Chapter 9

"No way, I'm stepping in! You two can't just split like this. Wait there, I'm telling my grandson to come apologize to you properly—right now." After hanging up Stella's call, Old Mrs. Hart didn't waste a second and dialed Charles. The phone barely rang a couple times before he answered, and Old Mrs. Hart let years of pent-up fury explode. "Charles, you brat! What the hell have you been up to out there? You bullying Stella again? She's talking divorce and you still don't get how badly you've screwed up?" Charles was in the middle of playing with Olivia when his grandma's voice came blaring from the phone—loud enough to scare anyone standing even a meter away. Startled, Olivia's little body twitched, those wide innocent eyes quickly filling with fear. He immediately began gently patting her back, whispering comfort to calm her down before setting her on the couch nearby. Then he stepped into a quieter corner and sighed. "Grandma, please calm down. It's not what you think, really." "Not what I think?" Old Mrs. Hart snapped. "Look at yourself—you've hurt Stella so bad she's done with you. Sophie's out of the country for treatment, and you're still cozying up with some other woman and her kid! Do you even have a conscience left?" The more she talked, the more pissed she got. She had never liked that scheming Isabelle anyway. In her eyes, the woman was the reason Charles and Stella's marriage went downhill. Charles was clearly annoyed, but he held back and tried to explain. "Grandma, I just found out about Sophie going abroad for her treatment too. And there's really nothing going on between me and Isabelle. I was just keeping Olivia company, that's all." "Nothing going on," huh? Isabelle happened to hear that part loud and clear. Her face twisted with jealousy, and she bit down so hard on her lip that it almost bled. The plate she was holding slipped from her trembling hands and crashed to the floor, sending shards flying with a sharp crack. The sound echoed harshly through the living room. "Save it!" Old Mrs. Hart barked. "You're going to Stella's right now. Apologize properly, fix this mess. If she gets hurt any more because of you, don't expect me to let it slide!" Charles shut his eyes for a second, worn out and clearly reluctant, but he had no choice with grandma pushing him like this. "Alright, Grandma. I got it. I'll go talk to Stella." The moment he hung up, his face darkened. It had to be Stella running to his grandmother, playing the victim and spinning the story. No wonder the old lady was fuming. Typical Stella—always throwing a tantrum. Not long ago, she'd ripped up his sheet music and shouted about divorce like it was some kind of joke. Obviously just trying to get a reaction out of him—so childish. Right then, the little girl bounced over to his side and looked up with wide eyes, her voice soft like cotton. "Daddy, don't be mad." Who wouldn't melt at a sweet little angel like that? Some of the tension in his chest eased right away. He couldn't help but think of Sophie—his Sophie was just as adorable, only quieter and more reserved. Charles gently ruffled Olivia's hair. "It's okay, Olivia. Be good, alright? I have to go out for a bit. Listen to your mom while I'm gone, and I'll be back soon."Olivia nodded obediently, her soft little voice calling out, "Okay~ Daddy, come back soon." Charles stood up, grabbing his coat. Before he left, he glanced at Isabelle. "I'm heading out. Take care of Olivia." Looking at her daughter's innocent face, a thought suddenly popped into Isabelle's mind. She crouched down, resting both hands gently on Olivia's shoulders. "Olivia sweetie, you know that Stella and her daughter Sophie also want Daddy's love. Daddy used to be able to play with you, tell you stories... but now he has to go see them instead. He can't always stay with my baby girl anymore." She paused for a second, then continued, "So, maybe don't cling to Daddy all the time, okay?" Olivia's little mouth pouted, clearly upset. "But Mommy, I don't want her to take Daddy away from me." Isabelle pulled Olivia into her arms and gently patted her back. "My sweet girl, if you don't want that to happen, you've got to work hard to make Daddy stay. Otherwise, Stella will take him and we might never see him again." The little girl trembled a bit as tears welled up in her eyes. Just thinking about not having Daddy around made her panic. She clutched at Isabelle's sleeve, voice shaky with sobs. "Mommy, I don't want Daddy to leave, I want him with me forever." The tears poured down her chubby cheeks. She cried harder and harder, even struggling to catch her breath, tiny shoulders shaking. Isabelle gently wiped her tears and continued coaxing. "Olivia, baby, if you behave and act really sweet and sensible, Daddy will like you more. Then he won't leave with Stella, okay?" Sniffling, Olivia nodded, her little face full of sorrow. She had to keep Daddy around. She couldn't let Stella take him away. "But Mommy... if Daddy only loves me, what about Sophie? Won't she miss him too?" Isabelle looked at her like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could this kid still worry about someone else at a time like this? "My good girl, you're way too kind. Don't forget—Stella tried to hurt you. They don't care about you at all, you know." — Charles sat in the car, frowning as he turned on the stereo with irritation. Stella had gone straight to Grandma to complain. Unbelievable. No wonder Grandma had chewed him out. He was absolutely going to have a word with Stella about this. Not long after, his car pulled up in front of the old Johnson family house. The second he stepped into the living room, Old Mrs. Hart shot up from her seat, pointing at him, her voice thunderous. "Charles, just look what you've done! You've been staying at Isabelle's? That's disgraceful! You've thrown the entire Hart family's reputation in the trash!" Charles' eyes turned cold, his voice clipped and chilly. "Grandma, I wanted to marry Isabelle back then. You know exactly why that didn't happen." Old Mrs. Hart trembled with anger at his words. She slammed her hand on the table so hard the teacups practically jumped, some of the tea spilling over. "How dare you bring that up again! If it weren't for—" Stella set her teacup down, cutting in before the argument could get worse. "Grandma. Charles. Please stop. There's really nothing to argue about. If you want, you can come with me—we're getting divorced."