# Chapter 494: The Shadow in the Corridor
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 494 of "The Untouchable Ex Wife." We find ourselves in a tense corridor where secrets are being guarded, tempers are flaring, and two women are locked in a silent battle of wills. So grab your favorite drink, settle in, and let's dive into the drama together!
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The mansion was steeped in an unusual hush, as if even the walls themselves were holding their breath. Dr. Wagner had been summoned for a private examination of Renee, and the entire household knew better than to disturb the sacred stillness of that procedure. Doors were closed, voices were muffled, and servants moved about with the caution of mice in a sleeping cat's presence.
But one person simply couldn't resist the pull of curiosity.
Shirley crept through the corridor like a shadow with a guilty conscience, her heels making barely a whisper against the polished marble floor. She had been searching for that room for what felt like an eternity, her heart thumping with a mixture of excitement and fear. She knew Renee was hiding something—she could feel it in her bones. That woman was far too composed, far too mysterious, and every secret she held seemed to be a key to gaining favor with Xavier and Stefan.
"If I can just find out what she's concealing..." Shirley muttered under her breath, her fingers brushing along the walls as she searched.
Finally, she spotted it. A door. Not just any door, but *the* door. The room where Dr. Wagner was conducting his inspection.
"It must be here!" she breathed, and in that moment, all caution flew out the window like a startled bird.
Shirley tiptoed toward the room with exaggerated care, leaning her ear against the cold wooden surface like a thief trying to crack a safe. She squeezed her eyes shut in concentration, straining to catch any fragment of conversation, any telltale sound that might reveal what was happening on the other side. But the room had been designed with superb sound insulation—a detail that only made her more suspicious. What could they possibly need to hide so thoroughly?
The silence was deafening. She heard absolutely nothing.
Except for footsteps. Coming from behind her.
Shirley's blood ran cold. She spun around with the speed of a startled deer, only to find herself face-to-face with Leia Osborne, whose expression could have frozen the ocean solid.
"Why are you sneaking around?" Leia's voice dripped with cold displeasure, each word a tiny ice pick aimed directly at Shirley's fragile composure.
"Ah!" The sound escaped Shirley's lips before she could stop it, high-pitched and guilty. Her gaze darted away like a frightened animal, unable to meet the fierce fire burning in Leia's eyes. Her fingers twisted together nervously as she scrambled for an excuse. "I-I passed by and got curious, so I looked around."
One could almost feel sorry for her—almost—if her face weren't so obviously flushed with the scarlet colors of guilt.
"Hmph!" Leia crossed her arms, her posture radiating authority and barely contained contempt. She let out a scoff that was sharp enough to cut glass. "You really are the best actress. Didn't you see the no-entry sign here? Even Stefan can't come here while Dr. Wagner is giving Renee an inspection. What are you up to?"
"W-What sign? I walked fast and didn't see it." Shirley stubbornly clung to her excuse like a drowning woman clutching driftwood, even though the words sounded hollow even to her own ears.
And indeed, anyone could see the sign if they had eyes—which Leia pointed out with biting sarcasm that cut through the corridor like a blade.
The corridor was practically screaming with warnings. A large sign stood prominently against the wall, its bold letters impossible to miss. Red tape had been strung around the area like a sacred boundary, warning all intruders to keep their distance. Owen himself had declared that absolutely no one was to disrupt his work—not even Stefan, the man of the house himself.
No, Shirley had definitely seen the sign. In fact, it had fueled her curiosity even further. If Renee needed this level of privacy, something was definitely wrong. Something was being hidden. And if Shirley could discover what it was, she might just find the leverage she needed to climb higher in Xavier's estimation. Perhaps then, he would finally look at her differently—with admiration, with affection, with something deeper than polite tolerance.
But Leia had caught her red-handed, and now all those beautiful fantasies were crumbling like sandcastles before the tide.
"You didn't see such a large sign?" Leia's lips twisted into a spiteful smirk. "Looks like there's no point in you keeping your eyes then."
