Chapter 18 Hey , its Angela ! Long time no see . Come on in ! Zayns attention shifted immediately from the streamer to Angela as soon as he saw her . The others watched intently , sensing the drama . Compared to some random streamer , Angela was far more interesting . After all , among the socialites and heiresses in Eldmere , she was the only one who had managed to marry Dexter . It was still an incredible feat , even though her marriage was far from a fairytale . No , thank you , Angela replied with a polite smile . Im here to take Dexter home . He said he was drunk . Her demeanor was graceful , and her tone was gentle . She had an air of elegance about her . Dressed simply and untouched by heavy makeup , she radiated a calm beauty that made her stand out among the other women present in their flashy outfits . -Zayn glanced at Dexter , feeling perplexed . He looked perfectly sober . There wasnt any sign of drunkenness at all . Since youre here , come in and have something to eat before you leave , Ms. Graham , Elena offered warmly , standing up and attempting to lead her inside . However , Angela subtly evaded her touch . She looked over at Dexter , who wore an expression so glum that it seemed like someone had stolen millions from him . This irked her even more . Come on , Angela . Its my birthday today , and the nights still young . Dexters only had two glasses of wine at most . How about you let him enjoy himself ? I promise I wont stop you from taking him home once hes really had enough , Zayn pleaded , ignoring any protests and guiding her to the seat beside Dexter . Suddenly , the rooms ten or so guests turned their attention to them . It was as if they were watching monkeys at a zoo . Elena , seated on Dexters left , was calmly slicing a peach . She then pierced a piece with a toothpick and handed it to him . It was a seemingly harmless gesture , but with Angela present , it took on a different tone . Someone commented with a smirk , Everyone knows Angela never joins us . I wonder for whose sake she came tonight . Theres no mystery , is there ? Angela replied , her voice laced with sarcasm while she maintained an innocent smile . Chapter 18 She said mockingly , Dexter always likes to throw his familys weight around and use threats against the insignificant Graham family to get his way . Otherwise , do you think Id want to come here and entertain you guys ? Though she said everything with a smile , her words were mercilessly harsh . She had heard their taunting remarks countless times . In the past , she had endured them for Dexters sake , out of misguided devotion . In the end , she had only made herself the butt of their jokes . Now that she had decided to leave him , there was no need for her to keep up pretenses and play nice . As her words fell , everyones expression faltered and became strained . Angela had always prioritized Dexter , so she used to brush off even the harshest comments . But today , she retorted sharply without a care . What Angela said put Dexter on the spot . His expression soured considerably as he fixed an icy gaze on the defiant Angela . She merely beamed at him like she was clueless about the impact of her words . Didnt you say you were drunk ? The car is outside . Are we leaving or not ? Elena was still holding the toothpick with a slice of peach on it that had yet to be accepted by Dexter . She laughed drily and said , Ms. Graham , theres no need for such talk . Dexter only wanted to introduce his wife to his friends . Hes doing it for the sake of the Bamford family name . Angelas eyes eyes shifted to Elena , her smile still firmly in place . How could she have forgotten about her? She looked at Elena and replied sincerely , Ms. Carrey , so you do know that the Bamford family name is something to be maintained ? If Im here as Dexters wife , then whats your role here exactly ? Are you just a friend ? Ive never seen friends who feed each other like this before . She paused , and then pretended to realize something . Oh , this must be that kind of close friendship that people talk about , right ? You know the kind where everythings off the table besides kissing . Her taunting words left Elena biting her lip in embarrassment . Even her eyes reddened involuntarily at the humiliation . Enough ! Dexter reprimanded coldly . He looked at Angela , fury simmering behind his gaze . +25 BONUS Chapter 18 But Angela didnt back down . She met his gaze boldly and said , The car is outside . If you want to go home , come with me . If not , my job here is done . Im leaving . No longer would she feign smiles and endure their jabs . She would not put her dignity on a silver platter for Dexters friends to make fun of her for their amusement anymore . After a tense moment , Dexters face hardened as he got up and walked toward the door . Behind him , Elenas eyes flashed with bitterness . Her nails dug sharply into her palms . Once they returned home , Angela immediately headed upstairs . However , Dexter stopped her with a low growl . Angela halted and turned to face him . What now ? Just hearing his voice filled her with irritation now . All she wanted was to get away from him . What now , indeed . Dexter pushed himself up from the couch . His slightly drunken state made his stare even more piercing . Still , he was maddeningly handsome . Thats what you should be asking yourself ! His tall figure loomed over her , intense and imposing . Angela instinctively stepped back but was caught by the wrist . His hand was warm , but his gaze was as cold as ice . Have I been too lenient with you . lately ? How have you become so out of control ? Ive always been this way . If you cant handle it , then replace me . There are plenty of people eager to fawn over you , Angela retorted . Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him tauntingly . There was an air of vibrancy that was unique to her . Dexter felt a strange urge to teach her a lesson . Without another word , he bent down and scooped her up . Ignoring her protests , he carried her up the winding staircase . He then kicked open the door to his room and dropped her on the bed . Angela tried to scramble back up , but he loosened his tie and leaned over her . Looks like you need a proper lesson to remind you who you are ! Dexters voice was cold and menacing . Before Angela could protest , he tore her dress . The chill of the room hit her exposed back , and she attempted to flee . Dexter seized her +25 BONUS Chapter ankle and yanked her back . His sheer strength overpowered her every attempt . 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