When I Stopped Being Your Shadow - Chapter 35

Chapter 35

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“Well, I see that you feel shame too.”

 

“Ines, you!”

 

“But, how come that shame hasn’t been shown when you’ve been sleeping with my ex for years?” 

 

From the lips of Ines, who was usually foolish and kind, unexpected words poured out.

 

Blood drained from Ryan’s face.

 

‘D*mn it, I didn’t expect to be caught by Ines!’

 

The situation itself was an outlier.

 

Ryan hurriedly tried to persuade Ines. 

 

“I, Ines. Just calm down and listen, we..… !”

 

“….”

 

Ines looked at Ryan, who was making excuses with her cold eyes.

 

‘How could I love a man like that. Me.’ 

 

It was just pathetic. It was a waste that she had to cling to a man like that, devote her life to him, and use up her emotions.

 

Ines twisted her lips.

 

‘Well, fortunately.’

 

The past returned, the time when Ines still cherished Ryan very much.

 

At that time, Ryan was just shameless when she found out he had an affair with Charlotte. But now, he was busy trying to save face and aware of Ines’ eyes.

 

“Me and Charlotte, no, Young Lady Jason….!”

 

Ines, who listened from one ear, let the words out from another, took out a thick bunch of newspapers from her bag

 

Then she threw the newspaper bundle in front of the two of them. It was a very insincere movement, like kicking a stone caught in the tip of a foot.

 

Ryan narrowed his brow.

 

“Newspaper… Why?”

 

“Take a look.”

 

Ines pointed at the stack of newspapers with a chin gesture.

 

“Are you happy, Ryan? You’ve always dreamed of being famous.”

 

Ryan looked up at Ines with alert eyes.

 

“… What do you mean?”

 

“Congratulations on making it to the front page of Elton, the kingdom’s best daily newspaper.”

 

Ines gave a poignant congratulations.

 

“At least today, everyone in Lancaster will talk about you more than anyone else.”

 

“No, what!”

 

Surprised as if he was going to pass out, Ryan hurriedly reached for the newspaper.

 

When he opened the newspaper, there was an article about the size of a door.

 

 

The title was a headline that stimulated people’s curiosity.

 

Ryan’s eyes shook as if an earthquake had occurred.

 

 

Charlotte, who was reading the newspaper with Ryan over his shoulder, was astonished.

 

 “Wait a minute, if it’s Baron Jason’s daughter ..!”

 

Rustle!

 

Charlotte snatched the newspaper from Ryan’s hand.

 

A shrill voice rang out.

 

“Uh, why am I in this article?!”

 

Charlotte read the newspaper with a blue face. Elton devoted the entire front page to Ryan’s love affair in detail.

 

Of Ryan’s many women, Charlotte was the most prominent.

 

She was a beautiful woman with luscious red hair. Besides Ryan, she was interacting with many men.

 

And the reason Charlotte was able to make her social debut was because she was a friend of the former Countess Brierton.

 

To sum up the whole situation, it was as follows.

 

‘The woman who stole the man of her best friend.’

 

And the summary itself has ignited people’s curiosity.

 

Under normal circumstances, she would have been arrogant, saying, ‘The woman dared to claim her divorce and prevailed.’ Such miscellaneous complaints would be included.

 

“Uh, how could this be…… ”

 

The back of Charlotte’s hands gripping the newspaper trembled with anger and shame.

 

Charlotte, who raised her head, glared at Ines with a grimace.

 

 “Ines, how could you do this to me!”

 

“How could I do this to you?”

 

However, Ines answered calmly.

 

“A woman who can casually kiss and mix her body with her friend’s ex.”

 

“You… !”

 

“Why can’t I do this?” Ines shrugged her shoulders.

 

The moment she saw it, Charlotte felt as if something had been cut off in her head.

 

“This crazy… … … … !”

 

Slap!

 

Charlotte jumped up from her seat and slapped Ines on the cheek. At the fierce hand, Ines’ cheek became red and swollen in an instant. Even so, Charlotte couldn’t overcome her anger and breathed heavily.

