# 37
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Chloe said as she leaned her body forward.
“This is between my husband and me. It's not your business to worry about, Mom.”
"renal!"
The Duchess shouted with an angry look on her face.
“Where did you learn this bad behavior of interrupting a conversation mid-way through? You seem to have forgotten all your etiquette while living somewhere else. This is very inappropriate of you. How can you be so rude?”
Chloe hurriedly took a deep breath. She felt her shame rising when she realized she had made a mistake.
But this does not mean that she will sit still and obediently listen to everything her mother has to say.
Because they were going to break up anyway.
“It is also not appropriate for you to interfere in this problem between my husband and me. There is no problem in our married life. This does not only mean that we will not separate.”
“So, are you saying you're preparing to break up?”
The Duchess lost patience and suddenly rose.
"Oh my God! This is ridiculous! This can't be happening!"
She waved her finger at Chloe, her face flushing.
"Is it possible for a woman to be divorced from the Rolfs? And divorced from someone like the Marquis, of all people? Chloe! Have you lost your mind?"
The Duchess stammered phrases like “like” and “of all people” while belittling Eric as if she had forgotten that she was right in front of him.
But Eric was not affected even after hearing this obscene talk. There was no reason for him to feel insulted now that the Duchess had ignored him repeatedly until now.
But now he was beginning to think that he should intervene, because the Duchess's words were beginning to become harsher.
"How is it that you can't do anything at all! You're so determined to get in your brother's way, aren't you! What a stupid and ugly child you are! I shouldn't have given birth to something like you!"
"my lady."
Eric got up and grabbed the Duchess's shoulders.
“You are very nervous. Please calm down.”
"Mr. Eric, is this a matter of calm? My daughter announces to me that she is getting a divorce! How can she make such a decision without consulting her mother even once! No, no. She did it because she knew that I would strongly object if she consulted me! What a cunning girl! She will run away alone after the separation, without saying a word to me!"
The Duchess gritted her teeth and screamed as if she was going to pounce on Chloe at any moment. She seemed to have completely lost her mind.
Eric let out a soft sigh and turned his attention to the Duchess.
“I will inform you that I did not agree to the divorce.”
"my dear?"
Eric heard Chloe's surprised voice but ignored it. He decided that first of all, he had to calm the Duchess in front of him.
"The divorce that Chloe mentioned is just a complaint. It's just my recent negligence towards her. Divorce is ridiculous. The rumors circulating are baess."
“Is, is this true?”
As she listened to Eric, the Duchess seemed to suddenly feel embarrassed by her intense anger and violent outburst. She waved a fan to calm her reddened face. I tried to calm the situation, but to no avail. She felt ashamed.
The Duchess was quick to blame someone for her embarrassing situation. This was all Chloe's fault. Chloe's reckless actions are what led to all this!
The Duchess stared at Chloe angrily. Chloe shrugged and tucked her chin to her chest.
Why did her husband say they would not divorce?
He had clearly agreed to this before, so why now suddenly?
she asked, and received her answers shortly thereafter.
After having a moment to think, she decided that the reason her husband was behaving this way was to calm her mother down.
He was lying to appease her mother's anger first, so she thought she should go along with him too.
"Chloe! You're the one saying that. Is Lord Eric right?"
The Duchess pressed. Chloe sighed as if she had no other choice and nodded.
“Yes. There have been talks, but nothing is confirmed yet. It will be ensured that there is nothing to worry about.”
"truly?"
The Duchess narrowed her eyes and looked at Chloe as if examining her, as if checking whether she was lying or not. So, Chloe deliberately gave her usual smile, then looked at the Duchess.
The Duchess was only satisfied when she seemed to find nothing. Then I talked to Eric.
"It seems I didn't look good. I hope you understand. It's hard to control my emotions as I get older."
“Absolutely. Divorce is a serious matter, so it was inevitable that you would feel nervous.”
“Lord Eric understands me well.”
The Duchess patted Eric's arm once and looked at Chloe.
“So I want to talk to my daughter, can we go?”
“As you wish.”
Eric spoke as he pointed towards the second floor.
“Andrea will show you to your room. It is not large, but rest assured that you will be well taken care of during your stay.”
“I'm looking forward to it.”
Duchess slapped Chloe after she answered him. It meant following her.
Although Chloe didn't want to get up, because it would also be embarrassing to be rejected here as well, she had to get up with difficulty.
All the while she was turning her head to glance at Eric. He was talking to Daniel as if he didn't care whether she followed the Duchess or not, and I was very disappointed by that.
Although in reality his attitude stemmed from the fact that he knew nothing at all.
What would happen if, for example, Eric found out about my relationship with my mother?
Will the situation be different than it is now?
'...Okay.'
Chloe laughed at herf.
Even if anything changed, it wouldn't matter. No matter what, she would never reveal her relationship with her mother to him.
Until the day she died.
slap!
The sound of a thin stick hitting bare skin rang out in the air.
Chloe stifled a moan as she bit her lip hard. Soon another pain crept up on her even before the first one subsided. slap! Chloe closed her eyes tightly.
“Didn’t I tell you clearly? That you are not allowed to answer your mother without thinking!”
blow! once again. The Duchess waved the wand without stopping. Chloe's white legs turned red. Even blood started flowing. However, Chloe endured the pain in silence. The Duchess frowned as if this made her even angrier.
“Spiteful girl.”
The Duchess threw the wand aside and pressed it to her forehead. Only then did Chloe lower the dress she was holding. It hurt her so much that she couldn't move it, yet she stood upright instead of exposing it.
The Duchess stared at this whole process with contempt.
I opened the bottle of cognac I had ordered from Andrea without hesitation. Then I poured it into a cup and drank it in one go.
It really was. Someone who cannot live without alcohol. Someone tramples on his daughter and causes violence against her.
Of course, no one knew about this side of the Duchess except Chloe and Joseph. Because she always wore a mask in public, a mask that made her a noble duchess.
Was this the reason?
Was that why she despised Chloe more, who never lost her class?
Was this the reason they tortured her, as she remained upright even after being beaten?
Chloe didn't know the Duchess's inner thoughts and the reason behind them.
The Duchess shouted fiercely at Chloe.
“Why are you looking at me with those eyes!”
Chloe lowered her gaze involuntarily.
"You've been like this for a long time. You always have that condescending look on your face and look at me like I'm nothing. What a shameless girl!"
crash! Shards of broken glass almost touched Chloe's face as she passed by.
Chloe assumed the Duchess was drunk again, so she clasped her hands quietly. It was normal, as it always was.
"Divorce? Huh! You're talking about divorce? Do you think that makes sense? If you were in your right mind, you wouldn't have done that. Of course! You're not in your right mind! You're completely crazy!"
Normally, Chloe would not have spoken to the Duchess while drunk, because in that state she would speak rudely and act violently.
But Chloe isn't what she used to be. With the face of death, she changed a little, and became a woman with strong determination, so she had enough courage to confront her mother, who was controlling her entire life.
"My mom."
Chloe said.
“You're not even asking why I decided to divorce.”