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

swayed, and Yasmine reached out just

it?" Victoria's voice trembled, but she forced herself to speak. "She wore my mother's necklace without asking, put on my wedding dress, and now both my husband and daughter have taken her side. McNeil,

printed right there on the marriage certificate. How absurd, she thought, to ask

today," McNeil said, his tone clipped. "Violet didn't take your mother's necklace, and as for the wedding dress, I'll get to

lifted Violet into his

stumbled, and the next instant, the dress-a masterpiece worth a fortune, adorned with thousands of sparkling

brilliance stabbed at Victoria's eyes, each glimmer like a fresh blade

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

diamonds littering the floor, cold and

words thundered in Victoria's

her heart

thousands of diamonds hand-sewn by master artisans-all for the moment she'd imagined: wearing that dress,