Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 244: Chapter 244

Alex pressed forward, his entire presence radiating a chilling, menacing aura.
However, I remained silent, watching him with a cold smile tugging at my lips.
I regretted it. I regretted my impulsive decision to marry a man I never truly knew.
If I hadn't married him, maybe my mother wouldn't have gotten hurt.
Maybe Angela wouldn't have died. Maybe I wouldn't have been thrown into danger over and over again.
And maybe, I wouldn't have to suffer through endless accusations and slander.
In the past, just dealing with Rosemary had been exhausting enough. But now, the women surrounding Alex were like flies—no matter how many I swatted away, more kept coming.
I was tired. I didn't want to apologize.
Without hesitation, I raised my hand and slapped Alex across the face.
The entire living room fell into a suffocating silence.
Alex stared at me, stunned. My hand, the one that had just struck him, trembled slightly.
I spoke, my voice steady and unwavering. "Let's get a divorce."
Then, I turned to Helena, who was still sitting pathetically on the floor. Tilting my head slightly, I smirked. "Is this what you wanted?"
She looked startled, as if my words had shaken her. But in her eyes, I caught a glimpse of something else—suppressed excitement.
Still, she shook her head, her eyes filled with unshed tears.
Her voice trembled with false sincerity. "Laurel, I never wanted to take Alex away from you. You misunderstood me. I... I'm sorry."
"Don't call me that. Hearing you say my name makes my skin crawl." I let out a slow sigh, then lifted my gaze to Alex.
My voice was calm but firm. "Why don't we just finalize the divorce today?"
His dark eyes remained as sharp and piercing as ever. But looking at him now only filled me with revulsion.
I wanted to end this marriage.
I could accept marrying someone who didn't love me. After all, I didn't love him either.
But he could never, under any circumstances, betray me the way Austin did—especially not when I was already wounded, only to cut even deeper.
Alex stared at me, his expression complicated.
Maybe he never thought I would say the word "divorce" so easily. After all, there were more women wanting to marry him than he could count.
Yet I, the one who had that chance, didn't cherish it at all.
But I wasn't being reckless. I was just exhausted, completely numb.
Even without Alex, I could still get my revenge.
I had thought I'd found an ally. But in the end, this so-called "ally" was never truly mine to rely on.
Since he remained silent, I saw no reason to stay in this suffocating room with two people who made my stomach turn.
Without another word, I turned to leave.
Alex grabbed my wrist, his grip tight and unyielding. The way he looked at me was as if I were a complete stranger.
He was using a lot of force. I could feel the pain creeping in, but compared to the ache in my chest, it was nothing.
Then I noticed the blood. His wound must have reopened.
The sharp, metallic scent filled the air.
"Say that again." Alex's voice dropped, low and dangerous, his gaze sharp with a predatory glint. But in the next instant, the hostility melted away, replaced by a sigh—exasperation laced with something almost indulgent.
"Sophina, take Mrs. Herrera to rest."
I froze for a second as he let go, his intense stare lingering on me.
A sudden wave of unease tightened in my chest, making it hard to breathe.
Alex turned away from me and looked at Helena, who was still on the floor with a fresh wound on her forehead. His voice was gentle, yet there was an unmistakable chill beneath it.
"Helena, are you feeling unwell? What made you come here all of a sudden? Laurel just lost her mother, and she's pregnant.
"She may have been a little emotional. I'll apologize on her behalf."
I stared at Alex. The man standing in front of me was completely different from the one who had just demanded I apologize.
Sophina stepped closer and gave my arm a small squeeze, signaling me to leave.
I found it pointless to stay any longer. As Helena opened her mouth to stir up more trouble, I didn't even bother sparing her a glance before turning and walking straight to my room.
She didn't need to say anything. I already knew what she was thinking.
She hadn't expected this little act of hers to fail. Worse, it had only confirmed that Alex wouldn't be divorcing me anytime soon.
"Laurel... I—" Sophina stared at me, her voice unsteady. "Please, don't fight with Mr. Herrera again. That was terrifying."
It was only then that I noticed how pale her face had become.
"Besides Raphael and Lena, no one in the Herrera family has ever dared to lay a hand on him."
I froze, realization sinking in. The wounds on Alex's back... they weren't from an accident. Raphael and Lena had done this to him.
I opened my mouth, wanting to ask, but in the end, I said nothing.
To Sophina, hitting Alex and asking for a divorce must have seemed like nothing more than a moment of anger. She probably thought I hadn't meant any of it.
But Alex had seen it. He had realized something in me had completely shattered.
That was why he stopped pushing me.
It wasn't because he cared, and it wasn't because he didn't want to divorce me.
It was simply because, at least for now, the Herrera family couldn't afford any negative press.
I slept that night, but my dreams were restless.
I dreamed of my childhood, of my mother, my grandparents.
I kept drifting in and out of dreams—memories of being bullied, of Angela standing in front of me, tears streaming down her face as she threw rocks at the kids who taunted me.
When I woke up, my pillow was soaked with tears.
After crying, the heaviness in my chest seemed to ease a little.
But when I washed my face, I realized my eyes were swollen. I quickly grabbed a face mask to reduce the puffiness.
As I stepped into the living room, Sophina told me that Alex had taken Helena to the hospital.
Before leaving, he had also told her that Helena shouldn't come back here again.
Upon hearing that, Helena's eyes had welled up with tears.
"She's really putting on a show," Sophina gritted her teeth, her anger barely contained.
"She was obviously trying to frame you, to make you look like some cruel and manipulative wife in front of Mr. Herrera."
I let out a cold chuckle. "Too bad she didn't get what she wanted. Instead, she ended up completely angering Alex. I thought she was smart, but turns out, she's the biggest fool."
Sophina's face twisted in surprise. "What do you mean?"
"The Herrera family is dealing with a major crisis, and Alex isn't an idiot. If she really couldn't reach him, do you think she'd just happen to show up here instead?"
"She wanted to flaunt her presence, to see how Alex would protect her. But instead of siding with her, he refused to divorce me and even made sure to distance himself from her."
"I thought so too. He was acting really strange today. At first, he insisted you apologize to Helena. But when you slapped him twice, he suddenly backed down?"
"You don't think he did it for me, do you?" I laughed at myself.
Sophina stared at me, her expression uncertain. "Wasn't it?"