My Ex-Husband is My Neighbor - Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Countess Bedwig’s eyebrow crooked upwards.
โPlease go in first, Mother.โ
Catherine spoke in a voice as cold as ice, pushing away Countess Bedwig’s hand.
โCatherine, come in with me. I have something important to tell you. About someone I want to introduce you to.โ
So, she had already decided where to sell me off. Who could it be?
โThe old Viscount Williams who recently lost his wife? Or the notorious ruffian, Baron Kier? Surely not Tigris.โ
Catherine wondered just how low Countess Bedwig thought of her.
So she asked.
โSomeone you want to introduce me to? Who is it?โ
โItโs Rael from the Tigris family.โ
My goodness.
Catherine felt dizzy.
She had no expectations, but this was beyond her imagination.
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Rael Tigris, to put it mildly, was like a five-year-old child.
To be kind, he had a childlike innocence, but to be blunt, he had no sense of shame.
Rael was a good person. Catherine acknowledged that. They were even childhood friends.
But she couldnโt imagine being married to Rael.
With Rael, it would be nothing more than playing house.
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After silently apologizing to Rael, Catherine looked straight at Countess Bedwig.
โMother, shall we go somewhere quiet to talk?โ
โThatโs what I wanted.โ
Suppressing the urge to grab Countess Bedwig by the hair, Catherine forced a pretty smile.
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โYou look well. You must have been living comfortably.โ
As soon as they reached a secluded part of the garden, Countess Bedwig revealed her true feelings.
โYou must have had a hard time, Mother. Youโve got more wrinkles.โ
Countess Bedwig’s brow furrowed.
โDonโt call me mother with that filthy mouth of yours.โ
โIf you hate me so much, you shouldnโt have shown up, Mo.ther.โ
Catherine didnโt want to call her mother either.
But since it annoyed her, she forced herself to say it, even though she hated it more than death.
โIf you hate it, I can call you that a thousand times more.โ
โSince your divorce, youโve become full of spite. Even your once tolerable face has grown hideous.โ
โThey say you see what you are. Your self-assessment is quite poor.โ
Catherine returned Countess Bedwigโs insult in kind.
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Countess Bedwig’s mouth twitched with a spasm.
She thought that if she left Catherine alone for a few years, she would be hurt, exhausted, and come crawling back with her head bowed.
The social world was not easy, especially for a divorced woman.
But Catherine had become more confident and defiant.
Her changed attitude made Countess Bedwig regret leaving her alone for four years, unable to find an appropriate match.
She should have dragged her by the hair back to the Earlโs estate.
โHa! Ungrateful wretch!โ
โYou need to have received grace to be ungrateful. What have you ever done for me to say such a thing?โ
Catherine let out a hollow laugh.
If Earl Bedwig had said that, she could understand.
Thanks to Earl Bedwig, Catherine never went hungry, received a good education, and was treated as a noble.
But Countess Bedwig, who had tormented her and only thought of marrying her off to a wealthy family to exploit them, had no right to say such things.
โDo you know whose favor you live here by? If I hadnโt accepted you as a child, you would have lived as a mere maid. Or perhaps used your pretty face to survive.โ
โAre you upset that I didnโt live that way? Why? Because you couldnโt exploit me?โ
โWhat?โ
โYou seem agitated because it hits close to home.โ
Catherine took a step closer to Countess Bedwig.
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Catherine was no longer a mere child. She had grown up. She was even living her second life.
She knew there were greater pains than being ignored by oneโs parents.
And she had something to protect.
So, the Countess no longer scared her.
The Countess took a step back.
No matter how fierce Countess Bedwig appeared, she was just a noblewoman who had grown up pampered.
She had never experienced the rage that could tear someone apart, and Catherineโs sudden change in demeanor scared her.
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โWh-what are you talking about?โ
โHow much were you planning to exploit from the Tigris family?โ
โWhat are you talking about?โ
โYou werenโt planning to marry me off to Rael out of charity or a sense of service, were you?โ
Charity and service, such words were utterly unfitting for Countess Bedwig.
