Sonny said nothing more and handed the transcript directly to Broad. Broad snatched the document, scanning it quickly. His face darkened with every line he read. It was clearly written: Winnie’s evaluation of Miranda far surpassed his own.
His knuckles whitened as he gripped the paper tightly, crumpling it in his hand.
“This… this can’t be!” Broad muttered, his voice low and filled with disbelief. He never imagined he would lose to Miranda. With his status, wealth, and connections, how could Miranda possibly compete with him?
Broad took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He looked up at Sonny, his tone carrying a hint of pleading. “Your Honor, I urge you to reconsider. I can give Winnie a better life, better material conditions-things Miranda simply cannot provide!”
Sonny responded with a professional smile. “Mr. Broad, I understand your concerns. However, when determining custody, material conditions are not the sole criterion. A child’s psychological well-being, emotional needs, and overall family environment are equally important.”
Broad slowly closed his eyes, and an image of Vivienne’s foolish face flashed in his mind. If not for her, things might never have escalated to this point.
Still, he wasn’t ready to give up. He wanted to fight for one last chance.
“Your Honor,” Broad said in a steady tone, “I’d like to remind you that financial stability is crucial to a child’s upbringing. If Winnie stays with Miranda, I seriously doubt she’ll be able to afford Winnie’s tuition fees.”
His words dripped with disdain for Miranda.
Sonny frowned, his voice firm. “Mr. Broad, please respect your ex-wife. Furthermore, based on the court’s investigation, your ex-wife is fully capable of providing for Winnie.”
“What?” Broad was stunned.
From what he knew of Miranda, there was no way she could maintain Winnie’s current lifestyle. Could it be Eric backing her? Was he already preparing to step in as Winnie’s stepfather?
Under the table, Broad’s hand clenched into a fist, the fury in his chest burning hotter by the second. At that moment, he wished he could storm out and confront Eric directly.
Miranda, meanwhile, stood with her arms crossed, watching him with interest, a faint, knowing smile playing on her lips.
Poor Broad. He would never guess her true identity. He was probably imagining her being “sponsored” by some man.
How utterly foolish.
Sonny stood and addressed both of them. “This concludes today’s discussion. The court will notify you of the final ruling as soon as possible.”
Miranda smiled. “Thank you. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
With that, she picked up her handbag and prepared to leave.
But as she turned, someone grabbed her wrist.
Miranda glanced back, her expression cold as she stared at Broad’s hand gripping her. Her voice was calm yet distant. “Let go.”
Broad fixed his gaze on her, his mind flashing to her warm smile when she was with Eric, and then to her current look of contempt for him. The anger in his heart swelled further. Lowering his voice, he growled, “I will never give up custody of Winnie.”
“Oh?” Miranda chuckled, her tone laced with mockery. “I hope, on the day the ruling comes, you can still be this confident.”
“Miranda!” Broad barked, his voice low and furious. “We need to talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” Miranda’s patience wore thin as she shook off his hand.
Just as Broad was about to press further, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Irritated, he pulled it out. Seeing the caller ID, his expression shifted. It was his mother, Marcia.
He frowned and answered. “Mom, what is it?”
On the other end, Marcia’s voice was panicked. “Broad! Get to the hospital now! Your grandfather has been admitted-he’s in critical condition!”
Her voice was loud enough that even Miranda could hear every word. Yet her face remained cold and emotionless, unaffected by the news.
Broad ended the call and glanced at Miranda’s indifferent expression. His gaze darkened, his tone icy. “If anything happens to my grandfather, Miranda, we’re not done.”
Miranda looked at him without a hint of emotion. Her voice was calm. “So you do know-he’s your grandfather, not mine.”
In their marriage, Broad and his family had never truly treated her as one of their own. To them, she was nothing more than a free housekeeper, expected to care for everyone and handle everything without so much as a thank-you.
Marcia’s opposition to their divorce wasn’t out of love for Miranda, but purely because she saw her as “obedient” and “useful”-the perfect daughter-in-law.
But they had never respected her.
Miranda shook her wrist lightly, turned, and left without looking back.
Broad no longer had the energy to argue. He could only rush to the hospital.
In the hospital room, the steady beep of the heart monitor echoed.
His grandfather, Hobbs, lay weakly on the bed, his eyes closed. In just a few days, his face had grown even more gaunt.
Marcia sat by the bed, silently wiping her tears. Her eyes were red and swollen.
She turned to Broad, her tone accusatory. “Why isn’t Miranda here again?”
Broad’s voice was laced with frustration. “We’re about to get divorced. She’s not coming back!”
“Then why can’t you just say something nice to win her over!” Marcia snapped, her voice urgent. “Your grandfather is gravely ill. If he finds out his favorite grandson’s marriage is falling apart, do you think he’ll recover in peace?”
“Miranda wants a divorce-and she’s taking Winnie’s custody with her,” Broad said, his voice heavy with exhaustion.
“What?” Marcia’s eyes widened in fury.
“Winnie is my granddaughter-in-law, and she always will be. I forbid your divorce!” Hobbs suddenly rasped, his weak voice trembling with anger.
Marcia turned to Broad, her tone commanding. “Listen to me, Broad. I don’t care what you do, but until your grandfather recovers, I forbid you to divorce Miranda!”
Broad felt utterly drained, as if all the strength had been sucked out of him.
Failures in his career, the collapse of his marriage, and now his mother’s unrelenting demands-each was a weight pressing down on him, pushing him to the brink of collapse.
At that moment, he desperately needed a victory to regain his confidence and pride.
Taking a deep breath, his eyes hardened, a dangerous gleam flashing in his dark gaze.
“Miranda,” he muttered under his breath, his tone chilling, “if you want this divorce so badly, I’ll make sure you don’t get it.”
Turning to Marcia, he asked, “I signed a prenuptial agreement with Miranda, didn’t I?”