The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 632

If she got fired, her delusional dream of ever surpassing Winona’s career would turn to ash.

Swallowing the bile rising in her throat, Tallulah forced her head down and choked out a humiliating apology.

Bryce let out a harsh scoff and turned his back on her. The second he faced Winona, his expression instantly shifted back to one of warm, professional admiration.

For the rest of the evening, the table engaged in lively, high-level discussions about biochemistry. Tallulah sat frozen in her chair, utterly silent, entirely ignored.

She had been completely ostracized.

And she blamed Winona for every single second of it. In Tallulah’s twisted mind, if Winona didn't exist, she wouldn't be suffering this agonizing indignity.

*

When the dinner finally wrapped up, Winona stepped out into the cool night air.

A heavy rain had started to fall. She climbed into the backseat of the waiting SUV, and Ezra smoothly pulled out into the street, keeping the speed meticulously slow for safety.

Watching the rain streak across the tinted glass, Winona leaned forward. "Did Stefan head to the Capital this morning?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Ezra replied, his eyes on the road. "But he wrapped up his meetings early. He touched down in Riverton around five this evening."

Winona nodded, relieved he wasn't caught flying in this torrential storm.

Suddenly, Ezra slammed on the brakes.

The SUV jerked to a violent halt. Thrown forward by the momentum, Winona was saved from smashing her head against the partition only by her seatbelt locking in place.

"Sorry about that," Ezra muttered, throwing the car into park. "Something darted across the road. Let me go check."

Winona nodded, her heart racing.

Ezra grabbed an umbrella and stepped out into the downpour. A moment later, he walked back to the front bumper and crouched down. Huddled against the tire, entirely paralyzed by fear, was a tiny, soaking wet stray kitten.

Ezra quickly shrugged off his tailored suit jacket, wrapping the shivering animal in the dry fabric before jogging over to Winona’s door.

Desperate to hear her voice, he forced a casual smile and nodded at the bundle in her arms. "Getting a cat? I don't remember you ever being a pet person."

Winona’s expression didn't shift. A chilling, sarcastic smile touched her lips.

"That’s because you told me the custom Italian leather furniture in the villa was too expensive, and an animal would ruin it."

The irony was suffocating. He had denied her a pet to protect a sofa, but the second Tallulah asked for a cat, he had happily agreed.

Yulen felt like he had been punched in the gut. He had completely forgotten he ever said that.

His throat tightened painfully. "You... you should have just pushed back. If you had asked me a few more times, I would have said yes."

The look in Winona’s eyes was pure, sub-zero ice. "Being stripped of my dignity once was enough."

Yulen clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. "Our relationship was so good, Winona. I always spoiled you. I never wanted to hurt your pride. I really think it was just a miscommunication. Have you ever thought that maybe... maybe you were just too proud? We didn't have to end up like this."