Chapter 16 The moment Bernard spoke , I could practically hear Franco's shock on the other end of the phone . He was silent for a second before asking in disbelief , " Suzy , how come there's a man with you ? " I paused , collecting my thoughts , before answering , " Is there a problem with that , Franco ? " Franco retorted , " There's a huge problem ! You're my wife , and behind my back , you're with another man . You even ran away with him to a foreign country . Suzy , how could you do this to me ? " The irony of his words hit me like a slap . After everything he'd put me through , he was acting as though I was the one in the wrong . I couldn't help the sarcasm that slipped out . " When you lied to me about Maxwell Group going bankrupt and married your sister , why didn't you ask yourself if you were being fair to me ? Franco , don't be such a hypocrite ! " There was a long , heavy silence on the other end . I could almost hear Franco's mind racing , caught off guard by my response . Then , after what felt like forever , he hesitantly asked , " You know about it ? When did you find out ? " I didn't answer . Instead , I let him stew for a moment , hearing him stumble over his words as he tried to justify himself . " I can explain what happened with my sister , " Franco started , his voice wavering . " It's not what you think . Ingrid has a terminal illness and only has a month to live . Ingrid's biggest wish is to marry me . As her brother , how could I watch her leave with regret ? " His words sounded so convincing , as if he honestly believed there was no selfish motive behind it all . But I couldn't hold back a laugh , one laced with disbelief . " Franco , since I figured out your fake divorce was just a ploy to marry her , it's easy for me to see through the rest . Stop wasting your time trying to deceive me . I find it disgusting ." Franco fell silent again , probably too stunned to say anything . The only sound I could hear was the low hum of the phone , filling the silence between us . But just when I thought it was over , he suddenly went off again . " Don't you have any responsibility in this ? If you were more perfect than my sister , I would've never kept thinking about her , " Franco said , his voice sharp with a strange mix of quilt and accusation . " We've been married for thirty years , and you've always had this My Husband Staged Our Divorce to Marry His First Love 1/2 51.7 % 23:23 . Mon Aug ' down - to - earth ' image . I'm embarrassed to take you out * I could feel my heart racing as he went on , each word a punch to my chest . " If others knew my wife was so outdated and never bothered to dress up , they'd laugh at me . You spend all your time in the kitchen and with the kids , never caring about how I feel or how my work is going . Only my sister - she focuses entirely on me I was floored . God , the bastard wasn't even trying to hold back anymore . He was letting all the venom he'd stored up come pouring out ! Franco continued , " The reason I have these unrealistic thoughts about my sister - don't you have any responsibility for that ? If you'd put more effort into me , how could I have done something like this ? " The sudden shift in his tone from guilty to self - righteous felt like a whiplash . He wasn't even attempting to understand ; he was just blaming me for everything . I could feel my blood pressure rise as frustration churned inside me . This was it , the moment I had been dodging for so long - the real Franco . The man who could twist every wrong he'd ever committed into something that was my fault . I took a deep breath , trying to steady myself , and then I snapped , " Didn't I love dressing up before we got married ? Wasn't that why you were with me in the first place , because I was beautiful and could help you look good in front of others ? " My voice was shaking now , frustration and anger pouring out all at once . " After we got married , why did I fall out of touch with the latest trends and become less fashionable ? Because all my time went into you and your family . I wake up early every day to make breakfast for you , clean the entire three - story house , wash clothes for all seven of you - sometimes even for Ingrid - pick up our grandkids , tutor them , and then cook lunch and dinner . " I paused , feeling the weight of everything sinking in . " You all have delicate stomachs , so I have to make separate dishes for each of you . I've taken on every single household chore so you can rest , while I barely get a moment for myself . Even so , when you get home from work , I always ask how your day went because I want to take care of you " The phone was silent for a long moment . I could almost feel Franco's stunned silence on the other end But I didn't care anymore what he would think . The truth was out , and I wasn't going to let him twist it anymore .