Vanessa was rooted in the same place while her posture was slightly tilted and the people present in the hall were glancing at her with mocking glances.
The traces of Mia’s ruthless kicks with her high heeled shoes were still present on the back of Vanessa’s knees.
Her face was bruised, her hair was a terrible mess, the floor was stained with her bloodied legs, and the glass shards scattered across the hall. All in all, it appeared as if she was hit by a typhoon!
Well, with the viciousness the Jones family displayed, it wasn’t any less than a cyclone that was aimed to destroy her life.
Just like her broken heart, everything near her vision was broken and the room was a chaotic mess since Mia furiously broke everything near her because she couldn’t make Vanessa bend her head down!
What a shame to Mia Jones!
Even with the slightest movement, Vanessa’s body ached painfully and if she wasn’t careful enough, she would fall to the floor on her knees in a miserable way which would mean she accepted the sin and admitted defeat.
Then all the fight she had put up till now would be a waste!
However, she wasn’t willing to! She had faced a lot of humiliations in the past three years in the Jones family and she wasn’t going to break beyond repair just with this one night.
She consoled her heart and used all her strength to get back straight on her feet, but her face was scrunched up in agony when she was halfway.
A yelp was about to escape from her mouth but she bit her lips so hard that they bleed to suppress her emotions.
She didn’t want to appear weak and give them another chance to bully her!
Eyeing the pitiful appearance of Vanessa, Mia who stood aside felt she was going to apologize, and the corners of her lifted upwards ever so slightly.
A mocking sneer was plastered on her rosy lips and she anticipated a good show to unfold. She even imagined Vanessa apologizing meekly and it felt so damn good in her dreams, and she was even more enthusiastic to experience it in real life.
Observing the change of emotions in Vanessa, Austin who stood aside with an aura of aloofness suddenly had a flash of light appeared in those gloomy eyes as if he was excited to watch the show since he too felt Vanessa was finally going to admit.
But oh boy, was he wrong?
Vanessa felt she was losing her balance and she was too painfully aware of what would happen if she let her grip loose. With gritted teeth, she used all her willpower and her hands took the support of the nearby wall to not let her knees land on the floor.
She inhaled a deep breath and pressed her plump lips into a thin line while slowly she straightened her back although the pain was tearing her insides and she stood tall on her feet, while amazement was danced across the faces of the members present in the hall.
Her doe like watery eyes appeared so emotionless and there was a hidden fire in them that would burn hell loose if she was to lose to the family today.
Gazing at her stubbornness, the Old Master Jones had become so furious that his veins trembled in rage and he yelled while throwing his walking stick at her face, “Vanessa! You’ve gone too far!”
The stick hit her on her forehead and a new bruise was formed while a stinging pain erupted in her already throbbing head.
Without giving her any chance, the Old Master Jones screamed with so much intensity that made everyone in the hall hold their breaths. “Such a vicious woman like you didn’t even deserve to lay your filthy foot in this basement hall.”
“Take her away and make her kneel outside the mansion until she admits her mistakes. It didn’t matter how much time or how many days it would take!” He announced and a shiver run down Vanessa’s spine.
He glanced sideways and his eyes met with Austin’s cold gaze and the Old Master Jones added with disgust, “Have your best men keep an eye on this vile witch.”
Austin nodded and when he was about to take Vanessa away, the Old Master Jones added, “don’t let her move nor give her anything to eat until she admits what mistakes she did.”
Vanessa turned to face Austin and opened her mouth to explain what happened, but he strode towards her and hooked his hand on her neck, and put on an iron grip while his next words made her believe it would be of no use.
“Kneel down!” Austin’s dangerous tone boomed in the hall making everyone’s hair stand up in fear and his force was doubled.
Vanessa, a weak woman who was already suffering from fever and bodily injuries couldn’t tolerate his forceful strength and she was dropped onto the floor with a thud.
Her knees hit the broken glass pieces and she felt as if her kneecaps were broken, but still, she tried to get up, but Austin didn’t let her and added in a no nonsense tone, “Either Kneel down or you would be driven out of the family.”
She couldn’t help but mutter his name in disbelief while her forehead was wrinkled, “Austin ?”
