Drowning Him In Regret novel Chapter 32

Chapter 32

For a moment, the entire precinct fell into a strange silence.

The young female officer who’d spoken to me earlier had just returned from her patrol. Spotting us, she pulled another officer aside and whispered something quickly, her eyes darting our way.

I knew the police wouldn’t do much with a domestic dispute at most, they’d mediate.

As long as Jude backed her up, Vivian could probably get away with anything short of arson.

But I wasn’t going to just let it slide. She wanted to parade around in front of me? Fine. Let’s make it a show.

And Jude still didn’t want a divorce, which only made it easier to push back.

People were beginning to take notice. Curiosity flared in their eyes as they looked our way.

Casey scoffed under her breath, muttering, “Ada, he’s only your husband on paper now.

“Letting the side chick walk into your home like she owns it–what a scumbag. Disgusting.”

For whatever reason, the precinct was especially crowded today.

I bowed my head slightly and dabbed at the corner of my eye, wiping away nonexistent tears, feigning sadness.

A couple of middle–aged women nearby couldn’t help themselves.

One of them exclaimed indignantly, “You’ve got to be kidding me. A girl that young stealing someone’s husband? Shameless.”

The other chimed in, “She’s probably just in it for the money. Look at the wife–so plain. And the other one’s decked out like it’s fashion week.”

Another onlooker joined the chorus, “That man’s face screams bad news. Total trash, both of them.”

Their outrage snowballed. One after another, they joined in, all of them siding with me, their righteous fury echoing through the room.

Jude’s face darkened. He kept his eyes on me, rigid and silent, his jaw clenched.

Vivian began to crumble under the weight of so much public contempt.

Her pout turned sour, and her voice came out strained as she retorted, “I’m not the other woman! The one who isn’t loved is the real homewrecker!”

She continued, raising her voice defensively, “You think you know anything? They hadn’t had feelings for each other in ages! She’s the one clinging on, refusing to let go of my boyfriend!”

The more she tried to explain, the worse it sounded.

Eventually, a weary officer ushered us into a private room.

He started, sighing, “This really seems like a civil matter,” and then added, “and without clear financial damages–”

“She broke one of my vases! I said calmly, looking down and idly twisting my ring, my tone matter–of–fact.

“It’s antique. Worth a few thousand dollars, easily. Should be enough to open a case, don’t you think?” I asked,

The officer blinked, clearly not expecting me to go there, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

Vivian flared again, her voice full of contempt as she sneered, “Oh, please. That vase? Everything in that house was bought with Jude’s money. What did you ever contribute? Could you even afford something like that?”

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Chapter 32

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Vivian was still arrogant. With Jude’s affection, she truly had the confidence to act that way.

I finally looked up at her, my expression cool, and countered, “Doesn’t matter if I never made a dime. It’s still marital property. You don’t have the right to touch it.

“And for the record, you walked out with my jewelry. Even if Jude and I split, those pieces legally belong to the wife. Isn’t that right?”

I turned to the officer, who gave a hesitant nod.

“Vivian, the jewelry you took–easily worth tens of thousands. Now tell me, doesn’t that sound like a major theft charge?” I questioned, my gaze fixed on

her.

Casey was squeezing my hand, her grip trembling with excitement.

I could tell she hadn’t expected this version of me–the one who didn’t flinch, who fought back without yelling.

The officer frowned, clearly realizing this wasn’t as simple as he’d hoped.

“Alright, let’s try mediation first. If that fails, we’ll proceed accordingly.” He stepped out, and the room chilled.

Vivian clung to Jude’s arm, pouting and whining. But he kept his eyes on me.

He stared for a long time before letting out a short, humorless laugh. “Ada, I should’ve known. You’ve always loved money.”

His voice was biting as he added, “You ran off with that rich kid abroad and dumped me without a second thought. Now you’re after my money again. Is there anything you won’t do for a dollar?”

I nodded slightly. He wasn’t wrong.

But before I could say anything, Casey shot up from her seat.

She snapped, jabbing a finger at him, “You’ve got some nerve bringing up the past,” and continued, “Do you even know what really-”

“Casey,” I cut her off, tugging her gently back down, my voice firm. “Let it go.”

“There’s nothing more to say,” I murmured. “What happened is what happened.”

She looked at me, frustration clear on her face, but didn’t speak again.

Some truths are better left buried. Especially now, when everything between us was already scorched beyond recognition.

But Jude narrowed his eyes. Something about our exchange had rattled him.

He asked, his voice laced with suspicion, “What happened back then?”

“What do you think?” looked at him, my voice devoid of emotion. “I chased a richer man. I left you. Isn’t that enough?”

His hands curled into fists. “You-” he began, his face reddening with anger.

Vivian clung to him tightly. “Jude, none of that matters anymore. Let’s just move on. Please.”

She turned toward me, voice thick with tears, and begged, “What do you even want from me?”

She turned toward me, voice thick with tears, and begged, “What do you even want from me?”

“You’re insane!” she shrieked.

Jude wrapped his arms around her protectively, trying to soothe her.