Chapter 449:

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She was not surprised that Brandon and Clare’s marriage had reached this point. What surprised her was how quickly it had happened, and how perfectly it had collided with everything else.

This winter had become far too chaotic.

“In any case, the two of you have been carrying too much pressure lately,” Hazel said, her voice gentling. “That is why I asked you to come over tonight. I wanted you to have a little space to breathe. As for the family matters, we will face them slowly, one step at a time.”

After saying that, she got up and took a bottle of red wine from the cabinet, and then brought over three glasses.

“Come, let’s have some wine. Stop thinking about all those troublesome things for now. Tonight, we will only talk about pleasant matters.”

She poured the wine and passed a glass to each of them.

𝗥e𝘢𝖽 wit𝗁𝘰𝘂𝘁 𝘪𝗇𝘵е𝘳𝘳uр𝗍𝗶оnѕ 𝗈𝗇 𝘨a𝗅n𝗼𝘷e𝗹𝘀.cоm

The mellow fragrance of red wine soon spread through the air.

Perhaps it was because of the alcohol, or perhaps it was Hazel’s calm and unwavering support, but the heaviness in the room seemed to ease little by little.

Hazel deliberately shifted the conversation to Jeffrey’s little mischiefs, carefully avoiding anything that might drag the mood down again.

None of them noticed that the playroom door had already been pushed open a narrow crack.

Jeffrey stood silently behind it, barefoot and clutching a stuffed dinosaur in his arms. Somehow, he had slipped out without making a sound.

Marlin had been keeping him company in the playroom, but at some point, he had nodded off. Jeffrey had only slipped out because he wanted a glass of water. He did not expect to hear the adults talking.

“Divorce… Mom… Too much pressure… Face them slowly…”

Those scattered words drifted into his ears one after another.

Divorce?

Were Connor and Joslyn going to get divorced?

A child in Jeffrey’s kindergarten had parents who were divorced. That child had cried terribly before, saying he could no longer see his mommy and daddy together.

All at once, panic clutched Jeffrey’s little heart.

Connor and Joslyn were clearly so good together. Did they still have to separate, just like his friend’s parents?

Would that mean he could never see the two of them together again?

Jeffrey’s lower lip began to tremble. A moment later, tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Waaah…”

The sudden cry cut sharply through the quiet living room.

The three adults froze, and then turned their heads at the same time.

Jeffrey stood at the playroom doorway with his face wet from crying, both arms locked tightly around his stuffed dinosaur, as if it were the only thing he could hold on to.

“Jeffrey, what happened?” Hazel reacted first. She rushed over, crouched down, and pulled him into her arms. “Did you hurt yourself?”

Marlin stumbled out of the playroom right after her, jolted awake by the crying. His face was full of alarm. “What happened? Why is he crying?”

Jeffrey hiccupped against Hazel’s shoulder, and then lifted his tear-streaked face and looked toward Connor and Joslyn on the sofa.

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