Chapter 286 — The Divorce Confession

Chapter 286 — The Divorce Confession
The door burst open with a force that made the walls tremble.

Cassandra stormed into the apartment like a wave of anger that had finally broken loose. Her heels struck the floor in quick, sharp steps, each movement revealing how furious she truly was. The tension in her shoulders and the hard set of her jaw made it clear she had been holding this frustration inside for far too long.

“Clara, you know I don’t have time for this,” Cassandra snapped the moment she stepped inside, pushing the door closed behind her with a loud slam.

Her voice carried exhaustion, anger, and something deeper—disappointment.

Clara was already sitting on the couch when Cassandra entered.

She had not moved for a long time.

Her shoulders were bent forward, her hands resting weakly in her lap as though even lifting them had become difficult. Her entire body looked drained of strength. The hours of crying had left her eyes swollen and red, her face pale and lifeless.

She looked like someone who had been crushed by the weight of the world.

Cassandra stopped a few steps away and crossed her arms tightly.

“I already have more problems than I can handle,” she continued sharply. “I don’t need to spend my time cleaning up the disaster you created.”

Her words came out harshly

But Cassandra’s anger was not only about the scandal.

It was about Matteo.

To Cassandra, Matteo was more than just her employer.

He was someone she deeply respected.

For years she had watched him build his career with discipline, determination, and relentless hard work. Millions of fans admired him, and Cassandra had always believed he deserved every bit of that admiration.

He was an idol.

Not just to her, but to the entire world.

And now, because of Clara, his name was being dragged through mud across every news platform and social media page.

Everywhere people were talking about the scandal.

Everywhere people were attacking Clara.

Everywhere people were questioning Matteo.

Clara barely raised her head as Cassandra’s words reached her.

When she finally spoke, her voice sounded fragile and broken.

“Cassandra…” she whispered.

The name almost disappeared in the middle of the sentence.

“I… I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Her fingers tightened together slowly.

“Please,” she said softly, her voice shaking. “I need your help.”

Cassandra stared at her silently.

For a moment, disbelief mixed with frustration in her expression.

She simply could not understand.

“Clara… why did you do this to Matteo?” Cassandra asked at last.

It was the same question the entire world had been asking.

Reporters.

Fans.

Commentators.

Everyone wanted to know.

Why?

Clara’s lips trembled.

“Cassandra,” she said quietly, her voice shaking with desperation, “if I tell you that I’m also a victim… that Dylan did all of this intentionally to take revenge…”

She slowly lifted her eyes.

“Would you believe me?”

For the first time since entering the apartment, Cassandra’s expression softened slightly.

She saw something inside Clara’s eyes.

Fear.

Pain.

And a vulnerability that was impossible to fake.

Cassandra sighed quietly.

Her anger slowly faded, replaced by reluctant understanding.

“Clara,” she said gently now, “even if I believe you, the damage has already happened.”

She looked away briefly before continuing.

“Matteo’s image has already been affected.”

Her voice was no longer harsh.

“We have to find a way to repair this.”

Clara nodded slowly.

Her mind had been running through the same problem again and again.

The truth was simple.

There was no perfect solution.

But suddenly something changed in her expression.

A faint spark of determination appeared behind the sadness in her eyes.

“What if…” she began quietly.

Cassandra looked back at her.

Clara inhaled deeply.

“What if I take responsibility for the infidelity… and file for divorce from Matteo?”

Her voice remained steady.

“Would that save him from this situation?”

Cassandra blinked in surprise.

She had not expected those words.

For a moment she simply studied Clara in silence.

There was bravery in that decision.

But there was also tragedy.

Finally, C. Assandra spoke.

“Yes,” she admitted quietly.

“If you confess, the public will sympathize with Matteo.”

She leaned back slightly.

“He will become the victim… the husband who was betrayed.”

But then Cassandra’s voice lowered.

“Clara… are you certain about this?”

Her eyes searched Clara’s face carefully.

“You understand how the public works. Matteo’s fans, the media… they will hate you.”

She paused before finishing.

“This scandal will stay with you forever.”

Clara smiled faintly.

But the smile carried no happiness.

It was the smile of someone who had already accepted their fate.

“I don’t care,” she said softly.

Her eyes lowered.

“The only thing that matters right now is saving Matteo.”

Her voice remained calm.

“This happened because of me.”

Her fingers tightened again.

“So I’ll take responsibility.”

She slowly lifted her head.

“I’ll face whatever happens.”

But inside her mind, Clara had already thought through every possibility.

