"Theodore has been on and about with that woman for a while now. It's certainly not a mistake," he replied indifferently.
Theodore balled his fist so hard that he was trying to refrain from hitting the table.
"But I think sister is the reason she cheated," a voice suddenly cut through the silence. It was Hazel, Adeline's younger sister. "I mean, if she'd treated him, satisfied him enough in bed, then maybe, none of these would have happened."
Adeline was seeing red now.
She'd completely forgotten that Hazel was present, listening to their conversation.
Unlike Adeline who was married off at a young age, Hazel lived her life like a queen without needing to worry about anything.
She was the favorite Donovan daughter and she was pampered severely by their parents. They didn't bother to hide that she was their favorite when they always made her work for everything she owned.
All these for a reason she wasn't aware of yet.
Mr. Donovan glared at Hazel so hard she shrank behind her mother's back. She'd always been scared of that man since she was little.
The first day she saw him, she thought he was a monster or some sort. He barely smiled and he looked like he wasn't happy she was ever born.
His love was only directed towards Adeline, although it may be about business most of the time, Adeline was his favorite. He never hid it.
"I agree with Hazel," Mary, their mother, spoke with a scowl on her face, directed towards Adeline. "She must have angered Theodore to cheat on her like he did."
"Theodore is not a child who's unable to control his lust," Mr. Donovan said slowly, already getting tired of the situation. "How about this? Since Hazel is old enough to get married now, why don't she replace Adeline?"
The Donovan couple's face instantly turned grim at this suggestion.
They didn't want their lovely Hazel to have to do anything with Theodore. They didn't mind that he cheated and hurt their oldest daughter, as long as Adeline was the one enduring the pain. But not their Hazel, she hasn't lived her life yet.
Their lips thinned.
"I don't mind getting married to Theodore," Hazel said from out of nowhere and the couple scowled at her so deeply her heart skipped a beat.
Adeline couldn't withhold her scoff.
There was silence for a while.
"Since no one agrees, my decision still stands. Adeline and Theodore will get divorced in two months. So you have two months to tell Ian everything." With that, Mr. Donovan stepped out from his seat and left the family lounge.
Adeline breathed a sigh of relief.
Her grandfather may not be the kindest person she's met, but he sure knew how to jump in at the right time.
The family lounge was quiet with every member of the two families glaring at her as if she were the problem.
It was already midnight, and her body was exhausted especially after her little brawl with Theodore earlier.
Just like her grandfather, without saying another word, she stood up to leave.
Feeling thirsty, she headed towards the hallway that led to the main living room, where she saw Lina, casually sitting with her legs crossed.
She'd been forbidden from entering the family lounge and hearing their conversation, so now, she was playing with her fingers like a child.
Ignoring her, Adeline went straight to the kitchen to get a glass of water. When she was done salivating her throat, she came out just to find Lina standing right in front of the kitchen.
"What do you want?" She questioned. After her altercation with Theodore, she didn't plan to have one with his mistress.
"It's just so sad, isn't it?" Lina asked with a small smile as she twirled her red hair. "It must be sad for you to think that your husband was taken away from you by a mere secretary." Lina was proud of what she'd done as she held a smug look on her face, mocking Adeline.
"It's a good thing you know you're just a mere secretary so I don't need to remind you of your place." Adeline wasn't even as angry at Lina as she thought she would be. She was more disappointed in Theodore, because he was the one who vowed to stay loyal, not Lina.
Lina's face turned ugly when she heard this.
"But I have to say, thank you for sending those pictures. You finally opened my ears to the fact that I was married to a sorry excuse of a man." Then she smiled widely. "I hope he cheats on you when he finds someone hotter."
Before Lina could reply to that comment, she felt her hair being pulled so hard that it felt like they would rip out of her scalp anytime soon.
The pain was unbearable as she yelled for help.
"You sent pictures to Adeline?!" Theodore questioned as his hands fisted around her red locks, pulling them even harder this time while Lina's face scrunched up in more pain.
Adeline was stunned. Other than when Theodore tried to drag her back to his car earlier, she'd never seen him being physical with a woman before, not even her.
But who was she to be surprised? Once you see someone for who they truly are, they don't bother to hide anything anymore.
"Answer me?!" Theodore demanded as he threw Lina to the ground.
The whole family was present now as they witnessed the scene with a straight face.
Mr. Donovan wasn't present because he'd already retired for the night.
Theodore was more than furious when he overheard Adeline's and Lina's conversation. To think that his affair he'd been keeping secret was revealed by the person he was having it with, ruining everything he'd worked hard for, made his blood boil.
At this point, Adeline felt like she needed to interfere but she held herself back.
This was between her husband and his mistress after all.
With a quick turn, she exited the living room, heading for her bedroom.