The implication hung in the air—a veiled threat wrapped in elegant cruelty.
Shirley's temper flared. How dare this woman talk to her that way? Who did Leia think she was, with her haughty attitude and her disdainful looks? Yes, Leia might have lost Xavier to Shirley when it came to matters of the heart—and that thought sent a small surge of satisfaction through Shirley's veins—but that didn't give her the right to speak to her like she was dirt beneath her shoes.
"I could say the same about you," Shirley shot back, her voice rising with rude defiance. "You didn't see the sign either!"
Coldness gathered in Leia's eyes like storm clouds on a winter horizon. There it was—that infuriating attitude again. That stubborn, slippery insolence that made Leia want to scream. She had encountered many troublesome women throughout her life, but Shirley was something else entirely. She wasn't openly aggressive or confrontational. She didn't cause destruction openly. Rather, she slithered through the shadows, playing innocent while scheming in corners, striking out at the people around her in subtle, disgusting ways.
"You want to compare circumstances?" Leia's voice dropped to a dangerous register. "We're different. Renee is my best friend, so I'm here to protect her. But you? You must be here for some ulterior motive."
She paused, letting the weight of her next words settle like a heavy stone dropped into still water.
"I think it's already very nice of me that I didn't slap you."
And Leia meant every word with the full force of her being. She had seen Shirley's kind before—women who wrapped their claws in silk and poisoned others with smiles. Shirley wasn't just a troublemaker; she was a cockroach of a human being. Not deadly, perhaps, but absolutely repulsive. She scurried through dark corners, fiddling with others' lives like a pest contaminating food. Every moment she spent in the presence of this woman made Leia's skin crawl with the urge to strike.
But Shirley merely lifted her chin in defiance, a provoking glint entering her eyes. Instead of backing down, she stepped forward, practically offering herself as a target.
"What a bad temper, Ms. Osborne!" Shirley's words were laced with mockery now. "You can't just harm anyone you like. Do you see people with humble backgrounds like us as pushovers?"
She raised her head higher, a smug smile threatening to break across her features.
"In that case, I'll let you slap me to vent your anger, okay? Go ahead and slap me!"
The challenge hung in the air like a gauntlet thrown at an opponent's feet. Shirley knew exactly what she was doing. She was daring Leia to strike her, baiting her into violence. Because if Leia did slap her, then Shirley would have grounds to cry victim. She could run to Xavier and Stefan with tears in her eyes, painting herself as the poor innocent girl persecuted by the jealous, cruel Leia Osborne.
But would Leia take the bait? Or would her pride and her wisdom hold her back?
The standoff intensified, two women locked in a battle where words were merely the first weapons drawn.
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## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
Oh my, what a deliciously tense confrontation! This chapter perfectly captures the simmering rivalry between Shirley and Leia—two women whose animosity runs far deeper than simple dislike. Leia's frustration is completely justified; she's watching someone she views as a scheming opportunist prowl around her best friend's private space, and the way she articulates her disgust with that cockroach metaphor was absolutely chef's kiss. Meanwhile, Shirley's manipulative nature shines through brilliantly in that final provocation. You can practically see her calculating how to twist the situation to her advantage, trying to force Leia into making a mistake. The psychological warfare happening in this quiet corridor is absolutely riveting, and I found myself holding my breath, wondering if Leia would give in to her impulses. The way Shirley plays the victim card as a strategy is infuriating but also showcases her cunning nature.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rating: 4.7 / 5 Stars
## Next Chapter Prediction
With Shirley openly challenging Leia to slap her, the next chapter promises fireworks of epic proportions. Will Leia give in to the provocation and strike Shirley, exactly as Shirley hopes? Or will she see through the trap at the last moment and find a more devastating way to put Shirley in her place? Meanwhile, the closed door behind them keeps its secrets—what is happening inside Dr. Wagner's examination room? And could the commotion outside draw attention at the worst possible moment, revealing more than either woman intends? One thing is certain: with tensions this high, someone is bound to break, and the fallout could change everything.
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