The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 285

Clayton glanced at the screen, confused. "What's this?"

"A live feed from a divorce hearing. Mr. Nicholson's divorce from his wife, Winona."

"What... what did you say?" Clayton had just walked in, dusty from his travels, and was about to take a sip of water. The glass slipped from his grasp and shattered on the floor.

"You're telling me Julian and Winona are... married? They're actually husband and wife?" Clayton asked, feeling as though he were in a daze, drunk and disoriented.

"Honestly, Mr. Foster, our prejudice against Mrs. Nicholson was partly fueled by Miss Shepherd, and partly by you," the technician said. "It's clear now that we completely misjudged Ms. Perkins—I mean, Mrs. Nicholson."

"Whatever issues she and Mr. Nicholson have, until this divorce is finalized, she is the rightful Mrs. Nicholson. That would make Miss Shepherd the... other woman."

"I feel like the world's been turned upside down. The legitimate, legally married wife gets called a homewrecker and a mistress, while the actual mistress parades around with the husband, shamelessly bullying her. And we were all accomplices."

Clayton was speechless. His mind went blank, as if it had crashed. He stared blankly at the screen.

The live stream continued.

"Just now, outside this courtroom, my former mother-in-law called me an illiterate fool who did nothing for years but secretly siphon money from the Nicholson family. She demanded I return every penny. I'd like to ask the court: during my six-year marriage to Mr. Nicholson, weren't our assets shared?"

The judge nodded. "Of course."

"In that case, I ask the court to rule that half of Julian's income over the past six years be awarded to me. Furthermore, I will be withdrawing nine million of the eighteen million I had set aside for Tiana."

"Look, Mr. Foster, you're just a business partner from Port City. Whether Ms. Perkins is Mr. Nicholson's wife or Yves Prescott's mistress, what business is it of yours? Why were you so against her?"

He was right. Why had he been so against her?

Truth be told, he had been captivated by Felicity from the start. She was beautiful, confident, and composed—the chief engineer. She was a rare and charismatic woman, and her brilliance only made Winona seem more pathetic and disgraceful in comparison. Even when Winona was dressed in expensive furs and boots, Clayton found her vulgar and repulsive.

Now, watching the live stream, Clayton wanted to slap himself.

"I'm such an idiot," he muttered, slumping into his office chair with a self-deprecating laugh. "Now that I think about it, Mr. Nicholson and Miss Shepherd never once told me they were married. Not once. I just assumed they were, and that any other woman was a homewrecker trying to tear them apart."