Chapter 5: Divorce During the New Year
Conrad let out a loud cry; Graham's words felt like knives piercing his heart.
By a narrow margin, his father could have been saved!
And the reason? It was because Conrad had prevented Graham from providing treatment!
Not only that, but his stubbornness had almost cost a young man his life and destroyed his own reputation!
After all, he was the secretary of the city government, and such a mistake could ruin him forever!
Graham, startled by Conrad's actions, quickly helped him up.
"Graham, right?" Conrad's eyes were red with tears. "I, Conrad, am sorry. I apologize to you. Thank you for saving my father!"
The doctors in the ward were all puzzled. How had this seemingly hopeless patient been saved?
"Just a routine check-up," one of the doctors explained, as someone hurried over with medical equipment to examine the old man.
Mitch's face turned even more grim; he couldn't have imagined that his reputation would be tainted in such a way!
"Traditional Chinese medicine is extensive and profound, after all, it's a part of our thousands of years of history," Graham said, looking at the old man. "I'll need to perform acupuncture on your father twice more for him to fully recover."
"Then please do it," Conrad said, his attitude towards Graham having completely changed.
They agreed that Graham would return the next day and the day after. As he was about to leave, Lydia stopped him.
"Young man, give me your bank account number; I'll transfer the money to you," she said, an apology in her voice. "I'm really sorry about today…"
"It doesn't matter. Since I chose to treat the patient, I don't hold it against you," Graham replied.
After giving her the account number, Graham saw Selina outside the ward and walked over immediately.
"Why didn't you go back first?" he asked.
Selina gave him a complex look; the man had changed a lot. In the past, he wouldn't even hit back after being slapped; she thought that was a sign of weakness. Now it seemed more like self-restraint and tolerance. Selina was curious about what had happened to him. Everything that day felt like a dream—Graham had suddenly started speaking, learned to heal, and was even praised by Conrad. Such things were unimaginable before…
"It was just luck. Don't get too arrogant; otherwise, you might suffer a big setback," Selina said, then got into the car first.
Graham smiled bitterly and shook his head, realizing it was still too early for Selina to see him in a new light. But he felt guilty towards her. Because of his silence, many opportunities were missed, and he wasn't actually disabled; he shouldn't have relied on welfare organizations. Selina had been very helpful, and there must have been other reasons for her choice of him… Yet he still felt responsible for the situation.
Just as they got into the car, they saw Lionel emerging from the hospital, his face filled with murderous intent.
"Graham, I didn't expect you to be so lucky, escaping prison twice! Well, then I'll have to take matters into my own hands. You know how to heal, right? I'll cut off your hand and see how you'll handle that!"
The car sped to the Cavendish family's villa, located in the financial district on the city's outskirts, right by the road. It stopped in the garage.
They entered the mansion and saw the Cavendishs and Isabella on the sofa. Helen stood up immediately.
"Are you tired, Qingyin? Did the company's problems scare you today? That incompetent person caused you trouble again, didn't they? Come and rest, my dear."
Helen led Selina to a seat and served her tea and water. Then she turned to Graham: "If you have nothing to do, go mop the floor and change your clothes. We're going out to dinner with your aunts tonight. Don't think you can just chime in during the meal; that would be embarrassing!"
Graham nodded and headed upstairs.
"Wait!" The man sitting on the sofa suddenly spoke; he was the head of the Cavendish family. He frowned at Graham and then at Selina.
"You've been married for so long, and the reason I urged you to get married was to have grandchildren. A year has passed, and you still haven't achieved that. This year, you must have a child; otherwise, we'll get a divorce after the New Year."
With that, he resumed reading his newspaper, muttering, "There are more and more fake antiques out there; even the renowned Furong Gallery has been involved in fraud!" His father liked antiques, especially Yuan blue and white porcelain, but so far, he hadn't received any genuine pieces.
Graham noted this and was about to leave when he noticed Isabella's scrutinizing gaze.
"Graham, this is our home—don't close the doors without reason, and don't lock them if you're naked!" Isabella said, and Helen immediately turned her head.
"What? You're bullying someone at home without clothes?" Graham frowned, not understanding what she meant.
Selina also frowned; since their marriage, they had always slept in separate beds. So why did Isabella say that? Did Graham try to pressure her?
Realizing her words might have been misunderstood, Isabella didn't explain. She had always disliked her brother-in-law and had been mocked by classmates because of him. She wished Graham would disappear.
"Explain yourself clearly!" Helen demanded.
"Ah, sit down!" Cavendish snapped. "Why make such a fuss? If Isabella really got bullied by you, would she still be sitting there?"
As Graham was about to go upstairs, he heard Isabella's words again. He felt grateful to Helen for her support but knew he still owed her an apology. Because of his silence, he'd missed out on many opportunities. Selina had always been kind to him, even though she didn't see him as equal…
As they got into the car, they didn't see Lionel. At that moment, Lionel looked furious.
