Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 174

Hazel looked at Chloe, then shifted her gaze to Evelyn standing beside her.

Both women were staring her down. Chloe's face was contorted with such fury she looked ready to tear Hazel apart, while Evelyn maintained her tired, predictable "concerned older sister" act. It was honestly boring.

Hazel had zero desire to engage in a screaming match. She grabbed Nellie's hand and turned to leave.

"Stop right there!"

Chloe's voice chased after them, her sharp heels clicking frantically against the marble floor. Within seconds, she had caught up, her voice trembling with the unhinged rage of a spoiled brat.

"You think you can just hit me and walk away? Hazel, who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to teach me a lesson?"

Hazel stopped in her tracks. Hearing those words from Chloe triggered a faint, unexpected sting in her chest.

She suddenly remembered the summer before Chloe went abroad. The eighteen-year-old girl had sat in the passenger seat of her car, having just finished her final exams, crying that she didn't want to study overseas.

Hazel had pulled the car over and gently told her that foreign countries weren't as terrifying as she imagined. Often, the things that looked like insurmountable walls were just paper; you just had to walk right through them.

Chloe had leaned on her shoulder and cried for a long time before finally saying, "Okay, Hazel. I'll go."

Because Hazel knew that studying abroad had been Chloe's dream, and because she worried Chloe wouldn't adapt to the new environment, Hazel had stayed by her side. She even flew out to live with her for a while until Chloe finally settled in.

Back then, Chloe had happily told her, "I'm so glad you were with me. If I hadn't gone abroad, I would have regretted it forever."

But later, when the coursework became overwhelming and Chloe, who hated studying, started falling behind, dropping out meant returning home without a degree. Hazel had urged her to think about her future and stick it out.

And for that, Chloe had grown to despise her.

Now, this same girl was standing behind her, demanding to know what right Hazel had to lecture her.

Hazel would have loved nothing more than that, but she kept her mouth shut.

Seeing Hazel's silence, Chloe mistakenly assumed she had finally struck a nerve. A triumphant smirk crept back onto her face as she crossed her arms and took a half-step forward, her eyes brimming with provocation.

"If you beg me right now, I might just put in a good word for you with Julian. Maybe he'll let you have a dignified divorce instead of making it incredibly ugly for you."

She spoke flippantly, every word laced with malice. "After all, once you're divorced, you'll just be used goods. Nobody is going to want you."

Hazel let out a soft laugh.

Her gaze drifted right past Chloe's shoulder, landing squarely on Evelyn, who was standing a few feet behind.

Evelyn, lingering by the cash register, suddenly looked very uncomfortable.