โYouโre a divorced woman, Catherine! Even Rael is too good for you. So donโt act up and do as youโre told.โ
Countess Bedwig did not back down.
She feared Catherineโs fierce gaze, but that was all.
To Countess Bedwig, Catherine was like a dog she had raised with beatings.
A dog trained with violence from a young age wouldnโt dare to attack its master, even if it grew strong enough to win.
All it could do was growl.
If pushed, Catherine would obediently marry as told.
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Catherine could see what Countess Bedwig was thinking.
Her mind was boiling with anger.
So she made up her mind.
I will never live the way you want.
And I will make sure you canโt even dream of using me.
โI have someone to marry.โ
โWhat?โ
โI said I have someone to marry. People who know me already know. That person comes to my house constantly.โ
Countess Bedwig’s eyes and mouth widened simultaneously.
It was possible for her to have someone she was seeing.
Moreover, since Catherine was divorced, some degree of dating was allowed.
But having someone who constantly visited her house was another matter.
If the Tigris family found out, and if they discovered that Rael was being pushed into a marriage knowing this, they might demand a hefty compensation instead of paying.
โBut they wonโt find out, right?โ
She could dismiss it as just rumors.
Countess Bedwig couldnโt give up on Rael.
The amount the Tigris family offered was enormous.
It was a hundred times better than marrying off Catherine to an old noble as a second wife.
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โForget it.โ
Countess Bedwig finally spoke after a long silence.
โBreak up with that man immediately. Forget about the marriage. The man youโre seeing must be a loser anyway. For your future, break up with him.โ
โHeโll never agree to that.โ
Catherine blurted out.
โHe loves me so much that if I leave him, he might kill Rael Tigris.โ
The words coming from Catherineโs mouth were absurd.
If he was such a dangerous man, it would be wise to get rid of him immediately for the sake of the Bedwig family.
Not for Catherineโs sake. She didnโt care if Catherine was beaten or had her hair pulled.
But if the man harmed the Bedwig family heir or tarnished the familyโs honor, that would be unacceptable.
โWho is he?โ
If the Countess knew who he was, she could get rid of him before he caused trouble.
Eliminating a person was not difficult. She had done it before.
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Catherine hesitated, unable to answer.
Countess Bedwig’s eyes sparkled.
โYouโฆ youโre lying, arenโt you?โ
โNo!โ
Catherine answered boldly. Instinctively, she knew.
She couldnโt back down now, but no suitable person came to mind.
She had already said he constantly visited her house, so it could only be Paul or Hugo.
She couldnโt involve Paul in this, so it had to be Hugo.
But the idea of dating her ex-husband was laughable.
โNot only would it be laughable, but others would mock us too.โ
โIf itโs not a lie, tell me. Who is this man youโre so deeply involved with?โ
Thinking she had the upper hand, Countess Bedwig spoke arrogantly.
Catherine gritted her teeth.
Should I make up something about introducing him at the ball?
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As she was pondering this.
โSpeak up! Tell me!โ
As Catherine hesitated, Countess Bedwig raised her voice.
โHeโs inside the ballroomโฆ.โ
As the words slipped out, there was a rustling sound behind Catherine. Soon, a man appeared from the darkness.
โItโs me, that man.โ
A familiar voice.
โNo, it canโt be.โ
She hoped it wasnโt him, but the unmistakable scent of the large man standing next to her confirmed it.
โHugo.โ
Catherine bit her lower lip, unable to turn around.
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โCatherine, here you are. Iโve been looking for you.โ
Hugo took Catherineโs hand.
He looked Countess Bedwig straight in the eye and spoke firmly.
โI should have informed you earlier, but itโs late. Iโm seeing Catherine again.โ
โViscount Edward?โ
โPlease call me Hugo, as before, Mother.โ
Hugo greeted her nonchalantly. But unlike his soft smile, his eyes were hard.
Countess Bedwig’s eyes narrowed.
She turned to Catherine and asked.
โIs this true?โ
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