After Sharing Half My Husband with His Mistress Chapter 08

After Sharing Half My Husband with His Mistress Chapter 08

“It isn’t him,” Marcus stated, pressing a finger to his earpiece.

I released a sharp exhale, my grip loosening on the edge of the desk.

“The police just issued a correction,” Marcus continued, looking up at the television monitor. “Monroe threw a decorative stone gargoyle off the roof to create a panic. They dragged him away from the ledge. He is currently in custody for public endangerment.”

Evan muted the news broadcast. “A desperate stunt from a desperate man. But he is alive to face the real damage.”

He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a sealed white envelope. He tossed it across the glass surface.

“Open it,” Evan commanded.

I tore the flap. A certified laboratory crest sat at the top of the page.

“Julian Thorne,” I read aloud, scanning the bold text. “Probability of paternity: 99.9 percent.”

“Julian’s family didn’t want a public scandal,” Evan explained, leaning against the edge of the desk. “They paid Judy a ten-million-dollar breakup fee this morning. She signed an ironclad non-disclosure agreement and boarded a private flight to Geneva.”

“Does Bruce know?” I asked.

“He just made bail,” Evan replied, a dark smirk forming on his lips.
“My surveillance team tracked him. He kicked down the door to her penthouse ten minutes ago.”

Evan tapped a key on his laptop. An audio feed connected over the office speakers.

“My men bugged the apartment before she left,” Evan noted.

Static crackled through the room, followed immediately by the sound of heavy footsteps.

“Judy!” Bruce’s voice echoed violently. “Judy, answer me! The doorman said you left with suitcases!”

Silence followed his frantic shouting. Then, a digital beep sounded. A pre-recorded message began to play.

“Thanks for the penthouse, Bruce,” Judy’s voice trilled. She sounded completely devoid of any affection. “And thanks for the limitless credit cards. I took the cash from the Thorne estate, so I won’t be needing you anymore. Don’t bother looking for me. Who told you to be so easy to fool?”

A guttural scream tore through the speakers.

“I gave you everything!” Bruce roared. “I ruined my marriage for you!”

The sound of heavy furniture smashing against a wall followed immediately. Glass shattered into a thousand pieces.

“Three years of his life,” I whispered, staring at the speakers. “He threw away our marriage for a complete scam.”

“He chose his path,” Evan said, shutting off the audio feed. “Now, we show the world you chose yours. Get dressed, Iris. We have a gala to attend.”

The annual Elite Patrons Gala hosted the most powerful families in the city.

I wore a floor-length crimson gown. Evan wore a tailored midnight suit. He didn’t offer his arm. He laced his fingers directly through mine.

We walked through the gilded double doors of the grand ballroom.

The string quartet stopped playing instantly. The low hum of conversation died. Hundreds of eyes locked onto us.

“Is that Iris Kensington?” a woman whispered loudly near the champagne tower.

“She is holding hands with Evan Montgomery,” a man muttered to his associate. “I thought she was married to the Monroe heir.”

Evan ignored the gossip. He led me straight to the center of the room, claiming the space with absolute authority.

“Attention,” Evan announced. His voice cut through the massive room without a microphone.

The crowd froze.

“Allow me to introduce my partner,” Evan declared, pulling me flush against his side. “Iris and I are officially together. Any business regarding the Kensington family goes directly through me.”

Gasps rippled across the floor. Cameras flashed from the press pit near the entrance.

I kept my chin high. I didn’t hide from the flashing lights.

Then, the crowd parted near the rear exits.

Bruce stumbled into the clearing.

He looked like a walking corpse. His tuxedo jacket was torn at the shoulder. His tie was missing, and his dress shirt hung open. Dark circles bruised the skin under his bloodshot eyes.

He stared at me. He looked at the diamonds around my neck. He looked at Evan’s arm wrapped protectively around my waist.

A raw, agonizing realization broke across Bruce’s face. He finally saw what he had lost. He saw me shining in another man’s arms, entirely out of his reach.

“Iris,” Bruce croaked.

“You don’t belong here, Monroe,” Evan warned, his tone dangerously low.

Bruce ignored him. He took three staggering steps forward and dropped straight to his knees.

The entire ballroom erupted in shock. Wealthy executives backed away. Socialites covered their mouths in disbelief.

“Iris, I beg you,” Bruce pleaded. Tears spilled down his cheeks, dropping onto the polished marble floor. “Give me one more chance. I will do anything.”

I looked down at the man I once gave up everything for. The pity I expected to feel never arrived.

“Get up, Bruce,” I said coldly. “You are embarrassing yourself.”

Bruce clawed at the air, desperate to reach the hem of my dress.
Evan shifted his stance, blocking him completely.

“It was a scam!” Bruce sobbed, his chest heaving violently. “She
lied about the baby! She took Thorne’s money and ran! I was
protecting a lie for three years! I ruined us for nothing!”

“You didn’t ruin us for nothing,” I corrected, my voice steady. “You
ruined us because you wanted to play the hero for another
woman. You loved the lie.”

“I thought she was innocent!” Bruce screamed, pressing his
forehead against the floor. “I thought you were the cruel one! I was
wrong! I will sign over my shares! I will give you everything! Just
come back to me!”

Evan stepped forward. He looked down at the broken man with
pure ice in his eyes.

“A relationship begged for on your knees,” Evan said, his voice
razor-sharp and entirely merciless. “Why didn’t you learn to cherish
it back then?”

Bruce flinched as if Evan had struck him across the face.

“Now you kneel for me to see,” Evan continued, tilting his head.
“Don’t you find it ironic?”

“Please,” Bruce whispered, his voice cracking into a pathetic
whine. “I have nothing left. I am entirely empty.”

“Throw him out,” Evan ordered the gala security team.

Four massive guards rushed into the center of the room. They grabbed Bruce by the arms and hauled him off the floor.

“Iris!” Bruce shrieked as they dragged him backward. “Iris, look at me! Please!”

I turned my back to him. I picked up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and took a sip.

The heavy oak doors slammed shut, cutting off Bruce’s frantic screams.

The ballroom remained completely silent. No one dared to speak.

Evan wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, his thumb brushing against my pulse point.

“Are you alright?” Evan asked quietly.

“I have never been better,” I replied, meeting his gaze.