Chapter 13

"The price?" Vivienne sneered. "What could be worse than playing housemaid to the household staff and being subjected to disciplinary rules? "Not only did I have to endure Mrs. Holt Senior's cruelty, but even the household staff treated me like dirt. One misstep, and I'd be locked up, starved, or beaten like a dog." Vivienne looked at Sebastian's refined and handsome face, her lips curling into a smile devoid of warmth. "On her good days, Mrs. Holt Senior would graciously toss me the household staff's leftovers. And if I didn't eat them, I would be accused of wasting food and being a disgrace to the Holts." Even so, Vivienne had put up with all of it. She foolishly believed that if she just tried a little harder, Regina would eventually accept her. But reality proved otherwise. Her silent endurance only led to even more cruelty. Sebastian was momentarily stunned. He was rarely home, and even when he was, it was purely for business. He had no idea how Regina had been treating Vivienne. Vivienne rose onto her tiptoes. She brought her face closer to his ear, and her breath was warm and fragrant. "In the Holt family, the title of Mrs. Holt is worth less than a dog's collar. So tell me, if it were you, would you apologize?" She had just finished showering. Her hair was still damp, and a faint, clean scent lingered around her. At the moment, Vivienne's eyes were sharp and dazzling, filled with defiance. Sebastian's dark eyes turned deep and unreadable. Was this the same woman he used to find utterly annoying? He had to admit—right now, she had truly piqued his interest. "So, this is your plan?" he asked, grabbing her delicate chin. His handsome face moved closer, his voice hoarse and low. "You're trying to seduce me?" They had been married for three years. Vivienne knew precisely what that flicker in his eyes meant. "If you can't control your desires, don't blame it on the woman. That just makes you look weak," she replied coldly. Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous air building around him. But then, he suddenly smiled. "You deliberately said in front of Grandma that I couldn't perform. Wasn't that just your little ploy?" In one swift motion, he pushed her against the wall, looming over her porcelain-skinned face. "If that's what you were after… then congratulations, Vivienne. It worked." Sebastian lowered his head, aiming for a kiss. Vivienne's pupils shrank, but the kiss merely landed on her cheek. He paused, the darkness in his eyes giving way to mockery and amusement. "You talk trash about me during the day, then reject me at night… Vivienne, are you still playing games?" They were standing far too close. Their posture was suggestive, their breaths mingling in the narrow space between them. In the past, this kind of moment would've made her overjoyed. After all, Sebastian had always been distant and indifferent during their intimate moments. But now, all Vivienne felt was a deep sense of disgust. Her voice turned cold. "Mrs. Holt Senior was so angry she ended up in the hospital, and yet here you are, still in the mood for this? If she found out, she might faint all over again." Before Sebastian could respond, his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the screen, a flicker crossing his eyes. Vivienne took one look and smirked sarcastically. Sensing the mockery in her gaze, his eyes darkened further. Sebastian released her and answered the call. "Sebastian, where are you right now? Melanie asked, her sweet voice coming from the phone. He answered coldly, "What is it?" "Mrs. Holt Senior just woke up, but she's very agitated. Neither Mia nor I can calm her down. You should come over. I'm afraid something might happen." "Alright." After hanging up, Sebastian looked at Vivienne. "Vivienne, if I find out that everything you said was a lie, I won't let you off easily." The lust in his eyes had faded entirely, replaced by his usual cold indifference. But Vivienne's eyes sparkled with a smug, almost arrogant defiance. "And what exactly will you do if you don't let me off? Those two household staff laid their hands on me first. What I did was self-defense. If you want to call the police on me, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. "Oh, and I suppose Mia recorded a video, didn't she? If she dares to cut it out of context and post it online to fuel public opinion against me, I won't mind sharing everything I've endured in the Holt residence with the world. I'm sure the world would be quite curious about what life is really like for a woman married into a wealthy family." Vivienne knew the Holt residence had a surveillance system. If Sebastian wanted to investigate, he could find out everything. But the truth was, he'd never cared about her, and he never once looked into her affairs. Sebastian stared at her for a long moment before turning and walking away. … Perhaps having verified that what she had said was true, Sebastian never contacted Vivienne again. The matter quietly came to an end. Then one day, she received a call from Jason. "Vivienne, you've finished reviewing all the handover documents, right? I plan to announce your appointment officially tomorrow." Her hand paused mid-page. "That soon?" "Isn't sooner better? Finish this project before the divorce, and you'll have no more ties to Sebastian. Or do you still want to be entangled with him?" Vivienne knew this was just Jason's excuse to shirk responsibility, but she didn't expose him. Instead, she simply replied, "Alright." Jason added, "By the way, I heard that Regina gave you trouble again recently. Is that true?" Her tone was calm as she replied, "I've already handled it." "I heard that Regina has always looked down on you for not having status or background. She'd often criticize you in public, saying you didn't deserve to be with Sebastian." Vivienne was silent for a moment. "That's all in the past now." Jason gently said, "Vivienne, I won't let you suffer all those wrongs for nothing." Without thinking too deeply, she only replied, "Let's talk about all that after the divorce." After ending the call, Jason turned to his assistant. "Go confirm the arrangements for tomorrow's banquet. And make sure the invitations are delivered personally to both Regina and Sebastian. Do you understand?" The assistant nodded, then hesitated. "Mr. Lockhart, are you planning to reveal Ms. Moore's identity publicly tomorrow?" Jason smiled lightly. "All these years, Vivienne has been humiliated in the Holt family. All because they thought she had no identity, no background, and no family support. That's why they thought they could bully her however they liked. Now that she's determined to divorce Sebastian, there's no reason to spare the Holts any courtesy." The assistant nodded in agreement. "That's true. Ms. Moore has kept a low profile for far too long. It's about time those who preyed on the weak saw who they were dealing with."