Chapter 6: The Pub

Davina arrived at the famous pub in town with her driver to pick up her coworker, who was hungover.

"Do I owe Irene for providing me with an excuse to leave Camille's lackluster divorce party?" Davina mused, contemplating the questionable celebration.

Spotting Irene unconscious on the sofa, Davina enlisted the help of her driver to carry her. As Davina gathered Irene's belongings, she caught sight of a familiar figure sitting alone.

"Damian?" Davina squinted her eyes, making sure she had correctly identified the identity.

Handing Irene's bag to her driver, Davina instructed, "Please take Irene back to her house. I'll take a taxi home. There's someone here I need to speak to."

"Yes, Miss."

"Thank you for your assistance."

With Irene and the driver out of the pub, Davina hurried towards Damian, who had been sitting on the same chair for over an hour.

"Damian? Damian!"

Damian turned towards the voice, startled by Davina's furious expression.

"Damian! What are you doing? Planning to drown your sorrows in alcohol? Drinking won't solve your problems," Davina scolded, snatching the vodka bottle from Damian's grasp. Though Damian didn't shed tears, Davina could sense his overwhelming frustration. Damian winced in frustration at his lack of a detailed plan for seeking revenge on his ex-wife.

"You don't understand anything. Give me back my vodka," Damian protested, not wanting to argue with Davina.

Davina settled onto the chair next to Damian. The pub was relatively quiet that night, allowing Davina to focus on engaging Damian in conversation. "Are you truly going to let a deranged woman like Camille ruin your life?"

"Tonight, I want to celebrate my divorce by getting drunk. I have no time for anything as pitiful as that," Damian replied bitterly.

"Then let me join you in your celebration," Davina proposed.

Damian observed Davina's appearance from head to toe. She was still clad in an elegant black and white blouse, her short white skirt accentuating her beautiful legs. As Damian took another glance, he couldn't help but notice that Davina exuded a more sophisticated charm than Camille. Could she come from a reputable family?

"I recall that Camille is your best friend. Why aren't you taking her side?" Damian inquired.

"Bottle of Cristal and two glasses, please," Davina requested from the bartender.

"Yes, Miss. Coming right up!" the bartender obliged.

"You haven't answered my question," Damian pressed.

The seriousness of his inquiry slightly took Davina aback. She had assumed Damian was merely teasing her.

"How could you truly understand your ex-wife if you didn't even know she had cheated on you before your wedding day? Drink this. Let's elegantly drown our sorrows," Davina suggested, tucking away Damian's vodka bottle and offering him the glass she had received from the bartender. Tonight, Davina wanted their conversation to be sober.

As Camille's best friend, Davina could no longer keep Camille's secret from the person who had the right to know the truth—Damian. She not only fulfilled her role as a divorce lawyer, legally separating couples, but she also felt a moral obligation to help them navigate this separation more clearly, given her involvement from the beginning.

"You must be joking," Damian uttered incredulously.

"Tonight, I will speak to you as Davina, not the lawyer who handled your divorce case. So, there will be no breach of ethics in revealing client secrets," Davina assured, inviting Damian to raise his glass for a toast.

"Speak as Davina. Davina sounds more appealing than Claire's lawyer," Damian agreed.

"Cheers!" They clinked their glasses before savoring their respective drinks.

"Ugh, I wish I could drink myself into oblivion tonight. Unfortunately, I have work tomorrow," Davina lamented, gazing at her glass with a hint of sadness.

Davina gazed at Damian intently, her eyes locked on his. At that moment, she grasped certain truths that Damian's gaze conveyed. She understood how love had transformed into a painful wound in his life and how a harsh reality had shattered the beauty of his dreams. Camille had succeeded in tarnishing Damian's self-esteem.

Even years later, the innocence radiating from Damian was palpable to Davina. Someone like him needed a significant event to escape his current circumstances. If Damian failed to change, he would continue encountering individuals who mistreated him.

