THE BILLIONAIRE'S VENGEFUL WIFE RETURNS-Chapter 202: PAY BACK TIME

A/N: This Chapter is dedicated to Bdubz_G. I love you. Thanks for the golden ticket.

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"W... Whatever punishment you have in mind, George already said he would take the punishment for Claudia." Elisa declared proudly. If Harlow thinks she’s the only one who has found love, she is here to prove that George can be as stupid as Alanis.

Silence fell over the yard.

Then...

"I never said a thing like that." George’s words cut through the air like a blade.

Elisa’s face drained of color as she stared at him, then her face twisted into something scary.

Claudia turned to him in utter disbelief, her body going stiff.

He... he what?

Just moments ago, he had stood before Alanis, practically begging to take her punishment. So why? Why was he turning his back on her now?

"What is that supposed to mean, George? You promised to take Claudia’s punishment before everyone." Elisa hissed, her voice laced with fury.

She should have never trusted him. She should have taken Claudia and run last night while they had the chance.

She should have known this pathetic excuse of a son-in-law would live up to his reputation... A useless coward...

"I am carrying your child, George! I could lose my life!" Claudia shrieked, tears pooling in her eyes. But George only stared at her, his face unreadable.

Then, coldly, he spoke.

"Everything is your fault."

The words hit Claudia like a slap.

"If you hadn’t lied, I would never have hurt my brother." His voice was sharp, cutting through her like glass. "If you hadn’t tried to cover up your lies, my grandmother would never have been hurt. I warned you, didn’t I?"

Claudia felt her knees go weak.

"I am disappointed in you." She yelled, then as if realizing herself, her voice turned so low as she walked towards him. "George please don’t embarrass me like this. You promised to be a man for once, to be responsible for me and your child."

Her heart squeezed painfully.

"I am carrying your child, for crying out loud!" she cried, her voice cracking.

But George didn’t falter.

He exhaled, shaking his head.

"I never said I wanted a child in the first place." The world around Claudia tilted as the entire yard turned silent. Just yesterday, while George flogged Alanis, she had bragged about how much he loves her and how he doesn’t play about her.

"YOU decided to keep that bastard. YOU decided to take revenge on your sister. And now, YOU’RE forcing me to take the punishment for your actions."

Silence.

Cold. Dead. Silence filled the yard.

Elisa, Garth, and Claudia all stared at George, their shock mirroring one another.

Garth was the first to react, rushing toward her son.

"What are you doing?!" she hissed, grabbing his arm. "Why are you acting like this? Why can’t you be a man like Alanis?! Why can’t you fight for your wife?!"

George yanked his arm from her grasp, eyes burning with defiance as he stared at her.

"Well," Harlow drawled, her voice cutting through the tension, a practiced smile hanging on her beautiful lips. "since George won’t take the punishment, you might as well find someone else, Claudia."

Her tone was sweet, mocking. She was enjoying this.

"Maybe your mama?"

A laugh bubbled from her lips.

Elisa’s expression twisted in rage. For the first time, she looked truly powerless.

Helpless.

Useless before Alanis and everyone. The most powerful woman has been reduced to nothing before this people.

Harlow couldn’t hide her amusement any longer.

"Since you love your daughter so much," she continued, smiling, "why don’t you take her punishment instead?"

Elisa flinched.

Garth stiffened.

Claudia burned with humiliation, her fingers curling into fists.

She had never felt such an overwhelming urge to unalive someone before.

Not until now.

Not until Harlow.

"You can’t do this to your wife-to-be," Garth whispered urgently to her son. "Think about everything the Blackwoods promised you if you married Claudia. If you turn your back on her now, you’ll lose it all. And she might as well abort my grandchild." The Blackwoods have promised them so much, Garth couldn’t afford to lose everything because of her stupid son’s behavior.

George’s jaw tightened.

"You don’t want Harlow’s children to be the first heirs, do you?" She continued.

His mother’s words settled in his mind like poison. He didn’t want this punishment. He knew Alanis wouldn’t go easy on him.

But... if he endured this humiliation today, the next time he returned, he would be ten times richer and more powerful than Alanis himself.

"Alright, I’ll take the punishment."

Claudia’s lips curled into a triumphant smile.

It had taken far too much effort to make George stand up for her, but in the end, she got what she wanted. That was all that mattered.

Her green eyes flickered to Harlow, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

Harlow thought she was special? That she was the only one who had someone to fight for her?

Wrong.

"You will be flogged double what I endured because of your lies."

Alanis’s voice was as cold as ice.

Claudia’s smirk faltered.

"Stop embarrassing yourself, Alanis," Elisa scoffed, folding her arms. "George already said he would take Claudia’s punishment." She eyed the man. If he thinks he can say anything to change George’s mind, then he is joking.

She was ready to bask in her victory, ready to laugh in the faces of Alanis and Harlow.

But little did Elisa know that her triumph would be short-lived.

"Of course, I heard that," Alanis said casually.

Elisa’s smug expression deepened.

"But that punishment is only for her lies." Alanis’s gaze darkened. "Not for hurting my grandmother." Claudia’s pulse quickened.

"Do your worst, Alanis," Elisa sneered. "Nothing will change. My son-in-law can endure as much punishment as needed for his wife and child."

Alanis chuckled.

"You see, that’s where you’re wrong."

A chill ran through the air.

"For the next punishment, the offender will have to take it themselves. No one will do it for Claudia." He said.

Elisa’s smug look vanished immediately. "What is that supposed to mean?" She demanded, her voice sharp with panic.

They had just won... or so they thought.

"This is barbaric!" Garth nearly shrieked.

"What is?" Alanis tilted his head, hands deep in his pockets, his expression unreadable as he stared at his stepmother. Garth’s lips twitched as she was unable to answer his question.

She knew Claudia had committed the biggest crime known to man. Hurting Charlotte is an unforgivable thing.

"T... there are no rules that say she has to take her own punishment!" Garth stuttered.