SWNOVELS Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Resigned, Joshua placed the fruit in front of Cynthia and sat down next to her. Before he could remind Cynthia to discuss. their divorce, Old Man Neal spoke again, “Don’t you see that Cynthia is too shy to eat? You’re not very attentive as at husband.”
“Am I adopted?” Joshua finally asked.
Mrs. Neal replied, “No.”
Neal Senior joked, “You came as a free gift for our credit card.”
Cynthia sensed the time was right and broached the subject. Mother–in–law, Father–in–law, Grandpa, actually, we came here today to discuss something important with you.”
“Are you pregnant?”
“How many months?”
“When did this happen?”
Mrs. Neal Senior and Old Man Neal fired off their questions, one after the other. Seeing the hope and happiness in their eyes, Cynthia found it difficult to break the news, but she finally said, “I’m planning to divorce Joshua.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, the atmosphere turned cold. Mrs. Neal Senior’s hand froze mid–air while reaching for fruit, Old Man Neal’s smile gradually vanished, and even Neal. Senior, who had been disinterested, put down his newspaper.
It was clear just how shocking this news was to them.
“Why do you suddenly want a divorce?” Mrs. Neal Senior
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asked after a long pause.
“It’s because of me.” Cynthia took responsibility, aiming to quickly close the matter. “I don’t love him anymore.”
Mrs. Neal Senior replied, “Well, that’s fine.”
Old Man Neal breathed a sigh of relief.
Old Man Neal’s gaze swept over Joshua, mysterious and enigmatic. “You can divorce him. Your father and I will teach you how to manage the company, and you’ll become the president of the Neal Group,” he said decisively.
To everyone present, falling out of love seemed like a minor issue. Feelings could be cultivated, and as long as there were no other significant problems, they could keep Cynthia with
them.
Joshua, who had been sidelined, finally spoke up. “We’re not joking. The divorce process is already underway. We’ll submit the divorce application on Monday, and once the cool–off period is over, we’ll get our divorce certificate.”
“Did we ask you to speak?” Mrs. Neal Senior snapped, clearly
angry.
Joshua made his position clear. “We only came back to inform you.”
Old Man Neal quickly grasped the key point. “So, it’s you who wants the divorce, not Cynthia? You had a whirlwind marriage with her, and now you want a divorce. Do you have any sense of responsibility as a man?”
Mrs. Neal Senior asked, “Why did you marry Cynthia in the first place?”
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Old Man Neal interjected, “Don’t tell me it was love at first sight.”
Neal Senior added, “You didn’t use Cynthia as a substitute for someone else, did you?”
Mrs. Neal Senior and Old Man Neal turned to Neal Senior in unison, their expressions solemn. “A substitute for whom?”
Joshua was speechless. Was he really his father?
Cynthia, knowing that saying more would only lead to trouble, did not elaborate on the details. “It was me who brought up the divorce. It has nothing to do with Joshua.”
With her serious tone and sincere attitude, everyone realized that Cynthia was not joking. They wanted to mediate, but upon noticing the invisible rift between Cynthia and Joshua, they understood that some unknown conflicts might have arisen between the two.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
Cynthia did not say anything more and waited for the elders to respond.
Mrs. Neal Senior began, holding Cynthia’s hand, genuinely fond of her. “How about this? Divorce is no small matter. Let’s
call your parents over and discuss it together. If they can’t make it, we can go to them.”
“Indeed, it’s been two years since they got married, and this brat has never bothered to visit Cynthia’s parents. Whether they divorce or not, we should at least meet them and
apologize properly,” Old Man Neal was genuinely angry, his dislike for Joshua growing.
Having taken their daughter and failed to take good care of
her, if he were Cynthia’s true grandfather, he would have hit Joshua with his cane long ago!
“No need. I can make this decision on my own,” Cynthia rejected the suggestion.
Mrs. Neal Senior persisted, “Cynthia…”
Cynthia revealed her family situation for the first time, admitting, “My relationship with my family isn’t good. My father has a new partner.”
Joshua paused and looked at Cynthia, whose expression seemed no different from usual. Feeling a suffocating sensation in his chest, he asked in a slightly hoarse voice, ” Why haven’t you mentioned this before?”
Bang!
Old Man Neal struck Joshua with his cane.
This time, he really could not hold back.
He imagined Cynthia’s difficult situation in his mind. After finding someone new, her father no longer cared for her and now faced a divorce.
“Grandpa!” She had not expected him to suddenly lash out.
Old Man Neal was furious. “How dare you say that? In two
years of marriage, have you ever cared for or paid attention to Cynthia? As her husband, you don’t even know her family’s situation!”
The angrier he got, the more he wanted to throw Joshua out.
Mrs. Neal Senior looked at the situation and subconsciously
believed that her own son had not cared enough for Cynthia, leading her to lose hope in the marriage. “Cynthia, how about. this? Stay with Joshua for one more year. If after a year you still insist on a divorce, I’ll support you.”
Cynthia was about to refuse. “No…”
“I don’t have much time left. I didn’t tell you before, fearing it would affect you.” Mrs. Neal Senior’s eyes dimmed, and her words become heavier.
Cynthia and Joshua were all taken aback by her revelation.
Neal Senior sighed inwardly with exasperation, strangely not expressing any shock or sadness.
Time was running out, and Mrs. Neal Senior’s reaction was unexpected. “The doctor told me I have stomach cancer and only a year and a half left to live. Cynthia, please give Joshua another year, just one year, okay?” Mrs. Neal Senior said, and her spirits were low and her energy was drained.
Cynthia took her hand to check her pulse and then examined her pupils. Mrs. Neal Senior was a bit baffled by her actions. ” It’s possible you’ve encountered a quack doctor. Your pulse is calm and steady, and there’s no black sediment on the edge of your pupils, which means that your stomach is healthy,” Cynthia suggested, trying to save the situation.
Mrs. Neal Senior stopped pretending to be ill, grasping Cynthia’s hand with a look of reluctance on her face.” Cynthia…”
“The decision to divorce was made after careful consideration between Joshua and me. There’s no need for you to persuade us otherwise. Thank you for your care and concern over the
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years,” Cynthia explained, comforting her.
Tears welled up in Mrs. Neal Senior’s eyes. She genuinely did not want to let Cynthia go. She had always wanted both a son and a daughter, but fate had given her two sons. It was not until Cynthia came into their life that her wish was fulfilled.
“Have you really made up your mind?” asked Old Man Neal. His energy was gone and his face thin, showing unspoken sadness.
Cynthia replied, “Yes, I’ve made up my mind.”
Seeing her sincere and resolute attitude, everyone swallowed the words they were about to say. They knew they could not change her mind about the marriage.