“I have to work tomorrow. I’ll take leave in the afternoon to review the paperwork,” he said. His parents remained silent. Hank sat for a moment before getting up to leave. After he exited, Mrs. Brown turned to her husband and asked, “Are we really going to let them go through with the divorce, old man? Can’t they stay together?”
Avoiding the divorce would mean that the estate wouldn’t be divided, their grandson would remain in their lives, and their son and daughter-in-law would stay married. “Hank has made his decision. What can we do? Stop the divorce? They will initiate the proceedings tomorrow afternoon unless Liberty changes her mind.” After some contemplation, Mrs. Brown replied, “I’ll speak with Liberty and try to convince her. If that fails, I’ll reach out to Serenity. I suspect Serenity is her sister’s main source of support in this situation.”
“I’ll do my best to persuade them against the divorce. I can’t stand it. It’s so distressing. It’s so easy for others to go through a divorce. Why does our son have to suffer when it’s his turn?”
The stakes were high—over a million dollars, for goodness’ sake. This amount could cover a down payment on a home in a thriving city. Mr. Brown sighed. “What’s the point of regretting anything now? You and Chelsea are responsible for Hank’s downfall.”
It took Mrs. Brown a moment to gather her thoughts. “You’re only saying that in hindsight as if you’re blameless. I couldn’t have predicted that things would turn out like this after they got married and had a child together.” Mr. and Mrs. Brown had always been friendly and welcoming to Liberty, showing her that her in-laws were good people before the wedding. Liberty had known Hank for a long time, and the Browns had consistently demonstrated their kindness over the years. It never occurred to her that her in-laws would reveal a negative side after she walked down the aisle.
“Do you think people today are like those from our generation?” Mrs. Brown was left speechless. No, she needed to change that.
Without hesitation, Mrs. Brown sent a text to her daughter, inviting her to join a trip to the city the following day. However, Chelsea, who was feeling down, responded,
“Mom, I’m really struggling at work right now, so I can’t take off tomorrow. You should go with Dad.”