"Graham, I didn't expect you to be so lucky, escaping prison twice! Well, then I'll have to take action myself. You know medicine, right? I'll cut off your hand and see how you'll handle that!"
The car drove to the Cavendish family's villa. The Cavendishes lived in a standalone house in the financial district, right by the road. It stopped in the garage.
They entered the mansion and saw Helen, Isabella, and the Cavendishs on the sofa. Helen greeted them.
"Are you tired, Qingyin? The company's problems scared you today, didn't they? That incompetent person caused you more worries, didn't they? Come and rest, my dear."
Graham nodded and headed upstairs.
"Wait!" The man on the sofa spoke again; he was Cavendish himself. He frowned at Graham and then at Selina.
"You've been married for so long, and the reason I urged you to get married was to have grandchildren. A year has passed, and you still haven't done anything about it. This year, you must have a child; otherwise, we'll get a divorce after the New Year."
After saying that, he continued reading his newspaper, muttering, "There are more and more fake antiques now; even the famous Furong Gallery has been involved in fraud!" His father liked antiques, especially Yuan blue and white porcelain, but he hadn't received any genuine pieces yet.
Just as Graham was about to leave, he noticed Isabella's gaze.
"Graham, this is our home—don't close the doors without reason, and don't lock them if you're naked!" Isabella said. Helen turned her head quickly.
"What? Are you bullying someone at home without clothes?" Graham frowned, not understanding what she meant.
Selina also frowned. Since their marriage, they had always slept in separate beds, so Graham was still… inexperienced. But what did Isabella mean by that? Was he trying to pressure her?
Realizing her words might have been misunderstood, Isabella didn't explain. She had always disliked her brother-in-law and had been mocked by classmates because of him. She wished Graham would die.
"Explain yourself!" Helen demanded.
"Ah, sit down!" Cavendish snapped. "Why make such a noise? If Isabella really got bullied by you, would she still be sitting there?"
Graham nodded and went upstairs. "Wait!" Cavendish continued, "You two have been married for so long. I wanted grandchildren quickly. A year has passed, and you still haven't done anything about it. This year, you must have a child; otherwise, we'll get a divorce."
After saying that, he continued reading his newspaper. Graham thought about finding a genuine Yuan blue and white porcelain for his father.
As they left, Selina looked at him suspiciously. "Tell me the truth—did you really bully Isabella?" she asked after they went upstairs.
"This morning, when I brought her home, I forgot to lock the door while changing clothes, and she saw us," Graham replied.
"Just that?" Selina frowned.
"Just that," he said with a helpless smile. "Are you jealous?"
"Jealous? Unless I'm sick! Don't think you can just say you want a child because your father told you to! I'll figure something out, but it has nothing to do with you!"
Selina left, and Graham frowned again. She thought about what she had heard that day and felt uncomfortable.
"Tell me the truth—did you really bully Isabella?" she demanded.
That night, the Cavendishes went to a hotel for a family gathering. It was the first time the whole family had met since Graham's return. Helen had insisted on his attendance; otherwise, she wouldn't have allowed it.
"I'll treat you like you're still mute and don't talk too much," Helen warned him. Graham nodded, knowing the family's nature. He had no intention of interacting with them.
When they arrived at the hotel, everyone was there: Cavendish's elder sister and her husband, as well as their daughter Fiona and her husband Colin, and Cavendish's younger sister and her husband Darren.
Graham's eyes lit up when he saw Colin; he knew this would be a difficult evening. Colin had just married Fiona during the New Year, and the two new in-laws were expected to compete with each other, causing embarrassment for the Cavendishes. If Graham hadn't completed the required period of十 years, he'd probably get scolded upon returning.
"Ah, here comes the youngest brother! Long time no see, Qingyin—it looks even more beautiful!" the families greeted them, deliberately ignoring Graham.
Colin stood up and introduced himself: "You must be Qingyin's husband. Hello, I'm Colin."
Graham's smile turned into a frown; he knew this gathering would be challenging. The two new in-laws were likely going to compete with each other, causing trouble for the Cavendishes. If he hadn't met the deadline, he'd probably face criticism upon returning.
That night, the Cavendishes went to a restaurant. It was the first family gathering of the year, and everyone was expected to attend. Helen had insisted on his presence.
"Think of him as if he's still mute and don't talk too much," Helen warned him. Graham nodded, knowing the family's temperament. He had no desire to interact with them.
When they arrived at the restaurant, everyone was there: Cavendish's elder sister and brother-in-law, Fiona and Colin, and Cavendish's younger sister and brother-in-law with their son Darren.
Graham's eyes lit up when he saw Colin; he knew this would be a difficult evening. Colin had just married Fiona during the New Year, and their meeting was bound to be tense. The two new in-laws were expected to compete, causing embarrassment for the Cavendishes. If he hadn't met the deadline, he'd probably face criticism.
"Ah, here comes the youngest brother! Long time no see, Qingyin—you look even more beautiful," the families said, ignoring him on purpose.
Colin's comment escalated the tension at the dinner table. All eyes turned towards him.