You Scorned My Love, So Why Are You Kneeling When I Asked for a Divorce?

SLAP! SLAP!

Holly Sinclair dragged the weeping Vivian Linton straight out of Tristan Sterling’s arms.

She landed two vicious slaps across her face.

"Ah!"

Vivian shrieked, instinctively clutching her stinging cheeks as she stared in astonishment at the furious Holly.

’She couldn’t believe it. Tristan was still here, and this bitch Holly actually dared to hit her.’

Holly’s hatred was all-consuming.

Two slaps weren’t enough to quell the inferno raging in her heart. She raised her hand to strike again.

"Holly!"

Tristan Sterling grabbed Holly’s wrist, his sharp brows knitting together as he softly stopped her.

’Holly...’

Hearing the change in how he addressed Holly, Vivian’s head snapped up to look at him, a flicker of unease stirring in her heart.

’Tristan already knew that Holly wasn’t the one who drugged him.’

’He wouldn’t start feeling reluctant to let Holly go, would he?’

’After all, all his loathing for Holly stemmed from that one night two years ago.’

’It was all that idiot Yvonne Thorne’s fault!’

’Couldn’t she have just died somewhere far away?’

’Instead, she had to dig such a huge pit for her right before dying.’

Vivian’s hatred grew, and she secretly clenched her fists.

"Why did you kill her?!"

Holly glared viciously at Vivian, her voice a harsh accusation.

She had no time to care what Tristan had called her; all her attention was focused on Vivian.

"I... I didn’t... Tristan, I didn’t..."

Vivian’s expression changed in an instant. She shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face as if she couldn’t bear the weight of such an accusation.

Seeing this, Tristan’s frown deepened.

He pulled the emotional Holly back a little, shielding Vivian behind him. "Holly, calm down. It was an accident," he said.

’Vivian is kind by nature. She would never intentionally hurt anyone.’

’Under those circumstances, Vivian’s reaction was just self-preservation.’

’Besides, who would be stupid enough to kill someone in front of so many witnesses?’

"An accident?"

Holly laughed, her body trembling with rage. "Tristan Sterling, have you lost your mind? You believe every single thing she says?!"

Before Tristan could speak, Vivian tearfully defended herself, "Holly, why are you slandering me like this? You saw it too! She was trying to hurt me—"

"She didn’t have the knife anymore. What was she going to hurt you with?" Holly cut in, her every word sharp.

Tristan had already kicked the knife out of Yvonne Thorne’s hand.

’Fear is a natural human reaction, but Vivian’s was so over the top it made her suspicious.’

"I... The situation was so dangerous, I didn’t notice..."

"Wasn’t she your friend? You wanted to help her so badly, so why did you shove her away instead of pulling her back?"

Holly sneered, her words mercilessly sarcastic as she ripped Vivian’s hypocritical facade to shreds.

A flash of panic and embarrassment crossed Vivian’s face. "I... I..."

Seeing Vivian reduced to tears by Holly’s relentless questioning, Tristan couldn’t bear it. "Holly—"

"Because you wanted to silence her!"

Holly’s sharp, penetrating gaze fixed on Vivian’s face as she roared in fury.

She couldn’t even be bothered to glance at Tristan.

"I didn’t! What do you mean, ’silence her’? Holly, I have no idea what you’re talking about!"

Vivian flatly denied it, crying out as if she’d been wronged. She then looked at Tristan, her voice choked with tears, "Tristan, I really didn’t!"

"Holly, I know you’re prejudiced against Vivian, but you can’t just say things like that."

Tristan also felt Holly was exaggerating.

’Murder is a very serious accusation. If it’s not true, it could be considered false accusation and defamation.’

"Yvonne Thorne said she could identify that waiter from back then. You got scared, so you killed her to shut her up, didn’t you?!"

Holly ground her teeth, pressing her relentlessly.

"What do I have to be afraid of?" Vivian said, wiping away her tears with an aggrieved and mournful expression.

’She knew Holly had no evidence, so she wasn’t scared.’

’As long as Tristan was on her side, and as long as she denied it to the death, there was nothing Holly could do to her.’

"Because you were the one who tried to drug him back then!"

Holly spat out the words, each one landing with force.

Tristan froze, his gaze shifting to Vivian.

The hair on Vivian’s entire body stood on end.

’Why is Tristan looking at me like that?’

’Does he actually believe Holly’s nonsense?’

’He’s always trusted me completely, hasn’t he?’

But the panic was fleeting. Vivian quickly calmed herself down.

’Holly has no proof. I can’t lose my composure.’

"Holly, what are you talking about? Tristan and I were dating back then. Why would I need to do something so stupid?"

Vivian cried out, a look of exasperation on her face, her reasoning sound.

Holly clenched her jaw so hard it ached.

If looks could kill, Vivian would have died a thousand deaths.

’This was the one thing she couldn’t figure out either.’

’Tristan loved Vivian as if his life depended on it. Why would they need drugs to sleep together?’

’But her gut told her that Vivian was definitely involved in this.’

"Vivian Linton, you reap what you sow! I suggest you sleep with the lights on from now on. You never know when a vengeful spirit might come for you!"

Vivian’s face instantly paled. She almost lunged forward to rip Holly’s mouth apart.

’Damn her!’

’How dare she try to scare me!’

’A vengeful spirit?’

’Hah.’

’I’m not afraid.’

’Anyone who dares to stand in the way of my fortune, I’ll turn them to dust!’

...

Holly stormed out of Vivian’s hospital room.

Tristan ignored Vivian’s pleading gaze and strode after her.

Just as Holly was about to step into the elevator, a large hand seized her wrist.

"Holly..."

"Don’t call me that!"

Before he could finish, she flung his hand away with a look of utter disgust.

"Let’s talk."

Tristan looked at her intently, his voice soft.

He wasn’t angry. For once, he was being patient and speaking gently.

"I have nothing to talk to you about." Holly’s face was an icy mask, her every word like a shard of ice.

The elevator doors opened, and she moved to get in.

Tristan’s eyes darkened. He grabbed her arm and forcibly dragged her into a quiet, deserted stairwell.

"Holly—"

SLAP!

The moment he let go of her, she slapped him across the face.

"Don’t touch me!" Holly bit out coldly.

Tristan pushed his tongue against the inside of his stinging, numb cheek and looked at her with a sense of helplessness.

’Where did that gentle, obedient little woman who only had eyes for him go?’

’How did they end up at each other’s throats like this?’

Holly turned to leave.

But Tristan grabbed her, pinning her against the wall.

"You’ve hit me, you’ve yelled at me. Can you calm down and have a proper talk with me now?"

He trapped her between his chest and the wall, lowering his head slightly, his breath fanning across her face.

"Talk about what? How disappointed you are that Yvonne didn’t kill me?"

She tilted her head up to look at him, her gaze devoid of any warmth.

He frowned. "Can you be honest for once?"

’He’d risked his life to save her, and this was his reward? Her twisting the facts and misunderstanding him?’

"Tristan Sterling, you’re talking to me about conscience?"

The corner of her lip curled into a barely-there sneer, her every word dripping with sarcasm.

’He was the most heartless one of all!’

Tristan looked at her deeply and asked, "Since you weren’t the one who drugged the drink, why didn’t you refuse back then—"

"Because I was stupid!!"