Chapter 9 Was I Adopted?
Brayden dutifully brought the fruit over and placed it in front of Alison, sitting down beside her.
Before he could remind Alison about the divorce, Barry spoke up. “Can’t you see that Aly feels too awkward and embarrassed to eat? As her husband, you should be more considerate.”
“Was I adopted?” Brayden finally asked the question.
“No,” Sylvia replied.
“You were a promotional gift given by the credit card company when we signed up for the card,” Nathan added.
Ha-ha. Brayden did not think their joke was funny.
“Mom, Dad, Grandpa.” Alison started when she felt the timing was right. “We actually came today to discuss something important with you.”
“Are you pregnant?”
“How many months?”
“When did you find out?”
Sylvia and Barry asked at the same time.
Seeing the hope and joy in their eyes, Alison felt reluctant to break the news, but she still said, “I plan to divorce Brayden.”
The atmosphere suddenly turned cold at those words.
Sylvia’s hand holding the fruit froze, the smile on Barry’s face disappeared, and even Nathan put down his newspaper.
It was evident that this news was a huge shock to them.
“Why do you suddenly want a divorce?” Sylvia finally asked after a moment of silence.
“It’s because of me.” Alison took responsibility and quickly put an end to the matter. “I don’t love him anymore.”
“That’s good,” Sylvia replied.
Barry breathed a sigh of relief.
Nathan glanced at Brayden with some ambiguity in his eyes.
“In that case, divorce him,” Barry spoke. “Nathan and I will teach you how to manage the company. You can take over as the CEO of Cornell Corporation.”
In the eyes of everyone present, falling out of love was a minor issue.
Feelings could be cultivated, and as long as it’s not a matter of principle, they could keep Alison around.
“We’re not joking.” Brayden finally spoke up. “The divorce process has already begun. We will apply on Monday and once the cooling-off period is over, we will get our divorce certificate.”
“Did anyone ask you to speak?” Sylvia was angry.
Brayden made his attitude clear. “We just came back to let you know.”
“So, you’re the one who wants to end the marriage, not Aly?” Nathan quickly caught the key point. “You married her in a flash, and now you want to divorce her. Do you even take responsibility as a man?”
Sylvia asked, “Why did you marry Aly in the first place?”
Barry said, “Don’t tell me it was love at first sight.”
Nathan asked, “You’re not treating Aly as a substitute for that person, are you?”
Sylvia and Nathan looked at Nathan with seriousness. “What substitute?”
Brayden was speechless.
Is this really my own father?
“I asked for the divorce.” Alison knew that it was better to say less and not mention the details. “It has nothing to do with him.”
Her tone was serious, and her attitude was sincere.
Everyone knew that Alison wasn’t joking.
They wanted to mediate, but when they noticed the obvious gap between Alison and Brayden, they realized that there might be conflicts between the two that they didn’t know about.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the room became heavy.
Alison didn’t speak again, waiting for her elders to give their responses.
“Well then.” Sylvia spoke up, took Alison’s hand, and showed her genuine affection. “Divorce is not a small matter. Let’s talk with your parents together. If they’re not available, we can go to them.”
“Yes, it’s necessary to talk to them. You’ve been married for two years, and this brat hasn’t even gone to see your parents.” Barry was really angry, and he found Brayden more and more unpleasant. “This time, he has to meet them, apologize to them properly, and make amends.”
His grandson had taken away someone else’s daughter but hadn’t taken good care of her.
If he were Alison’s grandfather, he would have beaten this stinky brat with his cane a long time ago!
“No need. I can make my own decisions about this.” Alison refused the proposal.
Sylvia persisted, “Aly…”
“My relationship with my family is not very good.” Alison talked about family matters for the first time, and everything she said was true. “My father has someone new.”
Brayden was taken aback.
Looking at her, who seemed no different from usual, he felt a slight tightness in his chest and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, “Why haven’t you mentioned this before?”
Smack!
Barry struck him with his cane.
This time, he really couldn’t hold back.
In his mind, he imagined Alison’s difficult situation, with her father not caring about her after finding someone new, and now she was even facing divorce.
How much hardship had this little lady endured?
“Grandpa!” Alison didn’t expect Barry to suddenly hit Brayden.
“You’re asking that?” Nathan was full of anger. “You’ve been married for two years. Have you ever cared about or paid attention to Aly? As her husband, you don’t even know her family situation!”
The more he talked, the angrier he got.
He really wanted to kick this brat out.
“Alison, how about this?” Sylvia looked at the situation and subconsciously thought that her son hadn’t cared enough about Alison, leading to Alison’s lack of hope for the marriage. “Stay with Brayden for another year, and if you still insist on divorcing after that, I will help make the decision for you.”
Alison was about to refuse, “No…”
“In fact, I don’t have much time left.” Sylvia’s eyes dimmed, and her words became heavier. “I didn’t tell you before because I was afraid it would affect you.”
Nathan was quiet.
Alison and Brayden were both confused.
How could Nathan react so calmly like this when time was running out for his wife?
“The doctor said I have stomach cancer and only have a year and a half to live.” Sylvia acted very depressed and listless. “Aly, give Brayden one more year, okay?”
Alison took her pulse and looked at her pupils.
Sylvia was a bit confused by her actions.
“You might have met a quack doctor.” Alison changed her wording out of respect for Sylvia. “Your pulse is calm, and there are no black sediments forming a ring at the edge of your iris, indicating that your stomach is healthy.”
Sylvia stopped pretending to be sick and held her hand with reluctance. “Aly…”
“Brayden and I have thoroughly considered the decision to get a divorce. Your persuasion on the matter is unnecessary,” Alison reassured her. “Thank you for your care and kindness over the years.”
Sylvia’s eyes were red.
She really couldn’t bear to let Alison go. She had always wanted a son and a daughter, but both of her children ended up being boys.
It wasn’t until Alison came that her wish was fulfilled.
“Have you really decided on this?” Barry had lost his spirit from just now, and now there was reluctance on his thin and sallow face.
Alison replied, “Yes, we have decided.”
The words that everyone wanted to say were all swallowed back when they saw her frank and firm attitude.
They knew that this marriage could not be saved by persuasion.