Rise Of The Discarded Husband

Chapter 9: Drake Is Ridiculed.

Downstairs, Aria looked at Drake. No matter how composed he looked, she could feel the hurt and years of maltreatment vibrating all over him. She hesitated, wondering if or not to go back to the penthouse.

Before she could say something, Drake's phone rang and he took it out. He excused himself and walked a few meters off, communicating with the person at the end of the phone. When he returned, his expression was sharp. “I have to be somewhere,”

He pressed a key in his hand and his car beeped as the doors unlocked. “Get into the car, Aria,”

A confused frown crossed her face. “Where–”

“Just come with me. It's important,”

The frown remained on her face as she looked at him, trying to understand what was going on. But before she could stop herself, she opened the door and slid into the car.

Drake started the engine, his gaze fixed on the road. Her eyes drifted to the window and she took in the moving road and cars while trying to focus her thoughts.

When the car finally stopped and she came down, her eyes widened and her heart did a fast summersault. “The Nasdaq bell banquet?” She muttered shakily as she turned to him. “Why did you bring me here. I told you everything about—”

“It's okay, you're safe,” His voice rang with an authority that made her heartbeat steady. He walked towards the door and opened it. “Let's go inside,”

The hall was bright with excitement as they walked inside. People gathered around tables in their expensive clothes, drinking and laughing hard. Aria swallowed, her palms feeling sweaty. No matter how hard she tried to tuck away the nervousness, it came crashing against her in waves as she walked closely beside Drake. This event cruelly reminded her of what she lost, the reason why everything she ever owned had crumbled—Her failure. What was Drake thinking when he brought her here?

Her heart stuttered in panic and her steps faltered. She felt herself stumbling forward, but a warm hand at her back steadied her.

“Breathe,” Drake whispered into her ears. He was about to say something else when his eyes caught something, or rather someone.

Lydia.

She was standing in the middle of a small crowd, her face gleaming in pride as she savoured the praises of the people around her. She looked posh and elegant, her gold dress glimmering in the lights. A black fur was wrapped around her shoulders and as she laughed, the heavy diamond around her neck shone.

The perfect image of the rich star of the event.

Leo stood beside her, hands wrapped around her waist. When he turned, his eyes locked with them and he whispered something in Lydia's ear.

Lydia snorted, tracked her gaze from Drake to Aria, and strode over with a scoff. Was it arrogance or was Drake just plain stupid to show up at her event with a bitch?

“Look what we have here. The joke of the day,” She said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. “What makes you think the likes of you are welcomed here?”

Her sharp voice attracted the attention of the people and they all turned, looking at Drake and Aria like they had just crawled out of an incinerator.

The whispers around them grew thicker, before someone shouted, pointing at Aria. “Wait, isn't that Aria Blackwood of Aeuriel Limited?”

“What's she doing here after her company's IPO failed?”

“Shhhh….” Another person whispered fiercely into his neighbor's ear. “I heard she went bankrupt last month. Lost everything,”

“Such a shame–”

Murmurs flew around as everybody spoke at once. Lydia tapped her champagne glass in a way that drifted the attention back to her. She snorted. “Excuse me guys, I need some space,” Her mocking eyes drifted to Drake. “I have private matters to deal with,”

The crowd immediately parted, but Leo held her waist firmly, forcing her to look at him. He licked his lips seductively. “Should I leave as well?”

“Come on, don't be ridiculous,” Lydia chuckled, linking her arms around him. “Why would you leave? Have you forgotten you're mine? Stay with me, sweetie,”

Drake watched coldly as the couple flirted in front of him. Their confidence amused him and he said nonchalantly. “If you have something to say, say it quickly. I don't have all the time,”

Lydia looked at him, rolling her eyes hard. She laughed lightly. “I don't even know why you showed your stupid face here. Anyways, there's nothing to say. I already signed the divorce papers,” She looked at him in disgust. “Your belongings at home, what do you want me to do with those junks? When do you plan on picking up those trash?”

“Burn them. Throw them away. Do whatever you like with it. I no longer need them,”

Lydia chuckled in surprise. “You? This poor scum who can barely afford to buy the rags you call clothes? Oh please! With the way you're going, you'll end up sleeping on the streets. If you want to help yourself, you could sell the brand-name items at home and get yourself food to last a week,”

The people around them burst into laughter, amusement written all over their faces.

Leo stepped forward, cleaning off an imaginary dirt off Drake's shirt as he chuckled. “For someone this worthless, don't you think your pride is too much? Don't try to embarrass yourself with a pride that can barely keep you alive. You should focus on whether you can even afford a meal,”

“Oh sweetie, you're too kind to offer this idiot any advice,” A sarcastic smile broke out on her face as she looked at Drake. “If you're smart, you'll take my offer while I'm in a good mood, otherwise when you come running to me, it'll be too late and you wouldn't even have a place to cry,”

The two of them burst into laughter, enjoying the ridicule. The crowd joined in, their eyes settled on the entertainment of the day. Maybe after this, Drake would learn his lesson and learn to pipe low like an obedient dog.

Aria clenched her jaws. Did these people enjoy having fun at the expense of someone else's feelings that much? Really? First it was Kelly and her cohort, and now this?

“Enough!” The word left her mouth before she could stop it.

The laughter paused. Everybody froze at the unexpected command as they looked at her.

“What did you just say?” Lydia was the first to recover.

“I said enough,” She said, matching her glare. “Who uses the other person’s things to settle a divorce? If you really wanted to compensate him, you should just give him the money! Can’t even spare a few hundred thousand, and you’re pretending to be so generous?”