Chapter 7 

In front of the Smith Villa, Addison was fuming. She pointed at James, who was still in the car, and yelled, "Get this worthless piece of trash out of here! I never want to see him again!"

Charles, standing nearby, sighed quietly. James had gone overboard at the party, but honestly, they were the ones who started it.

Seeing Addison's hysterics, Charles decided to keep his mouth shut. James wasn't worth the hassle of arguing with her.

"James, just apologize to Mom later. I'll smooth things over, and this will all blow over," Mary said with a sigh. She knew Addison was in the wrong, but since Addison was her mother, she had no choice but to ask James to swallow his pride.

After all, he was used to being wronged. One more time wouldn't make a difference.

"Do you think this is my fault too?" James's voice was calm. He didn't care about Addison or the rest of the Smiths, but he couldn't ignore Mary.

Was James really at fault?

Mary hesitated. The antique was indeed a fake, and the gift James had prepared was perfectly fine. He hadn't done anything wrong.

However, siding with James would mean going against Addison.

She knew Addison's temper. If James hadn't apologized, this matter wouldn't have ended easily, and he would have been the one to suffer in the end.

"Of course, this is your fault!" Mary bit her lip. If James didn't apologize, being kicked out of the Smiths would be the least of his worries. "You embarrassed my parents in front of all those relatives. Do you still think you did nothing wrong?"

James fell silent. Mary's response left him utterly disappointed. So, this was how little he meant to her.

Thinking back to that snowy night eighteen years ago, James smiled bitterly. It had always been a one-sided affection.

"James, Mom and Dad have already gone inside. Let's get out of the car," Mary said, her voice softening with guilt. "No matter who's right or wrong, let's go apologize to Mom together."

James didn't respond. He had already made up his mind.

As they walked in and Addison saw James, her anger flared up again. "Get out! The Smith family doesn't keep useless dogs!"

"Mom, James may have done something wrong, but you don't have to say that," Mary couldn't stand it anymore. Addison's words were too harsh, and she worried James might lose his temper.

She had a vague feeling that James had changed today. He was no longer the submissive person he used to be.

"Am I wrong? He eats our food, lives in our house, and contributes nothing. How is he different from a dog?" Addison snapped, even scolding Mary. "If you think I'm wrong, you can leave with that worthless man. We will do just fine without both of you!"

Mary's mouth twitched, but she swallowed her words. Addison's domineering personality had always cast a shadow over her.

"James, what are you looking at? Get out of here!" Addison redirected her anger at James. After all, Mary was her daughter and the president of the Smith Group. She couldn't really kick her out.

James met Addison's gaze without flinching. After receiving Apollo's legacy, he had become more confident and composed.

Facing Addison's sharp eyes, James stepped forward and asked calmly, "Mom, you can tell me to leave, but first, explain what I did wrong. Christopher's antique was indeed a fake, and the wine I brought, a rare Hippocratic vintage, was dismissed as trash. I drank it myself to prove it wasn't poisoned. Tell me, what did I do wrong?"

James's rapid-fire questions left Addison momentarily speechless.

She knew James was telling the truth, but admitting it would be humiliating for her.

"That antique was so obviously fake. Anyone could see it," Addison said, slamming the table. "But pointing it out in that setting was not only an insult to Christopher but also to the whole Smiths. And you just had to expose it. Are you that naive?"

James snorted and retorted, "You can cover for Christopher's fake gift, but why did you call my gift trash?"

James could understand Addison protecting Christopher, but he couldn't tolerate her blatant double standards. "He's the Smith family's son-in-law. Am I not?"

Mary was taken aback, having grown accustomed to James's constant concessions and always asking him to apologize first, right or wrong. She had overlooked that James, also a person with feelings, would eventually have an outburst from bottling up grievances.

"James, stop. Go cool off for a bit," Mary tugged at James's sleeve. Both he and Addison were angry, and continuing the argument would only make things worse.

"Mary, don't pull him. You tell me!" Addison's sharp eyes caught Mary's gesture. "Who's right? Who's wrong?"

Mary frowned, caught in the middle and torn between both sides.

"Mom, James may have been wrong, but..."

"No buts!" Addison cut her off roughly. "You think he's wrong, that's enough."

James turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Mary's face.

So, she also thought he was wrong. There was no reason for him to stay in the Smith family any longer.

"James, just apologize. It's not a big deal. Once you apologize, this will all be over," Charles, who had been silent, tried to comfort him.

Addison snorted coldly. "I don't need his apology. I just want him out of the Smith family!"

James remained calm, stepping forward and saying, "Mom, I want a divorce from Mary."

Addison was stunned. She hadn't expected James to be the one to bring up divorce.

While she wanted James out, who initiated the divorce mattered. If the Smith family did, it meant they were rejecting him. But if James did, it carried a different weight entirely.

Mary was equally shocked, looking at James in disbelief. "James, do you really want to divorce me?"

James nodded lightly. "Mary, let's part on good terms."

For a moment, Mary felt a surge of emotions—grievance, unwillingness, and more.

She was the proud daughter of the Smith family, yet she was being dumped.

"James, don't forget your place. You're just a freeloader. What right do you have to ask for a divorce?" Addison snapped back to reality, pointing at James. "Don't forget, everything you have now is thanks to us. What gives you the right to ask for a divorce?"

James remained silent. Although he had endured much with the Smiths, Addison wasn't wrong. He had indeed benefited from them.

If he left just like that, even if he felt justified, people would still talk behind his back.

"I'll repay the Smith family for everything I owe," James said confidently.

Addison laughed. "Repay? How? Are you planning to do something illegal?"

"That's none of your concern. Just know that I will repay everything," James said with confidence. With his newfound skills, he had countless ways to make money.

"Anyone can talk big. I won't make it hard for you. Just get the $3 million SH Corporation owes us, and we'll consider it even. How about that?" Addison's eyes gleamed. SH Corporation was tough to deal with, and she wanted to make James suffer.

"Deal!" James agreed without hesitation.

Later, James and Mary returned to their room. Though married, they had never been intimate. Mary slept in the inner room, always locking the door at night, while James made do on the couch outside.

After washing up, James was about to sleep when Mary came out.

"James, what gives you the right to divorce me?" Mary was still upset. Even if they were to divorce, it should be her decision. "I helped you with everything, even your mom's loans. How dare you ask for a divorce?"

James glanced at her and replied calmly, "I said I'd repay everything I owe the Smith family."

The calmer he was, the more furious Mary became. Did he think so little of her that he was determined to leave her?

"And besides, you asked for a divorce too. Isn't this what you wanted?" James added.

Mary clenched her fists. She had thought about divorce, but only if she initiated it.

As the eldest daughter of the Smith family, she couldn't tolerate being dumped.

"James, do you really think you can get SH Corporation to pay up?" Mary was angry, her words sharp. "Someone like you will never get a penny from them!"

"Am I really that useless?" James smiled bitterly, lying down on the couch. "Don't worry. I won't go back on my word. I'll repay the Smith family before we divorce."

"James, you'll regret this!" Mary stormed back to the inner room and slammed the door.

The debt from SH Corporation had been outstanding for a long time, and no one in the Smith family had been able to collect it. She didn't believe James could do it.

However, an indescribable feeling welled up within her. It was as if something had changed in James, and she had a vague premonition that he might actually succeed.