While My Husband Cheated I Married His Powerful Brother novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Now You Know

The silence in the living room was deafening.

Veyra stood alone in the center of the room, surrounded by people who had already decided she was guilty. Eleanor’s words still hung in the air like poison. Con artist. Liar. Fraud.

The old woman’s voice cut through the quiet.

"I’ve heard enough."

Everyone turned. The grandmother was sitting up in her chair, her blanket pulled tight around her shoulders, her eyes sharp and cold.

"Call the marriage registry," the old woman said. "I want officials here immediately. This marriage is over."

Celeste’s frozen face cracked into a smile. "Finally. Some sense."

Marcus stepped forward. His face was red. His voice was loud. "I always knew she was trouble. You could see it in her eyes. Shifty. Untrustworthy."

Richard nodded beside him. "A woman like that doesn’t belong in this family. Never did."

Even the maids were whispering now. Veyra heard them. Liar. Fraud. Crawl your way out.

One of them—a young girl with a sharp face—started chanting. Quietly at first. Then louder.

"Crawl your way out. Crawl your way out."

Other maids joined in. Their voices rose. A chorus of humiliation.

"Crawl your way out. Crawl your way out."

Veyra’s face was hot. Her hands were shaking. But she did not move. She stood there, straight-backed, and took it.

Eleanor stepped closer. Her smile was wide now. Victorious.

"You heard them," Eleanor said. "Crawl. On your hands and knees and out of the front door. That was the bet. That was the agreement."

Veyra looked at her. "The test results haven’t proven anything except that the serum wasn’t bought from a pharmacy. They haven’t proven I didn’t make it."

"The doctor said the work was extraordinary," Eleanor said. "You’re not extraordinary. You’re a high school dropout. Case closed."

"I can prove it." Veyra’s voice was louder now. Steadier. "I can prove I made it. Right now. In front of everyone."

The room went quiet.

Even the maids stopped chanting.

Dr. Harrison stepped forward. His eyes were bright and excited.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "How can you prove it?"

"Let me make it again," Veyra said. "Right here. Right now. Give me the reagents. Give me a lab. I’ll formulate the serum from scratch. In front of everyone. And then you can test it against the original sample."

The room was silent.

Dr. Harrison’s face lit up. "That’s—that would be conclusive. If she can replicate the formula in real time, under observation, there can be no doubt."

Eleanor’s smile faltered. "This is a trick. She’s stalling."

"It’s not a trick." Veyra looked at her. "It’s proof. Unless you’re afraid of what I might show you."

Eleanor’s face went red. "I’m not afraid of anything."

"Then let me do it."

The old woman raised her hand. "Enough."

Everyone turned to look at her.

"Let her try," the old woman said. Her voice was weak but firm. "If she can make the serum here, now, in front of witnesses, then she’s telling the truth. If she can’t—" She looked at Veyra. "—then she crawls. No arguments and no appeals."

Veyra nodded. "Agreed."

Dorian spoke from the window. His voice was quiet. "I’ll have the butler prepare the lab."

Veyra wrote the list quickly.

Her hand was steady now. The shaking had stopped. She knew what she needed. She had done this a hundred times. A thousand times.

Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate. Potassium chloride. Sodium bicarbonate. Deionized water. pH meter. Glass stirring rods. Beakers. Heating plate.

She handed the list to Dorian. He glanced at it, then passed it to the butler.

"Ten minutes," Dorian said. "No longer."

The butler ran.

The room waited in silence. Veyra stood by the window, her arms crossed, her face calm. Inside, her heart was pounding. But she did not let them see.

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