Divorced Heiress
Chapter 17

Alexander and Amelia did not take their eyes off my friend for a second when they were interrupted. Abby looked so disgusted with the Lancasters, just like everyone else, and I didn't blame her. She was the only one who knew about Amelia and her daughter's humiliations because the others were only aware of my ex-husband's infidelity. "Who let these shameless people in?" Abby asked as she approached Vincent while holding onto the gift bag, and I could read a few words from here.

Girl or boy?

I was going to strangle Abby when the Lancasters left. She was about to expose me, and it seemed like she didn't care about anything other than expressing her discontent to Alexander and his mother.

"And who is this disrespectful woman? No, don't tell me. She must be Ms. Petit's friend. It shows her lack of class, even if she tries to pretend otherwise. She has no manners." Amelia attacked my friend, looking her up and down, unaware that Abby wouldn't hold back and would defend herself.

However, I was surprised when my friend smiled and raised an eyebrow. She placed the gift bag on my desk and rested her hands on the glass. She wasn't yelling, she wasn't upset, but I could see the anger in her eyes.

If only I hadn't focused on Alexander, this wouldn't be happening. My friends wouldn't be having such a heated back-and-forth.

"Mother, I warn you for the last time, remember the reason we're here." Alexander spoke through gritted teeth, and no matter how much he scolded her, Amelia wouldn't hold back from spewing venom about me.

"Don't even dream that I will apologize to that prude and pauper. If I agreed to come here, it was to put her in her place, just like these insolent people who are of the same kind as that woman. Can't you see, Alexander? Turns out, the lover was not Mr. Paul, but Mr. Lefevbre. Look at how he talks about her as if she were the most wonderful being on Earth. Of course, since she couldn't get a single penny from my son, she went looking for another gold mine."

Amelia's words reached everyone's ears without any intention of interrupting her. They looked at her, realizing how despicable she was.

My cheeks flushed, and the anger bubbled even more fiercely within me. I was close to storming out and putting her in her place, but Abby let out a humorless laugh when Alexander stood up from his seat, never taking his sharp gaze off his mother. "No, wait, Mr. Lancaster, there's no need to pretend to disagree with your mother." Abby said, looking at Alexander and stopping him.

"Mrs. Lancaster, you should be ashamed of speaking about class, respect, and manners when you lack them. Just look at how you speak, as if you haven't received the slightest education. You should look at yourself in a mirror before referring to someone else. You are a disgrace to society. But what would you know about manners or class? You married Mr. Lancaster when you didn't have a penny to your name. By the way, let me introduce myself, I'm Abby Dubois, Doinel's partner."

I smiled satisfyingly at her hurtful words. She did a great job by bringing up Amelia's past, something she always hid, pretending to be born into wealth.

"You're projecting your frustration onto the most wonderful being on Earth, but believe me, Mrs. Lancaster, Sarah's situation is nowhere near yours. She doesn't need a gold mine because she...."

I widened my eyes and my pulse accelerated dramatically as I realized what Abby was about to say.

She was going to tell them that I was Leonardo Doinel's heir. She was going to confess that I was ten times richer than them.

Someone make her stop talking!

"Because she's capable of making her own fortune without the need for a man to solve her life, like apparently is your case." Vincent appeared, saving me from Abby's loose tongue, and I could breathe normally again. I was going to kill Abby. "Wow, Mrs. Lancaster, you speak so badly of your wonderful son's ex-wife, and it turns out that the only gold digger here is you. What a double standard."

I couldn't clearly see Amelia's face, but I noticed her cheek turning red from my defenders' accusations.

"And just so you have no doubts, Sarah is a very special woman to me, to all of us, that's why we won't allow any disrespect towards her. If you dare to refer to her in such a derogatory manner again, we won't hesitate to take action."

The office fell silent for a few seconds, Amelia looked at Alexander as if asking for help, but he seemed as angry as everyone else at his mother's attitude.

I didn't know what he was trying to accomplish by acting like that. He should be defending her by fighting back, yet he looked angry with her. When did he become such a good actor?

"They're all insolent. Alexander, let's go." Amelia said, breaking the silence as she stood up from her chair and walked out of the office, stomping her feet, clearly angry and humiliated. Alexander stood in his place without following her, and I approached the crack in the door to get a better view of the situation.

I couldn't help but take a quick look at the six-foot tall man, his black hair was shorter than the last time I saw him, maintaining the length on top, which was neatly combed back as always. He was wearing a gray suit from his own brand with a white shirt, he looked devilishly attractive.

"On behalf of my mother and to you, Mr. Dubois, I apologize for involving you in the wave of rumors. That was not my intention when I came here, and I really don't care if they remove the news about Rousell Entertainment. I deserve it, but I would like to talk to Sarah about some unfinished matters."