 

“This, vicious, terrible! You really intend to block my way..!” 

 

Charlotte screamed evil for a while. Then her voice was cut off.

 

Slap!

 

Because Ines raised her hand and slapped Charlotte on the cheek. Charlotte grabbed her cheek and looked up at Ines with bewilderment.

 

“You, you! You hit me!?”

 

Whether Charlotte jumped or not, Ines clenched her trembling hand. She slapped her so hard that her palm tingled.

 

Satisfied with the sense of her numbness, Ines asked Charlotte. 

 

“You didn’t think that I would be okay being beaten by you, did you?”

 

“Ines!”

 

“The affair you had with the man who was once my husband, and all the injuries you inflicted on me.” 

 

Ines looked at Charlotte with a stern gaze.

 

“I’m going to ask for compensation from Baron Jason.”

 

“Well, it’s no use coming out like that! Do you think my family will stand still?”

 

Charlotte was furious and raised her voice.

 

“You hit me too! I was also physically injured!”

 

“Aha, really?”

 

Then Ines burst out laughing as if she had heard something very funny.

 

Charlotte’s face was as red as a ripe tomato.

 

“This, are you laughing now?!”

 

After laughing for a while, Ines nodded her head.

 

 “Yeah, let’s try that once.”

 

She laughed so much that tears welled up in her eyes. Wiping the tears away with her fingers, Ines added softly.

 

“Only when the two families of Brierton and Jason met each other in court.”

 

Charlotte stiffened her shoulders as she flinched.

 

Ines’s smile grew a little darker.

 

It was a clear mockery.

 

“Let’s see who can win.”

 

“You, are you threatening me now?!”

 

“To hear this as a threat because you know that the current situation is very disadvantageous to you?”

 

Charlotte was speechless.

 

“Well, that’s on the premise that the Jason will sue me.”

 

Ines looked at Charlotte, who was shaking her shoulders, up and down with a look of death in her eyes.

 

 “This is my opinion, but if the Jason is a common-sense family.”

 

Then she leisurely added her words.

 

“I don’t think your family would dare to confront the Countess of Brierton in the face of an obvious defeat, do you?”

 

“You, you…… !” 

 

Charlotte gritted her teeth and raised her hand once more.

 

She tried to slap Ines, unable to overcome her fury.

 

But Charlotte couldn’t do what she wanted.

 

“Char, Charlotte!”

 

Startled, Ryan reached out and grabbed Charlotte’s wrist.

 

It was so urgent that he had completely forgotten the title of ‘Lady Jason,’ which he normally called to deceive Ines.

 

“But before you be more rude to me, or slap me.” 

 

Ines, who was staring at the two, slowly added her words.

 

“You’d better think it over before you act.”

 

“What?”

 

“Do you think I would have come this far alone?”

 

Charlotte paused for a moment.

 

Ines continued speaking calmly.

 

“Was it a little loud earlier? It’s because I broke the door completely when I entered the studio.”

 

“You, you, that…… !”

 

“Could I break it myself?”

 

At that question, Charlotte’s face turned white as a blank sheet.

 

Charlotte, who only licked her lips, eventually bit her molars.

 

She then turned to Ryan as she wept.

 

“Ryan, do something about Ines!”

 

But Ryan could not move like a mouse in front of a beast. Ines only looked at Ryan as if he was pathetic.

 

‘It must be like that.’

 

As it should be, Ryan, who was no longer Count of Brierton, was nothing.

 

At best, he was just a second son of a Viscount, who couldn’t even inherit the title.

 

By nature, he was weak to the strong and strong to the weak. Ryan was weak.

 

Besides, there were strong guards waiting outside. In this situation, he would not dare to step up to Countess of Brierton.

 

As proof of that.

 

“…… Let’s go.”

 

“Hey, Ryan!”

 

“Oh, come on!”

 

Ryan blushed and grabbed Charlotte’s wrist strongly.

 

Eventually, the two of them got dressed and ran away from the studio. Even as the distance increased, the sound of them fighting could be heard.