Crystal must have been sent by God to punish me because she would get her hands on the things I sought at the end of the day. Lyle would go to great lengths just to meet her in person. Thus, I was certain I would be banished once she made her way back.
The thought of filing for divorce crossed my mind again. In fact, I had never felt such a strong urge to leave him. No longer could I stand enduring his wrath and tolerating his absurd request anymore.
Once I made up my mind, I decided to have a conversation with Sharon as I was afraid the news would take her by surprise. Although I was intimidated by the thought of letting her down, it was the best alternative for Lyle and me. He had nothing to lose while I could regain my freedom.
Sharon was the reputable figure behind the Smith family’s success. Once Lyle and I got married, she decided to retire and had Lyle inherit her role as the leader of the family. She stopped poking her nose into the family’s affair and spent most of her time grooming her garden.
Afraid she would be heartbroken, I thought of countless methods to break the news to her. I decided not to mention anything about Lyle having an affair with another woman and the part I was humiliated by his mistress.
The moment I reached the mansion, my heart skipped a beat because the entire place was surrounded by medics. When I rushed upstairs, I found Sharon on the bed with a doctor next to her. Concerned, I approached Josephine and asked, “What’s wrong with Grandma?”
Josephine told me Sharon had passed out when she was in the garden. Thus, they had summoned the doctor over to check on her. I started pacing back and forth in the corridor, anxious about the result of the examination. I was afraid something bad would happen to the loving woman who had taken great care of me. Truth be told, I had long considered her as my own grandmother.
“Isn’t this my beloved Yvonne? What’s wrong? What’s with your scrunched-up face? You don’t have to worry about me because it’s a common symptom for people around my age.”
When Sharon saw me, she grinned and assured me everything would be fine. I responded in a similar manner and grasped her hand in return. It had been a long time since my last visit – I stopped visiting her ever since I found out Lyle had an affair. I couldn’t believe I had forsaken the ones important to me because of the unreliable man.
Sharon’s expression darkened, and she started reprimanding her grandson, “Why do you have such a pale and haggard look? Has Lyle been neglecting you again? Where’s that unfilial grandson of mine? Get him over immediately! I’ll teach him a lesson for not playing the role of a husband!”
In an attempt to keep Sharon in the dark, I rebuked, “Lyle has quite a lot of things on his plate because of the company’s ongoing issues. We should stay out of his way. As soon as he’s free, I’ll bring him over and visit you, okay?”
If Lyle showed up ahead of me, I wouldn’t get to bring up my plan to file for divorce with him in front of Sharon. Sighing, Sharon said, “You need to stop defending him because he’s going to get full of himself! I want you to take good care of yourself instead!”
When I heard Sharon’s advice, I was overwhelmed by tidal waves of emotions. Initially, I planned to tell Sharon I would be filing for divorce with Lyle soon, but the bad news the doctor shared with me changed my mind.
“Since the patient is getting old, her organs are deteriorating, including her heart. She still gets to live for another few years if she’s taken great care of. But do keep in mind not to provoke her.”
Afraid my decision would drive her to death, I decided to keep everything to myself and returned to the room to keep her company. Once I ensured the room was properly illuminated with sunlight, I headed into the kitchen and made her something to eat.
Spending the last two years as a housewife had enabled me to polish my culinary skills. When Sharon showed up in the kitchen and saw my scrunched-up face, she asked, “Yvonne, can you tell me the truth? Have you been fighting with Lyle?”
I was afraid of sharing the details with her, so I made something up and asserted with a smile, “Grandma, isn’t it normal for husband and wife to fight every now and then? Things will turn out just fine at the end of the day.”
“Are you sure you’re not lying?” Sharon asked with her brows arched in confusion.
I repeated myself, “Have I ever lied to you? Aren’t you aware of the affection I have for him? I will never hold a grudge against him!”
