Chapter 6

“I have to go out for a while. We’ll talk about the divorce when I get back.”

With that, all he left me was the dull sound of the door slamming. I lay limp on the bed, powerless. After a while, I finally got up, silently changed my clothes. I took the luggage I had packed earlier and left this place.

I returned to my father’s home. Every day I was busy with my stepmother taking care of my dad in the hospital, running around non–stop. One day, my stepmother had just finished cooking and was preparing to take it to the hospital.

Seeing me still at my parents‘ home for several days in a row, my stepmother couldn’t stay calm anymore. She pointed at the suitcase that had been placed in the room and spoke in an unpleasant tone.

“What couple doesn’t fight? It’s normal for men to occasionally cheat.”

“That Maeve girl comes from a poor family and is blind. I’ve asked around, she’s even divorced before.”

“Someone like that won’t affect your position at all.”

What position did I have with Arlo?

I smiled self–mockingly, took the food from my stepmother’s hands, packed it in a thermos, and said to myself:

“Auntie, you rest today. I’ll go take care of Dad.”

My stepmother glared at me. After a while, seeing I wouldn’t budge, she angrily said:

“Your dad will probably be furious to death if he finds out you want a divorce.”

“Grona, let’s take a step back. Even if you really can’t go on with him, can you survive after divorce?”

“With the Grona family in this state now, what do you have to support yourself?”

I slowly screwed on the thermos lid. After tightening it, I lowered my head and said softly:

“We’ll find a way. The money from selling the wedding ring is enough to cover Dad’s medical expenses for a year!”

“I plan to sell this house, and I’ll also go out to work to support the family.”

As I finished speaking, my eyes grew moist. This house was left to me by my mother. Even in the hardest times before, we never touched it. My stepmother was dumbfounded. She didn’t try to persuade me anymore, but clearly still didn’t approve in her heart.

I cleaned up the kitchen, then went to the hospital with my stepmother. After treatment, my dad’s condition had largely stabilized. I also hadn’t mentioned the divorce to my dad. In the afternoon, the attending physician Dr. Harrison came to do rounds.

After the examination, he glanced at me: “Let’s talk outside,”

I was startled.

Then I put down what I was holding and said gently: “Dad, I’ll step out for a bit.”

A moment later, we walked to a quiet hallway.