Chapter 197

Annie's POV

I had been immersed in my creative world for nearly an hour. The house was unusually quiet, with only the soft sound of my brush gliding across paper. Lucy and her maternal grandparents, the Parkers,had left for their weekend trip, leaving just Howard and me downstairs. This tranquility allowed me to focus with unprecedented clarity, my productivity noticeably higher than usual.

I added the final touch of color to my illustration and leaned back to admire my work with satisfaction. Just as I was about to stand and take a short break, my phone rang, shattering the room's peaceful atmosphere.I hesitated when I saw the unfamiliar number on the screen but decided to answer anyway.

"Hello?" I said softly.

"I'm sending you an address. Come over immediately." Betty Baker's tense voice came through, maintaining her characteristic commanding tone.

I couldn't help but smile. "Why would I go somewhere just because you send me an address?"

"Because my son Philip is drunk because of you!" Betty's voice was filled with anger. "Are you satisfied now?"

I frowned, perplexed by her unreasonable outburst. It was truly absurd.

"You must come take care of him!" Betty continued with her commanding tone. "This is all your fault. If you had been patient when he cheated, if you had continued to be a good wife, he would never have ended up like

this! Do you understand?"

I could feel Betty's disdain for me radiating through the phone. She still maintained that superior attitude, apparently believing I was still her daughter-in-law who needed to obediently follow her orders. How ridiculous,

"No, I don't understand," I replied curtly, then hung up.

I placed the phone aside and took a deep breath. The call had somewhat dampened my good mood.

In less than a minute, my phone started ringing again. I stared at the illuminated screen, my finger hovering over the reject button. Betty's haughty face flashed in my mind-once, when I missed her call because I was showering,she had stormed to my doorstep and yelled in the hallway,disturbing half the floor of neighbors. This woman never backed down when pursuing her goals.

Reluctantly, I answered the phone again.

"You don't understand? Then let me explain these principles to you!"Betty fumed. "First of all, as a woman, you have absolutely no patience. In our generation, when husbands cheated, how many wives chose dlivorce?Didn't they all just continue with their lives, staying faithfully by their husbands' sides, waiting for them to come to their senses? How could you just divorce him so easily?"

Hearing this. I nearly choked on my own saliva. My God! How could she state such absurd notions with such conviction?

"In your generation, no one got divorced because of the limitations of that era," I said, feeling somewhat weary, "People didn't dare to divorce even when they suffered in their marriages. They were afraid of being pointed at and ridiculed. Most importantly, they had no income sources and feared they couldn't survive after divorce. But now, that era you speak of is gone."

I rose from my work chair and moved to the lounge area in the corner of the studio, settling into a comfortable armchair to relax a bit. I continued at a measured pace: "Now, everyone has their own job and can earn money. When you're no longer financially dependent on anyone, you naturally become independent. And I'm especially so."

I leaned back against the chair, my tone caIm but firm: "I don't care about others' opinions or what they say about me. Without Philip, I can still live very well."

Leaving him was one of the best decisions I'd ever made.

"So I have no reason to stay with Philip and suffer," I concluded.

Betty was clearly more infuriated on the other end: "So you're saying you won't take care of him? Annie, he's like this because of you!"

Betty's accusatory tone, the slight tremor in her voice when mentioning Philip, and even the faint clinking of bottles audible in the background all suggested Philip was completely intoxicated. But I refused to feel even a hint of guilt about it.

Betty was always like this-finding external reasons for each of her son's mistakes, and that reason was usually me. She would never admit that Philip's problems ultimately stemmed from her distorted indulgence.

"But all of this was his choice," I countered. "The affair was his choice.Pushing me to the edge when I was unconditionally compromising was also his choice. Since he chose this path..." I paused, keeping my voice

steady,"he should be responsible for his own choices."

This reminded me of Brian, and I continued: "Of course, I'll also be responsible for my choices. Betty, I never regret anything."

After a moment of silence, Betty took a deep breath,clearly adjusting her strategy: "In our circle, everyone says that a man is a woman's sky..."

I interrupted her before she could finish: "In my world, I amn my own sky."

Betty was momentarily speechless. These outdated notions had no traction with me.

"I won't listen to or believe in your way of thinking," I continued. "If that's all you wanted to tell me, you can hang up now."

I didn't hang up because I knewif Betty hadn't said enough, she would call back with a different number. Rather than being repeatedly disturbed,it was better to let her say everything at once.

Betty changed her approach: "You might be happy now,but have you thought about when you're older?"

This question made me pause for a moment. What would happen when I got older? I wasn't certain, but I knew one thing: "I have my own career and savings plan. Whatever happens, I'll be much better off than Philip is now."

I could sense Betty wanted to explode, but she also knew I was no longer her daughter-in-law who would meekly listen to her criticism. If she spoke too harshly, I could hang up at any time.

"But you've given up custody of Brian. When you're old,who will be by your side?" Betty asked, with a hint of triumph in her voice. What an absurd question. I answered calmly: "Betty, I have my own career,circle of friends, and retirement plans. And if I remember correctly,the custody Philip fought for in court has resulted in him leaving Brian with nannies and tuators, hardly ever showing up himself. What makes you think he'll fare better than me in the future?"

"That's because Sarah is pregnant," Betty said proudly. "The child is my son's. He'll have a new family and heir. After this child is born, my son will raise him properly."

Hearing this, I raised an eyebrow slightly. In truth, I wanted Philip to have a good relationship with the child more than anyone. Because the more Philip loved this child and the more hope he invested in it,the deeper his disappointment would be when the truth came to light. Thinking of this,I felt a complex sense of satisfaction.

Betty confidently continued: "Rest assured, his later years will definitely be better than yours."

"If that's the case, then there's no need for you to contact me, is there?" I replied with a hint of a smile. I still couldn't understand the purpose of this call. Did Betty really think a few words would make me have a change of heart and go back to take care of Philip? Ridiculous.

I was never the one who did wrong; I had no reason to feel guilty.

Betty clearly hadn't expected this response and was momentarily at a loss for words.

"He has you now, and Sarah. It's not my place as his ex-wife toger involved," I said, then hung up.

Setting my phone aside, I returned to my desk and looked at the recently completed illustration, feeling lighthearted again. What could be more satisfying than seeing yourself getting better while your ex-husband was getting worse?

Just as I was about to continue working, a gentle knock sounded at the door.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Everyone else had gone out, leaving only Howard and me in the house.

The person knocking could only be him.