Chapter 4

"He has been doing this to protect you and your mother," Ezra said.

"And now, he finally holds the power in his family. He has always cared about you and your mother. He feels guilty, so that's why he sent me over to visit you and try to make up for everything he owes you over the last 20-odd years."

"Make up for everything? How's he going to do that?" Austin snarled through gritted teeth.

Tears pooled in his reddened eyes as he declared, "It's been over 20 years. Does he know the life my mom and I have led? Ever since I was a kid, people called me a bastard child.

"To raise me, my mom had to work all day and all night. She got sick because of how hard she had to work all these years!"

Ezra passed a black debit card with a purple orchid design on it to Austin. "This is a token of your father's sincerity."

Austin stared at the debit card he was holding.

It was his first time seeing one like that.

In an instant, his rage bubbled over.

Could over 20 years of neglect be forgiven with just a bit of money?

However, Ezra did not give Austin the chance to vent his anger. He continued, "The card is just a small token of your father's sincerity. He sent me to you to make up for the years of neglect. What he truly wants is to openly reunite with you and your mother as a family.

"Naturally, that requires you to prove your worth, sir, so that the rest of the family will keep their mouths shut! I came here to help you grow. Once you're able to take over your father's position, you'll have all the money and power you can ever want. Your mother will also receive the glory she deserves!"

Austin was well and truly floored.

Ezra's words kept echoing in his ears.

By the time he snapped out of his reverie, Ezra was long gone.

Once he flipped over the debit card, he found a note with Ezra's contact information.

Rubbing his eyes, Austin chuckled bitterly before casting a worried glance at Dahlia.

To him, what Ezra said paled in comparison to Dahlia's safety. That was the most important thing to him.

Bright and early the next morning, Nancy called Austin, and she shrilly instructed him to finalize the divorce proceedings.

Austin did not say anything. He left the hospital and took a cab to the courthouse.

From a distance, he saw Nancy pacing impatiently outside the courthouse.

Once Nancy saw Austin, she became angry. Wagging her finger at Austin, she shrieked, "Remember this, Austin. I'm the one who's dumping you. I'm the one who wants a divorce. You'd better not regret this!"

"Let's go in. I won't regret this," Austin replied.

Nancy froze. She watched as Austin entered the courthouse with a distant and determined demeanor.

Throughout their four years of dating and three years of marriage, she had never seen Austin taking this attitude with her.

Stomping her foot in anger, she hurried into the courthouse.

In just ten minutes, the divorce was finalized.

They walked out of the courthouse. Nancy watched in fury as Austin left.

"You'll regret this someday, you moocher!" she fumed.

Just then, she heard a loud screech. An Audi A4 pulled up in front of her.

Her brother stuck his head through the window and grinned at her. "You've divorced that moocher, right, Nancy?"

"Yeah," Nancy replied before eyeing him unhappily. "You're my brother. Why are you so happy that I just got a divorce?"

Harvey laughed and said, "Austin's a loser. You're way out of his league. He was lucky that he got to marry you. Divorcing him means you no longer have to suffer!"

Nancy's expression shifted. She changed the subject by asking, "By the way, what's happening between you and your girlfriend now?"

Harvey's expression dimmed. "I don't want to talk about it. Now that Susie's working at a bank, she's become more demanding. She wants our family to provide a house and a car, as well as give her 500 thousand dollars as a gift. It's impossible. The 200 thousand dollars from Austin isn't enough."

"It's my fault. I didn't do enough for you," Nancy sighed remorsefully.

…

Meanwhile, after leaving the courthouse, Austin did not head back to Legacy Hospital.

He took a cab to a nearby bank.

He despised his father for getting Ezra to make it up to him by giving him money. Still, he had to admit that a man without money was no man at all.

Right now, he needed money to pay for Dahlia's medical fees as well as their daily necessities.