A Second Chance with the CEO After Divorce

Chapter 52:

“Ah—! Belinda, what are you doing!?”

Cathy’s voice pierced the air, her shock propelling her into Kristopher’s embrace. “Kristopher…” she murmured, seeking comfort. Kristopher quickly moved to position himself as a shield before the vulnerable Cathy. “Belinda, what’s gotten into you?” he demanded. Not just Kristopher, but his mother and sister rushed to form a protective barrier around Cathy.

Seeing their collective effort, a sardonic smile played on Belinda’s lips.

She hadn’t fully realized the power Cathy held over others. Cathy had not only persuaded Kristopher to take bold risks on her behalf, but had also enlisted Rosie and Maggie in her defense.

“Belinda, you don’t have to apologize,” Cathy said, her voice quivering slightly, her lip caught between her teeth in distress. “Just… please, no more rash actions.”

Her words hinted at a deeper fear, perhaps of another physical confrontation.

Kristopher’s brow furrowed in disapproval. “Belinda isn’t someone who resorts to violence.”

Cathy’s anxiety was evident as she murmured, “But last night…”

“It must have been an accident,” Kristopher interjected quickly, then turned to Belinda with a pleading look. “Belinda, an apology won’t cost you anything. Apologize to Cathy, and we can all move past this.”

Maggie interjected sharply, her eyes darting from the vivid mark on Cathy’s face to the bandage wrapped around Belinda’s hand. “If Belinda had any remorse, she wouldn’t have ripped off Cathy’s bandage. She knows that Cathy’s career depends on her appearance, yet she chose

only then that Kristopher noticed Belinda still clutching Cathy’s bandage in her

reaching out to retrieve the bandage. However,

home to

from me,” Belinda declared, displaying her own frail, almost skeletal

Cathy’s face and Belinda’s hand. “That mark

deepened. She had been inclined to support Cathy, but the disparity between the mark on Cathy’s face

aback, unprepared for Belinda to defend herself so adamantly. For a brief moment, they

face was from yesterday. Perhaps it swelled overnight, making it appear

she quickly chimed in, “Yes, that’s possible. It

let out a laugh. “So you’re determined to get an apology out of me today, huh?” she said with a smirk. “Very well,

resounding slap to the uninjured side of Cathy’s face. A sharp “Smack!” rang through the

face, looking up in disbelief, her voice

“Did you see that?”

wanted to hit her, it would look like this.” The side of Cathy’s face that Belinda had just slapped was visibly more swollen than the other, which had been

steely gaze, Belinda casually slipped her hands into her pockets. “Miss Miller, this time I did hit you. I’m sorry.