I furrowed my brow as I laughed at him internally.

He could go pretend with his dear mother, no one here would believe the words of an idiot who destroyed my dreams and hopes. We had absolutely nothing pending, everything was clear as water for both of us, and being officially divorced, we had nothing to talk about.

What did he want now?

Vincent stood up, standing between the Dubois siblings, his icy gaze never leaving Alexander's face.

"I'm afraid your mother should give the apology, and even if she did, it doesn't solve anything, the damage has already been done. And Sarah has nothing to say to you since divorcing the Lancaster family, and although the main reason was your infidelity towards her, I am realizing that it wasn't the only reason. I see that she hasn't been treated as she deserves, like the princess she is, and I won't allow her to be dragged through the mud. If you have something to say to her, you can tell me, she's no longer alone, and the sensible thing for you to do is to stay away from her permanently."

Vincent's cold and indifferent voice almost sent shivers down my spine, even though it wasn't directed at me. He looked defiantly at Alexander, and the Dubois siblings were not far behind. Nevertheless, the dark-haired man maintained his posture with his head held high, as if he didn't care at all about the man staring him down.

My heart skipped a beat as I watched the scene, never before had I felt so supported. I had the best cousin and the best friends. Not anyone would dare defy such a powerful family without their hand trembling, but in a way, they were settling the score with him, making it clear that the best thing was for him to leave and never look for me again in his miserable life.

"I see you're very interested in my... ex-wife." Alexander responded without moving a muscle. Abby let out a joyless laugh next to my cousin, and I wanted to do the same, but I restrained myself so he wouldn't hear me.

"Of course I'm very interested in your ex-wife, do you have a problem with that?"

I covered my mouth, stopping the laughter that Vincent's statement caused me, but more than anything, I noticed how tense Alexander's body became.

He tapped the glass with his fingers, clearing his throat to respond.

That's my musketeer!

"Of course not, after all, she stopped interesting me when she divorced me." As soon as he said that, the laughter vanished from my face, leaving me with an immeasurable pain in my chest, as if hundreds of needles had been plunged into my heart, reopening the wound that I thought had healed.

I didn't understand why I felt that way, after all, I had ceased to interest him long before the divorce, I just didn't want to accept it until I saw him with Rachel.

My breathing became heavy, and I swallowed hard in an attempt to get rid of the knot that had formed in my throat. I didn't want to look anymore, I moved away from the door, leaning my body against the sink, inhaling and exhaling to dissipate the unpleasant feeling in my body.

I hated the fact that it could still affect my mood after his betrayal, after what he did to me, but it was inevitable, despite everything, he still remained my first love, the first man I fell in love with, the first one I loved, the first in my life and the father of my baby. That didn't make him any less of a scumbag.

"Well, I'm glad for Sarah, she deserves someone better in her life, not someone who only gave her breadcrumbs." I heard Vincent's distant voice and repeated those words to myself.

I wasn't going to allow anyone else to give me little or nothing, to give me less than I deserve, no matter how much he may be the man I always wanted, he wasn't deserving of my love.

"Of course, Mr. Lefevbre." Alexander paused as he tapped the glass a couple more times with his fingers.

"I suppose I wasted my time coming here. Congratulate Ms. Petit on my behalf, she has achieved a great position. Oh, and congratulations on your pregnancy, Ms. Dubois. Have a good day."

I stood still upon hearing Alexander congratulating Abby, thinking she was the one pregnant and that the gift she brought was for her child, which relieved me. He didn't suspect even a bit that I was expecting a child from him. He would never know.

I heard his footsteps and then the sound of the door closing, the silence in the office was replaced by sighs of anger and curses towards the Lancasters.

I took a deep breath before poking my head out of the bathroom door, to make sure there were no traces of that jerk and yes, he had left my office, leaving his intoxicating fragrance all over the place.

Son of...

"You were here the whole time!" My friend stopped cursing when she saw me coming out of the bathroom and ran to wrap me in her arms.

"I can't believe you've been under the same roof as those damn people all this time. How could you stand it? You don't know how much I wanted to slap that snake, but out of respect for elders, I didn't." "Princess, are you alright?" Vincent asked worried from his seat and I nodded my head in response.

"What kind of family did you marry into, Sari? You don't deserve to be treated like this." Paul looked angry, but he still approached to guide me to the couch where I let myself fall feeling exhausted, my spirits were at an all-time low after that visit.

"Thank you for standing up for me and defending me. And yes, I was foolish. I let myself be blinded by the love I had for Alexander, I allowed so much just to be with the man I loved, and I forgot about myself, I forgot about self-love. But that ended as soon as I left the Lancaster estate. I will not lose my dignity again for any man, or for anything in the world."