Everyone Thought I Would Never Leave

I didn't want to get into a drawn-out argument with Grace, so I pulled out a second divorce agreement, saying, "I agree to leave without taking anything except my own belongings in this agreement. Go ahead and sign it."

Grace slapped her hands on the desk and leaped to her feet. "Are you that eager to leave me?" she roared furiously.

Her phone started ringing before I could get a word in. The color drained from her face when she accepted the call. Seconds later, she delivered a hard slap across my face, leaving three deep scratches on my cheek.

"Didn't I tell you to send Clarence to college? Why the hell did you run off to prepare a divorce agreement instead? Clarence got into an accident!

"You're such a useless piece of trash, Zack Keaton! You lived a life of luxury for so many years on my penny, but did you ever do anything to repay me?

"You want to get a divorce, right? Fine!"

Grace signed the second divorce agreement before throwing it in my face. "Let's go! Come with me to the hospital and apologize to Clarence!"

She then dragged me out of the office as if I were nothing more than an animal.

…

Clarence's eyes reddened immediately when Grace and I stepped into the hospital room. He looked incredibly upset as he lifted his slightly reddened wrist and mumbled, "It hurts so much, Grace."

Grace gently blew on the scrape on his wrist. "It's okay. The pain will go away soon."

I was suddenly reminded of when Grace and I had set up an ice-cream stall together as I watched them.

Snow had been falling from the sky, and my hands were freezing from the cold. Grace had also gently blown on my frostbitten hands, saying, "It's okay. The pain will go away soon."

My eyes reddened as I recalled the past, and my heart ached terribly.

Grace glared at me and exclaimed, "Why are you crying? You're the one at fault here. Hurry and apologize to Clarence!"

"Never," I retorted.

She grabbed something from the bedside cabinet and hurled it at my head.

Something metallic collided against my forehead, causing fresh blood to flow down my face.

"I spoiled you too much in the last few years. You've forgotten all about your basic manners. You should apologize for your mistakes!" she shouted.

Clarence was crying as he tugged on Grace's hand. "Stop it, Grace. Zack will get angry. We still have to live under the same roof in the future. I'm not scared of anything, but what if something happens to the baby in your belly if you get into an argument with him?"

My heart plummeted into my gut. I had assumed that yesterday was their first meeting, but they had already had a child underway.

Grace's eyes lit up upon hearing Clarence's words. "Did the medical report already come out? Am I really pregnant? You're the hero of the Snow family, Clarence!"

She suddenly rose to her feet and kicked the back of my knee, causing me to lose balance and fall to one knee.

"Apologize!" she demanded.

I stubbornly stood up again, but Grace delivered another kick to the back of my knee and forced me to kneel on the ground.

"Have you forgotten that Ruth is also staying in this hospital?" she asked cruelly as she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Stop funding all of Ruth Keaton's medical treatments and kick her out of the hospital."

"No!" I shouted as I frantically grabbed Grace's leg. "How can you be so heartless, Grace?"

She kicked me square in the chest with a look of disdain. "I'm giving you three seconds. Either you apologize or Ruth dies. Three… Two…"

I immediately turned to look at Clarence and began knocking my head against the ground. "It's all my fault! Please forgive me!"

Tears and blood streamed down my face, stunning even Grace when I lifted my head. She grabbed some tissues and kneeled down next to me to clean my face.

"That's enough. You just have to take good care of me and Clarence in the future."