After dinner, Laura said to Katherine, “Katherine, come up with me.”
“Mommy.” Merry clung to Katherine and didn’t want her to go up there.
Katherine caressed her head. “Mommy will be back soon. Just play with brother here.”
Merry didn’t want to let her go. She stole a look at Jacob and whispered, “But I’m afraid of that bad man.”
“That’s your dad, not a bad man. He wouldn’t hurt you.” Katherine was a bit helpless.
Merry was still a little scared of Jacob.
Felix came over and hugged his sister. “I will protect you!”
Merry then reluctantly let Katherine go. “Mom, when are we going to be home?”
Before Katherine spoke, Laura said, “This is your home. You and your brother are going to stay here and not go anywhere.”
Merry blinked in confusion, as if she didn’t understand why she was going to live here, but she curled her lips. “I don’t want to live with that strange man.”
Katherine’s heart sank a little, as she knew what Laura meant.
As she and Laura went upstairs, Katherine heard Jacob ask the child, “Doesn’t Merry like to live here?”
Merry didn’t dare to talk to Jacob. Felix replied, “We don’t want to live with you!”
Katherine didn’t look back, but she could imagine how gloomy Jacob looked and couldn’t help smiling.
He deserved it!
Merry stayed far away from Jacob. The more she looked at Jacob’s indifferent face, the more she missed Theo. With her eyes blinking, Merry felt sad and said, “I miss Theo!”
Jacob’s face was darker.
Katherine was just upstairs when she heard Merry say she missed Theo, and she made up her mind.
Upstairs in the study.
Laura sat down on the sofa and motioned for Katherine to sit down as well.
As Katherine sat down, she heard Laura say, “You know clearly that whatever choice you make, the two children belong to the Murray family and will definitely grow in the Murray family thereafter.”
“As for you, Jacob loves you and you are the children’s mother, so I have no problem with you staying with Jacob. But if you want to divorce Jacob, that’s fine. But the two children would have nothing to you from then on, and you couldn’t take anyone of them with you.”
Katherine said nothing.
“You took away my grandson and granddaughter away for two years and tortured my son like this. I don’t think deserve to be the daughter-in-law to the Murray family. But since the children are so attached to you, they probably won’t be happy if they leave you. I’m also worried that if Jacob remarries, the stepmother won’t be considerate enough to the children.”
“So, if you want to be the mistress of the Murray family, I’m fine with that.”
Katherine looked at her. “But I don’t want to.”
She would never forget what Jacob did to her.
Laura was calm, as if she didn’t care about her choice. “It’s up to you.”
Katherine said softly, “I see.”
Since she had promised Theo, how could she live here with Jacob?
When Katherine came downstairs, Jacob was no longer there. “Where’s Dad?” she asked casually.
Neither of the children wanted to call Jacob father, so Felix said, “He went up to take a bath.”
Oppressed by the thought of what Laura had just said, Katherine looked at the two happy children and asked, “Do you like it here?”
Without thinking, Merry replied, “Yes!”
Then she hesitated and shook her head, “But I don’t like it as the strange man lives here”
Katherine found it funny. It seemed that the children had a very bad impression of Jacob. Then Katherine asked, “Is it better to live here or with mother?”
Felix replied earnestly, “To live with mother.”
Merry hesitated, but nodded, “To live with mom and Theo!”
Katherine was heartened that she had made up her mind.
She must get out with the children!
The children, of course, were unaware of the grown-up’s worries, and were soon having fun again.
Katherine was a little worried that they would not want to leave the Murray family.
The life outside couldn’t be compared with the Murray family. The Murray family could provide the best material life for the children.
Katherine also wanted to give the best life for her children, but she couldn’t accept being with Jacob any more.
If she stayed here, there wouldn’t be harmony or sweet between them, only fighting and quarreling. Children couldn’t be happy to live in this family.
He could satisfy the material needs of the children, but they couldn’t make the children feel happy.
“It’s getting late. It’s time to take a bath and take a rest.” Jacob finished the bathing and ordered the servants to take the two children upstairs.
Felix and Merry were having a good time when they were suddenly interrupted and both of them were not happy.
The children did not like him already, and now they liked him even less when they saw him so tough.
Jacob felt that the way they were looking at him was like a rabbit looking at the wolf.
Katherine was happy to see that. She thought he deserved it.