THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 576

"Gavin, you must be out of your mind! Ann is in this state, and you bear a huge part of the responsibility for it!"

Gavin took a deep, steadying breath. "Amanda, you're becoming more and more irrational. Do you think I wanted to see Ann like this? What did I say before the tea party even started? Did either of you listen to a single word I said?"

When he had tried to offer his opinion, no one had paid him any mind. Now that disaster had struck, they were pinning all the blame on him. Gavin was not a doormat. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, his voice rising. "Amanda, you're the one who's gone too far! Look at how you've spoiled Ann! You believe every single thing she says. She's a child, but are you a child too? Do you have no ability to tell right from wrong?"

He then turned his attention to his daughter. "And you, Ann. You're an adult now. You need to take responsibility for your own words and actions, not run away and wish for death the moment things get tough! That's what weak people do! And while I am your father, I have to be fair here: Caitlin is an exceptional young woman. I don't expect you to be just like her, but I do expect you to stop causing trouble and embarrassing your mother and me."

He knew that if Ann would just behave herself and not tarnish the family name, Keira would have eventually given her a share of Gonzales Holdings. But now? Forget about shares; it was a question of whether Keira even wanted to acknowledge Ann as her granddaughter anymore.

Ann's eyes widened in disbelief. She couldn't believe Gavin would dare speak to her and her mother that way.

*SLAP!*

Amanda struck Gavin across the face. The blow was heavy, instantly leaving a swollen, red handprint on his cheek. A loud ringing filled his ears.

Before he could react, Amanda's furious voice cut through the haze. "Gavin! Have you lost your mind? Open your eyes and see who your real daughter is!"

Amanda was livid. She never imagined Gavin would say such outrageous things. At a time like this, instead of comforting Ann, he was scolding her. If Ann had actually been in the wrong, that would be one thing. But Ann had clearly been set up by that little witch, Caitlin! What kind of father was he?

Then, a sudden, wild thought occurred to her, and her face twisted in a look of dawning horror. "Oh! I get it now! That little witch Caitlin is your illegitimate daughter with Carey, isn't she! You two have been sleeping together behind my back all this time!"

Gavin grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair and turned to leave.

"Gavin!" Amanda yelled after him. "You're getting bolder, aren't you! If you walk out that door today, you can expect divorce papers from my lawyer!"

Normally, the threat of divorce would have stopped him in his tracks. He would have turned around and humbly tried to appease her. But today, Gavin didn't even pause. He walked straight out, his back disappearing through the doorway.

Ann looked at her mother, a flicker of worry in her eyes. "Mom, shouldn't you go after him? What if... what if..."

"There is no 'what if.' Do you really think he has the guts to divorce me?" Amanda scoffed, raising her voice so it would carry down the hall. "Without Amanda Gonzales, Gavin Templeton is less than nothing!"