After Divorce I Married a Tycoon-Chapter 20: Let Her Off So Easily?

Claire Mercer had never been a doormat who let people walk all over her.

The only reason she had always put up with the Mercers was because they were her parents.

But what right did these outsiders have to point fingers at her?

"What, if it’s not my place, is it yours?"

"Three years ago, you tried to crawl into Gavin Sinclair’s bed, but he threw you out like a common prostitute."

"He didn’t even want you when you offered yourself on a silver platter. That just shows how repulsive you are."

"If I were you, I’d be too ashamed to even leave the house. How utterly humiliating."

The socialite whose dirty laundry had been aired turned beet red with anger.

’Not many people knew about this. How did Claire Mercer find out?’

’Not only did she know, but she’d just announced it in public. How could I ever show my face again?’

The other girls were hearing this for the first time, and the way they looked at the disgraced socialite changed.

"Mina Lawton, is what she said true?"

"Did you really throw yourself at Sinclair only to get kicked out?"

"I..." Mina Lawton stammered, unable to deny it.

"You look so prim and proper. I never thought you were so promiscuous."

"We shouldn’t hang out with people like her anymore. It really lowers our standards."

"But Claire Mercer is no saint either. She’s just a bit luckier than Mina."

Just then, Roxanne Peyton fanned the air in front of her face and tsked twice.

"I was wondering why this ballroom suddenly stinks. Turns out it’s the bad breath coming from your mouths."

"You’re all dressed to the nines, but the moment you open your mouths, nothing but crap comes out. You should hurry back, brush your teeth, rinse with mouthwash, and then come back out to embarrass yourselves."

The socialites, flushed with anger from Roxanne Peyton’s retort, all turned their fire on her.

"Who do you think you are, daring to say we have bad breath?"

"Anyone who’s friends with Claire Mercer can’t be any good."

"I don’t know what the Mercer Family is thinking, letting all sorts of riffraff in. It’s dragging me down just being here."

"Some little country bumpkin comes out of nowhere and dares to run her mouth at us. Watch your back, or you’ll regret it."

Roxanne Peyton quickly linked arms with Claire Mercer, her expression dramatically exaggerated.

"Claire, what kind of ghoulish freaks did your family invite to this party? They’re scaring me!"

Claire Mercer couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s antics. "Alright, alright, don’t be scared. They’re just a few filthy flies."

"Claire Mercer, how dare you call us filthy flies?"

"Did I name any names?" Claire Mercer replied with a cool, faint smile.

"Miss Dalton, why are you so quick to assume I’m talking about you? It seems you have a very clear understanding of yourself."

The Dalton Family’s daughter was so angry she could barely breathe. "You..."

Claire Mercer rolled her eyes at her, not bothering to engage any further.

She turned, pulling Roxanne Peyton and Stella Thorne toward a less crowded corner.

She had never particularly enjoyed these kinds of banquets.

So many people came with the sole purpose of finding a spouse for their son or daughter, their eyes constantly sizing everyone up.

And now, this run-in with a few socialites from God-knows-which families had left her feeling even more annoyed.

’They clearly have nothing better to do than to pick fights and make a scene just to feel important.’

’I have no idea where they get their sense of superiority from. Their holier-than-thou attitude is just nauseating.’

Just then, a commotion broke out in the ballroom.

"What did you say? The young master of the Rowan Family is here?"

"What’s going on with the Mercer Family? How did they manage to invite someone from the Rowan Family?"

"The Sinclair Family may be the wealthiest in Rhonia, but they’re nothing compared to a powerful, aristocratic family like the Rowans."

"The Sinclair Family invited the Rowans to their last banquet, and the Rowans didn’t even give them the time of day."

"So how did a third-rate wealthy family like the Mercers manage to get someone from the Rowan Family to show up?"

"If they’ve managed to curry favor with the Rowan Family, does this mean the Mercers are about to make a comeback?"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, each person adding their own two cents.

Meanwhile, Claire Mercer was wondering the same thing.

’The Rowan Family is the top aristocratic family in Rhonia. Even the Sinclair Family is desperate to get in their good graces.’

’After all, money is no match for power. In the face of true aristocracy, even the wealthiest families have to bow their heads.’

’So why would the young master of the Rowan Family show up at our family’s banquet?’

’It’s completely baffling.’

As she was pondering this, she suddenly spotted someone in the crowd.

Adrian Sutton!

’How did he get here?’

’How did a ’three-nothings’ guy—no power, no influence, and no job—sneak into the Mercer family banquet?’

’Besides, haven’t I been running into him a little too often lately?’

Roxanne Peyton said, "Claire, I think I see that male model. Quick, look, is that him?"

She wasn’t entirely sure, though; one side of his face was swollen like a steamed bun.

Claire Mercer nodded. "It’s him."

One side of his face was still swollen, with a dark bruise under his eye.

His once-handsome face now looked like a pig’s head.

That was why she had spotted him instantly. After all, he was rather conspicuous in his current state.

Roxanne Peyton muttered, "But what happened to his face? How did such a handsome face end up looking like that?"

Stella Thorne said, "Looks to me like he got beaten up. Who did he piss off? They really didn’t hold back."

Claire Mercer cleared her throat. "Gavin Sinclair did it."

She briefly told Roxanne Peyton and Stella Thorne what had happened last night.

Roxanne Peyton was so furious she almost let out a string of curses.

"Seriously, is there something wrong with that Gavin Sinclair?"

"He’s allowed to mess around with his mistress, but he can’t stand it when another man gives Claire a ride home?"

"Beating someone up is one thing, but on what grounds is he refusing to divorce? On what grounds?"

Stella Thorne couldn’t help but chime in.

"Claire, what did you ever see in such a scumbag?"

"He clearly doesn’t love you, yet he insists on dragging this out and wasting your youth. The man has no conscience."

"I’ve never met such a shameless person in my life. Just talking about him makes my blood boil."

Claire Mercer quickly tried to console them. "Okay, okay, I’m not even angry, so you two should calm down a little."

"But what if he really insists on not getting a divorce?"

Roxanne Peyton and Stella Thorne now utterly despised Gavin Sinclair.

They couldn’t wait for Claire to get away from that scumbag.

"But don’t we still have his mistress?" Claire Mercer said, looking relaxed.

"Isn’t the whole reason his mistress came back to usurp my position?"

"And it seems she’s pregnant, too. With that, she’s even less likely to give up her chance to marry into a wealthy family."

Roxanne Peyton and Stella Thorne nodded, thinking she had a point.

"Even if you can use the mistress to get your divorce, are you just going to let her marry Gavin Sinclair?"

"You took care of Gavin Sinclair for two long years, and now that his legs have just healed, she can’t wait to come back and ruin your marriage. I just can’t swallow that."

Stella Thorne nodded in agreement. "Are you really going to let her off so easily? That would be letting her off way too cheap."

Claire Mercer said, "Let’s use her to secure the divorce first. Besides, the Sinclair Family won’t necessarily agree to let her marry in."

With that, she quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway, who’s that man with Adrian Sutton? He looks like someone important."