I could feel all eyes on me the moment I took a seat on the dining table, Dale beside me and Nora on his other side.

The glares from his family was unmissable.

One would think I'd stolen the most valuable thing from them with how they always addressed me.

It was only his dad, Finn, and Dale's youngest sister, Tina, who didn't bother with one.

They both didn't hate me, they just didn't care.

Like Dale.

But the rest let their hatred very evident.

"Let's eat." Finn spoke sternly, enough to let their eyes drift from me for a second.

Just a second.

"That might have been a lot easier if this filth wasn't sitting with us." Sophie, his younger sister of four years huffed, hurling a glare my way.

Well, here come the unnecessary drama that takes place every single family dinner.

I had to resist an eye roll.

Seriously, if it wasn't for trying to make Dale like me, then I most certainly wouldn't be taking a lot of shit they offered.

His frown was still worn, bothering me further.

Something really was wrong.

"Sophie, this is not the-"

"Oh please, it's not like she's wrong." Amber, his mom, cut Tina off, her face in a sneer, then to me, "I don't see why my son left a perfect human like Nora, to go about feeding dogs and letting them live like lions."

My lips parted slightly.

She just called me a dog.

"Right?" Sophie had a lopsided smile on. "And he still brings this orphaned garbage to eat with us. If it were only Nora and her graceful-"

"That's enough." Dale stared up at them, expression plain, but cold. "No one must say any word about her again."

Him standing up for me brought a smile to my face.

There most certainly would be love in there somewhere.

Be it he was oddly colder that day or not, he would still have something for me.

But my happiness vanished when Nora spoke. "Yeah, you guys should stop being so mean to her. She's my friend after all."

I had to bite my lower lip to stop a retort.

She was enjoying being praised. That was obvious.

"But Chloe," she turned to me with that practiced feigned smile, "you too should learn not to embarrass us. Maybe I could give you some training on how to act later."

Oh this bitch.

"Th-"

"I said that's enough." Dale spoke more sternly.

But I was pissed, my internals boiling furiously.

If I didn't leave then, I might possibly explode.

"Please, excuse me. I have to use the ladies room." With a small smile, I stood up, then left for the toilet, clutching my purse the entire way.

"Nora, you asshole." I huffed, quickly retrieving my phone, then dialing Emery, my sister's number.

The only one I could confide in ever since our parent's death in an accident.

She answered after the second ring. "Yello."

"You will need to talk to your boyfriend." My cheeks were reddening.

"Why?"

"He had better snap some senses to Nora, because she's pissing me off and I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep my cool." Two years was enough, I wasn't sure if I could do more.

"Woah, calm down. I'll talk to him, but what happened?" She replied.

"She's here pissing me off, hugging my husband, and enjoying everyone calling me a dog, then she even as much as says she's going to give me some lessons." I snorted. "Who wants lesson from a low-life hypocrite bitch like her."

I could see her frown from the voice call. "Don't you think maybe Dale should do something about that? His family can't keep on insulting you and he sits there listening."

"Oh no, he actually told them to stop."

"Oh-kay." She sounded like she wasn't believing, but I was true though. "Well, if you want, you can come over to visit. I'm always available."

"Thanks, maybe I'll come tomorrow."

"And I'll be here."

After a few more minutes of talking, we said our goodbyes, then I hung up.

Time to get back to my in-laws and Nora, who I'd have to get stuck with her fake sweetness.

With a sigh, I left the toilet, then started towards the dining room.

One thing I couldn't help but notice was how all the workers' eyes rested on me.

I was used to being stared at by Dale's family, but never the workers.

They still respected me regardless.

But now, they stared at me like I'd done the most absurd thing, which was... very weird.

Still, I said nothing, and just made my way to the dining room.

"Ah, there she is!" Amber's loathe-filled voice greeted me once I was in, startling my feet to stop.

"Huh?" I stared up at all the faces, glaring at me with fury, even Finn.

Dale was nowhere to be found though, but the eyes on me made me wish he was here.

"You bitch!" Sophie headed towards me, grabbing my arm in a grip so tight, I was only further surprised.

"What's going on?" Someone needed to clear things up.

"You money laundering shameless bitch!" She began pulling me with her.

"Stop this!" Furious, I yanked myself free. "Will you tell me what the heck's going on or just fuck off?"

"It seems you've still got the wings to talk after everything." She eyed me with disgust.

One even more than she'd ever offered.

"Oh, you want to know, right?" Amber scoffed, moving to stand in front of me. "Then, see this." She pushed her phone to me.

And my eyes widened the moment I stared at the screen.

It showed a transaction from Dale's company to me, then another account.

From what the phone read, I'd stolen twelve million dollars from his company.

"And this." She scrolled to the next photo.

One that made me gasp.

A photo... tons of them, of me with a guy, handing money to him.

And the next was a voice recording.

My voice, talking to some guy on how to get rid of Dale as soon as possible.

"What the-?"

