The Bond Between Us (Anastasia and Herman) novel Chapter 1173

Juliana sat slumped alone on her bedroom sofa, empty wine bottles littered around her feet, the sharp scent of booze hanging in the air like a heavy fog.

She’d loved Scott with everything she had, only to lose him to another woman—one she’d actually introduced to him herself. The thought made her want to tear her hair out.

Every day was agony now, the pain of her broken marriage so raw that only alcohol could dull it. Her family dropped by constantly, sometimes blaming her for letting Scott slip away, sometimes reminding her to fight for the best possible divorce settlement. Even if the marriage ended, they insisted, she should wring every last cent out of it.

All they wanted was to squeeze her dry—no one ever stopped to ask how she was really doing.

Juliana drank until the world blurred, little lights dancing before her eyes.

Suddenly, the bedroom door creaked open and a small, quiet figure stepped inside: Layna.

Layna stood before Juliana, her face cold and unreadable.

“Layna,” Juliana said, voice thick with self-mockery. “Looks like I won’t be your aunt anymore. Not your mom, either. Your uncle’s got himself a new woman. Soon you’ll get a new aunt—maybe even a little brother or sister.”

“You’re just going to give up like this?” Layna snatched the bottle from Juliana’s hand. “You’re not even divorced yet. Why are you surrendering?”

Layna’s stomach churned with anxiety. She’d worked so hard to make sure Juliana couldn’t have a child. Now Scott’s mistress was pregnant, and the Stranz family’s inheritance would never be hers. All her efforts—gone up in smoke.

She wanted so badly to pull her usual tricks, but she couldn’t get close to the mistress. All she could do was push Juliana to fight.

“What do you expect me to do, Layna? Your uncle doesn’t even come home anymore. He doesn’t love me. He wants a divorce. But you’re a Stranz, you’ll always have a place here. Don’t worry—no one’s going to cast you out.”

“Mom, you can’t let him divorce you.” Layna took Juliana’s hand in hers, gripping tight. “If you give up now, it’s really over. But you’re still Mrs. Stranz. You still have the upper hand.”

Layna’s words snapped Juliana out of her daze like a splash of ice water.

She was still Scott’s wife. As long as she didn’t let go, as long as she was Mrs. Stranz, Sandy would never get through that door.

Sandy’s child would always be an outsider.

“Layna, what am I supposed to do?” Juliana was desperate.

“If crying and making a scene won’t work, then you have to play your last card,” Layna said coolly. “They’re all terrified of scandal. If you blow this up big enough, the Stranz family will get dragged through the mud. The mistress will be hounded, and my uncle won’t dare divorce you—at least, not right away.”

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