Chapter 178 Striking You Would Taint Me

Chapter 178 Striking You Would Taint Me

William barked coldly, "Eleanor, what excuses remain for you!"

"William," I said, my voice flat. "I saw the trending post, but I didn't do this."

My head was spinning, but I kept denying it. "Think about it. All I wanted was to get this divorce done cleanly. We're at the very last step. Why would I sabotage my own outcome? Even if I planned to release that evidence, I would never do it now."

I had thought about releasing it before. But I was waiting until after the divorce was final—until I had no ties left to the Spencer family.

"Then tell me—how did that video end up online?"

William looked me over, cold suspicion flickering in his eyes. "Or maybe you and Ryan filmed it together last night?"

I had already guessed he'd suspect the people closest to me. But his question helped me piece it together.

There was only one other person who knew: Alvin.

Last night, in the backyard of the Foster estate, the only witnesses were me and him. No one else would have braved the freezing cold just to spy on a private moment.

No matter how I explained it now, William wouldn't believe me. So I cut to the chase. "Let's finish the paperwork. We're already here—one signature left. If we miss this chance, who knows when we'll get another one."

"You're out of your mind." William's voice was ice. "Do you really think I'll let you get what you want?"

He threw the words out and turned to leave.

"This isn't your call to make, William."

I stared at his back, my mind made up. I took a deep breath. "Under Shadow City law, once a couple has been separated for two years, either side can file for divorce unilaterally. Since you're backing out, we can do this the long way."

I honestly didn't care. I had time.

He was the one in a rush—to start a new relationship, to clean up the mess. I had nothing to lose.

His steps faltered, but he didn't turn back. Just left one cold sentence behind. "You'd better remember what you said today."

The sudden turn of events had thrown me completely off balance.

I grabbed my phone, wanting to call Alvin—then realized I had no way to reach him.

I had thought we were strangers who crossed paths once, never to meet again. I never expected to be the one played.

The moment William stepped out of the office area, Thalia and Jane rushed up to him from the lobby.

Thalia's face was full of barely concealed smugness.

But William didn't stop. He walked right past both of them.

Jane, having been ignored, looked bitter. She turned and spotted me, and her expression shifted to a mocking smile. "Oh, you've already finished the divorce, so why bother provoking William now? Cherish these last moments. You'll never see him again after this."

I let out a light laugh.

Jane wanted this divorce more than anyone. She was glued to her phone, constantly refreshing—yet in the last few minutes, she'd completely missed the scandal that had already exploded online.

"I'll give that line right back to you."

I smiled at her. She was about to pay for everything she'd done—and it would destroy her.

Thalia put on her air of seniority, casually smoothing her hair as if nothing was wrong. "William left in such a hurry he didn't get to confirm the paperwork. Let me see your divorce decree—so we can finally put our minds at ease."

On a normal day, their provocation would have made me furious.

But right now, I just found it ridiculous.

I said flatly, "Sorry to disappoint you both. The divorce didn't go through."

Thalia's smile froze.

Jane blinked, assuming I was just too stubborn to admit defeat. "Eleanor, what's done is done. There's no need to save face. William arranged for City Hall to fast-track the process."

I shrugged lightly, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I wouldn't know. Maybe he changed his mind at the last minute and couldn't bear to let go. The bond we've built over all these years isn't something anyone else can match."

"You!"

Jane's face went pale. A few seconds later, she forced a smile. "Keep telling yourself that. I get that you don't want to accept it. We won't make this public—out of respect for the Spencer family. This marriage never should have happened in the first place."

"Who's the one dragging the Spencer family's reputation through the mud?"

I stared straight at her. Since she wanted to provoke me, I might as well lay it all out.

Panic flashed across Jane's eyes. She stepped forward and raised her hand to slap me.

Thalia grabbed her arm, feigning a gentle tone. "Jane, you're about to marry into the Spencer family. You can't keep acting so impulsive. Your temper is way too short."

Then she turned to me, her tone probing. "The paperwork really didn't go through?"

I pointed at the middle-aged staff member who had just walked out of the office. "You can ask him directly. He'll give you the most accurate answer."

The staff member had his head down, scrolling through his phone—clearly also caught up in the trending scandal. He looked up and saw Thalia approaching with her haughty attitude.

Thalia asked directly, "Did they finish their divorce or not?"

"No."

"Why not?!"

"Mr. Spencer had something urgent come up and left in the middle."

The staff member answered honestly, then quickly walked off. He clearly didn't want to get dragged into the Spencer family's internal drama.

Once Jane learned the truth, she completely lost control. She stormed up to me, snapping furiously, "Eleanor, you're vicious and selfish. What kind of trick did you pull this time?"

Her stance was aggressive, clearly ready to attack.

I was already prepared. I sidestepped, jabbed her shoulder to hold her back, then swung my hand and slapped her hard across the face. "You're the one who provoked me first. You publicly slandered me, so I have every right to fight back. When it comes to bad character, nobody beats you."

Smack!

The second slap landed hard. "Your behavior has completely trashed the Spencer family's reputation. You deserve a few more slaps for that!"

Jane's head spun from the blows. She froze on the spot, unable to react for a long moment.

"What gives you the right to hit me?"

I said coldly, "Everything that happened is a result of your own doing."

I thought back to that unbearable scene I witnessed that night, and a wave of physical disgust hit me. I pulled a wet wipe out of my bag and scrubbed at my palm over and over. "Even hitting you feels like it dirtied my own hand."