Chapter 216
I could escape that suffocating swamp.
I could take Milly away from that cold cage.
I could personally sever that desperate connection with George.
How could I not be happy?
I smiled, but I felt my eyes heating up uncontrollably, my vision getting blurry.
Warm tears rolled down without warning, sliding across my cheeks.
I didn't wipe it away, just let the tears flow.
These weren't tears of sadness, really they weren't.
This was the happiness of surviving a disaster.
Happy that my Milly was still safely by my side in this life, happy that I was finally free.
Emily watched me laughing through tears, and her eyes reddened too.
She suddenly jumped up, rolled up her sleeves hard, her chest heaving violently, "No! I can't take it anymore! William don't stop me! I'm going up there today to slap that bitch Sarah a few times! Who does she think she is! How dare she act so arrogant in front of you? I can't stand it! I really can't stand it!"
William quickly grabbed her arm and forcefully pushed her back into the chair, his voice very low, "Emily! Calm down! Can you please stop being so impulsive?"
"I'm impulsive? I'm just standing up for Grace!" Emily struggled, her voice breaking.
"Have you thought about the consequences?" William held her down firmly, staring at her intently, speaking slowly and deliberately, "The divorce papers are filed, but there's still a thirty-day cooling-off period. Legally, they're still husband and wife."
"If you rush up there now to hit people and make a scene, and things blow up, what if George gets angry or feels humiliated and regrets it, uses these thirty days to back out, or even makes things difficult for Grace, trapping Grace and Milly back in the Smith family hellhole? What then?"
He took a breath, looking at Emily's stunned expression, his voice softening slightly but sounding even heavier, "I'm thinking about the company's partnership, but if the company loses this project, we can find others."
"I'm thinking more about Grace. What she needs most right now is to get through these thirty days smoothly, get the divorce agreement, and be completely free—not to create more trouble and provoke George, that snake. Do you understand?"
Emily was stunned by his outburst, her struggling gradually weakening.
She looked at William, then at the undried tear tracks on my face, opened her mouth, and all her anger and grievance deflated like a punctured balloon, leaving only a deep sense of helplessness and even stronger heartache.
She slumped back down, her eyes very red, she said tearfully, "I understand, how could I not understand? I just... just seeing Grace like this, my heart hurts..."
William let go of her hand and sighed heavily, picking up the bottle and pouring himself a full glass, downing it in one gulp.
Watching Emily and William argue over me, a warm current surged through my heart, mixed with bitterness.
I wanted to explain, to tell them I really wasn't sad, that those tears were relief, a natural release after unloading a heavy burden.
But the alcohol seemed to be taking effect in my empty stomach, and combined with the emotional rollercoaster, after one drink, the dizziness hit hard and fast.
My words stuck in my throat. When I opened my mouth, only a muffled sound came out. My mind felt foggy, thinking became sluggish, and my body felt weak.
I could only raise my hand, waving it weakly, trying to gesture that I was fine, not sad.
But in William's eyes, this gesture became evidence that I was too upset to speak, only able to force a smile and wave.
His brow furrowed tightly. He stared at me for two seconds, then suddenly stood up.
"Fine." His voice wasn't loud, but carried a determined resolve, turning to Emily, "You're right. Just sitting here sulking is useless. Come on, let's go up."
Emily was still red-eyed and sulking. She froze, "Go up? For what?"
William pulled at the corner of his mouth, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, cold as ice, "Nothing much, just going to say hello, let off some steam for Grace. Don't worry, I know my limits. I won't actually hit anyone, unless they hit first."
His words were vague, but the meaning was clear.
Go up to confront George and Sarah face to face. Even if just a verbal confrontation, they had to let out this anger tonight and not let me suffer this injustice for nothing.
Emily's eyes lit up immediately, and she stood up too, "Okay! I'm coming with you!"
"Wait..." I finally struggled out of the dizziness with a bit of clarity, trying to stop them.
But the alcohol made my tongue numb and my movements slow.
In that moment of hesitation, William had already pulled Emily along, striding toward the stairs.
My heart jumped, and the dizziness retreated a bit from the shock.
I knew William's claim of knowing his limits might not be reliable, especially with Emily so angry. If a real fight broke out, the consequences would be unthinkable.
George's side had more people, and that lapdog Terry was definitely there too. If it came to blows, William and Emily would definitely lose.
More importantly, as William himself just said, with the thirty-day cooling-off period, we couldn't create more trouble.
I took a deep breath, forcing down the churning in my stomach and the fog in my head, steadied myself against the table, and stumbled after them.
They walked fast, and I was dizzy and unsteady. By the time I reached the stairs, they were already out of sight.
My panic grew. I quickened my pace and ran upstairs.
The second-floor hallway was much quieter than downstairs, covered with thick carpet that made no sound underfoot.
I had just turned the corner when I unexpectedly saw that William and Emily hadn't rushed into any private room, but were standing side by side in a recessed area of the hallway, as if deliberately hiding.
They were turned sideways, their gazes fixed on a private room not far away with its door half-open.
From inside came the faint sounds of clinking glasses and muffled laughter, but nothing clear.
So when William said "go up," he didn't really mean to barge in and make a scene, but to come and observe.
Or perhaps, to look for an appropriate moment.
I breathed a sigh of relief and was about to go forward and call them back down.
Just then, the half-open door of that private room was pushed open from inside.
Terry walked out with a cigarette in his mouth, his face still flushed from drinking and wearing his usual mocking smile that dismissed everything.
Behind him was another person I recognized—Atticus.
Another friend from George's circle with comparable family background, close to Terry. I'd seen him at various occasions before. My impression was that he was slightly more composed than Terry, but just as arrogant.
The two were obviously coming out to smoke and get some air.
Terry casually closed the private room door behind him, but didn't shut it completely, leaving a gap.
They stood by a window in the hallway and lit their cigarettes.
White smoke curled up, blurring their profiles.
"George is finally free this time." Terry took a drag and spoke slowly, his tone openly cheerful, "Been dragged down by that housewife for years. If you ask me, he should've divorced her long ago. George was just too sentimental, that's why he never brought it up."
Atticus blew out a smoke ring, his face showing perfectly timed surprise, "Really? But I heard before that Grace really liked George? Always following him around—how did she suddenly agree to divorce?"
"Liked him?" Terry snorted, flicking ash, "That's what being a simp is, practically groveling over him!George just couldn't be bothered to deal with her. This time she went too far, bullying Sarah."
"George asked her to apologize, gave her a way out, but no—she was stubborn as hell, refused no matter what. So divorce was the only option left, right?"
He paused, as if remembering something, lowered his voice a bit, but his tone became even more sleazy and malicious, "But I think the reason she agreed to divorce so readily might not just be that."
"I suspect she's had a lover on the side for a while now, maybe more than just William. Last time at the hospital, I saw her carrying a bag with health supplements—looked expensive. Could she afford that? Definitely some man bought it for her."
Atticus was silent for a moment, his expression blurred behind the smoke, "Really? I don't think Grace is that type of person. At most she was just too obsessed with George. Though she is pretty close with William."
"Last time she came to negotiate on behalf of William's company, I even warned her to watch her boundaries. Looks like she didn't listen. But William's pretty capable—didn't expect his taste to be so unique, liking women who've had kids."