Married First, Loved Later : A Flash Marriage with My Ex's 'Uncle' novel Chapter 112

Chapter 112: The Scapegoat

Before Katie could finish her sentence, Selina had already flipped open the design portfolio—and everyone’s expression changed instantly.

Katie’s words caught in her throat.

Every single design was defaced with black ink, covered in vulgar slurs like "whore" and "bitch," scrawled aggressively in red marker.

The handwriting was twisted and ferocious, oozing hatred toward the portfolio’s original owner.

A suffocating silence fell over the entire living room.

Selina slowly raised her head, her sharp, icy gaze locking onto Katie’s terrified eyes. She spoke each word with deliberate, venomous clarity:

"Katie, you’ve got a death wish."

Her eyes were so piercing, so devoid of warmth, that Katie’s knees buckled. She collapsed to the floor with a thud, stammering, "I-It wasn’t me!"

But her guilty, trembling voice made it painfully obvious—anyone could see she was the one who’d destroyed the designs.

Without warning, Selina lunged forward, grabbed Katie by the collar, and yanked her to her feet, her fingers tightening around Katie’s throat.

"Not your fault? Mr. Clark, take a good look at the kind of woman you’ve been defending."

James’s face paled as he glanced at the ruined portfolio. A flicker of guilt flashed through his eyes, though he tried to suppress it.

"Katie... you..." he muttered, his voice low and strained.

Katie quickly averted her eyes, refusing to meet his gaze. "I don’t know what you’re talking about! Let me go!"

So what if she ruined Victoria’s designs? That wretched woman had been dead for almost twenty years—she deserved to be forgotten.

Logan’s face darkened, his voice low and chilling.

"So this is how you treat Selina. Noted."

James’s heart sank.

Whether Logan genuinely cared about Selina or not, it didn’t matter—right now, he was standing firmly on her side.

James snapped, spinning around and barking, "What the hell is going on?!"

Katie flinched, but she still refused to admit anything.

"I-I didn’t do it!"

Suddenly, Natalia stepped forward, biting her lip, her face a picture of fake innocence.

"Sister... Mr. Reid... you’ve misunderstood my mother." She shook her head gently, her voice soft and trembling.

"Mom loved Aunt Victoria like a sister. She’d never do something like this. The only person who knew about the designs being in the collection room... was the butler."

Katie immediately latched onto the excuse.

"Yes, it was the butler! He must’ve done it!"

Selina let out a cold laugh.

"Oh, really?"

The butler’s face went pale as he shot a panicked glance at Natalia—only to see her subtly shake her head, signaling him to take the fall.

His breath hitched. After a tense pause, he bowed his head and mumbled, "Yes... it was my fault. Please don’t blame Madam or Miss Natalia."

Katie instantly burst into crocodile tears, her voice quivering as if she’d just been gravely wronged.

"Selina, you heard that, didn’t you? Why do you always think the worst of me?"

James’s expression softened slightly.

"Mr. Reid, you see... it was just a misunderstanding."

But before he could finish, Selina cut in with an indifferent, almost bored tone.

"Funny. From what I know, the butler was brought in by Mrs. Bryant. He arrived after my mother passed away, so... how could he harbor such deep hatred for someone he’s never even met?"

The butler froze, his face stiffening as the room grew tense again.

Natalia quickly lowered her gaze, her voice dripping with false humility.

"Sister, back when Aunt Victoria was alive, the butler once applied for a job here. He was rejected. Maybe... he’s held a grudge ever since."

The butler gritted his teeth and eagerly seized the excuse.

"Yes! Victoria rejected me. I lost my job because of her, and I’ve resented her ever since!"

Selina chuckled, the sound dripping with mockery.

Katie, ever the opportunist, pretended to scold the butler with exaggerated indignation.

"Butler Lee, that’s completely inappropriate! If Victoria rejected you, it must’ve been because you weren’t qualified. How could you destroy her belongings just because you didn’t like her?"

She dramatically wiped her fake tears, sighing as if overwhelmed with grief.

"Selina, I don’t care if you misunderstand me, but my heart aches for you. To find your mother’s belongings, only to see them destroyed like this—it’s heartbreaking!"

Butler Lee, catching Katie’s unspoken cue, bowed deeply and added,

"Miss Selina, it’s all my fault. Please don’t blame Madam or Miss Natalia."

Katie relaxed, a smug smile flickering at the corners of her mouth.