Chapter 40: Chapter 40: He’s Understanding Himself Less and Less

’Divorce is all she ever talks about. As if I’m desperate to keep her!’

Leona Grant’s face darkened as he warned, “I’m warning you, don’t let Mom and Dad find out about the divorce. You’d better be on your best behavior today. If you pull any stunts, I won’t let you get away with it. And another thing, you’re not allowed—”

Annabelle Linton reached out and took his hand, her touch devoid of any emotion. She looked at him coolly. “We’ll be late if we don’t go in now. I hope that after today, our divorce can proceed smoothly.”

Her sudden action cut off the rest of what Leona Grant was saying.

He lowered his gaze to her small hand resting on his larger one. It was cool, almost cold, to the touch, her slender fingers so pale they seemed translucent.

’After all these years, this is the first time we’ve ever held hands like a couple.’

Leona Grant froze for a moment before enveloping Annabelle Linton’s hand with his own. A strange sense of satisfaction and reassurance washed over him.

But why did the thought of this being her ’last time with everyone,’ as her words implied, make him feel so inexplicably irritated?

’He was beginning to realize he didn’t understand himself at all anymore.’

As Annabelle Linton and Leona Grant walked into the living room, they could hear Vivian Yates and Mrs. Grant chatting and laughing from across the room.

’So she was already here.’

’Then again, why would she ever pass up such a perfect opportunity to show how much she values his parents?’

“Young Master, Young Madam,” a servant greeted them.

At the sound of the greeting, the conversation in the room stopped, and all eyes turned toward them.

A faint smile touched Leona Grant’s lips as he greeted them. “Grandpa, Dad, Mom, Annabelle and I are here to see you.”

’Annabelle?’

Annabelle Linton felt a wave of revulsion at the familiar address.

She didn’t let it show on her face, though. Instead, she followed his lead with a graceful smile. “Grandpa, Dad, Mom.”

Mrs. Grant’s gaze rested on Annabelle Linton.

She hadn’t seen this daughter-in-law of hers since the wedding.

It wasn’t that she lacked the time; she simply hadn’t wanted to see her.

The girl used to come to their house often enough that she’d gotten to know her, to a degree. Annabelle had a quiet, weak, and painfully shy personality, which was precisely the type of character Mrs. Grant disliked the most. As a result, she’d never held a favorable opinion of her.

However, her father-in-law had been determined to set them up, and there was nothing she could do about it. So, she simply adopted an “out of sight, out of mind” policy.

But seeing her today, she found that this daughter-in-law didn’t make such a bad first impression after all.

Her posture was elegant, she was dressed appropriately for the occasion, and her smile was confident and gracious. She had completely shed that formerly unpresentable air about her.

Her eyes swept over the items Annabelle Linton was carrying, and an involuntary look of satisfaction surfaced.

’Maybe this daughter-in-law of mine isn’t as bad as I imagined.’

“You’re back,” Mrs. Grant replied with a faint smile.

Annabelle Linton saw the faint softness in Mrs. Grant’s eyes and breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

’In her previous life, the undisguised contempt in Mrs. Grant’s eyes had been seared into her very soul.’

“Annabelle, you’re here! Come over to Grandpa, let me get a good look at you. It’s been days since you last visited. Did you forget all about this old man, hm?” Grandpa beckoned to her cheerfully, and Annabelle smiled as she walked toward him.

The gifts Vivian Yates had brought were sitting on the table. It looked like she had only just arrived herself.

Vivian Yates’s eyes grew cold as she saw the gifts in Annabelle Linton’s hands.

’That good-for-nothing actually brought gifts, too? Then why didn’t she have them out earlier?’

’Was she trying to catch me off guard?’

’Good thing I prepared gifts, too. Otherwise, wouldn’t I have been completely one-upped by her for no reason?’

’The nerve!’

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