Everyone has their pride, but when Kimberly and Paul trampled on Alison’s dignity, it ignited her spirit of resistance. It seemed she was determined to act, and Aurora could not stop her.
“What do you want me to do then?”
“Expose Genevieve and Paul’s affair. Kimberly will direct all her anger towards Genevieve, and we can reap the benefits,” Alison plotted.
“Fine, our interests do not conflict. I want to drive Genevieve and her illegitimate child away, and you want to break up Kimberly and Paul. In some ways, we’re in the same boat,” Aurora reflected carefully.
“Good, I just heard someone on the phone telling Paul that she was kicked out by the Montgomery family. It must be Genevieve; Paul is on his way to pick her up now.”
“I understand. Send me the video. I’m not planning to release it just yet; I will wait a few more days.”
“No problem, I can wait.”
Alison hung up, tossing the money that was previously on her bed towards the ceiling, watching it fall like petals.
“Paul, Kimberly, I will make sure you both suffer!”
After hanging up, Aurora remembered how she had tried to record a scene outside a door but could only get a glimpse through a crack, resulting in a blurry video. Alison had indeed done her a great favor, giving her more leverage over Genevieve, which was not a bad thing.
The file Alison sent was large, so Aurora downloaded a video editing software, intending to edit out the important parts.
While editing, Magnus knocked and entered. Aurora quickly shut off the video.
“Dad, are you in a bad mood?” she asked, noticing that Magnus seemed distracted.
“Aurora, did you make sure she got to the hotel safely?” It turned out he was worried about Genevieve. Even though she had done what she did, Magnus still cared for her after over twenty years together.
It was late and raining heavily, and if something happened to Genevieve, he would be troubled by his conscience.
Aurora recalled Alison mentioning that Paul was going to pick up Genevieve, and decided to use this as an opportunity to make Magnus give up on her.
“Dad, I tried to take her to the hotel, but she was furious, yelling at me and blaming me for her homelessness. She wouldn’t let me get close, so all I could do was leave her my umbrella. But now, it’s raining harder, and it’s difficult to get a cab here, do you want to go check on her?”
Aurora suggested with a hint of provocation, guessing that even if Magnus had a bit of sympathy left, seeing Genevieve with Paul would make him give up on her completely.
“Alright, I’ll go see her,” said Magnus, driving out into the rain.
When Paul arrived, Genevieve was sitting beside her suitcase, without an umbrella, looking like a discarded rag doll. This scene reminded Paul of their first meeting. Back then, she was a hostess at a nightclub, a place where men came seeking pleasure, sometimes demanding women do various things.
Genevieve was one of these women. One night, she encountered a particularly sadistic patron who used some peculiar toys, leaving her body covered in bruises, yet she earned a substantial amount of money.
Exhausted, she was heading home to rest when someone accidentally bumped into her. Weak as she was, the impact sent her crashing to the ground.
The person who bumped into her was Paul. Seeing the severely injured woman picking up scattered money, he kindly took her to the hospital, which marked the beginning of their relationship.
After Genevieve got involved with him, she discovered that he already had a family and that he would absolutely not divorce. Continuing the relationship meant there was no future for her, so later she set her sights on Magnus.
“You always get yourself into such a miserable state, just to gain my sympathy?” Paul stood in front of her as Genevieve looked up at him.
“You’ve come.”
“Kicked out of your house? You really are in a sorry state. I told you years ago to stay by my side, but you refused. This is the consequence of your stubbornness,” Paul accused.
“Stay with you? You’d never divorce her. Did you expect me to live as nothing more than your mistress forever?” Genevieve said bitterly.
“Being with me means being nameless, but being with Magnus gives you a name? Genevieve, despite your glamorous appearance, others might not know, but don’t think I don’t. All these years, although you’ve been known as Mrs. Montgomery, you’ve never legally married Magnus, or else you wouldn’t be thrown out like trash today.”
Paul had been holding back his resentment for years after Genevieve cheated on him.
“Enough, if you’re here to mock me, leave now. I don’t need your pity!” Genevieve stood up, preparing to drag her suitcase away.
However, having sat on the ground for too long, her legs had numbed. As she stood, she stumbled towards Paul, who quickly caught her.
“If it were just pity, why would I bother coming all this way?” Seeing her so pitiable, Paul couldn’t bring himself to be angry.
Genevieve had been special to him once, and he had truly cared for her, even letting her bear his child.
He had thought he might not be able to give her a legitimate status, but he was willing to provide everything else. However, her betrayal deeply wounded him.
Since then, he closed off his heart, neither to his wife nor to any lovers.
He became more reckless with women, just to fill the void left by his hurt. Yet, holding her now, his heart felt slightly healed.
If he didn’t care about her, he wouldn’t have been so responsive to her over the years, ostensibly for the sake of their child, but partially for a reason he himself was loath to acknowledge.
That’s why, upon learning that Genevieve had been expelled from the Montgomery family, he had rushed over immediately.
“Being kicked out is no big deal. I’ve taken care of you once; I don’t mind doing it again. Why cry? You’re nothing like the cold Genevieve I knew,” Paul comforted.
Genevieve didn’t pull away from his embrace; at that moment, she needed it most, clutching fiercely at the front of his shirt.
Just then, a car’s headlights shone directly on them, and Magnus, seeing the two embraced in the pouring rain, his expression turned icy.
Genevieve looked towards the car, recognizing the vehicle. It wouldn’t be Aurora coming again to humiliate her; it had to be Magnus.
She pushed Paul away abruptly and ran towards Magnus, “Magnus, don’t misunderstand, it’s not what you think.”
Magnus had already turned his head, rolling down the window to coldly regard the woman before him, “Genevieve, you really are despicable.”