THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 1131

Gertrude still found it hard to believe. "Catie, take another look. Are you absolutely sure this bracelet isn't a fake?"

"It's not a fake," Caitlin confirmed.

Gertrude narrowed her eyes. "Then what in the world is Xander Forrester up to?"

A con man who'd try to pass off a cheap scarf as a thoughtful gift suddenly becoming so generous? It didn't add up. It was just too strange.

"Oh, come on, Gertrude, stop with the wild speculation. Xander isn't the kind of person you think he is," Elsa interjected, then added, "By the way, do you two know how much his family gave me for the wedding fund?"

"No idea," Gertrude said, shaking her head.

Caitlin mused, "Well, if he's giving you a family heirloom, the wedding fund must be at least two hundred thousand dollars."

"Catie, you hit the nail on the head! They gave my parents six hundred thousand dollars. I know that might not seem like much to your family, Catie, but Xander's family is just ordinary middle-class. Six hundred thousand is an incredible gesture!"

Gertrude pressed, "Was it cash or a card?"

"It was a direct wire transfer to my parents," Elsa replied.

Gertrude was stunned. "For real? I can hardly believe it. They were willing to part with six hundred thousand for the wedding? I heard Xander's mother, Frieda, is no easy woman to deal with."

Caitlin's point was valid. If Elsa had just taken a moment to reflect, she would have realized that Xander's attitude toward her had indeed shifted dramatically right after he met her friends.

Upon hearing this, Gertrude's mind clicked into place. "Elsa, Xander must have seen that you're good friends with Catie and decided to use you as a shortcut, didn't he? I seriously suspect he's only marrying you now because of who Catie is. If he hadn't met her that day, I bet he wouldn't have proposed at all."

Although Gertrude knew it was wrong to assume the worst of people, she truly believed that Xander had never been sincere with Elsa from the very beginning.

At that, Elsa's emotions erupted. She shot to her feet. "Gertrude! What are you trying to say? Do you think I'm that pathetic? When you got married, I was happy for you. Now that I'm getting married, this is how you treat me? Let me tell you, I've been putting up with you two since the day my boyfriend met you! Who do you think you are? What right do you have to talk about my boyfriend like that? Does my happiness make you that miserable? You look down on my boyfriend, but what about yours? Just some country bumpkin. Oh, right, I forgot—you're a country bumpkin yourself! You two really are a perfect match!"

Her rage turning to Caitlin, Elsa spat, "And you, Caitlin! Don't think you're so high and mighty. The only reason you act so superior is because you were born rich and you married well. Without your family name, what are you? Do you think Gordon Sylvester would have given you a second glance without it? Don't forget, you're divorced! At least my boyfriend has never been divorced! He is not for either of you to judge!"