"It’s quite rare." Evander Lancaster withdrew his gaze, nodded, and took another drag of his cigarette, "Felix, such a good woman should be cherished. As for Elizabeth White... cut her off. There was a scandal recently about her and a director while playing the lead actress. In the entertainment industry, how many are clean,"
Felix Shaw said nothing as he held his gaze down and smoked, his family issues already overwhelming him too much to think about anything else.
At night, mother and son quietly had dinner at the dining table. Oliver Shaw hadn’t come home; he was still at the hospital with his daughter. During the day, he had stood in front of the hospital room several times, each time leaving with red eyes.
Father Oliver Shaw, leaning against the hospital bed while one daughter snuggled on each side of him... indeed, some matters don’t need further discussion when the answers are already apparent.
Melody Zachary was unusually quiet, sitting on the sofa watching television after finishing her meal. Although she said nothing, Felix Shaw knew she was waiting for her father.
It was nearly midnight, and Oliver Shaw still hadn’t come home. Seeing that his mother was still watching television but her eyes were clearly spacing out, Felix Shaw stood up, walked over, and gently placed his hand on his mother’s shoulder saying, "Mom, go back to your room to rest. Dad... he’s not coming back."
Although harsh, Felix Shaw didn’t want his mother to waste her time waiting in vain.
"Yeah, turn off the TV, I’m also tired," said Melody Zachary as she sighed, without further complaint, stood up, and slowly walked towards the stairs. Watching his mother’s lonely back, Felix Shaw took a deep breath.
Oliver Shaw didn’t return all night, but the next morning he came back with Vanessa Armstrong and her daughter, followed by a driver carrying a suitcase.
"Oliver, what do you mean by bringing them back here?" Melody Zachary stood up from the sofa like a hen about to enter a fight and loudly confronted her husband.
Seraphina Shaw’s forehead was still covered with gauze, and she flinched behind her father at Melody Zachary sudden outcry, peeking timidly at her.
Vanessa Armstrong’s expression was neutral, holding Oliver Shaw’s hand, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
"What do I mean?" Oliver Shaw slightly curved his lips, pulled his daughter, who was hiding behind him, tightly into his embrace, and glanced down at the petite woman before him definitively saying, "I want a divorce!"
"What did you say?" Melody Zachary unconsciously stepped back, her furrowed brows clearly in disbelief, "I said, I want a divorce!"
Oliver Shaw repeated, his attitude resolute.
Melody Zachary trembled slightly, her lips quivered several times, not knowing what to say anymore, and as she stepped back again, her son quickly stepped forward and embraced her.
"Dad, have you decided?"
Felix Shaw stared into his father’s eyes, the gaze between the two similarly tall men devoid of any family warmth, filled instead with unyielding confrontation.
"I’ve decided." After a moment of staring, Oliver Shaw lowered his gaze, nodded, and murmured to himself, "It’s time to give Vanessa and her daughter a proper recognition after all these years they’ve been left out."
"Okay," not waiting for his mother’s agreement, Felix Shaw answered for her, "If you want to divorce mom, you have to agree to my conditions."
"What conditions?" Oliver Shaw looked up again, Felix Shaw coldly smirked, "You retire, and transfer all your shares under your name to mom."
"That’s impossible!" Oliver Shaw immediately objected, and Felix Shaw coldly sneered again, "If you don’t agree, mom won’t divorce you."
"Exactly, I won’t divorce! Why should I hand over this home to you, I won’t divorce..." Melody Zachary suddenly came to her senses, shaking her head continuously, tears already unknowingly rolling down.