how late he came home.
Or maybe it was because Clara was so damn pitiful. Whenever he found her irritating and considered pushing her away, she'd look at him with those watery eyes—like a stray kitten terrified of abandonment. He figured she might not survive without him. So he showed "mercy" by keeping her around, like throwing scraps to a starving dog.
Even after bringing Isabelle back into his life, divorcing Clara never entered his mind.
Isabelle had drawn the short straw in love. Her husband burned through money like kindling and turned violent with liquor. When she couldn't take the beatings anymore, she came crying to Julian. How could he turn her away? In his mind, her suffering was partially his fault. If he'd been rich and powerful back then, her parents wouldn't have forced their breakup, and she'd never have met that monster.
Guilt drove him to compensate, to shower her with the attention and care he'd failed to provide before. He even loved Isabelle's daughter as if she carried his blood.
Of course he knew this wounded Clara, but Julian couldn't be bothered to care. In his mind, allowing Clara to keep the title of Mrs. Vance was blessing enough. He fed her well and gave her unlimited credit cards—what more could a woman want?
He believed he'd been more than generous.
