The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge

Chapter 8

Violet casually pulled Gwyneth into her embrace. Gwyneth stared at Victoria, her eyes filled with a cold, unfamiliar disgust that cut deeper than words.

"Mommy, I'm with Violet and Daddy now, and the three of us are so happy together. Why do you always have to bother Violet and bully her? I really wish Violet were my real mommy-she's so much kinder and sweeter than you are."

Standing beside Violet, McNeil caught a glimpse of the wedding dress, and for a moment-just a fleeting moment-he felt a pang of guilt and pity for Victoria.

But when he glanced up and saw the stubborn, unyielding look on Victoria's face, his own expression hardened.

In his memory, Victoria had always been gentle and gracious. All these years of marriage, he'd never once heard her raise her voice or lose her composure with anyone.

And Violet only had a year to live. Why did Victoria have to be so harsh?

"Apologize."

The word hung in the air, stunning even Yasmine into silence.

Was he really telling Mrs. Langford to

and Yasmine reached out just

put on my wedding dress, and now both my husband and daughter have taken her side. McNeil, do you really think I should be the one to

thought, to ask a wife to

have gone too far today," McNeil said, his tone clipped. "Violet didn't take your mother's necklace, and as for

gently lifted Violet

masterpiece worth a fortune, adorned with thousands of sparkling diamonds-tore with a

icy shower. The brilliance stabbed at

so sorry, Victoria. I didn't mean to ruin it." Violet's eyes brimmed with tears, wide and

drawing her close. His gaze flicked over the diamonds littering the floor, cold and dark. "It's just a dress. It's not the end of the

words thundered

burning from the central heating, yet her heart

diamonds hand-sewn by master artisans-all for the moment she'd imagined: wearing that dress, capturing a memory with