He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 235

The moment the words left his mouth, it was as if someone had hit the mute button on the lively party.

The air thickened instantly. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Scarlett's face visibly darkened, her knuckles turning white as she fought the urge to snatch the glass back.

The rhythmic tapping of Julian's fingers against his own glass stopped abruptly. He looked up at Yardley, his eyes gleaming with a frosty, dangerous light.

Without hesitation, Yardley downed the rest of the wine in Scarlett's glass. He then poured himself another full glass and turned to the stunned crowd.

"Thank you all for recognizing my wife's talent. She entirely deserves the honor. Allow me to toast you on her behalf."

He drained the second glass.

Fueled by the alcohol, any lingering awkwardness Yardley felt was completely washed away by a surge of vanity. It was replaced by a fanatical, almost desperate need to show her off.

He threw his arm around Scarlett's shoulders, pulling her firmly against him in front of everyone, a smug smile plastered across his face.

"Seeing my wife achieve such success fills me with immense pride. Please, continue to look out for her in the future."

Scarlett lowered her eyes, her long lashes hiding the absolute disgust burning within them. Her nails dug so hard into her palms they nearly drew blood.

Once upon a time, at these exact kinds of high-profile corporate events, Yardley would treat his own drinks like liquid gold while casually tossing her to the wolves, forcing her to drink with clients under the guise of "building character."

Seeing him now, desperately playing the role of the devoted husband treating her like his most prized possession, Scarlett found it utterly ridiculous and deeply insulting.

The dead silence stretched on for a few more seconds before the guests finally recovered from their shock. What followed was a chorus of sweet-sounding but razor-sharp comments.

"Mr. Flynn! The brilliant S.L is your wife? Wait, if my memory serves me right, didn't you always say your wife was just a regular employee at Flynn Group? Did I mishear you back then?"

"Oh, that's right! I've actually had the pleasure of meeting S.L before. At the time, Mr. Flynn just brushed her off, saying she was just some low-level designer at the company."

"Now that you mention it, I remember that too! Mr. Flynn has always kept a low profile and never formally introduced his wife. But what I don't get is... if S.L is your beloved wife, why did all of her groundbreaking designs end up being sold to other companies?"

Their words were perfectly polite, but every single one was a calculated, lethal strike.

Comment after comment peeled away Yardley's hypocritical mask like an onion, leaving him exposed. His face cycled through a spectacular array of red and white.

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