If she tried to defend herself publicly, the truth about her marriage would come out.

Everyone would discover that her relationship with Matteo was never real.

It was only a contract.

And if that truth became public, the scandal would grow far worse.

His reputation would collapse.

His career would suffer.

The damage would become impossible to repair.

It was better this way.

Better for the world to hate her.

Better for her to fall alone.

“You should talk to Matteo,” Cassandra suggested gently. “Maybe the two of you can solve this together.”

Clara slowly shook her head.

“No, Cassandra.”

Her voice sounded tired.

“It’s too late.”

She swallowed painfully.

“And I can’t face him.”

Her heart twisted painfully inside her chest.

Because the truth was simple.

She loved him.

More than she had ever loved anyone in her life.

And that was exactly why she had to protect him.

Even if protecting him meant destroying herself.

“Arrange a press conference,” Clara said quietly.

Her voice carried determination and quiet resignation.

Her hands trembled slightly.

But her decision had already been made.

—

Across the city, Matteo stood inside the massive living room of his mansion.

A glass of scotch rested in his hand.

Too tightly.

His knuckles had turned white from the pressure.

His eyes were fixed on the large television mounted on the wall.

Breaking news flashed across the screen.

Every word felt like a knife twisting inside his chest.

“See, Matteo?” Stella said from behind him.

Her voice carried disappointment and anger.

“You chose the wrong woman again.”

The entire De Luca family had gathered inside the room.

Parents.

Siblings.

Everyone watched the television in silence.

Matteo’s jaw tightened as he stared at the screen.

On the television, Clara stood in front of a crowd of reporters.

Her face looked calm.

Too calm.

Her innocent expression remained the same as always.

But the words she spoke felt like knives.

“I admit that I was wrong,” Clara said on camera.

Her voice sounded distant and controlled.

“I should never have gone to meet Dylan while I was married to Matteo.”

Matteo’s chest tightened painfully.

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“But I cannot stay in this marriage anymore,” she continued.

Her expression did not change.

“I don’t love my husband.”

The room became completely silent.

“I’m tired of that life,” Clara finished softly.

“I want a divorce.”

The words echoed inside Matteo’s mind again and again.

His breathing grew heavier.

His eyes remained locked on the screen.

Was this really the same woman?

The same woman whose smile once brightened his darkest days?

The same woman whose quiet presence had slowly filled the empty spaces in his life?

Questions flooded his mind endlessly.

Had she loved Dylan all along?

Had he simply been a temporary replacement?

Was he never enough for her?

What could that man offer that he could not?

A burning anger slowly consumed him.

His grip on the glass tightened further.

Before he even realized what he was doing—

The glass shattered in his hand.

The sound broke the silence inside the room.

Sharp pieces of glass cut into his palm as blood slowly began to drip down his fingers.

Dark red drops stained the floor.

But Matteo didn’t react.

He didn’t even notice the pain.

His mind was consumed by something else.

Betrayal.

“Matteo!” Stella cried, rushing toward him.

She grabbed his injured hand quickly.

“Bring the first aid kit!” she shouted to the staff.

“Now!”

But Matteo didn’t move.

His eyes remained fixed on the television.

“Matteo,” Alvin said with a heavy sigh as he stepped forward.

“Don’t destroy yourself over this.”

His voice carried cold judgment.

“Look at her.”

He pointed toward the television.

“She’s shameless.”

His expression hardened further.

“Creating a scandal without any shame.”

He threw a set of papers onto the table.

“They’re divorce papers.”

“They’re already signed.”

“Cassandra delivered them.”

Matteo’s older brother, Morgan, stepped forward.

“Look what she’s done to you,” Morgan said angrily.

“This disgusting scandal could have destroyed your reputation.”

His voice became more serious.

“And if the truth about the contract marriage comes out…”

He didn’t need to finish.

“Your career will be finished.”

Matteo finally spoke.

“I don’t care about the scandal.”

His voice was low.

Dangerously low.

“And I don’t care about my career.”

His burning glare movededededessssssd across the room, silencing everyone.

But the pain inside his voice could not be hidden.

Because the truth was far deeper than what anyone else understood.

It was not the scandal destroying him.

It was not the media.

It was not even the possibility that the contract marriage might be exposed.

The thing that truly destroyed him…

The thing tearing him apart from the inside…

Was the belief that Clara had chosen Dylan.

Over him.

And in that moment, Matteo believed something that shattered his heart completely.

In her heart…

He had never been enough.