The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 188

Winona let out a cold, mocking laugh as she looked at Claud. "So the Nicholson Group can run a retirement project, but Yves Prescott can't? Who made up that rule?"

Claud fell silent, his lips pressed together. After a moment, he finally spoke. "I'm not going to argue with you. I'm not good with words—I could never win against you women anyway. Let's not go around in circles, alright? Even if—just for the sake of argument—Yves Prescott insists on doing this retirement project, and even if he decides to team up with Julian, so what? Work is work, but why does he have to drag you everywhere he goes?"

"Honestly, Winona, there's a line you shouldn't cross," Mayo cut in, his tone weary but earnest.

With the patience of someone trying to reason with a stubborn child, he said, "Yves Prescott knows perfectly well that you're Julian's wife. He puts his arm around you right in front of Julian, and then he keeps provoking him with every word! Tell me, what man could just stand by while another man holds his wife right in front of him? Winona, any man would lash out—hell, most men would want to beat Yves Prescott senseless. Don't you get that?"

Winona stared at them, stunned. "So, Mr. Nicholson and Yves Prescott got into a fight because I'm Julian's wife? Just because another man had his arm around his wife, Julian decided to attack him?"

"Of course! Isn't it obvious? If it were you, could you put up with it?" Claud shot back, his sneer returning.

"I've been putting up with it for three years," Winona replied, her own laugh just as cold.

Claud fell silent, utterly at a loss. He looked like he wanted to slap himself.

How could he forget about that?

"For three years, Julian's paraded Felicity around in front of me, arm in arm. Felicity herself acts like she's his wife. And every single time Julian is with her, he acts as if I don't even exist."

"And you—" Her gaze swept over Claud, Mayo, and then Xander. "All of you know I'm Julian's wife, yet you've always acted as if Julian and Felicity being together is perfectly normal."

She turned her sharp eyes to Xander. "And you! Haven't you always believed I was the other woman?"

"When you thought I'd stolen money from your family, you wanted me thrown in jail. But when you realized I hadn't taken a penny, and that I was filing for divorce, suddenly you demanded I withdraw the case. Mr. Nicholson, doesn't it strike you as unfair that no matter what happens, you're the only one who gets a say? I don't even have a voice."

Julian's face remained unreadable.

"My husband bullies me, crushes me. His friends, his mistress, even her friends—they all want to see me destroyed. So tell me, Mr. Nicholson, if I don't turn to Yves Prescott, where else do I go?" Winona locked eyes with Julian, her gaze unwavering.

Julian had no words.

"You have nothing to say, do you, Mr. Nicholson?" Winona's voice was soft and ragged, yet she managed a bitter smile as she looked at him.