Hank’s parents saw that their son was adamant about divorcing his wife. He had already done all sorts of things with Jessica before getting caught by Liberty. With Liberty’s character, there was no way she would just take that lying down.Olivia said, “Hank, after you married Liberty, it was all you going to work and earning money. She had no income at all. If you divorce her, you should ask her to pack her clothes and leave immediately after settling the divorce proceedings at City Hall.“Don’t allow her to take anything else.”Since the divorce was set in stone, they would attempt to reduce the losses brought about by it.“Mom, you don’t want me to let her take anything else? That’s not possible. She’ll only leave with nothing if she herself doesn’t want anything. After we married, she didn’t work, but my income will be considered both our shared assets. The moment she initiates the divorce proceedings, I’ll have to give her half.“Although I’ve been paying for the house and the
“Tell her that you won’t go halves on everything anymore and give her a little more allowance in the future, so don’t get divorced. You and Jessica should do your best not to let her see you two together.”“Mom, I want to divorce her!”Hank was insistent. “Jessica has never been married before and she’s dating me. I have to take responsibility for her. I don’t want Jessica to suffer any more grievances.”Olivia said unkindly, “Wasn’t Liberty a beautiful maiden too before she married you? I don’t see you taking responsibility for her to the end. And now you’re making her suffer for another woman?”“Mom, whose side are you on?”Olivia pursed her lips.Jessica was very good at buttering them up and making them like her, but Olivia felt that when it came down to it, Liberty was better at facing life than Jessica was. Liberty had gone through hardships and had tenacity. Jessica, on the other hand, was the youngest in her family, was coddled by her parents and her older brother, and ha
Mr. Brown continued to say, “It’s fine even if you give a little more money to Liberty. We shouldn’t be too unrelenting and should leave a way out for ourselves. Then we’ll be able to meet amiably in the future, but Sonny must return to us!”Sonny was a Brown, after all!“Dad, I guarantee you that I’ll definitely get custody of Sonny.”“Before the two of you are divorced, I don’t believe your guarantee. It’s better if you get Sonny to come and stay with us and let your mother and I take care of him. I’ll only stop worrying then.”Hank said helplessly, “Dad, you and Mom have never taken care of Sonny. If I bring him over, and he can’t get used to it and makes a fuss, what then?Olivia rallied. “That’s exactly why we have to take him in now to nurture the bond. In the future, when you get married again, will that Yates woman be willing to take care of him? Sonny will definitely end up with your dad and I. We’re his biological grandparents, after all.”“How many kind stepmothers are
Zachary instantaneously picked up her call.“Mr. York, were you alright this morning? Can you hold up? If not, you should get the remaining day off to come back and rest after your meeting.”Hearing her concern, Zachary felt happy. He leaned back on the black swiveling chair. He said as he spun, “I only managed to hold up because I had a cup of coffee after I got back to the office. Work is almost over. I can sleep for a bit soon.”“Aren’t you going to eat?”“I’m too sleepy and I don’t have an appetite. I don’t feel like it.”“That won’t do. You’ve worked the whole morning. If you don’t eat lunch, you’ll get gastric problems. It’ll be very hard to recover fully afterward.”Zachary said softly, “I just don’t feel like eating.”“After you finish work, you should get some sleep first. I’ll send some food over to you in a bit. I’ll call you once I’ve reached your office.”He only lost his sleep because of her sister’s issue. Whether it was for their public image, or in private, Ser
Nana dragged her luggage and walked straight to the sofa. She sat down and said, “Zachary, I want to move in with you and Seren.”Zachary’s face stiffened. “Nana, you promised me—”“I’m not stirring trouble, so what are you so nervous for? What are you worried about?” Nana rebutted. Following that, she said stubbornly, “I’ve already been chased out of home by your dad and uncles. I have nowhere else to go, so I wanted to seek refuge with my grandson. Is that not okay? Are you going to learn from your dad and uncles and chase me out too?”Nana sighed. “When you get old, you get hated. Wherever I go, I get chased away. What’s the point of raising sons? What’s the point of raising grandsons too? It’s better to raise a sweet granddaughter.”Zachary’s expression was dark. “Nana, my dad and uncles would never chase you away.”Even if she wanted to move in with him, she should not tag his dad and uncles with a giant label of being unfilial.Nana smiled cheerily. “I can’t say it was my
“Who was the one who said ‘I don’t get jealous, it’s unbecoming!’ and ‘I don’t chase after women!’? Zack, do you know who said that?”Zachary’s face did not twitch from its glum expression. His lips were pursed tightly as he kept quiet.Nana laughed until she was content, and only then changed the subject. “Isn’t Elisa Stone waiting for you there?”“She won’t come and disturb me anymore.”Elisa had not come to the office to lie in wait for him for the past two days.She had once told Serenity that as long as Zachary already had a girlfriend or was married, she would definitely stop bothering him.That made Zachary’s impression of her increase in favorability by two points.The unruly young lady was indeed much better than many others just by not trying to break apart a marriage in the pursuit of true love.“Has she found out about you and Serenity?”“Nope. I just showed my left hand off, and she backed off.”Nana harrumphed. “What do you think your left hand is? If she backed
Callum brought Nana downstairs and the two prepared to go to the hotel to have lunch.The moment they exited the office building, Callum spotted Serenity with his sharp eyes.“Nana, now I understand why Zachary asked me to bring you out for lunch.”He pointed at the entrance of the office building and said to Nana, “Serenity’s here and she’s even carrying an insulated lunch box. She brought him lunch.”No wonder Zachary was burning with anxiety about getting him to take Nana and leave. He did not want Nana to third-wheel them.Nana stopped in her tracks and squinted for a while, saying, “That really is Seren. Hurry and give your cousin a call and remind him to change rooms. Let him use yours, and don’t let Seren find out.”Callum hummed in acquiescence and called Zachary.Even without Callum’s heads-up, Zachary knew long ago that Serenity had arrived.There was a pair of binoculars in his drawer. Once he had sent Nana on her way, he had gone to stand by the window, staring down
“I’ve already eaten.”Serenity answered without hesitation, then thought for a second before saying, “Why don’t I accompany you as you eat? Once you’re done eating, I’ll go back.”A light sparked in Zachary’s eyes. “Let’s go to my office then.”Serenity glanced once more at the crowd of people in black and tentatively asked, “I’m not an employee of your company. Can I enter just like that?”“It’s fine since I’m bringing you in.”He reached his hand out to Serenity, and after a moment of hesitation, she put her hand in his.As he held her hand, a hint of a smile appeared on Zachary’s face that escaped Serenity’s notice.With one hand carrying the insulated lunch box Serenity had personally sent over and the other holding her hand, he led Serenity into the building under everyone’s astonished and speculative gazes.“Mr. York.”“Mr. York.”Everyone who saw Zachary would greet him respectfully.They would also smile and nod at Serenity but they greeted her bearing a sense of won