"I can't bring myself to tell you this while we're sober," Davina murmured, shaking her head, unable to bear witness to the persistence of Damian's pure expression.

"What must I do to uncover the truth?" Damian inquired, desperate for answers.

"Grant my request," Davina implored.

"I will give you whatever you desire." Damian's mind immediately gravitated towards offering money or material possessions to fulfill Davina's wish. Monetary concerns held no importance to Damian, regardless of the sum involved.

"Very well. Consider it a debt. I will bill you later."

"So, can you reveal it now?" Damian's anticipation was evident, eagerly awaiting any unknown facts.

Davina retrieved an envelope from her bag, a meticulously prepared collection of evidence she had assembled over time. Aware of Damian's deep love for his ex-wife, Davina knew that mere words would not suffice without tangible proof.

Damian's eyes widened in surprise, his mouth agape, as he looked at the photographs Davina presented. What Damian had witnessed that fateful night—Camille engaging in a sexual encounter with Marcel—paled in comparison to the damning evidence before him. Davina's proof substantiated even worse transgressions than Damian had initially perceived.

"Do you wonder why Camille accepted your proposal? In her darkest moments, Camille knew you were the one person who would still do anything for her. In her eyes, you were simply a loyal fan, unwavering in your devotion to your idol. Having such an ardent admirer is heartening."

"As you may know, Camille's family life has been tumultuous. Her father was a person with alcoholism who frequently subjected Camille, her mother, and her sister to abuse. Her friendships were no better, as Camille gained notoriety for her habit of seducing other people's boyfriends. And Marcel? He is my fiancé. Who could resist the allure of a man with great wealth?"

"Marcel is your fiancé?" Damian's response was filled with disbelief, his contempt evident. This particular information shocked Damian, as did most of Davina's revelations.

Finally, Damian's curiosity was satisfied as to how Davina managed to enter the penthouse apartment while Camille and Marcel were engaged in their illicit activities. It became clear that Davina had been able to blend in seamlessly due to her intimate connection with Marcel.

Davina let out a scornful laugh, finding the situation utterly ludicrous. "I never anticipated that you would be more taken aback by the fact that Marcel is my fiancé rather than the revelation of your wife's infidelity."

"Do you entertain the idea of an open relationship?" Damian inquired earnestly.

Davina chuckled at Damian's innocence. "What kind of woman do you take me for?"

"Then why did you become engaged to him?" Damian persisted in his questioning.

"Save your inquiries for now. Tonight, I will solely focus on your wedding," Davina evaded, refusing to respond directly.

The envelope contained dozens of photographs, each capturing Camille in various men's company. Every image was time-stamped, corroborating the story Davina had recounted.

"Please, continue," Damian urged.

"The essence is that while the world turned against her, you remained the only brandishing flowers for Camille. Just a day before marrying you, Camille sought solace in my apartment, succumbing to the whims of a stranger. I've also heard rumors about her dissatisfaction with your intimacy. Given the extent of her promiscuity, it must have been a remarkable experience for her."

Damian blinked rapidly, trying to absorb the shocking revelations. Davina moved her seat closer to Damian, their proximity intensifying their connection. With their noses nearly touching, they felt each other's breath. Briefly ensnared in their shared gaze, Davina redirected her attention and hastily downed her drink, seeking to conceal her transgression.

"But there is one crucial reason. Camille despises you because she claims your wealth is insufficient for her extravagant desires. Were you unaware all this time that Camille indulges in luxury items procured from the men she associates with?"

"Do I appear to be a man of limited means?" Damian asked Davina, seeking her opinion.

"You strike me as a man who surpasses my wealth," Davina promptly replied.

Damian smiled at Davina's response. Allowing her to finish her drink, he focused back on the photos in his hands. The conversation with Davina that night had provided Damian with a mental list of vengeance plans.

"Let the game begin, my ex-wife."