Chapter 268: I Am Informing You
Mr. Bennett had gone to great lengths to attend this wedding banquet; he was loath to leave so soon.
But he knew if he didn’t leave now, he might never be able to leave at all. In the end, all he could do was shoot a hateful glare at Mrs. Kohl.
Mrs. Kohl shuddered, her legs nearly giving out.
Seeing her state only fueled his rage, and he finally lost his temper and snapped, "You useless fool! Get over here and help your mother!"
As if suddenly realizing something, Clayton Kohl’s face went deathly pale. He drifted like a ghost to Mrs. Kohl’s side, yanked her to her feet, and cowered behind Mr. Bennett and his wife as they scurried away in disgrace.
The group was unceremoniously shoved out a side door of the Donovan estate. As they watched the door swing shut behind them, Mr. Bennett could no longer contain his fury. He spun around and slapped Clayton Kohl across the face.
He put all his strength into the slap, snapping Clayton Kohl’s head to the side. A moment later, his cheek began to swell.
Seeing her precious son get struck, Mrs. Kohl shrieked, "Clayton! Clayton, are you all right? How could you just hit him?"
"Why can’t I? I’d like to kill him right now." Mr. Bennett’s face was livid, his features twisted in a snarl. "You should thank your lucky stars I don’t hit women, or you’d be dead right now."
After venting his anger, Mr. Bennett calmed down considerably. He looked at the sealed side door, knowing the situation was irreparable. He cast a cold glance at the mother and son and declared in a tone that brooked no argument, "Go home and get a divorce."
"A divorce? Why? Everything’s fine! We can’t get a divorce!" Mrs. Kohl shrieked. Forgetting the stinging pain in his cheek, Clayton Kohl rushed forward and grabbed his wife’s hand.
"Dad, I know today was all my fault. I shouldn’t have brought my mother, and I definitely shouldn’t have let her wander off and run her mouth. I know I was wrong. Please, give me another chance. Don’t let Wanwan divorce me."
"Too late for regrets now." Mr. Bennett remained unmoved. He sharply pulled his daughter to his side. "We’re leaving."
"Dad! Dad..." Clayton Kohl dropped to his knees with a thud. "However angry you are, please, forgive me this once for the children’s sake! They’re still so young—they can’t grow up without a father!"
"The children. Right. I’d almost forgotten about them." Mr. Bennett paused, then said something that completely shattered the mother and son’s composure.
"Their mother gets custody of both children. Out of consideration for your years of marriage, we won’t take back the house you’re living in. As for the future... you’re on your own."
"What? No!" Before Clayton Kohl could respond, Mrs. Kohl shrieked, "Why should their mother get both children? If there’s a divorce, they should be split one and one! We’ll take the older one, you can have the younger one."
Clayton Kohl and his wife had two children: an older son and a younger daughter.
Mr. Bennett saw right through her little scheme. He laughed, a sound devoid of humor and full of rage. "You seem to have misunderstood something. This is a notice, not a negotiation."
"That’s... that’s just tyrannical..."
"Mom, just stop talking!"
"Tyrannical? HAHAHAHA! It’s not the first time I’ve been called that. Clayton, it’s not that I’m being heartless. Your mother offended Elder Donovan. Even I can’t protect you now. It’s better for the children to become part of the Barrett Family than to be dragged into a life of poverty with you, never knowing where their next meal will come from. At least with us, they’ll be fed. They won’t have to become beggars."
With that, Mr. Bennett had no desire to waste another moment on the two fools. He took his daughter’s arm and walked away without a backward glance.
Mrs. Kohl started to go after them, but her son yanked her back.
"What are you doing? Didn’t you hear him? He’s taking both the children! That’s your son! Why should they get to—"
"Why? Because they don’t have a fool of a mother dragging them down!" Blood rushed to Clayton Kohl’s head. He thought of all his years of effort, of putting up with his wife’s spoiled temper and groveling before his father-in-law, only for it all to amount to nothing. It was all for naught. He finally snapped, his hands shooting out to wrap around Mrs. Kohl’s neck.
"Why did you have to say those things in their home? Why couldn’t you keep your mouth shut? Maybe a tongue that wagging needs to be cut off. How about I do it for you right now? Why did I bring a fool like you here today? It’s over. Everything’s over. Why would you do this? You’ve ruined me! You’ve ruined everything!"
Mrs. Kohl’s eyes rolled back in her head. She clawed desperately at Clayton Kohl’s fingers and beat against his arms.
Fortunately, a sliver of reason remained in Clayton Kohl, and he let go before he could choke her to death.
He stared coldly as Mrs. Kohl collapsed to the ground, coughing violently. Numbly, Clayton Kohl pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Third Brother, Mom did something incredibly stupid. Get ready to go begging with me."
He ignored the furious curses from the other end of the line and hung up. Covering his face, he let out a low, mirthless laugh that soon dissolved into wracking sobs.
Arabella Donovan didn’t know what transpired between the Kohls and the Barretts after they left the Donovan estate, but she could guess the gist of it.
Mr. Bennett’s incandescent rage and the fleeting look of bitter resentment on Clayton Kohl’s face had already sealed Mrs. Kohl’s fate.
’The children who truly loved and respected her were the ones she drove away, one by one. Instead, she treasured two vipers who could turn and strike her dead at any moment. This outcome was exactly what she deserved.’
With the unsightly guests gone, the atmosphere lightened considerably.
Dennis Donovan had been meaning to introduce Arabella Donovan to the other guests so she could get acquainted with them. Now that the troublemakers were gone, he immediately waved her over to his side.
"This is the distant grandniece I was telling you all about. Serena, this is Mr. Cole, Mr. Young, Mr. Wyatt, and Mr. Hughes."
Arabella Donovan already knew who they were, as Miles Donovan had told her about them earlier. Hearing Dennis Donovan’s introduction, she dutifully greeted them as she was told. "Mr. Cole, Mr. Young, Mr. Wyatt, Mr. Hughes."
"We’ve heard your grandfather mention you so many times. It’s great to finally meet you in person."
The speaker, the middle-aged man Dennis Donovan had called Mr. Cole, turned to the others. "You’ve all heard about the gold mine recently discovered in the Norwall Barrens, I assume? Well, this is the young lady who bought the land."
"So it was you! That plot in the Norwall Barrens had failed to sell at auction for years; no one would touch it. Then you buy it and strike gold immediately. Elder Donovan, your grandniece is quite something."
"Indeed, indeed. Elder Donovan, one look at your grandniece and you can tell she’s one of a kind. You just get ready to sit back and enjoy the fruits of her success."
Though Arabella knew they were just flattering her for Dennis Donovan’s sake, the praise still made her a little bashful. "It was just a stroke of luck, really."
"No need for modesty. Luck is a kind of power in itself. Some people can scheme their entire lives and end up with nothing, while others seem to have the Midas touch. There’s something to be said for destiny."
Arabella Donovan met Mr. Cole’s gentle gaze, and an idea sparked within her. She pressed her lips together, silent for a moment, before suddenly speaking up. "This may be a bit forward of me, but if you’ll forgive my impertinence... might I have a word with you gentlemen in private?"