My Husband Accused My Family of Stealing His Mother’s Gift Chapter 05

My Husband Accused My Family of Stealing His Mother’s Gift Chapter 05

Mom and Dad froze in surprise.

Tyler looked just as stunned. He stared at me blankly and remained rooted to the spot.

I walked over and met their eyes, my expression serious.

“Forget about them. I’m spending Thanksgiving with my family, and that’s final.”

Tyler studied my expression. A second later, understanding dawned, and he took a deep breath.

“Good. Then we’re celebrating Dad’s sixtieth birthday properly.”

Dad was still anxious. He rubbed his hands together and shook his head repeatedly.

“Sienna, I’m fine. I really am. Don’t worry about me. Go with Adrian before this gets any worse.”

I covered his hand with mine and met his eyes with unwavering determination.

“No, Dad. Today is your sixtieth birthday, and you come first. Adrian and his family are the ones who should back down, not you. No matter what happens, I’m staying here to celebrate with you.”

Dad’s eyes reddened at once.

His lips moved, but no words came out. Instead, he turned his hand over and gripped mine, his

palm slick with sweat.

Mom stood nearby, opened her mouth as if to speak, then stopped herself.

Tyler cheered in approval and turned to get the glasses.

At that moment, someone began pounding on the front door.

Linda’s shrill voice cut through the room.

“Sienna! Open this door!”

“What was that supposed to mean? You threw our things into the hall and slammed the door in our faces? Who the hell do you think you are?”

Noah joined in from outside.

“What is wrong with you? Have you forgotten whose family you married into?”

Adrian did not raise his voice, but every word carried the same condescending certainty.

“Sienna, what kind of tantrum are you throwing now?”

“You have until I finish counting to come outside. Three. Two.”

He was counting down as though he were training a dog.

He had done the same thing during every argument we had ever had.

He would offer me what he considered a way out and count to three. I was expected to back down

before he reached one.

If I refused, then I was being unreasonable. I was the one causing trouble.

He was about to say one when I yanked open the door.

I stared straight at him, my expression cold.

“Adrian, you asked for this.”

He froze, irritation flashing across his face.

Before he could respond, I turned back into the house and pulled a manila envelope from the

bottom of a cabinet.

Inside was a proposed marital settlement agreement.

The agreement had been ready for six months.

One night, Adrian had gotten drunk and said to my face, “Your family is a bunch of nobodies. You should consider yourself lucky I ever let you marry into mine,”

I cried all night afterward. The next morning, I hired an attorney to draft the agreement.

But because I still had feelings for him, I never brought it out.

I told myself it had only been a drunken slip. Maybe he had spoken carelessly and forgotten all

about it.

That excuse ended today.

I had watched him let Maya humiliate my mother over a misdelivered gift. I had watched Linda feed Coco the crabmeat my father had painstakingly prepared. I had watched Adrian bring presents for

everyone while deliberately forgetting my father’s sixtieth birthday.

At last, I understood.

He had not overlooked my father.

He had done it on purpose.

This was Adrian’s way of testing how completely I would submit to him.

He intended to humiliate my parents over and over until he had broken them completely, forcing

them to accept their place and ensuring that I would never dare defy him again.

I walked back to the door and held the proposed marital settlement agreement out to Adrian.

“What happened to all that arrogance you had a minute ago? Are you afraid to sign?”