Chapter 9 - The Spineless Husband
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“What is going on here?”
The panicked voice echoed from the hallway. Arthur rushed into the foyer, his expensive suit perfectly pressed, his hair immaculately styled for the upcoming meetings. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the chaotic scene unfolding before him. His wife was on her knees, crying over scattered clothes, holding his crying son, while his mother stood over them like a conquering general.
“Arthur,” Nora sobbed, looking up at him with desperate, pleading eyes. “Arthur, please. She’s kicking us out. Liam is sick. Please, stop her.”
Arthur’s face paled. He looked from his weeping wife to his furious mother.
“Mother, what are you doing? The delegation will be here any minute!” Arthur hissed, clearly more concerned about the timing than the cruelty of the act.
“I am cleaning house, Arthur!” Eleanor declared proudly. “I am removing the trash before our guests arrive. She is a liability. You can file for divorce in the morning. Today, we secure the capital.”
“Arthur, you can’t let her do this to us. He is your son!” Nora begged, clutching Liam tighter.
Arthur swallowed hard, a bead of nervous sweat forming on his brow. He looked at Nora, then looked down at the marble floor, completely unable to meet her gaze.
“Nora… maybe it’s for the best. Just for a few days. Go to a hotel. I’ll send you some money later. But right now, Mother is right. The timing is terrible. Just go.”
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The sheer betrayal in his words felt like a physical blow to her stomach. The last fragile thread of love she held for this man snapped instantly. He was not a husband. He was not a father. He was a coward, completely beholden to the woman holding the purse strings.
“You’re pathetic,” Nora whispered, the tears suddenly stopping, replaced by a cold, hollow emptiness.