“We family didn’t need to have such a malicious daughter-in-law.” Austin eyed her and uttered in utmost seriousness making her face turn livid.
His words cut deep into her heart and the impact they had on her poor soul was immense. She felt as if she was about to have a panic attack as she couldn’t breathe but she gripped her nails into her hands so hard that they bled to not let them see her suffering.
How can he, the man whom she loved so dearly for three years could do this to her without any remorse?
She even fought with her beloved family and cut all the ties just to carry his family name.
But what did he do to her except force her into a corner and make her miserable!
She knew he would never offer his protection to her but still, she felt it was hard to believe that she literally meant nothing to him in these three years of their married life which was no less than a joke!
While she was struggling internally while kneeling, the pain on her knees and external bodily injuries caused her a lot of pain and she felt as if her body was pressed to a thousand sharp needles at once!
But they didn’t compare to the silent tears her heart was shedding. The amount of agony and the scars he had left on her heart will never fade!
Her one foolish decision three years ago had changed her from a princess to a servant. No, even a servant of the Jones family would be treated better than her!
Slowly, she raised her trembling eyelashes and wiped the teardrops with the back of her hands, and raised her head to meet Austin’s indifferent gaze.
There were tinges of ruthlessness lurking in those pools and were ready to swallow her alive and she shivered!
His expressionless face felt like she was stabbed with a sharp knife in her heart several times. She even felt it would be better if she could die only once instead of getting stabbed mercilessly so many times!
Eyeing all of the Jones family members, Vanessa was beyond stunned by the atrocities they were committing. How can they be this cruel to her and accuse her without even investigating?
They just believed in the baseless accusations of Isabella Green and went to great lengths to torture her!
Great! If they were so adamant about making her suffer, then there was no need for her to stay here.
With that, she muttered while her hands rested on the ground to give her the support she needed, “I’m innocent! I didn’t do anything to Isabella yesterday. She fell down the stairs on her own.”
After she said that, she propped herself up and staggered a bit before she stabilized her bleeding feet. Her eyes peeped at Austin’s tall silhouette as if this was the last time she was going to be this close to him and continued, “but I know nobody would believe my words.”
With a sigh, she said in a determined voice while her body was shivering badly and she pinched the middle of her brows to be strong because she didn’t know when she would collapse, “I want a divorce, Austin Jones.”
Austin sat in his office chair leisurely with his legs crossed, while a frown was settled on his cold yet handsome face as he was deeply thinking about the words Vanessa had said earlier that morning.When he was about to hop onto his car, he heard Vanessa's hoarse voice and his steps halted. His aloof gaze landed on her pale face, her lips were chapped, and she appeared as if she had suffered grievances and had lost weight overnight.But he didn't bother about her and scrutinized her with his piercing glare when she muttered without any emotion in her voice, her usual luster eyes now seemed cold with a hidden rage in them, "I want a divorce, Austin ."Hearing her say those words so nonchalantly had made him uncomfortable, but he didn't let it show on his face and gave a sharp glance at her and left with a slight nod.He was too stunned to say anything else to her as those words were stuck in his mind and kept on reverberating in his brain, forcing him to think of it.Austin actually
It was a bright morning with the sun kissing her cheeks while she was still resting with her eyes closed in the hospital bed.With the blazing heat searing her skin, she slowly moved and opened her eyes while rubbing them with her hands.She glanced at the wall clock, and mumbled in astonishment, "seven a.m." It means she was out all yesterday!Vanessa nibbled her lips while lifting herself up since the pain in her muscles hadn't subsided yet and it felt as if her body was fractured!She sighed in disappointment since she was feeling so damn weak and there was nothing she could do to reduce her physical injuries.By then Fiona had just opened the door and stepped in with a bottle of pomegranate juice and a light porridge.Eyeing the awake Vanessa, Fiona felt delighted and jumped towards Vanessa in a swift move making her startled and chuckle at the same time.But Fiona didn't bother about Vanessa's chuckle and asked seriously, "how are feeling now?"She put her hand on Vanessa's foreh
