Chapter 330
Hank twisted the door handle but found it locked. Liberty had secured the door.
He knocked.
“Liberty, open up.”
Liberty approached the door but blocked the entrance to prevent him from entering. “What do you want?” she asked.
“I need to discuss something with you. Let me in.”
This had once been the couple’s master bedroom, but now it was Liberty’s space. Hank felt a twinge of displeasure, yet he restrained his temper in hopes of persuading Liberty to assist with the school run for his sister’s children.
“Can’t it wait until tomorrow? It’s late,” she replied.
“It’s only 11. I usually return around this time after dinner parties,” he countered.
Liberty suspected that Hank wanted to discuss matters related to her mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Curiosity piqued, she stepped aside and said, “Just make sure you go back to your room to sleep after you’re done.”
Inwardly, Hank cursed, thinking, ‘I couldn’t hold back that night because I had too much to drink… Do you really think I wanted to touch you?’
Yet, he said aloud, “Wait, I’ll go get something.”
He turned and quickly headed to his current room, retrieving a small brocade box that contained a pearl necklace he had bought for Liberty earlier that day. It wasn’t an expensive piece; it cost a few hundred dollars.
Returning to the master bedroom, Hank found Serenity seated on the loveseat, waiting for him.
He entered the room and first went to check on his son. Seeing the little boy sleeping peacefully, Hank’s heart softened, and he leaned down to kiss his cheek, gently caressing his son’s face before standing up and taking a seat next to Liberty.
“Honey.”
“Say my name.”
Liberty corrected his term of endearment with indifference. She no longer wanted to hear him call her “honey.” It made her feel nauseous.
Hank chuckled awkwardly and handed her a small brocade box. “Liberty, I apologize. I was wrong for hitting you last time. Regardless of the circumstances, I should never have resorted to violence. I recognize that I was in the wrong. Will you forgive me? I bought this for you. Open it and see if you like it.”
Liberty glanced at him and opened the brocade box to see what it contained. She examined the pearl necklace for a moment, then placed it back into the box and closed it.
“Was this necklace expensive?”
“Yes, it was quite costly. I went to a jewelry store to purchase it. Items in jewelry stores are generally of high quality and relatively expensive.”
Liberty laughed.
‘Is he looking down on me for not knowing how to appraise jewelry?’
‘If this pearl necklace were sold at a roadside stall, it would cost no more than a few dozen dollars. If it were sold in a large supermarket or a jewelry store, the price would reach several hundred dollars. In my estimation, this necklace is worth less than five hundred dollars.’
‘His gift to me is no more than five hundred dollars.’
‘However, if he were buying it for his lover Jessica, it would surely be something priced at no less than five thousand.’
Liberty suddenly felt like a fool for having thought about him, saving money for him, and helping him manage their family!
“Let me put it on for you.”
“No need. Just say what you want to say.”
Liberty halted Hank’s attempt to help her wear the necklace.
Hank smiled sheepishly again and said, “Liberty, my sister came to discuss the matter she mentioned to me earlier. She asked if we had made any decisions about it. She suggested we should act quickly and get it done before the year ends.”
ends.” “What do you mean?” “I’m talking about transferring ownership of our home to my sister so her children can attend a better school. Additionally, there’s the issue of picking up, dropping off, and cooking for her kids. We’re all busy with work and have no time for that. You’re the only one who is at home with Sonny.”