The Real Lady Walks Away Novel by Manny Sloin _ Novel




The Real Lady Walks Away Chapter 01

My husband Reginald’s first love said I was too ugly and old to be his wife.
The surrounding classmates burst into laughter. Someone nudged Reginald's arm, but he only spared me a cool, detached glance. He didn't say a word in my defense.
I took a silent sip of my wine, offering no response.
When the spotlight finally turned to me, meeting their derisive stares, I let out a soft chuckle. "The thing I most want to complain about is the lawsuit I helped Reginald win three years ago. I spent three months on that case, working myself into such a state of exhaustion and stress that my hair turned white overnight.
"Looking back now, I realize he simply wasn't worth it."
***
Reginald slammed his glass down, splashing wine all over my dress.
"Bringing that up again! Eveline, can you stop living in the goddamn past for once?"
The room went dead silent.
Lyanna tugged at his sleeve, her voice dripping with calculated sweetness. "Reggie, don't be angry... I'm sure Eveline just cares about you too much. After all, you two have been together for ten years."
It sounded like she was playing peacemaker, but she was actually stoking the fire. She knew perfectly well that Reginald loathed it when people brought up those "ten years." To him, it was emotional blackmail.
Sure enough, Reginald let out a cold sneer. "Cares about me? She's trying to chain me to that forever! Every argument, she brings up that lawsuit. Aren't you sick of it?
"Fine, you helped. But did I not compensate you? Countless women would kill for the title of Mrs. Blakely, and I've given it to you for a decade!"
A few classmates gasped softly.
The class monitor tried to smooth things over. "Reggie, that's a bit harsh..."
"Harsh?" Reginald pointed aggressively at my hair. "Look at her! She's twenty-nine, but she looks forty-nine! Every time I take her out, people ask if she's my mother or my older sister. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is for me?"
Lyanna hid a smirk behind her hand. "Reggie, don't say that. Eveline did it all for you..."
"Did I ask her to?" Reginald cut her off, his words hitting me like stones. "Did I force her to pull those all-nighters? She's the one who insisted on playing hero! Now she's stuck with a head of grey hair, and somehow that's my fault?"
My hand trembled around my glass, but I forced a smile. "Reginald, the legal fees for that case were valued at 1.3 million dollars. Have you paid them?"
He froze.
Lyanna jumped in immediately. "Eveline, you two are husband and wife; talking about money like that is just so hurtful. Reggie has bought you bags, clothes, and jewelry over the last three years—aren't those worth a fortune?
"And besides, without Reggie's resources, would you even have had the chance to take on a case that big?"
Reginald spoke as if bestowing a favor. "Eveline, get it through your head: I made you. Without the name 'Mrs. Blakely,' you'd be a nobody."
A female classmate whispered in agreement, "Lyanna has a point, actually... Lina, don't be so petty."
I looked at her. Back in university, when she went through a breakup, I stayed up for three nights straight to comfort her.
Now, she couldn't even look me in the eye.
It felt like an ice pick was being driven through my chest, but my smile only widened. "I see. So it's my own fault I worked myself to coughing up blood, my own fault my hair turned white overnight.
"It was my stupid choice to stand in front of you for three years, blocking every open attack and hidden scheme.
"And even helping you bury all the shady mess in your company—that was me meddling where I shouldn't have, right?"
Reginald's face paled. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Nonsense?" I stood up slowly, staring him down. "Do I need to refresh your memory? Two years ago, during the surprise tax audit, who stayed up until 4:00 AM fixing the books?
"A year ago, when your suppliers staged a collective walkout, who went door-to-door to talk them back?
"Six months ago, when your rival framed you for sexual harassment, who hunted down the full footage to clear your name?"
With every sentence, the color drained further from his face.
Lyanna grew frantic. "But isn't that what you're supposed to do? You're his wife!"
"Exactly, I'm his wife," I nodded. "So I deserved to collapse and end up in the hospital. I deserved to be mocked for my white hair. I deserved to be humiliated in front of everyone—because that's just what a wife should do."
I grabbed my coat, giving him one final reminder. "Tomorrow I'll send the invoice for my legal service to your company. With interest, that's 1.6 million dollars.
"And one more thing..."
I looked him straight in the eye. "Reginald, back when your company was on the brink of bankruptcy and facing billions in claims, you knelt at the door of my law firm and cried all night. I will never, for as long as I live, forget the way you begged me to take the case.
"Our ten years of love? What a joke."
The room fell into a deathly silence.
Reginald's face turned from pale to ashen, then to a ghostly white.
I pushed the door open and walked out.

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