Divorce Him, Then Dazzle novel Chapter 148

Henrietta clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes locked on her husband. She couldn't believe it.

Five years?

It had been five whole years.

Maddox looked at his father like he was trying to figure out if this was all some kind of sick joke. He just couldn't wrap his head around it.

Lambert cut through the tension with his cool, steady voice. “Go on.”

Ladd realized there was no way out. He was finished. He never would have thought Lambert would get involved. Five years ago, Ladd had gotten entangled with a young actress. She was beautiful, gentle and always seemed to know what he wanted to hear. The truth was, he did care about his wife, but lately she felt more like family than anything else. He wanted excitement, passion, a real physical connection, and Henrietta just didn’t want that anymore. Not for a long time.

But even the best-kept secrets don’t stay hidden forever. Eventually word of his affair reached Henrietta.

He remembered the moment Maddox started investigating him. He knew right away and figured it was time to use Camilla to his advantage. If he could get everyone believing Camilla was his mistress, and they eventually found out she wasn’t, they would feel guilty for ever doubting him. He could shake off the rumors and protect the woman who had been by his side for five years. It was a win-win.

He convinced himself it was a flawless plan. As for how much Camilla might suffer—well, he never bothered to think about that part. The job was real, the money was good, and whatever trouble she faced, he felt it was worth her while. He admitted it to himself, he was just using Camilla. She happened to be young, good-looking, a talented designer, and just happened to appear at the right, or wrong, moment. The pay was generous. That should have been enough.

Everything had been going smoothly until Lambert showed up.

He couldn’t afford to make Lambert angry. Lambert’s business was on a different level—Ladd’s company was nothing in comparison. He saw the warning in Lambert's eyes. If he didn’t tell the whole truth tonight, his business might be gone by tomorrow.

Ladd took a shaky breath. “I said I wanted to celebrate my anniversary and asked a friend to recommend a designer. I picked Ms. Green and used her as a distraction to throw off my son. I knew both my wife and my son were suspicious. They wouldn’t just let it go…”

Camilla bit her lip hard. Before, all she’d felt was humiliation. The second she saw Lambert, that humiliation turned into a crushing sense of injustice. Now, it was like the weight she’d been carrying just vanished. She felt unbelievably light.

Maybe it was because Catheleen was so angry, but Camilla felt calm. Colder than usual.

She said, “I think the one who really owes me an apology is Ladd, don’t you?”

She’d barely finished when a surprised voice called out from the side.

“Camilla? What are you doing here? What happened?”