Chapter 665: Incorrigibly Obstinate

His perfectly good daughter-in-law had been driven away by that old hag and his own son. His grandson and granddaughter were gone too. The family was torn to shreds, and it was all that old hag’s doing. Now they couldn’t even fill their stomachs. If he died now, he wouldn’t be able to rest in peace!

"Brian... COUGH COUGH..."

Mr. Chapman called out weakly. Brian Chapman leaned in, and Mr. Chapman whispered, "You... go... go get Phoebe and the children back. The... the family can’t fall apart!"

"What’s the point of getting her back? It’s all her fault Brian lost his job," Mrs. Chapman said angrily.

"COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH..."

Mr. Chapman coughed violently, finally managing to hack up the phlegm in his throat. He gasped for breath, wheezing. Usually a peacemaker, Mr. Chapman’s face was now stern. He would no longer indulge Mrs. Chapman and snapped sharply:

"If you had ever acted like a proper mother-in-law, would Phoebe have caused such a fuss? And Brian, you’re at fault too. In what way has Phoebe ever wronged you? She bore you children, managed the household, and took care of everything inside and out. Her family was supportive too, sending meat and food from time to time. But you had to go gallivanting around with other women and even skimped on living expenses. Did you really think the Thorne family was easy to bully?"

After another few coughs, Mr. Chapman drank a cup of hot water to soothe his throat. He looked at Mrs. Chapman’s defiant expression and sighed, "I don’t have many days left. Seeing you all like this, I won’t be able to rest in peace even when I’m dead!"

"Dad, don’t say that. It’s all my fault."

Overcome with shame, Brian Chapman knelt by the bed. A hint of sorrow also appeared on Mrs. Chapman’s face. After all, they had been a couple for decades; there was still some affection between them.

Mr. Chapman sighed and instructed, "You are at fault, but it’s not too late. As long as Gentry is at home, Phoebe will always be thinking of him. You listen to me. Break things off completely with that widow, and no more messing around in the future. Take Gentry and go to the Thorne family to beg for forgiveness. You know how to play the victim, don’t you? Phoebe has a tough exterior but a soft heart. With over a decade of history between you, plus three children, she’s bound to soften up. If the Thornes hit you or curse you, you are not to fight back. Just keep saying it’s your fault. Do you hear me?"

"Those thugs from the Thorne family are vicious. How could Brian withstand a beating? Besides, what right do they have to hit him? If Phoebe Thorne hadn’t gone back home for over half a year, neglecting her duties here, would Brian have gone looking for another woman?"

Mrs. Chapman grumbled unhappily. She didn’t think her son was at fault at all. Her son had a government job, for crying out loud! Phoebe Thorne was just some country woman with no job and no urban household registration. Marrying her son was the luckiest thing that ever happened to her.

’Hmph. That woman should have slaved away for the Chapman family, bowing and scraping to serve me and my family. How dare she even think of divorce?’

’A woman with two children and no job will have no choice but to go begging,’ Mrs. Chapman thought viciously, completely ignoring the fact that these two children were her own grandson and granddaughter.

"Nonsense... COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH..."

Mr. Chapman coughed until he couldn’t breathe, his face growing even paler. If he could, he would drag that old hag with him to the grave, just to stop her from being the family’s troublemaker.

He also regretted not reining in the old woman sooner, which had led to the family’s breakdown and his son losing his job.

Mrs. Chapman didn’t dare say another word, but her resentful expression made it clear she was still unconvinced.

"Dad, I’ll listen to you."

Although Brian Chapman didn’t feel he was in the wrong either, reality had defeated him. ’At least if Phoebe Thorne comes back, the Thorne family can’t just stand by and watch their daughter starve, right? The Thornes are well-off. If they help us out just a little, our family will be able to get by.’

’Besides, things are over with that young widow, and it doesn’t feel right for the house to be without a woman. It’s better to have Phoebe Thorne back.’