The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 73

"Yes! A fake grave!" Jeremiah puffed out his chest, completely convinced of his own righteousness. "There isn't even a body in that coffin! It's just a pile of old clothes! If there were an actual corpse in there, we obviously wouldn't have done something as extreme as digging it up!"

The rest of the crew immediately chimed in, eager to validate him.

"Everyone around here knows the story! Her dad was a deadbeat who messed around out of town and didn't even hold down a real job. He probably crossed the wrong people, got himself killed, and they couldn't even find his body!"

"This family is completely unhinged! Hogging a prime piece of land with an empty box for a decade and holding up the county's progress. Who knows what their real agenda is!"

The barrage of insults flew from every direction, piercing and vicious.

Jenna listened with a look of pure disgust. She shot Chloe a mocking glare. "Seriously? That's ridiculous! Chloe, is your family really that desperate for real estate that you'd pull a stunt like this?"

"Everyone shut the hell up!" Preston snapped, his face thunderous. He turned back to Chloe, his voice dropping. "Chloe..."

Chloe was as pale as a ghost. All the color had drained from her lips, and her fists were clenched tight enough to ache. She didn't say a word. The hatred rolling off her was so absolute that it manifested as an eerie, dead calm.

Preston realized too late that she was at a breaking point. He reached out to grab her, but he wasn't fast enough.

Chloe snatched a rusted sickle off the ground and charged straight at Jeremiah.

The crowd shrieked and scrambled backward. Jenna ducked behind Preston with a squeak, grabbing his arm for dear life.

Jeremiah stumbled back, waving his arms as he yelled, "What do you think you're doing?! You got exposed, so now you're trying to murder someone?"

"If you really think I'm lying, then prove it!" he hollered, safely out of reach. He gestured wildly to his men. "Pop the lid off that coffin! Let everyone see what's actually inside! Stop making me look like the bad guy when I'm just trying to help the community!"

A few of the braver men edged toward the dirt-caked wood.

Chloe's eyes were bloodshot. Gripping the sickle with white knuckles, she planted herself firmly in front of the coffin, forming a human shield.

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