Chapter 8 : 95 E55 vouchers Brandon's meltdown hit like a cold north wind - wild and biting , but it didn't faze Matilda one bit . Her heart was already ice - cold and dead inside , her face as calm as a frozen lake . No pushback from her just made him madder . He slammed the door on his way out and headed straight to hit the bar with his old pal , Zack Maxwell . Zack was Brandon's brother - from - another - mother , thick as thieves since they were toddling around in diapers . Now a slick lawyer ruling Itera City's legal scene , he was Crossen Technology's top legal gun - battle - tested , never beaten . When Brandon growled about Matilda demanding a divorce , Zack let out a low , wicked chuckle . " Man , I told you - spoil a girl , and she'll run you over ," he said . " All this drama over letting your sister crash at your place ? She's got some guts , I'll give her that . " Zack lounged against the bar , flicking his lighter to spark a cigarette , all charm and devil - may - care swagger . " Come on , dude , why the sad puppy act ? " Matilda's not the only fish in the sea . Six years is a solid run - time to cut bait and bounce ." Brandon knocked back his whiskey in one go , his voice rough and low . " She thinks she can just walk out ? Like I'm some chump ? " " So you're not signing those papers , huh ? " Zack grinned , one eyebrow cocked . " Easy fix , my man . " Brandon shot him a look - spit it out . Zack blew a lazy smoke ring , his smirk pure trouble . " Just dig in your heels and say hell no . She'll have to drag it to court . " File some bullshit about jurisdiction , stall the hearings , keep her stuck in limbo for years ... " Brandon stared into his empty glass , the amber dregs catching the light as he turned it over in his mind . Zack nudged his arm with a grin . " Alright , spill it , bro . Right now - Matilda or Shelby - who's got your loyalty in this shitshow ? " A heavy silence stretched out before Brandon finally spoke , his tone hard as nails . " I'm done letting Shelby down . Matilda's gotta take a step back ." Drained to her core , Matilda locked her bedroom door and collapsed into a few hours of restless sleep . When she woke , her mind was razor - sharp , the divorce mess snapping into focus . ***** 9:14 Mon , Oct 13 Chapter 8 : If one side wouldn't budge , the law turned into a slog - likely a year or more of red tape . ( Q ( 95 ) 55 vouchers She grabbed her purse and headed to a lawyer's office , desperate for the fastest way out of this cage . The attorney didn't mince words . " First go at a divorce ? It's a long shot - most get shut down . " Best play is to split right after the judge rules , keep receipts for everything , and file again in a year . " Matilda paid up and stepped outside . Her fingers pulled out a cigarette . She took a slow drag , letting the smoke curl in her lungs before exhaling it like a heavy sigh . Her phone buzzed - Cassandra , out of the blue . " Matilda , we're in deep shit ! Like , epic disaster ! " Matilda sighed to herself . ' How bad can it be ? ' Then Cassandra sent her a link to a viral video . The title hit like a punch to the gut : [ Guys Who Pamper Their Women Always Get Screwed . ] That was savage - stirring up a full - on war between the sexes . Matilda tapped play , and the video roared to life . The background music was all sappy heartbreak , twisting Brandon's angry shouts into a pitiful , choked - up plea . " I've spoiled you rotten , put you on a damn pedestal for six years , gave you everything . All I wanted was to let my sister stay with us , and you lose it ? You made me kick her out ! " She comes back , beat - up and scared , and you smack her ! My mom's in the ICU because of you , Matilda . What the hell did I ever do to you ? Tell me ! " When her part hit , the music turned wild and dramatic , painting her as a shrieking banshee . " Yeah , I own it ! You're just a pathetic dog begging for scraps . Shelby deserved it - you and your mom had it coming ! " In two hours , the video racked up over a hundred thousand shares , skyrocketing to the top of the trending charts . The comments were a bloodbath . Guys cursed her out , wishing her the worst . Women tore into her for dragging their gender through the mud . Then someone doxxed them : [ That's Brandon Grimes , CEO of Crossen Technology , and his wife Matilda . Saw them at a gala once . ] A reply popped up : [ They like that in person ? Same as the video ? ] The answer : [ Mr. Grimes can come off intense , but he's a class act - polite , sharp , and crazy about his wife . Her ? Total ice queen , looking down her nose like she's too good for everyone . ] The hate piled on : [ That woman's trash.Wasting a good guy like that ! ] 9:14 Mon , Oct 13 Chapter 8 : Matilda's face went pale , her cheeks flushing with barely - contained rage . ༧ > ( 95 ) E55 vouchers Cassandra's voice crackled through the phone , frantic . " Want me to call in the PR crew ? Flood the internet with some other drama to bury this ? " " Gimme a sec to think , " Matilda said , forcing herself to stay cool . The video was ripped from a security feed - someone had planted a camera in the upstairs study . Brandon's blowup last night made it unlikely he was behind it . That left Shelby . Matilda called the cops right then , reporting the illegal camera in her house . But as she hung up , the twisted bond between Brandon and Shelby made her stomach churn - she could've puked . The lawyer's timeline of a year and a half for a divorce ? No way she'd survive that wait . She chewed it over , then laid it out for Cassandra . " Fuck it . Let ' em talk . " Cassandra nearly choked . " You've seen the garbage they're slinging , right ? It's brutal ! " Matilda locked eyes with her , steady as steel . " Sometimes you gotta lose a battle to win the war ." This video painted her as a jealous , vicious shrew - bad enough to tank Crossen Technology's sales and stock price . She knew well that Daniel , the greedy old bastard running the company , wouldn't let that slide . Selfish as he was , he'd pin the whole mess on her and bully Brandon into signing the divorce papers . With no clout of her own , Matilda was betting on luck to rewrite her story . It was her best shot at breaking free , and fast . ***** At Saints International Hospital , Allen sat hunched over his phone , those deep , soulful eyes fixed on a contact labeled " Her . " She'd promised to thank him . Sixteen hours later , and nada . Jude Hammond barged in , no knock , his white coat swishing as he shoved his phone in Allen's face . " Hey , check this out . This girl - ain't she the one you've got tucked away in your notes ? " Allen glanced up . Sure as hell , it was Matilda . 9:14 Mon , Oct 13 Chapter 9 Chapter 9