# Chapter 43: You're Different
Ingrid's face turned ashen as she instinctively stepped backward, her carefully constructed mask of superiority crumbling. Quinn had already warned the maids at Ferguson Villa to never speak of Nicole's life there, but Ingrid's loose tongue had just betrayed everything.
*If Brother finds out...* Her mind raced, trying to find an escape route. *Forget it. So what if he does? He doesn't even like this woman. They're divorced!*
Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Ingrid forced her expression into one of righteous indignation. "Brother, I'm just teaching her a lesson. This woman tried to seduce you—"
"Oh, quit the act..."
Ian stepped forward, his entire frame trembling with barely contained rage. Every word he spoke dripped with cold fury as he positioned himself protectively in front of Nicole. "Ms. Ferguson, you still have the audacity to flaunt such repulsive acts like they're glorious deeds? It's Nicole's lifetime of bad luck that she was blinded into marrying into your family!"
The raw emotion in Ian's voice silenced the crowd. His protectiveness spoke volumes about their bond, and Ingrid seized on it like a shark scenting blood.
"What's the relationship between you two? Tell us the truth. Did you have an affair with Nicole long before she divorced my brother?"
"Ingrid Ferguson! Shut up!"
Eric's roar cut through the air like thunder. His entire body felt like it was burning from the inside out, his heart clenching so painfully that breathing had become difficult.
He didn't bother to look at Nicole's expression. Instead, he marched straight toward his sister, his face carved from ice. "Was everything you just said true?" The words came out through gritted teeth.
Ingrid's lower lip trembled. She had grown up distant from her brother, who had been raised abroad, and now she found herself facing a version of Eric she had never seen before—dangerous, unforgiving.
"Answer me!"
A cold, cynical laugh rang out from behind him. Before Eric could turn, Nicole's voice cut through the tension like a blade.
"Mr. Ferguson, it's all true."
The admission sent shockwaves through the gathered crowd. Their eyes shifted with new understanding, seeing past Nicole's beautiful exterior to the miserable reality behind it. What Ingrid had said in malice now painted a picture of cruelty that made them sympathize with the woman standing alone against the Ferguson family.
Eric's body went rigid. Something was crushing his heart, squeezing until he could barely think. All those years, his close friends, his family, everyone had been bullying Nicole, and he had been completely blind to it.
He thought back to those rare visits during their three years of marriage—always about Wendy's health, always transactional. He had given her bank cards, asked if she had enough pocket money, and convinced himself he was being generous. But it was all a lie. He had owed her everything and given her nothing.
His fists clenched until his knuckles went white. His entire body trembled with the weight of terrible realization.
But Nicole only laughed—a beautiful sound that carried a biting chill. "Mr. Ferguson, you can go home and ask any maid to find out if it's true. But even if it is, so what?"
Her words were a knife twisted deep into an already festering wound. The others had only dared to treat her cruelly because they believed Eric endorsed their behavior. He was the least innocent of them all—he had stabbed her deepest.
Under the warm ambient light, Nicole's smile was both charming and dangerous. Her beautiful eyes held nothing but icy resolve. She was unforgiving.
"Mr. Ferguson, if it's true, what are you going to do about it?" Her voice carried through the stunned silence. "Are you going to make Ms. Ferguson and Mrs. Ferguson kneel and apologize to me? Will you make them do my laundry and cook for me as my maids? Or will you just try to get rid of your poor ex-wife by throwing more money at her?"
The crowd gasped. Everyone had expected apologies, compromises, the usual sweeping of family scandals under expensive rugs. But Nicole was tearing down every pretense, exposing the ugly truth for all to see.
The Fergusons were wealthy enough not to need a dowry, but even the gentry understood certain unspoken rules. If this drama continued, it would spiral completely out of control.
"Apologize? Dream on!" Ingrid's voice was shrill with defiance. "I will never apologize to you. You want me to kneel and be your maid? Stop daydreaming!"
"That's enough!"
Eric yanked Ingrid back with such force that tears welled in her eyes. He didn't spare her a glance, his complex gaze fixed on Nicole. He couldn't fulfill any of her conditions. Money was all he had, and even that she might refuse.
For the first time in his life, Eric Ferguson felt completely powerless.
"Nicole, I..."
"Mr. Ferguson, since you can't do anything, don't act like you have a guilty conscience." Nicole's voice was ice. "Apologies aren't worth anything. Are you trying to gain sympathy? Don't you think you're being too shameful?"
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## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
This chapter is a masterpiece of emotional devastation and poetic justice. Watching Nicole finally stand up for herself, laying bare the truth that everyone in that room desperately wanted to bury, was absolutely cathartic. The way she dismantles Eric's half-hearted guilt with surgical precision—refusing to accept hollow apologies or empty gestures—shows incredible character growth. She's no longer the naive girl who accepted scraps of kindness. She demands accountability or nothing at all.
Eric's realization that he was complicit in her suffering through his neglect hits hard. He can't buy his way out of this, and for the first time, he's truly helpless. Ingrid's venomous arrogance remains infuriatingly intact, but her humiliation in front of the crowd is deeply satisfying.
Ian's fierce protectiveness adds a beautiful contrast, reminding us that Nicole has loyal people who would fight for her dignity. The raw emotions, the public confrontation, the refusal to let the powerful escape consequences—this chapter delivers on every level.
**⭐ Rating: 4.9 / 5 Stars**
## Next Chapter Prediction
Nicole's complete rejection of Eric's guilt will likely force him to confront the depth of his failure in ways he never expected. He'll probably attempt to investigate what truly happened during their marriage, leading to shocking discoveries about the extent of his family's cruelty. Meanwhile, the public scene at the gathering won't go unnoticed—someone in that room will report back to the Stanton family or others who care about Nicole, potentially setting off a chain reaction of consequences for the Fergusons. Buckle up; the fallout is just beginning.