"What? Th-This is bullshit!" I stared wide-eyed, my heart rate picking so fast, I wasn't even aware when I hit the phone so hard, it flew a good distance before landing with a crash.

"How dare you?" Amber sucked in a breath, stepping forward, her face rage filled. "Do you even have any idea how expensive that phone is?"

"How can she, when she just stole an entire twelve million!" Sophie growled in disgust. "Where is your shame?"

"No, this isn't true!" My body was starting to panic, shaking at what I was being accused of. "I didn't do it! I love Dale! I would never-"

I was cut short by a strike on the cheek.

Amber's nose was flared now. "Don't ever say his name again! I don't want to hear your filthy mouth do such."

Tears were already welling in my eyes.

Twelve million?

I was being accused of not only laundering twelve million dollars, but also planned murder?

That wasn't good.

Not at all.

It spoke of potential life in prison, and I knew one thing was for sure, neither Amber nor Sophie would stop that from happening.

So I rushed to the one who could.

Finn.

"Please, please believe me Mr Beldson." My hands clasped together, tears already pouring. "I didn't do anything! Please."

He stepped back, a deep frown on his face. "This is something I'd have expected from many others, but not you."

A satisfied smile grew up Amber's lips as she moved to stand beside her husband. "Are the cops around?" She asked a worker by the corner, obviously eavesdropping.

"Y-Yes ma'am." The person startled from getting caught.

"Then bring them in."

Police?

Oh, no no. "Amber, don't do this." I shook my head, and without second thoughts, dropped to my knees in front of her, tears pouring even more. "Please Amber, I promise this is some kind of conspiracy. Don't get me arrested."

Her smile grew to one of satisfaction.

"You have always been a golddigger, haven't you?"

"N-No Amber, I promise-"

"Please Chloe, will you stop all this already." Nora's voice made me tilt my head in her direction. "You know I've liked you ever since you got married to Dale, and I've always tried to stand by you whenever you aren't being treated well, but this..." she shook her head in obviously feigned disappointment. "This is overdoing it. You've done what you shouldn't have."

Her voice immediately dried the tears.

And when I noticed the smile she was obviously biting back, anger filled me.

"You!" I growled, jumping to my feet. "You asshole!"

The fury made me run to her, throwing a punch to her face first.

That had obviously come as an unexpected surprise, because she staggered back, her hands flying to her bloodied nose with wide eyes.

Everyone in the room gasped in shock.

"Are you mad?!"

"Shut up." I threw another punch, determined to destroy that hypocrisy of hers.

This one sent her falling, so I quickly straddled over, throwing punches that led to her bleeding and screaming and wailing, hands flailing.

This was all her doing! It was!

"Help!"

At that moment, the police arrived, and quickly rushed to grab both arms of mine before Amber and Tina could beat them to it.

"You are under arrest now, and you had better not do anything or else this might not end pretty." The cop said.

"You've gone mad! You've turned crazy!" Amber crouched beside Nora, helping her to her feet.

"Yeah, you can say that." I tried freeing myself of the officer's grip, but it was just too strong.

Still, that didn't stop my leg flailing. "I've done nothing but been nice to this stupid ass family, and look at how you've all treated me. With nothing but hatred.

"If it wasn't for Dale, you think I'd still be here! I'm not that shameless! And now, she's done the worst by making it seem like I wanted to kill my own husband to elope with some idiot that probably doesn't exist and you expect me not to run mad!"

"Stop this! You're just bringing more disgrace to the Beldson family." Finn sounded very mad. "Officers, take her away!"

I gasped. "No! No! Where's Dale? I need to see Dale!"

He would never allow them to do such.

He loved me, and I knew that. He would stop this from happening.

He would.

I tried, once again, to free myself from the grip, but they were just too strong.

Then, they began pulling me towards the door, ignoring my scream of innocence and pleas to see Dale.

"Leave her!" Finally, after what felt like an eternity, my help was back.

The cops paused, same as everyone in the room.

Nora straightened, touching her bruised face, but seeming more interested in Dale's words.

"Mom," he turned to Amber with the deepest frown ever, "drop the charges."

"Wha-?"

"No questions. Just drop it." He spoke firmly, and with a deep frown, Amber did that, so the cops released me.

"Thank you so much Dale." I rushed to his side, tears filling my eyes. "I knew you'd come to my rescue."

"Dale, this girl is dangerous. She just almost killed me." Nora said in disbelief, obviously not expecting her plans to not work.

He ignored her. Instead, grabbed my wrist in one hand, while holding what looked like a suitcase in the other.

He began pulling me with him to... somewhere.

Somewhere private, but I didn't even care about that.

Only the fact he literally just saved me from possible years in prison.

"Dale, thank you so much for believing me."

My words made him stop when we were both alone now, then turn to me with that still over cold expression.

"What makes you think I do?" He asked, his tone matching his look.

"H-Huh?"

