Cold Husband Burning Regret: The Divorce He Couldn't Handle novel Chapter 132

Xavier was already fuming, so when he saw the message, he was determined to track down whoever was spreading rumors. But as soon as he noticed the address—Tranquility Manor—he froze.

Rachel glanced at his phone. “Tranquility Manor? Isn’t that...”

Xavier’s expression darkened. “I’m going over there. I want to see who’s behind this.”

Knowing her husband’s temper and fearing he’d get himself into trouble, Rachel had no choice but to go with him.

They took a cab to Tranquility Manor. As they stepped out, another message pinged: the meeting place was on the second floor of a café right next to the shops by the gate.

Rachel and Xavier entered the café, climbed the stairs to the loft, and stepped out onto the open-air terrace. There, they found a young woman and her son—the only guests outside.

Rachel fixed her gaze on the woman, a suspicion dawning in her mind about her identity.

Xavier strode forward, his tone sharp. “Did you send the message?”

“Yes, that was me.” Tricia stirred her coffee, her manner open and unashamed. “Mr. Sterling, I’m not sure if your daughter ever mentioned me. My name’s Tricia.”

Tricia. The name made Xavier pause for a second.

She went on, “Oh, and how’s your son doing these days?”

Xavier’s hand balled into a fist at his side. “It was you?”

Rachel grabbed his arm, trying to keep him from losing his temper, then turned to Tricia. “Miss Winthrop, what Hiram did to you was inexcusable. We failed as parents, and our son has paid dearly for it. Isn’t that enough for you?”

“Enough?” Tricia let out a cold laugh, shifting in her chair so she could stare them down. “No, it’s not enough. I want everyone to know what your shameless daughter did—trying to steal another woman’s man.”

She glared at them. “Evander and I have a child together, and your daughter still forced her way in. That kind of home-wrecking, immoral behavior—do you really approve of it, as her parents?”

“Lies!” Xavier roared, his face turning red with rage.

Little Hans shrank back in fright.

“Xavier!” Rachel held him back again and faced Tricia, her tone icy and direct. “Miss Winthrop, you’ve got it all wrong. My daughter isn’t the homewrecker here—you are.”

Tricia let out a disbelieving laugh. “Excuse me? What’s that supposed to mean, Mrs. Sterling?”

Tricia let out a shaky, bitter laugh, her eyes red with disbelief.

All these years, she’d thought Evander had stayed single because he still missed her, that he’d been waiting for her to come back.

But he’d married Charlotte.

She’d planned to use this rumor to drive the Sterlings out of the city in disgrace, to ruin them socially. But now that Charlotte and Evander were bound by marriage, would that even work?

Xavier and Rachel, seeing Tricia’s dazed expression, assumed she’d finally come to her senses and turned to leave—until the sudden wail of a child broke through the air.

“Mommy, don’t—!”

Rachel spun around just in time to see Tricia, wild-eyed, about to shove her son over the second-floor railing.

“You’re insane!” Rachel’s maternal instincts kicked in; she lunged forward without thinking, reaching for the boy.

At that moment, Tricia let go.