Beyond the Divorce

I looked at him, helpless. "You're really something, Matthew. She publicly went after your mom, and you're still defending her?"

Maybe my words hurt Matthew's pride too much, or perhaps he saw that the neighbors could not handle the situation.

Without asking what had happened, he yelled at me. "I didn't see her going after my mom. What I did see was you hitting her. You've simply gone too far!" Matthew embraced Melanie, presenting himself as a real macho man protecting his little woman.

"Chloe, this is a family matter for us. Get out. Don't act like you're better than us!"

The neighbors were all in shock and began criticizing him.

"Matthew, are you insane? Aren't you going to ask what happened?"

"Exactly! He's a heartless son. How could he allow someone to mistreat his mom?"

"Are you really her son? You're actually protecting this animal when your mom is in such shape?"

"I'd say the beating was too light!"

Matthew directed all his anger at me. "Chloe, this is what you wanted, right? Are you satisfied now that you've brought all these people to condemn me?"

the crowd inside the house, "Get out! All of you, get

wrathful

coming for you eventually, you ungrateful

"A heartless family! Despicable!"

"Good-for-nothing!"

not even bothering to

and decided I was

pointless. Conte

chaos, then at Grace, who was now so enraged that

to the hospital," I said

as I reached out to support her, Matthew suddenly grabbed my collar, violently pulling me

as lucky this

to momentum and hit the wall's corner with a thud. My vision darkened,