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.

Mr. Langford lost his mind? Was he really telling Mrs. Langford to

out just in

should be her apologizing, shouldn't 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

the marriage certificate. How absurd, she thought, to ask a wife to

McNeil said, his tone clipped. "Violet didn't take your mother's necklace,

that, he gently lifted Violet into his

as he moved, Violet stumbled, and the next instant, the dress-a masterpiece worth a fortune, adorned with thousands of sparkling diamonds-tore with a

shower. The brilliance

Victoria. I didn't mean to ruin it." Violet's eyes brimmed with tears, wide and frantic, like a frightened fawn. She looked at Victoria but clung to McNeil, desperate for

the diamonds littering the floor,

words thundered in Victoria's

from the central heating, yet her heart felt frozen, as if

master artisans-all for the