“Divorce is the best choice for both of us.”
“Bullshit!” Richard roared, the sound rattling my eardrums.
“What will you get after divorce? Kevin and I are relying on her! If you leave her, what happens to us?”
“Relying on her?” I froze, turning to Kevin.
“What do you mean by that?”
Kevin scratched his head with a sheepish smile, sidling closer:
“Bro, think straight. Emily’s powerful now. The company’s about to go public. If you divorce her, how could you ever find someone better?”
“Dad’s nursing home costs a hundred thousand dollars a quarter. Emily’s been paying it all.
And I’m getting married soon—she even said this mansion would be my wedding gift…”
“So it’s all about money.” Something pressed hard against my chest, but I straightened my back.
“You don’t have to worry about money. I’ll cover Dad’s nursing home fees. And Kevin’s wedding house—I’ll handle it too.”
“You?” Richard sneered, his eyes full of contempt.
“I know your limits. You’ve spent the past two years overseas in recovery, earning nothing. Emily is this family’s lifeline! She hasn’t even demanded divorce, so why are you stirring trouble? Get back to her and live like a husband should!”
“Live like a husband?” My voice rose sharply, my body trembling with anger.
“She’s been cuddling other men, staying out all night. And you expect me to look the other way? You think I can live like that?”
“So what if you turn a blind eye? A man should know when to bend and when to stretch!” Richard’s face flushed red.
“If it weren’t for Emily these past two years, Kevin and I would’ve starved!”
“Helping you?” My eyes locked on his, and a thought struck me.
“My annual dividends from her company amount to at least two million. She didn’t give you any of that?”
Richard’s eyes flickered, but his voice hardened even more:
“I saved it for your brother! He’s in debt from his start-up and not married yet—of course we need to put money aside!”
“In debt from a start-up?” I snapped my gaze to Kevin. He’d once racked up debt from gambling.
“Tell me the truth—are you gambling again?”
Kevin’s face turned crimson, spreading down his neck. He waved his hands frantically:
“No, bro, don’t twist this! Dad and I are just telling you—don’t divorce! Otherwise our whole family will suffer!”
“Our family?” I looked at the two men before me, realizing how utterly foreign they’d become.