Seraphina's tone was polite and sweet, but a vicious, gloating mockery danced in the depths of the eyes locked onto Raelynn, completely betraying her gentle smile.
The gazes of everyone at the table immediately swung toward Raelynn.
She had wanted to stay completely out of this drama, but Seraphina was hellbent on dragging her into the center of the ring.
Desperate to turn her into a public laughingstock.
Jeanette took another sip of her tea, a subtle smirk playing on her lips.
She knew exactly how much damage Seraphina could inflict on Raelynn; with just a few words, she had effortlessly humiliated Raelynn in front of the city's elite.
"Did he tell you to come to me for a prescription?" Raelynn asked, slowly setting down her pastry. She knew perfectly well this was a calculated attack.
So she decided to cut straight to the chase.
A flicker of something unreadable passed through Seraphina's eyes before she smiled. "I honestly didn't expect to run into you today. But since you're Professor Finch's star pupil, and Sebastian and I cherish this first baby so much, having a top-tier doctor monitor my pregnancy would really put both our minds at ease."
She didn't explicitly say Sebastian had sent her, but her phrasing heavily implied that the two of them had discussed it together.
A mocking sneer touched Raelynn's lips, her eyes turning glacial.
Why the hell should she be responsible for their bastard child?
"Aren't you afraid I might slip a little poison in there to pay you back for all the shady things you've done?"
Seraphina looked at her with a patronizing sigh, acting as if Raelynn were simply being irrational and impossible to reason with.
Suddenly, her eyes welled up with tears. She moved closer, taking the seat directly beside Raelynn, her voice trembling. "I know this is hard for you. After all these years, you were never able to convince Sebastian to have a child with you. But you have to accept reality. Let it go. Let Sebastian go, and let me go. True love shouldn't have to suffer like this."
The mockery on Raelynn's face deepened.
Seraphina looked as though Raelynn's expression had physically wounded her, shifting her facade to one of pure helplessness. "Raelynn, my baby needs a legitimate family when it's born. Please, just consider it an act of charity. Can't you do that for us?"
Raelynn watched in silence as the woman weaponized her fake victimhood to deliver an arrogant command.
On the surface, she was begging.
But in reality, she was ordering Raelynn to step down.
Every single word was designed to invalidate the years Raelynn had spent in her marriage, using the unborn child as the ultimate insult.
To make matters worse.
Raelynn gently rubbed her thumb against the side of her teacup.
Just as Seraphina allowed a faint, triumphant smirk to ghost across her lips, believing she had won the confrontation, Raelynn raised her teacup.
And dumped the scalding contents directly over Seraphina's head.
The steaming hot tea sent Seraphina shrieking and leaping out of her chair.
Her flawlessly styled hair clung to her face in a wet, sticky mess. Her expression contorted into an ugly scowl as she glared fiercely at Raelynn. "What the hell is wrong with you? I was just telling the truth! Did you really have to humiliate me?"
Raelynn calmly set the empty teacup down.
Yes.
It was an intentional humiliation.
All she had done was return the exact same disrespect Seraphina had just dished out, and the woman was already throwing a tantrum.
"Since you decided to beg me so publicly, it would be rude of me not to give you a response. If you're begging, it means you know exactly how twisted and immoral your actions are. So, a cup of tea is the least you deserve, don't you think?"

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Boss, Your Wife Signed the Divorce Agreement Before the Wedding
I think for as slow as the beginning was, their turning point is just so fast... really hope we actually get to read about R and S and their rekindle.... we did not read 950 pages for their story to be sidelined. Im for this sideline story, but it if it's to separate from the main characters and their story, please make it separate book....
Author please update more chapters...
I really like Zella, she is becoming a good friend to Raelynn. Ian needs to go. The relationship with Chloe is confusing. Some chapters they are cousins, sometimes they're sibling. A little confusing....
Julians role as big brother- I feel comes from a genuine place, but in a relationship thats is just as stained as Raelynns and Sebastians. It hard for me to connect to his big brother role as he too was such a problem before. And while they talked a little bit, the conversation did not give me the believe there was resolution between Raelynn and Julian. For a brute, he should make his feelings clear about the situation to Raelynn and then step back, until there is more foundation for him to stand on....
Knife in my heart. I hurt for Raelynn. She has made it this far, but how much does she have in her, everyone has a breaking point. Some back of me hopes the author is joking to lighten the mood after so many intense chapters, but thats not this kind of story or couple....
My heart cannot take this. This, cannot be how it ends with these too. They need resolution with each other. Raelynn needs to be more humanize with Sebastian. We know she is hurt, but this is the branch. She needs all these answers, if not for them to be together, then for Lily to have both her parents. Stop with the mind games Raelynn!...
Its like the story is just repeating itself...
Timeline is getting lost for me. So many treasured little memories Raelynn has but yet, he was gone for years ? Anyways... still rooting for them! These two need a heart to heart. Lily "forgetting" someone, not possible in this day and age and I hope thats not their storyline....
Sebastian, the man of few words.... needs to find all the words! Needs to fight for her! On note, seven years seems like a long time for this master plan (which I am sure goes back much farther). Rereading this novel, and it seems like everything has played out in a 5-8 month time span. And I feel like all Sebastian's doings/ plan have not been revealed. I hope we get to see the whole picture and have the resolutions we hope. But seven years of mistreatment, I just don't see Raelynn fully coming back. If these was 2-3 years, maybe, and I know it changes some characters around, but it would still work. Rooting for them!...
Literally on edge!...