Vanessa propped herself up and rested her head on the pillow while a sly smirk danced on her face, but she appeared calm, in fact too calm when she talked about divorce.Eyeing Vanessa talking so nonchalantly about divorce while her lips curled slightly upwards with a flash of coldness in her amber pools made Fiona wonder whether Vanessa was really serious or joking about it.Fiona was worried that if Vanessa had become soft hearted like she was before with Austin, then she would be bullied by Austin again.That thought alone made Fiona’s insides burn and her brows furrowed when she heard Vanessa mumble while fiddling with her fingers leisurely, “Take out the divorce agreement in my suitcase.”Listening to it, Fiona almost jumped in happiness and exclaimed, “you’re really serious!”Thinking back on how Vanessa had suffered all these years in the name of her love for Austin, Fiona had tears swelled in her eyes.Fiona sniffed while glancing at Vanessa and patted her shoulder in encourag
Vanessa entered and left Austin Jones's cabin in a fraction of a twinkle as if she didn't have another second to spare a glance at her husband! Well, he was about to become an ex-husband!Seeing Vanessa's leaving back without a care in the world, his eyes followed her loud footsteps, which reverberated her confidence, while she swayed her hips and his gaze darkened while his fists clenched involuntarily.With scrunched brows, he grabbed the divorce agreement she had placed. Eyeing her clear signature in the black ink, he gritted his teeth and focused on the empty column next to her signature, which was for him to sign.A simple signature could terminate their three years of marriage in the span of a single day.Austin inhaled a chunk of air, and he felt complex emotions swirling in him, but he didn't understand what they were.Shaking his head in disapproval since he was thinking too much about an unworthy Vanessa, Austin again concentrated on the agreement which was just a single pag
After Vanessa calmed down a little bit, she wiped her tears with the back of her hands and took a deep breath with her eyes shut, and muttered, while the grip on her mobile had tightened as if her life had depended on it, "I'll come home soon, Dad."With a small pause, she added while her voice had become raspy due to her crying, but she tried her best to not let her father know, "Once I wrapped everything up here with no loopholes, I would come back to Los Angeles."Though Vanessa had successfully managed to muffle her sobs, she couldn't fool her father, who knew inside and out. Just by hearing her tone, he understood that his assumptions had come true.He didn't know what troubles his daughter had faced, but he was sure she was wronged!As the realization sunk in his mind, his throat felt dry all of a sudden, and his eyes watered, but he quickly get a grip on himself and said in his doting tone, "Alright. Take your time but be quick. Your mother and I would prepare for your arrival!
Vanessa gracefully stepped down from the car and strode to the court with her head held high while the chilly breeze hitting her made her silky hair flow freely, and she brushed it behind her ear with her slender fingers keeping a gentle expression on her face while all the gazes nearby glanced at her in awe with her dazzling beauty.Her every step displayed her confidence and she had an imposing aura lurking in the shadows, although she appeared tender which made her even more attractive.When her steps finally halted in front of the court, she eyed her watch, and a satisfying curve settled on her lips since she was five minutes earlier than her appointed time.By the time she reached the arena where the divorce cases were handled, she was the only one present, but her eyes roamed across the large queue on the other side where marriage certificates would be issued and a panging pain hit her chest as the realization sunk in that she was really going to get a divorce with Austin Jones!
