Chapter 46  I finally pieced together Nicole’s real agenda. She knew Chase would never divorce me, so she concocted this whole charade, making it look like I was having an affair and running away with another man  Her plan was simple: if Chase filed for divorce on his own, after two years of separation, our marriage would automatically be nullified Then, she’d be free to marry him without a hitch  From the get–go, she had it all figured out. To tarnish my reputation, frame me, and paint me as a woman with no morals, all so Chase could walk away from our years together and marry her with a clean slate,  All for a man, she even plotted to have her own sister killed.  It broke my heart. I was always there for her growing up, and when the Reyes family gave her a hard time, I was her shield. But instead of sisterly love, I got a knife in my back  Aicole, you’re beyond ruthless!  Amid all the accusations from my family and Chase’s tortured, furious expression, a stern voice cut through the chaos from the doorway. “Shut your mouth, you shameless hussy!”  Marian wheeled Grandma in, her face dark and foreboding like a storm ready to unleash its fury.  “Mom, how did you get here?”  Grandma had made the journey from the Kennedy family home. She hadn’t been out of bed for days, let alone ventured out in such freezing weather.  My parents rushed to welcome her while Nicole squirmed under Grandma’s icy stare.  “If I hadn’t come, this snake would’ve kept you all tangled in her web,” Grandma said, her tone cold as ice.  Nicole, with tears brimming and her hand clutching her chest, feigned innocence, said, “Grandma, I went to Cloudville to apologize to Amanda, only to find she’d already run off with some stranger. What did I do wrong?”  Grandma ignored her, turning her focus to Chase, “Chase, do you honestly believe Amanda would do something like this?”  Chase, eyes bloodshot, stared at Grandma, his emotions a mess. “I… I’m not sure. I believe in Amanda’s character, but it seems she’s been seeing someone else.”  “Seems!” Grandma chuckled.  My mom tried to calm things down. “Mom, it’s all Amanda’s doing. Don’t be too harsh…”  “Silence” Grandma commanded, and my mom instantly fell quiet.  Grandma’s gaze swept across the room, “So this is what you all think?”  No one dared to challenge Grandma, and their silence was as good as a nod.  Grandma scoffed, “Fine, fine! What a pack of heartless fools. Now I see the kind of life Amanda’s been leading. Chase, Amanda is your wife. If you can’t trust your own wife, then once I find her you two are getting a divorce.”  Chase frowned, “Grandma, this is Amanda’s fault. She betrayed me. I haven’t even filed for divorce. You love her so much. Why aren’t you hoping for her happiness?”  With a mix of sadness and sarcasm, Grandma pointed at Chase, “Why? Because you are not good enough for Amanda. You say she cheated. Did you see it happen? Did you catch her in the act?”  “Even if I didn’t see it, the neighbors said the tenant was Ms. Kennedy…”  “Ms. Kennedy, huh! My granddaughter might have bought a ticket to Cloudville but never got on the plane. She never went there at all. So where the heck did you come up with this Ms. Kennedy story?!”  Chapter 47