Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism
Chapter 195 A Pig That Stands Up

She stayed silent, thinking Declan had just come out to the terrace for some air. So, she strode past him, ready to leave.

But just as she passed him, he grabbed her wrist.

"Grace..."

Grace was puzzled.

Then she jerked her hand back, as if she'd been touched by something toxic.

"What's your deal? Are you out of your mind?"

Declan hesitated for a moment, then withdrew his hand with a hint of frustration. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything else. I just wanted to ask how you've been lately."

Grace retorted, "How I've been has nothing to do with you. Just focus on living your own life. Why are you so nosy? Got nothing better to do?

"Excuse me."

Grace passed by him coldly.

Perhaps due to the alcohol, Declan found himself struggling to keep his composure as he watched Grace walk away.

Back then, the time he spent with Grace was the best part of his youth, and his feelings for her were genuine. If it weren't for Vivian deliberately tempting him, he wouldn't have fallen for it.

Now, after being married for many years, Declan has realised just how much Vivian loved showing off.

Thinking about it now, Grace was still the better choice. She was not into showing off or comparing herself to others.

"Grace, I know you've been single all these years because you've been waiting for me ... "

What the?

Grace felt utterly disgusted, as if she had swallowed something dirty. Her throat tightened, and she couldn't speak a word because of the nausea.

While her decision not to marry did have some indirect relation to Declan, it was mostly because Grace wanted to devote herself to the stage. She had no intention of getting married or having children, as it would affect her physique.

She had long committed herself to the stage and had no interest in romantic relationships.

Grace turned around, ready to slap Declan across the face.

"What are you doing?!"

On the nearby corridor, Vivian and a few friends were walking towards them. They were shocked to see Grace and Declan embracing. Vivian's face turned ashen, and she glared at Grace. Declan realised the situation and quickly let go of Grace.

"Vivian, it's not what you think," he hastily explained.

Vivian's lips trembled with anger as she strode forward, raising her hand to slap Grace across the face.

Grace caught her hand, then swiftly delivered a slap to Declan's face with her other hand.

Smack!

The crisp sound of the slap echoed in the corridor.

Declan was dumbfounded.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Vivian's head buzzed with anger.

Grace lightly shook her hand as if she had touched something dirty.

"Vivian, you better keep an eye on your husband, who's always acting horny. It's disgusting."

With that, she walked away.

The imprint of Grace's hand on Declan's face was quite prominent, making the scene look ridiculous.

With so many people around, if this incident got out, he'd be in big trouble.

Declan quickly shifted all the blame onto Grace.

"Vivian, I was just coming out here to smoke, and she was the one who initiated the hug. She even said she wanted to go to a hotel later. When I rejected her, she just held onto me tightly... Grace's steps halted, and she turned to look at Declan.

Now, not only did she replace him disgusting, but he also lowered her opinion of him as a person.

"So that's how it is. Grace, you're just despicable. Declan is Vivian's husband, and you're out here trying to seduce someone else's husband? What kind of person does that make you? You're a forty-year-old woman, and you're stooping to such shameless acts. It's truly disgusting!"

Vivian's friends joined in, adding their accusations against Grace.

Violeta and her two friends realised the situation wasn't favourable out on the lawn, so they hurried back to the hotel.

Earlier, they had witnessed everything on the terrace. It was clear that Declan was shamelessly the one who initiated hugging Grace.

Soon, Violeta and her friends arrived at the scene, expecting Grace to be outnumbered and bullied.

But, to their surprise, Grace wasn't bullied at all. Instead, she started arguing with them.

"Yuck! If your eyes can't see right, you might as well pluck them out of your faces!"

"Declan's got a belly, and he's balding, looking like he's sixty even though he's not. Who'd fall for him? Who wants to hit on him? Even if I'm not caught, I still get attention just by walking down the street. See those two truckloads of rose perfumes? They're gifts from my admirer. Why would I bother with him?

"Am I just as desperate as you all, or do I have as low a taste as you do?"

In Grace's opinion, Declan wasn't worth anything.

Vivian's face turned red with anger.

"My Declan isn't someone you can badmouth like that!"

Grace said, "Yeah, sure, then why don't you just take your Declan back home and lock him up? Stop embarrassing yourself in public."

Declan hadn't expected to be seen like this in Grace's eyes. He felt a bit resentful. "Grace, don't act shameless. It was you who just said you couldn't forget about me and that you've been single all this time waiting for me. I rejected you, but you're still unwilling to let go and even followed me here."

Hazel and Nydia stepped forward upon hearing this.

"Seriously, we've seen people who boast, but we've never seen pigs sticking shit on their own faces. Do you even hear yourself? Who in their right mind would like a pig that stands up?"