"I didn't drop the case to save you Chloe." He started plainly. "But because I know how much of a stain it would be to my reputation if it came out that the wife of a Beldson is a criminal."

"What?" I was in utter shock.

Dale didn't believe me either?

"I've been able to retrieve the money, but can't risk such repeating itself."

"Wha-What do you mean?" Even before he said the words, I already suspected them, my breath hitched, heart stopped.

Then he dropped the bomb. "We're getting a divorce. Now."

"A divorce?" I sniffed in. "Dale, you can't do this. I've loved you for so long already. I've endured a lot, all for this marriage-"

"You should be lucky I didn't let anyone know when I found out this morning and instead just told the lawyer to make the papers." His grip on me tightened, eyes sharp, burning with anger.

"It's Nora plotting evil." I blurted quickly, desperate for him to believe me.

"Enough with that nonsense and just sign." He dropped my hand, his broad shoulders squaring as if I was nothing more than a nuisance..

"But... you should know this isn't the type of thing I'd do." I muttered, my voice cracking. I already knew no one would believe me.

If Dale didn't... then who else would?

My husband didn't believe me.

Still, I decided to give it one last try. "Please believe me."

"Sign it." He said more firmly, retrieving the divorce papers from the suitcase and handing them to me. "Or go to jail."

"Bu-"

"I'm already tired of this marriage as it is. I've gotten my CEO position so you're not needed anymore."

The words hit harder than any hammer would.

He just admitted to using me.

I'd known that was the reason we got married, but I at least thought he had some feelings in there.

Some love in there.

But the words proved me wrong.

I was just a tool to him. I had always been one, and I probably would always be one.

After everything. All the insults from his family, family friends.

After me letting go of all my friends to follow him.

It all ended with him still seeing me as a useless cheap commodity who'd steal from him.

If this was how marriage was, then I didn't want to be a part of it.

I never wanted to be a part of it.

That made me dry off my tears and take the papers, dropping them on a table beside me and placing my signature everywhere it was needed, then I handed it to him.

"Here. I'll stop being a bother. Goodbye."

Probably the last words I'd ever tell him.

Then I walked past him, to where his family were.

Their insults were instant like they'd practiced it before my arrival.

"Such a bitch..."

"Dale should've let her rot in jail..."

"Dogs like her only know how to spread their legs for men..."

"She's just like her parents, useless till their downfall..."

"You all should just let her be," that was Nora's voice, "we all knew nothing good could ever come out of her."

All the while, I didn't stop. Just walked out of the mansion, but Nora's words stuck.

'Nothing good could ever come out of her.'

They really thought nothing good could ever come out of me.

And that day, I vowed to prove them wrong.

Once out, I stopped the first cab who drove me straight to Emery's place.

I wasn't going to go back to Dale's place. Not even to get my belongings.

The moment the car stopped in front of her house, I got down, rushing to give the door a knock.

When I got no reply, I gave it another try, fighting back tears very badly.

"Who's that?" Her voice called, before shuffling of feet could be heard, then the door opened. "Chloe? What are you-? What happened?"

Seeing her poured the tears out, and I rushed to wrap my arms around her.

She quickly hugged back, that elder sister instinct covering me as I soaked her robe with tears.

"Come. Come, have a seat." She closed the door, then wrapped an arm around my shoulders, gently leading me to the couch where she sat, then I took the space beside her, leaning my head against her shoulder.

"Dale and I... just got a divorce."

"What? Why?"

"Because of that bitch, Nora." I sniffed in, then began explaining it all to her.

The scandal. Me being framed for plotting the murder of Dale.

My so-called boyfriend who I was sure probably didn't exist.

It could very much have been AI. Even the audio of me talking to this guy.

Everything could have been AI.

"Yet no one believed me." The tears just won't stop coming. "Not even Dale."

"I've always had a bad feeling about him." She gently patted my hair, brushing her fingers into it as a soothing way of comfort. "It's alright."

"It's not. I hate Nora than ever, but I'll still have to see her face again even after all she's done these past years." Because obviously if Emery was going to marry Nora's brother, then there was no way I wouldn't be seeing her.

"You won't have to." She continued. "I'll break up with him."

My eyes widened as I stared up at her through my tears. "No, you-you shouldn't."

"I do, as long as it keeps you happy." She wrapped me in a hug.

Maybe it was because of how emotional I was at that moment, but that was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me and I could not love her more that night.

'Nothing good could ever come out of her.'

Nora's words once again came back to me.

I would prove her wrong.

I would prove all of them wrong.

"Emery," I whispered, lifting my tear-streaked face. "I want to take over Dad's company. The one that flopped."

She pulled back slightly, eyes widening. "But... it would need a lot of experience and help to get it running again."

"And I will do that." My voice was steady now. No more trembling. No more weakness. "I don't care how long it takes. I'll make that company better than anything else."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "Then you'll need help. Let me contact Cole."

That day, I vowed to make them regret how they treated me.

I would make all of them regret it.

Even Dale.