Liberty was just fifteen when their parents passed away, and she successfully raised her sister while enduring their relatives’ oppression. Now, faced with her husband’s infidelity, Liberty felt assured that she could manage her own affairs without needing her sister’s help.
After more than three years of marriage, she had tolerated everything out of love. However, once that love faded and their marriage crumbled, Liberty knew she would no longer put up with it and would fight back. She wanted the two betrayers to understand that she would not be bullied.
They had recorded the incident from that night, allowing Liberty to hold Hank morally accountable while ensuring that everyone would rally behind her.
Serenity hugged her sister once more, but Liberty gently pushed her away, frowning as she asked, “Seren, have you been drinking? I can smell alcohol on you.”
Serenity was taken aback; she had only consumed two bottles of beer. How could Liberty detect alcohol on her? Oh! Serenity hadn’t showered. That explained the lingering scent.
“I… I just had two bottles of beer while out for dinner with Zachary,” Serenity explained. Liberty replied, “You should drink less in the future.”
Turning to her brother-in-law, she added, “Zachary, you need to keep an eye on her. She has a low alcohol tolerance and gets drunk easily. Drinking too much is bad for her health, so don’t allow her to indulge.”
Zachary quickly responded, “I’m sorry, Liberty. It’s my fault; I ordered the beers for her.”
“I know. If she had ordered, it would have been something stronger than beer. She enjoys drinking, even though she can’t handle it. I remember when she was younger, she secretly drank my dad’s alcohol when he was around.”
Liberty reflected on that memory and continued, “I remember that…”
It was the first of May, and my parents were home for a public holiday. Mom prepared shot glasses of vodka for herself and Dad, while Seren secretly drank them when my parents weren’t looking. “After drinking the vodka, Seren got worried about being scolded, so she poured water into the shot glasses.”
Liberty suddenly burst out laughing and said, “When Mom returned to serve the ‘vodka’ to Dad, he took a sip and complained that the local grocer was selling fake alcohol. That newly bought bottle didn’t taste or smell anything like vodka; it tasted like water instead.”
“Mom didn’t believe him and insisted it was impossible to eliminate the smell of alcohol, even if it was diluted. So, she took a shot, and like Dad, she chastised the local grocer for selling fake alcohol. Seren laughed so hard in the corner that her stomach hurt.” Serenity felt embarrassed.