Chapter 7 Melting a heart of steel
Chapter 7 Melting a heart of steel
Baron was about to explain when Tracy barked, “Shut up!”
“Grandma, I’m hungry!”
Lara’s voice rang out just in time.
Hearing that her daughter was hungry, Tracy looked at her father. “Dad, let’s eat!”
Her father’s name was Terry Perry, and because he didn’t have much in the way of ability, his status
was abysmal. Tracy, however, was exceptionally capable, and was thus held in quite high regard by the
head of the clan.
It could be said that the family led the life they did thanks to Tracy, so she was very respected in the
household. It was only in marriage that Terry and Sherry came off strong.
Now that a car from the richest man in Cona had showed up and dropped off such precious gifts, Joker
didn’t dare linger. He conjured up an excuse and left without taking a bite of the food.
At five in the afternoon, all their relatives had left, and Sherry looked at Yuri, saying, “Take Lara back to
her room, will you?”
Yuri understood that Sherry was about to give her cheapskate brother-in-law a scolding, and she
glanced gloatingly at Baron before taking Lara and leaving. “Lara, come play hide-and-seek with your
auntie.”
Although Lara wanted to stay with her dad, hearing that her aunt wanted to play with her strung her
along just like that.
The living room was left with Terry, Sherry, Tracy and Baron.
“Now that you’re back, Baron, there are some things we have to make clear.” Sherry cleared her throat
and spoke, her tone towards him markedly less biting than before.
Baron nodded, saying respectfully, “Mom, I’ll listen to anything you have to say.”
Sherry stated, “You know full well yourself that you and Tracy were only married five years ago
because the two of you were set up. There was nothing between you two to begin with, and you left
without so much as a word right after the wedding. All these years, Tracy has played father and mother
at the same time. You’ve no idea how she’s toiled and suffered from ill-meaning rumors. Even the
Samho Group she’d established herself was forcefully taken by the clan. All this is thanks to you.”
Baron’s heart ached. He knew that Sherry wasn’t just making it all up – it was fact.
He’d left for five years, and Tracy had been pregnant. One could imagine the barbs levied at her.
Tracy’s own eyes grew red, and she bit her rosebud lip, the pearls of her teeth barely visible.
“Mom, I understand all of what you said, but don’t worry. I’ve come back to make everything up to Tracy
and Lara. From now on, I won’t disappoint you again.”
Baron’s expression was serious, and his words were sincere – other than expressing his own sincerity,
he really didn’t know what else to say.
“You’ve got some nerve saying ‘again’!”
At that, Terry stood up, enraged. “Do you think my daughter is an item for sale? You’ll take her when
you want her, throw her away when you don’t?”
As Terry spoke, he pointed at the gold and jewelry laid out across a side table. “Look at the gifts
someone else is giving to marry her! You’re just a piece of garbage who has nothing! You really think
you can make my daughter happy just by going off to be a soldier for five years? She’s been held back
by you for all those years. Get that divorce first thing tomorrow morning.”
Affected by Terry’s words, a teary-eyed Sherry sobbed, “Terry is right. Divorce her tomorrow. There are
enough men lined up to chase her to make a circle around Cona, and a piece of garbage like you
ruined her. You still think you haven’t done enough? If you really love her, divorce her.”
Baron’s face filled with sorrow. No matter how his father-in-law and mother-in-law scolded him,
chastised him, he deserved it. Thinking of everything Tracy had endured all these years, his heart
ached.
He’d left five years ago precisely because he didn’t deserve Tracy. Only by enlisting could he have
come into his own and made himself a proper match for her. What he didn’t know was that that one
time had gotten Tracy pregnant.
Tracy’s own tears were already falling. She’d shouldered everything on her own for years, and her will
had been forged into something formidable. Even though she was crying, she refused to make a
sound.
Seeing her pained state, Baron felt even more tortured.
As he was now, even if Tracy wanted the stars in the sky, he would have found some way to pluck
them down. But would she even accept them?
Only now did he realize that his feelings had been one-sided from start till end. He’d loved her even
earlier than five years ago, but Tracy had never reciprocated his feelings. Even though they’d been set
up, and she’d married him to preserve the honor of her clan, it was as Terry had said. There had been
nothing real between them.
Baron had been arrogant enough to think that so long as he was a match for Tracy, he could make her
happy.
Only now did he realise that he was wrong.
He’d been wrong for five whole years.
Thud. Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.
Baron stood suddenly and knelt heavily before Terry and Sherry, releasing a loud impact that shook the
room.
“As my parents through marriage, I hereby demonstrate my respect!” Baron’s face was solemn.
Thud.
His forehead slammed into the marble floor.
“Baron, what are you doing?”
Seeing the blood seeping from Baron’s forehead, Sherry gasped.
“Don’t think that by putting yourself through this that you can barter for Tracy’s forgiveness.”
Terry’s face registered shock, and he looked towards a tearful Tracy. “Don’t be fooled by his show. This
trash is unforgivable for as long as he lives.
Thud.
As if he hadn’t heard anything, Baron slammed his forehead down again.
“I also hereby demonstrate my thanks for you two elders taking care of Tracy and Lara.”
He slammed it down again.
“For five years, I’ve failed to be a proper husband and father, put Tracy through at the center of
indescribable scandal, allowed Lara to grow up without a dad – I’ve failed you, and failed Tracy, and
failed Lara!”
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Every kowtow was done with extreme force. Only this way, it seemed, could he lessen some of the pain
in his heart.
Several dozen thuds later, Baron’s forehead was gushing blood.
Tracy stood at the side, her tears flooding.
Baron finally stood, feeling immensely relieved. He walked in front of the weeping Tracy and spoke.
“Let’s get a divorce!”