The air in the car plunged into sudden silence. Madeline laughed bitterly in exhaustion.

“Jeremy, even if you don’t believe me, what about Grandpa? He’s a wise man with a lot of experience in life. If I’m such a battered person, then why did he agree to let me marry you? Why would he take care of me and give Meredith the cold shoulder?”

She thought Jeremy would ponder about this, but the moment she stopped talking, he laughed.

“You know clearly why you got to marry me and why Meredith gets th