Chương 20: Hello there, brother-in-law.
There was a reason why Heaven tried to be a good in-law. It wasn't because she wanted to be accepted by the family or create a picture-perfect family. Her reason was simple. Heaven had a soft spot for the elderly.
After losing her father, the only parent she had, the older adults that came into her life were from Dominic's family. So, even if she hated Dominic to the core and couldn't even look at her son, she didn't treat the older generation of the Zhu family the same way.
Heaven didn't try hard to return their affection, though. All she did was listen without saying what was on her mind or being meek like she had always done. This was the first time she tried so hard to appease the Old Madam. For sure, if this was the original Heaven, she might have not said a word.
Dominic and Heaven left Old Madam Zhu after some time. Grandma Zhu suddenly announced that she was tired and needed to rest. Hence, they left the room. They were silent as they stood outside the master's bedroom. None of them knew how to proceed after what happened. Both were in the dark, unable to take the first step to move forward.
Dominic remained silent, eyes downcast. He couldn't say a word after Heaven gave him a warning look, but at the same time, letting her lie didn't sit well with him. Heaven's unexpected action surprised him. It rendered him speechless, making words stuck in his throat.
'I'm sorry,' were the words that kept on echoing inside his head. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he reopened his eyes and mustered the courage to speak, Heaven's voice caressed his ear.
"I'm sorry."
Those two simple words made him look at her. Heaven's eyes were cast downward, but her face was facing ahead. Her side profile was firm and sharp, but there was no sign of anger or any of the sort.
"I know you wanted to end this once and for all, but I went on spewing a bunch of lies. I ask you, for the last time, to let me be selfish again. Let's postpone the divorce," she proposed in a quiet voice. Her proposal caused his eyes to dilate. "Let's postpone it until everyone is ready for it."
Heaven slowly turned and faced him, her face devoid of emotions, making it impossible for him to read what she was feeling. "You said if I want to add my own condition, I can. That's my condition."
All Dominic could do was stare at her pair of determined eyes. It didn't look like she was proposing this just because she was forced to. If anything, she appeared as though she wanted to postpone it herself.
"Are you sure?" He asked in a gruff voice, managing to talk after the words got caught in his throat. "If you're afraid that you'd disappoint Grandma, you don't have to worry about it. I can…"
Dominic trailed off when she shook her head.
"I've already decided Dominic Zhu," she said. "If you don't like the idea of postponing it, file the divorce. I already signed the papers, anyway. But if you can bear with me for a little longer, then keep them until you think the time is right."
Both of them stared at each other. The atmosphere between them was awkward since this was the first time Dominic had seen her behave like this. Heaven looked at him like he was a human being, equal in all aspects, and not some kind of monster she had been treating him for the past five years. 'How strange,' he thought.
"If that's all, then I'll go ahead first." Heaven took a step back intending to leave, but his next few words stopped her from going further.
"I'll only agree if you give me your word," Dominic said in a serious tone. Heaven slowly looked back at him, only to see the unbending resolve in his eyes. "Will you, throughout this grace period, at least try to be nice to him? Otherwise, I'll file the divorce."
'Heaven, you fool,' she thought, and then bit her tongue, assessing the man before her. 'Can't you see this man? Before his personal interest or anything else, he only has one person in his mind, YOUR son. What an unpleasant feeling to be standing in this position.'
"Isn't that given?" Heaven sounded annoyed, dropping all the pretense. She knew that and he didn't have to rub it on her face.
"What are you doing there? Where's Grandma?" Suddenly, an urgent voice called out in front of them. Heaven and Dominic turned their heads to see who it was, only to see a tall young man standing several steps from them.
The man had messy brown hair with platinum highlights; he wore a loose white shirt underneath his leather black jacket. His loose denim pants didn't hide how long his legs were. He was probably just as tall as Dominic, or an inch taller. Though some of his features, like the color of his eyes and the point of his nose, resembled Dominic, there was a distinct difference in their sense of style, aura, and overall appearance.
'If my memory serves right, this man is…'
"Be quiet, Axel. Grandma is resting now," Dominic coldly stated.
'Right. Axel Zhu. The second young master of the Zhu Family.' Heaven thought, mentally nodding, trying to recall who the person was.
Unlike Dominic, who was well-mannered, disciplined, and responsible, Axel was different. Axel Zhu claimed to be a free spirit; he was more into a carefree life and extreme sports, aspiring to be a professional racer.
"How was she?" Axel asked, brows raised, while his eyes fixed on Dominic. He didn't notice Heaven, or rather, ignored her purposely.
"She's fine now," was Dominic's curt reply.
"Ah. Good." Axel sounded relieved and just nodded before turning around and waving his hand dismissively. "Butler Fu said food is ready. I'm starving. Let's eat."
Dominic let out a heavy sigh while Heaven stared at Axel's retreating back. The second young master didn't even look at her after hearing that Old Madam Zhu was fine and resting.
'The Old Madam and my parents-in-law weren't my problems,' she thought, recalling all the interactions the original Heaven and Axel had in the past. 'But for sure, he will be a pain in the ass.'
"Come on!" Axel stopped in his tracks to look back at them, he sounded a bit impatient and added, "The food will turn cold. Butler Fu will report to Grandma if you leave without even eating."
"Don't mind him," Dominic told Heaven. He ignored Axel and cast Heaven a look. "I'll send you home if you want to go home."
"It's fine. I'm actually starving. I'll leave later," Heaven replied and waved her hand dismissively, following Axel to the dining, leaving Dominic behind with a bewildered look on his face.
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