# Chapter 695: The Unexpected Olive Branch
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 695 of "The Untouchable Ex Wife," a chapter brimming with raw emotions, unexpected turns, and a confrontation that pierces right through the heart.
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When Renee heard the words leave Shirley's lips, she felt the ground shift beneath her feet. "You... want to work with Jeffrey?" The question came out halting, almost disbelieving.
And why wouldn't she be surprised? In Renee's mind, Shirley was a woman who had once stood at the very pinnacle of the entertainment industry—the nation's top actress, a woman whose name alone could draw crowds and command respect. Surely, someone of that caliber would never lower herself to collaborate with an ordinary, unknown newcomer unless there was something in it for her. That was just basic logic in the cutthroat world of show business.
Yet, even as suspicion coiled in her chest, Renee couldn't deny the potential windfall. If Jeffrey were to work alongside Shirley, her star power would undoubtedly catapult him into the spotlight. The exposure alone could change his entire trajectory. But that was precisely the problem—Renee worried that Shirley wouldn't truly commit to helping him. What if this was just another one of her schemes?
"Are you surprised?" Shirley settled herself gracefully into the chair opposite Renee, a low chuckle escaping her lips. Something flickered in her eyes—was it amusement? Defensiveness? "Aren't you confident in this novice you want to promote? Do you think he's not on my level?"
Those words hit Jeffrey like a physical blow. His head dropped, his jaw clenched tight, and his fists balled up so hard that his knuckles turned white. Here was a young man who had once been so full of fire—spirited and confident, fearlessly roaming the open seas with nothing but his wits and his courage. But this big city, with its towering buildings and its crushing expectations, made him feel like a fish flung onto dry land. Every day was a struggle to adapt, a struggle to breathe, and moments like this only drove home how utterly out of his depth he truly was.
Renee's gaze never wavered from Shirley's face. "Of course not," she said smoothly, leaning back against her chair with deliberate casualness. Her eyes, however, were sharp as knives as she stared intently at the actress across from her.
Shirley shifted uncomfortably under that penetrating gaze. After a moment, she broke the silence. "Is there something on my face? Why do you keep staring at me?"
"Yeah, there's something on your face." Renee's smile was anything but genuine—it was a cold, practiced mask.
"What... is it?" Shirley patted her cheeks in genuine confusion. She had washed her face and carefully applied her makeup before arriving, certain she looked flawless. A smudge would have been mortifying.
"A little meanness." Renee's smile vanished, her gaze turning icy as she spoke the words. "I don't know why you suddenly want to work with Jeffrey, but you insulted him, which is honestly quite shameful. I'm surprised not because I think Jeffrey doesn't have talent, but because I know you well—you're not the kind of person who would help others expecting nothing in return."
The words hung in the air like poison, and for a moment, the room was completely silent.
Shirley was stunned, her carefully composed facade cracking just slightly. Then, to Renee's surprise, a bitter smile curved her lips. "So, that's the kind of person you think I am. To you, I'm just a mean and shameless woman who rose to fame by abandoning her dignity and relying on men." Her voice trembled with emotion, but she pressed on. "I honestly felt sorry for him and wanted to help him—that's all it was. But you doubted me and humiliated me for it."
She paused, pain flickering in her eyes. "It's okay though. I'm used to people looking down on me. I don't think anyone can truly understand me."
The weight of those words settled heavily between them. Renee narrowed her eyes, studying Shirley with renewed intensity, trying desperately to discern whether this was genuine or another masterful performance. If Shirley was lying, then her acting skills had to be absolutely extraordinary—worthy of that Best Actress title she'd once held.
But as the silence stretched on, something uncomfortable began to creep into Renee's chest. Guilt. She had lashed out harshly, making assumptions based on nothing but rumors and half-truths. In doing so, she had become exactly the kind of person she despised—self-righteous, judgmental, and utterly disrespectful of someone else's dignity.
"I'm sorry." When Renee finally realized her mistake, the apology came tumbling out, raw and sincere. "My opinion of you is mostly based on what others tell me, and from what I heard, you tend to use dishonorable means to get what you want... For example, in the case of you and Xavier's father."
The words barely left her mouth before she saw it—a flash of vulnerability, of deep, unhealed pain, crossing Shirley's face. It was the kind of look that couldn't be faked, the kind that spoke of old wounds still bleeding beneath the surface.
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## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
Oh, what a deeply layered chapter! This conversation beautifully exposes how quickly we judge others based on hearsay rather than personal experience. Renee's apology felt genuine, but the final mention of Xavier's father—so casually dropped—clearly touched a raw nerve in Shirley. There's so much history buried between these characters, and this chapter only hints at the pain beneath the surface. The character development here is superb, making us question who the real victim is in this narrative.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.7 / 5 Stars
## Next Chapter Prediction
Given the deep wound Renee accidentally inflicted by bringing up Xavier's father, expect Shirley to either shut down completely or finally reveal the painful truth about her past. Was she really the villain everyone believes, or has she been unfairly demonized all along? Meanwhile, Jeffrey's silence throughout this entire confrontation suggests he's absorbing everything—his next move could surprise everyone, perhaps even proving himself worthy of Shirley's unexpected offer.
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