He Lost Me to His Best Friend novel Chapter 693

It was that same pompous tone, dripping with backhanded insults disguised as 'tough love.'

Scarlett frowned and turned to face him. That handsome, chillingly familiar face now looked so utterly foreign it made her stomach turn.

He used to do this all the time. Whenever she was in public, finally receiving praise or recognition, he would purposely tear her down in front of everyone. Back then, she hadn't realized it was emotional abuse. Because she wasn't vain and always strived to work hard, whenever he lashed out, her first instinct wasn't to defend herself, but to wonder where she had failed.

She had never blamed him. God, she had even thanked him for pointing out her flaws and pushing her to be better.

But stepping into the light made the shadows obvious. After getting closer to Julian, she had finally learned what a healthy dynamic looked like. Constant criticism only bred toxic self-doubt. But real support? It gave you the wings to discover your own strength. In an environment of encouragement, confidence blossomed naturally.

Looking back at those dark years under Yardley's thumb, she realized she had been shoved into a tiny box labeled 'the good, compliant wife.' It was a straitjacket that had slowly suffocated every ounce of her fire and ambition. If having a child hadn't been the wake-up call that shattered the illusion of their 'happy' marriage, she might still be trapped there, entirely lost in his narcissistic maze.

Scarlett balled her hands into fists, a sharp, unyielding smirk forming on her lips.

"Whether I can back it up or not is for time to tell. You don't need to lose sleep over it," she said coolly. "You should probably be more concerned about how long you're going to last in your own position."

Yardley's face instantly darkened.

Madeleine was well aware of who Yardley Flynn was, having heard plenty of stories. But knowing that her favorite protégé had suffered so much for a man like that made her sick to her stomach. She couldn't even bear to say his name.

Scarlett, however, just shrugged, entirely unfazed. "Yeah, that was him. But it's in the past."

She smiled genuinely at her mentor. "Whatever he says now is just white noise to me. Let's get out of here before his toxic energy ruins our appetite for dinner."

Her blunt, effortless dismissal instantly replaced Madeleine's anger with a bright laugh. "Good! The fact that you can brush him off means you've truly moved on. That dog of a man isn't worth another breath. Come on, let's go make some ravioli!"