Chapter 21

An uncomfortable silence lingered on the line,giving Emilia a flicker of hope that Rodger might show an ounce of regret. But her hope vanished with his next words.

"So what? If you hadn't dangled my grandfather's wishes over my head, Violet and I would've had our own happy ending. Face it, Emilia. You were always the outsider forcing your way between us."

Rodger's audacity left her stunned for a heartbeat,but Emilia's laugh rang out, bitter and sharp, as she bolted upright in bed.

"Let's get the facts straight. You were the one left for dead after that wreck-Violet was long gone.I stayed when no one else would, dragging you back from the edge. Now you want to erase all of that, just because you're standing on your own two feet again? Where was your big talk about true love back when you couldn't even sit up without help? Why didn't you leave then?"

Pausing for a second, she continued, "Don't even start blaming me for anything with your grandfather.If you had an ounce of courage, you'd have fought for the woman you claim to love. Crawl if you had to,but don't pretend you didn't want the Mitchell family fortune. But you didn't. You just folded like a coward.Face it-you took everything handed to you, and now you're desperate to make me the villain? That's not what a real man does."

For the first time in ages, Emilia finally let all the resentment pour out, leaving her feeling lighter inside.

A moment of silence followed before Rodger roared,"Emilia!"

With deliberate sweetness, Emilia drawled, "Still here,Mr.Mitchell."

Rodger sounded like he was about to burst, fury practically radiating through the phone.

Through clenched teeth, he warned, "Watch yourself. Push me any further, and you'll walk away with nothing!"

A cold smile curled on Emilia's lips. "Don't waste your breath. Legally, I'm entitled to half of everything,and I wouldn't touch your offer if you doubled it.The more you break your promises, the stronger my position gets. I can hold off on divorcing forever. So tell me, Rodger, who's really the outsider now? No matter what you do, Violet will never be anything more than the other woman."

Emilia gave an exaggerated eye roll, not even slightly rattled by his empty threat. Was he seriously under the impression that he could scare her? Had it not been for Arthur's interference, she would have gone to war for her share of the Mitchell fortune.

If she had, Violet would have been stuck in the shadows, hidden away as nothing more than Rodger's nameless mistress. Knowing him, Rodger would never have let Violet bear such disgrace.

For a split second, Rodger thought he could back her into a corner, only to realize he was outmatched. Emilia's confidence flipped the script.

In his mind, she was nothing but a greedy, superficial woman who finally showed her true intent. She wanted the Mitchells' riches, nothing more. Only Violet, he thought, loved him for himself.

But Rodger wasn't foolish enough to provoke her further. Tricking her into proceeding the divorce was his only option now.

"You promised you'd go to court tomorrow. You're not planning to break your word, are you?" asked Rodger.

As soon as she heard his taunt, Emilia's lips curled into a silent, mocking smile. "I'll be there. Unlike you,I don't back out. All I need is the settlement paperwork, and I'll wrap this up tomorrow."

"Emilia, don't let me down. I expect you to keep your promise."

"Rest assured. A man like you never deserved to be named as my husband in the first place." "You really think you're something special?"

"I know I am. By the way, rumor has it Webster put you in the hospital. I guess you're not nearly as tough as you make out."

"Emilia, don't push me-"

"Relax. Try not to work yourself into a stroke. I'd hate to read about your meltdown in tomorrow's news."

"Enough! We'll settle this at court, Emilia. I'll see you there!" Rodger slammed his phone down, boiling with rage over her biting jabs.

A quiet laugh escaped Emilia as she tossed her phone to the side and stretched out on her bed,feeling a wave of satisfaction.

Nothing felt sweeter than watching a scoundrel suffer, and she was already eager to see Rodger's battered face when tomorrow came.