After I Learned I Was Going to Be His Ex-Wife novel · Chapter 6 of 32
Chapter 6: Gran's Terms
Gran's house on Astor Street had a butler's pantry, a ballroom nobody used, and a parrot that only said "No."
I left the fox at home.
I wore my good green blouse and the trench coat, because the trench coat makes me braver.
The housekeeper showed me into the sunroom.
Gran sat in a wicker chair with a silver pot and two cups, already poured.
"Sit, Henrietta. You look like you slept on a cot."
"I slept on a pile of costumes. The cat had the cot."
"Good for the cat."
[old lady tea scene. she's going to pay the ex-wife to leave]
[SO many books do this. here's a check, go away]
I sat. The tea was smoky and strong enough to stand a spoon in.
Gran watched me drink it.
"I saw you walk out," she said. "Friday."
"I'm sorry I did it over dessert."
"Don't be. It was the first interesting thing that's happened at that table since my husband died."
I put the cup down.
"I want to tell you something, and I don't want you to throw anything," she said.
"I don't throw things. Apparently that's a big disappointment to people."
She didn't ask what I meant. She folded her hands on her cane.
"I know why my grandson married you."
"The rule."
"The rule."
"Everybody knows about the rule."
"Everybody knows the rule. Not everybody knows why I made it."
She looked out at her garden, at the bare March roses wrapped in burlap.
"Benedict was nine when his parents died. He came to live here. He sat at that window and did his homework and never cried once. Not at the funeral. Not after."
"He told me they were gone. He never told me how old he was."
"He wouldn't. He doesn't tell. He decided very young that if he loved nothing but the hotel, nothing could be taken from him."
Keep reading free with an account. Start After I Learned I Was Going to Be His Ex-Wife from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.
← Chapter 5 · All chapters · Chapter 7 →
Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend