Betrayed by My Trash Husband, Surrender Myself to the Devil-Chapter 8: No Way Out

Ray POV

As I continued filling up my journal about her, my phone on the desk suddenly rang. I glanced at it and picked up the call.

I didn’t want to forget every detail about my meeting with her, so I simply put the call on speaker while continuing to write.

"So, h-how did it go, brother?" Nervousness seeped through the caller’s voice. I almost scoffed when I heard it. "Did it go according to our plan? Did you write her as mentally ill?"

A smirk spread across my face when I heard that.

My pen stopped dancing across the journal as I replied, "No."

"What?! How—why didn’t you write her as crazy?!" Miles yelled into the phone. "You’re the only one who can send her to a mental hospital like we agreed before!"

My stepbrother’s voice was as grating as ever. If possible, I wanted to pull his vocal cords straight out of his larynx and crush them with my own hands, because the way he demanded things reminded me of my stepmother.

But of course, as a logical and sane man, I wouldn’t kill a very useful tool—at least not until I got what I wanted.

"I changed my mind," I replied calmly.

"What do you mean you changed your mind?! That’s not what we agreed on before!"

Miles raised his voice even more to pressure me, which was laughable. Because aside from Claudia, no one had ever managed to make me feel anything.

My heart had long been dulled, and so my answer was just as dull.

"What we ’agreed on’ before was just me nodding and humming. Do you really think you can bind me with that?" I sneered. "Besides, I wrote her as mentally sane because I want to see what you and your little slut will do to her next. It’s quite interesting watching her struggle."

"You—" I could hear Miles restraining his anger. "You’re not in love with her, are you?"

...

"If you’re done talking, I’ll hang up now," I said calmly.

"How could you act like nothing happened?! My plan is ruined because of you!"

"Then make it more interesting," I leaned back in my chair, glancing at the corner of the ceiling where the CCTV camera was located. "Oh, and don’t raise your voice at me. You should know I’m not someone you can afford to offend."

That last sentence was enough to silence my stepbrother.

So I pressed further, just to rub salt into the wound.

"You should be more respectful to your biggest investor, Mr. Hoffman," I scoffed. "Your company is currently running a multi-million-dollar development project, isn’t it? It’d be troublesome if Gatlin Gold suddenly pulled its investment."

"I-I was just surprised by what you did. I didn’t mean to offend you."

Like a lion stripped of its mane, Miles deflated and became docile again.

But I had always known his true nature growing up, and I knew he was no different from his mother.

Greedy and selfish.

"Good," I said. "Things wouldn’t be very interesting if I simply sent her to a mental ward, would they?"

"R-right..." Miles hesitated, then said, "But all I want is for her to obey me. I want two wives, you know. I don’t really want to hurt her."

"You can do whatever you want," I replied. "I won’t stop you."

"Really?"

"Hm." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

If Claudia chose to act according to my plan, then I’d simply adjust the chessboard, making sure I was the one who benefited in the end.

I suspected Miles still didn’t trust me. After all, we had never been on the best of terms.

And just as I expected, he asked again, "You’re really on my side, right, brother?"

"I’m on the winning side."

"Heh. Then you should know I’m going to make her bow to me. I’ll have Claudia and Clarissa as my wives," Miles declared.

From my observations, Miles had clearly been influenced by his new peers as his business grew. As embarrassing as it was, it wasn’t surprising for a new rich like him who had just joined the circle.

I had finally had enough of his voice. It was grating and pathetic, just like his mother, who acted sweet toward those she couldn’t offend and cruel toward those she could trample.

"Do whatever you want, Miles," I said coldly. "I’m just an observer. And I’m always on the winning side."

"Then you’re on my side, hah!"

Beep.

"On your side..." I smiled as I made one final note in my journal about Claudia. "There is no winning side except mine. All of you are nothing but tools, including you... No... especially you, Claudia."

As I closed the journal, my eyes landed on the image on its cover.

A beautiful blonde woman with pale blue eyes stared back at me. Her hair was tied into a bun adorned with delicate flower ornaments that made her even more striking.

She wore a long white dress that accentuated her hourglass figure, and she looked genuinely happy in the picture.

The photo wasn’t aligned properly, because I had cropped her husband out.

My finger traced the image slowly—her cheek, her exposed shoulder, her slender waist.

My heart began to burn, beating faster than usual. I wasn’t used to this sensation. My cold, dead heart rarely reacted unless I was staring at her image.

"You’ll be destroyed in the end, Claudia," I murmured. "Left with nothing and no one by your side, you’ll finally become my pet rat once you sign that contract."

I returned the journal to the drawer, then made one final call.

The woman on the other end answered immediately, "Yes, baby, what do you want? Hmm?"

Her voice was sweet as sugar, and I still felt nothing.

Like all humans, she was either a useful tool or a blurry figure I didn’t care about, and she fell into the first category.

"I didn’t expect you to push those girls, even your own daughter," I commented as this woman’s action was genuinely unexpected. Based on my study of motherhood, they should have a strong bond with their child, but for this woman to harm her own child was truly an... interesting take on motherhood.

"Awww, were you worried about her? I mean I’ve always been full of surprise!" the woman on the phone giggled. "It’s to frame Claudia as a crazy child killer, you know. But it’s fine~ the girls aren’t dead yet. I’m still a wonderful mother in case you want to have one with me too~."

"Did you tell Miles about your plan beforehand?" I asked as I actually had no idea of what she would do. She simply said that she’d make sure Claudia suffer, but never told me the method.

"Miles? His silly willy was very excited when I told him about my plan to push those girls. Well, he’s my baby daddy for a reason," the woman paused and added, "I like how efficient he is."

"Hm, just make sure Claudia has no way out."

"That’s all you’re calling for?" she complained. "Baby, I’ve been thinking about you all night~."

"...."

"Besides, even without your instruction, I’d still leave her with no escape. That motherless bitch needs to be taught a lesson for leaving her family!" she rambled. Her voice was even more grating than Miles’, though to me, both of them were annoying fleas. "Baby, once we ruin her life, can you finally take me out on a date? Dinner, maybe? I’ve been itching to—"

Beep.

I ended the call abruptly and tossed the phone onto the table.