After a really long day, Vanessa got down from the car and moved into Fiona's house while a cold gleam was dancing in her brown orbs.Seeing Vanessa was already back, Fiona, who settled herself on the sofa while watching television, was surprised and couldn't help but take another glance at Vanessa and eyed her watch."Wow, you were awfully fast!" Fiona commented, making Vanessa's eyebrows twitch, but she didn't respond and sat on the opposite chair and grabbed the bottle of water.Quickly, she gulped down as if she was deserted for a week making Fiona chuckle and asked while enthusiasm was lurking in her eyes, "Did you get a divorce?"Hearing it, Vanessa stopped what she was doing and gave a slight nod while her gaze was focused on the television, but Fiona wasn't satisfied as she was eager to hear everything that happened at the court."Show me the divorce certificate!" Fiona demanded while Vanessa was getting a headache with her excitement, but she couldn't do anything to Fiona and
Austin Jones sat on the president's chair with his legs crossed, his hands drumming on the table while his gaze focused on the presentation, and the department heads were eager to satisfy him to get their perks.When he was deep in thoughts, a phone rang, making the people in the conference hall wipe their sweat since they all know Austin would never allow anyone to interrupt a meeting.Their heads turned around to see who was the unlucky fellow, but it again beeped, but from none other than Austin Jones himself!Seeing that, they all relaxed, but a frown was settled on Austin's handsome face because he wouldn't receive any calls in 'do not disturb' mode unless they called repetitively, and no one in his sane mind would call him like crazy unless something happened!With that, he grabbed his mobile from his pocket and eyed numerous missed calls from all of his close friends.He grasped that something must be wrong and decided to call them when a message popped up on his screen from Da
Two years laterAustin held her hand and let her climb the steps slowly as she was nine months pregnant. It's been a year and a half since they were married and he couldn't be any more happier.He got his love and they both built a house for themselves, wiping away all the bad memories in their lives and welcomed the joy with their open hands."Ouch." Vanessa exclaimed when Austin paused and quickly tended to her, "what's wrong, Nessa? Shall we go to the hospital?""No, Austin. Our naughty baby was moving and kicked me hard." Vanessa said and chuckled a little.Even though she was bloated and a little plump, his eyes were always on her, making her feel even more beautiful than she already is.The pregnancy glow on her face was clear, showing how happy she was with him, in their love nest, waiting to welcome the fruits of their love.He placed a kiss on her baby bump and lifted her in his arms when she squealed, "let me down, Austin.""No, I'm not letting you walk like this," Austin sa
Vanessa settled herself onto her chair and massaged her temples a little to relieve her stress a little after the long meeting she had.But Catherine came knocking on her door, "Miss Grant. Mr. Jones is waiting for you."As soon as Catherine said that, a sigh escaped her lips and she mumbled, "alright. I'd be out soon."Catherine nodded and went away, while Vanessa didn't know whether to laugh or cry because she underestimated Austin.A few weeks passed by since he declared, "let's start a fresh, Vanessa!"And in these weeks, he was trying his best to come to her and take her out and do all the little things she always wanted him to do for her.Seeing all of that, she didn't know how to reject him, because she couldn't lie to herself and pretend that it was nothing when Austin was changing. For her!She clearly remembered all of their dates they were having almost every other day and he never failed to surprise her with how much effort and consideration he was taking to get her back.
"Vanessa's car is broken, Austin. And you're urging me to start the car and drove away?" David's words echoed in Austin's ears. Nonetheless, he put on an emotionless facade and mumbled coldly, "What business do I have in that?"However, when he uttered those words, the car wasn't moved completely out of sight from Vanessa and Fiona, and his voice wasn't too low.Hearing his words made Vanessa purse her lips tightly, but the smile didn't leave her face even after she listened to every word clearly, and in no time the car passed away as if nothing happened, and in the next moment the smile on Vanessa's face vanished."That arrogant bastard." Fiona cursed as annoyance danced in her tone and Vanessa shook her head while her lips curled upwards ever so slightly, "let it be. I don't want people to think as if you're nuts with how you're looking right now.""Fuck you! I'm seriously angry at that asshole!" Fiona said while taking a heavy breath and added, "Why did he have to be so complacent?
