Chapter 5

"Get a move on!" His mother's foot connected with his backside, propelling him upstairs to mollify Brian.

A headache was brewing in William's temples, and his rear smarted. He'd never had to pacify Brian before. In fact, he'd never had to kowtow to anyone.

His face was a picture of reluctant resignation as he lumbered upstairs, his head pounding. But before he could even reach the landing, Brian, now casually dressed, was already making his descent.

William's imposing figure didn't even register in Brian's eyes.

"Mom, did you store away my suitcase from last month's business trip? Where is it? I need it."

His face was graced with a light, polite smile, a stark contrast to the icy demeanor he'd shown when he'd had a gun trained on William.

"Ah, I put it away. What do you need it for?"

"I have some clothes here. Since we're divorced, it's not appropriate for me to stay here. I want to take my clothes with me."

Nina's heart plummeted. This was really happening. It wasn't a joke, a bluff, or a threat.

She quickly seized Brian's hand and ushered him to sit on the couch.

"Brian, I'm sorry. It's all my fault." Nina's eyes welled up with tears. If she couldn't discipline her son, she would have to resort to emotional manipulation. Brian was a dutiful son-in-law; he would surely soften. Crying was the right move.

Being a mother was hard. For the sake of her good-for-nothing son, she had to intervene.

"Mom, this is between him and me. The bond is broken, and it can't be forced. From the beginning, this was a mistake. It's better to end it while we're still young."

"William has always been a wild child. He didn't learn to care for others because he was an only child. He's careless, just like me. Your father and I spoiled him to the point of lawlessness. When you two got married, he was already in his late twenties, but he didn't understand what marriage meant. He was always busy, always away for work, and he didn't take care of you. Your father and I knew you were suffering, but we couldn't help. He's heartless. He hasn't cared for you enough all these years. You've been wronged. Brian, we'll make him change. If there's anything you're unhappy with or dissatisfied with him, just say it. We'll make him change everything. He'll take fewer assignments and spend more time with you. We know you've had a hard time. Your parents and I are family. I apologize for my shortcomings. Please, calm down. Don't divorce. How can we explain this to your grandfather?"

Nina was crying a river, and Brian just handed her a tissue.

"I visited grandfather's grave a few days ago and told him about this."

"It's William who wronged you. We all know you've been wronged."

"No, it's not that. The bond is broken."

"When you got married, it was already a sacrifice for you. If it weren't for your grandfather's poor health, William would have stubbornly stayed with the National Security Bureau, and your small company was thriving. But you had to take over the current company for William's sake. The day after your wedding, he left for a mission. He was gone for half a year. After you took over the company, you were squeezed by the board of directors, maliciously obstructed by your subordinates, faced difficulties from the bank, and even had issues with customs during import and export. You single-handedly resolved all these issues, sleeping only a few hours a week. You lost so much weight that you were barely recognizable. Finally, when the company stabilized, you fell ill from exhaustion. What was initially a stomach ailment turned into a fainting spell during a negotiation meeting, which finally led you to the hospital. Three days after surgery, you flew abroad for work, hooked up to an IV drip. We wanted to call William to come back, but you said he was busy and that you could handle it. You managed to secure the deal, working at the company during the day and staying at the hospital at night. You lived in the hospital for over a month before your health improved a bit. William didn't call once. I was furious with him. He's worthless. You were in such a state, and he didn't even call.

Last year, when your father fell and was hospitalized, you stayed with him at night. You ran up and down the stairs carrying your father, washing his feet, wiping his back, feeding him without a hitch, and took care of him until his cast was removed. William still didn't call to ask if you were tired or if you needed him to come back.

This year, when you fell ill, if it weren't for your secretary noticing your absence from work and coming to check on you, you would have died from the fever at home. You had a high fever for over two days, and no one knew. All the calls were made to William, but he didn't answer a single one.

When the factory caught fire, you ran in to save people. Your clothes were burnt, and you couldn't speak or eat properly for a long time because of the smoke inhalation. Still, William didn't call.

No matter how busy he was, there was never a time he couldn't answer our calls. No matter how difficult your work was, you never complained. You were diligent, hardworking, and filial. You managed everything perfectly. William didn't do anything. Over these three years, you've been holding up everything on your own. He didn't even make a single call. He never spent a holiday with you, never called to comfort you. We know how hard, tired, and difficult it has been for you. William is worthless, we all know that. He owes you an apology."