His Last Command Came Back to Kill Him novel Chapter 80

"Undergrad." He spat the word out with deliberate, vicious emphasis, driving it like a knife into Whitley's deepest wound.

Everyone knew her academic record had been flawless. She had secured a prestigious fast-track spot for her Master's and PhD. Her future had been blindingly bright.

But then Yelena was brought back into the family. Yelena had stolen her scholarships, hijacked her mentor, and severed all her academic prospects, ruthlessly forcing Whitley to graduate with only a Bachelor's degree and claw her way into the brutal corporate world years too early.

And now, they were using the trauma they caused to humiliate her.

Whitley's chest ached fiercely, her voice devoid of a single degree of warmth. "That won't be necessary."

She didn't need their charity, and she certainly didn't need to play 'family' with the people who had stolen her life.

Clive, who had been silent until now, finally looked up at her.

His gaze swept over her tense jawline. There was not a shred of sympathy in his eyes, only a dominating, judgmental scrutiny.

"We can discuss the merger. I'll make the final decision."

"What gives you the right to make that decision?"

Clive's eyebrow twitched slightly, as if she had just asked the most absurd question in the world.

He stood up. His towering frame cast a heavy shadow over her, radiating a suffocating pressure.

He looked down at her, his eyes as cold as if he were addressing an irrational stranger. "We are married. You don't think I have a say in the company you run?"

His words hit her like a bucket of ice water, freezing the blood in her veins.

Married.

Those words used to be her greatest comfort, but now they were nothing but her most brutal chains.

Using the title of 'husband,' he was legally and openly stripping away everything she had built.

With the authority of their marriage, he felt entirely justified in standing with the betrayers and shoving her off a cliff.

Nearby, Yelena lowered her eyes, a soft, submissive smile on her lips, but she couldn't hide the arrogant triumph shining in her gaze.

Xander stood with his arms crossed, watching Whitley with open disgust, eagerly waiting for her to break down and beg.

The rest of the room kept their heads down, terrified to speak, but their silent stares communicated a harsh truth—

In front of Clive Sherwood, she was absolutely nothing.

Whitley stared at this man—someone so intensely familiar, yet completely unrecognizable—and felt an overwhelming sense of absurdity.

What an absolute joke her life had become.

Xander let out a harsh laugh, leaning back with his arms crossed as he glared at her. His contempt was blatant; he was looking at her like she was a clown.

"You're actually threatening divorce? The fact that he hasn't kicked you to the curb already is him doing you a favor."

"Stop putting on a show. If you really wanted a divorce, you would've filed ages ago. You're just throwing a tantrum for attention. Keep crying about it, no one cares. Grow up, undergrad."

Through it all, Clive remained silent.

Yelena pressed her lips together. "Stop talking like that. She is Clive's wife. You can't humiliate her."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Clive's voice cut through, freezing and indifferent.

It was unclear who he was talking to.

But Whitley knew exactly who it was meant for.

The divorce. He was pretending he didn't hear it.

So, he refused to divorce her simply because he needed to use PurePath Biologics to pave the way for Yelena's career while they were still legally bound. He intended to drain every last drop of value she had left.