Fiona let out a curse as the last ounce of patience left in her died when the car stopped in the middle of the road, "No fucking way! Why on earth did you have to choose to leave me this late at night?"Vanessa raised her brows and scoffed at Fiona's dramatic gesture. She shook her head, undid her seatbelt, and muttered, "let's go out of the car and take a look."With that said, Vanessa stepped outside and opened the front of the car to find out what was wrong.However, even though Vanessa was lacking knowledge regarding cars, she understood the car needed some urgent repair to get it going.Fiona slowly stood beside Vanessa and mumbled in annoyance, "did it break down for real?" "Vanessa cocked her head and met Fiona's eyes, "Exactly on point. Your prediction had come true."Fiona let out a sigh and pursed her lips together in worry, "what are we going to do now?""You must be kidding me, Fiona. What are we going to do? Is that what you're asking when it's so obvious we need help to
As soon as Fiona said that, Vanessa tilted her head and scoffed while her eyes were focused on Fiona, "I know I'm awesome, but I don't think it makes me compatible with Richard."Fiona couldn't suppress the smile that was threatening to burst from her lips and mumbled with a glint in her eyes, the tease in her tone was clearly visible, "honestly, I thought you both would make a nice match when I saw you both dancing so smoothly earlier."When Vanessa was convinced that Richard was no longer following her, she sighed with relief and moved forward to get a drink.But soon after hearing Fiona's remark, she added, "oh no, I'm not aware of the fact that your vision was significantly compromised these days."Fiona waved her hands and scoffed, "Jeez! My eyesight was alright. However, I must say that Richard is strongly proactive when it comes to you. Isn't he?"Vanessa wasn't concerned about it and carried on with socializing after talking for a bit. Fiona on the other side was bored to deat
"Austin, Do you really want to dance?" David repeated his words as he didn't get any reply from Austin.Although Austin was calm, seeing Vanessa walk with Richard so comfortably, his face turned livid while the coldness in his aura turned so chilling.But Vanessa seemed to be not aware of Austin's heated gaze as she immersed herself in the dance.Richard kept his one hand on her tiny waist, while his other hand held her palm ever so gently, but the grip was firm, keeping her in his hold.While she held his shoulder and kept moving with the beat with ease.As the music turned to high beats, their moves turned more romantic, their steps were more in sync, and the couple looked so pleasing to the eyes.Their genes were certainly top notch was an added advantage.As time passed by, almost all the people's eyes settled on the dancing couple as the atmosphere suddenly turned steamy with Richard twirling her and they ended up coming so close.They were so close that they could feel each othe
Hearing Vanessa's words, Fiona raised her head and stared at Vanessa's solemn expression and understood that she was damn serious.And a sigh escaped her lips as the realization sunk in."Alright then. If that was what you wants." Fiona stated cooly while she nodded her head and she firmly decided to give up mentioning Richard again.Anyhow, Richard was a well known playboy. Getting acquainted with him would only bring Vanessa trouble, and he was barely a romantic prospect, with not much gain or loss!But apparently, Richard didn't think like that it seems.Because his wooing methods improved as days passed, and he was getting bold day by day.His ways were extremely flashy, catching all the unwanted attention. His artificial flowers would perfectly sit on her table right on time, not a minute prior or ahead.He took great lengths in sending flowers which were rare species yet they were so good to the eye.As if that wasn't enough, he was literally bombarding his Feeds with posts, cre
Hearing Silas' words, Vanessa didn't retort them and gave a faint smile as she was well aware of what she was doing and where she was heading.However, she didn't act too arrogantly and exclaimed, "I still need your guidance, Mr. Dixon. After all, I'm still not very experienced!"As soon as Vanessa said that, Silas's lips tugged upwards in a pleasing curl as he was quite content with the way she purposely humbled herself in front of him.And he immediately waved his hands while a light chuckle escaped his lips, "You're very formal, Miss Grant." With a slight pause, he added while glancing at Vanessa, "Let us learn from one another and collaborate to propel Grant Corporation to new heights."Vanessa gave a firm nod, and stated politely, "I agree with you, Mr. Dixon."Soon after Vanessa stepped out of his office, Vanessa's smile faded to oblivion and she muttered coldly under her breath, "such an old fox!"After she was done dealing with Silas, she had become super busy since it was Mon
Vanessa eyed the document lying on her desk for a while and abruptly marched out of her cabin with the file in her hands, leaving Caroline stunned.However, Vanessa went by in a flash and a Caroline shook her head in disbelief.The sound of high heels clanking on the floor is the only thing that could be heard in the empty corridors while she walked forward to Silas Dixon's office.Her face was cold with no trace of warmth, and the determination in her amber orbs was clearly visible.With her head held high, and shoulders squared, every step she took exuded the confidence deeply ingrained in her bones.Eyeing her, Silas's assistant, who was on the side, remained dumbfounded for a while, and queried, "Miss Grant, are you going to meet Mr. Dixon?"Hearing his words, Vanessa gave a faint 'yes' and knocked on the door of Silas's office, while the assistant squinted his eyes baffled.In the next second, a quick 'come in' came from the inside, and Vanessa immediately pushed the door open an