Sweet Divorce

When Michael got Rita’s text, his pupils expanded, full of joy.

She’d agreed.

She’d agreed to marry him.

It was the result of a threat, yes, but Michael was happy as could be.

He typed up and deleted his message over and over until he simply sent out:

“Made up your mind?”

Soon, he received her reply.

“Yes. But I need half a month to settle everything I’ve got going with Liam and the Brown family. I’ll come register for marriage with you in half a month.”

Half a month?

Was Rita stalling?

That was a legitimate worry, but Michael agreed to it anyway.

Standing in front of his panel window, he swirled the wine in his hand, looking at the dark red liquid swishing about under his control, and smirked. “It’s just fifteen days. What can a little girl do in that time?”

Even if she had some kind of plan in this fortnight, he’d deal with it as they came.

This time, he was going to have her.

Not just the girl he liked, but everything the Browns, the Burkes and the Wilsons owed him, he was going to take it all back.

The age of the Wilson family’s monopoly over the city was finally over.

Michael sneered quietly, cold in his eyes as he drained his glass.

…

“Rita?”

Maybe because she hadn’t replied for a while, but Zoe had called her name again.

Only then did Rita take her eyes off the screen of her phone. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m fine.”

“Really?” Zoe was clearly not relieved.

put away for phone, smiling. “Relax.

but now, seeing her keep her troubles close to her chest and take on the world on her shoulders, Zoe felt

Rita’s hand. “If you don’t want to

before Rita could reply,

this house isn’t in enough shambles, Zoe? As their mother, are you trying

was still more or less quite scared of Amelia’s wrath, but she took a deep breath, gathered her courage and stepped in front of Rita. “Don’t you understand, Mom? Ever since Charlotte broke Rita’s leg,

into the brown family,

the words emerged, everyone drew back,

had

face had turned the color of beetroot. Thoroughly enraged, she drew her hand back

old woman by

Brown family to keep her mother down

related to her by blood or not, Zoe had brought

trapped, Amelia’s brow darkened. “What, I can’t

herself. “I have the right to protect my mother as

to stink of gunpowder. The keg

was Amelia who backed down first. “Look, Rita, your grandma just doesn’t want to see the Brown family split

apologetically towards Zoe, her sharp, experienced eyes landing on the girl again. “You have to understand, child, it’s not easy

was playing up the gut punch factor again. Her own gut

Rita. I’m not asking for much. So long as Charlotte can get out of prison, I’ll

Rita refused bluntly, “No!”

open to negotiation at all, the last vestiges of Amelia’s

you now, Rita, if you don’t promise to let Charlotte go, I’ll… I’ll die right here in front

that, Amelia drew the blade an inch across her skin. Crimson blood flowed and

that, Zoe and

to his knees. “What are you doing, Mom? Put – put that

know what Mom is like, Noah. If Rita doesn’t agree, I’ll die right here.” Amelia capitalized on Noah’s love for her and deliberately stuck the knife in deeper

Noah lost his nerve with Amelia putting on

knew that her father, with his blind love, was going

she spoke first instead. “That slick show of yours might work on my

that approach. Instead of agreeing, Rita

to consider. She wasn’t about to show weakness in front of Rita. “You – you really think I won’t with my

family, is going to rot in prison.” Rita paused, then looked sideways at Amelia and sneered. “So whether you want to

less make a case for Charlotte to be let

broken for nothing. My dad couldn’t have gone through hell for nothing. Charlotte has

all of this

her out of prison, maybe you should just tell Charlotte to behave herself in there. Maybe she’ll get points for exemplary behavior and get

were even, but every word

up entirely. She shuddered