Husband left his paralyzed wife to the mercy of fate and flew with his mistress to live on the coast

I don't understand your complaints exclaimed James as he got ready for work early in the morning are you suggesting I solve all the problems now you've been bedridden for a whole year please keep in mind that I provide for the family during this time you haven't contributed a single penny to the household I had to take out a loan on the house to pay for your treatment and medication and now I have nothing left to pay off the debt therefore I don't see any other option but to sell the house Audrey had been unable to

walk for a whole year after falling on ice and becoming paralyzed the doctors had given no prognosis unfortunately your wife is unlikely to ever walk again the doctor stated we did everything we could but you must understand that she requires careful care if you take her home instead of putting her in a special Clinic you will need to hire her a good caregiver James couldn't believe his ears everything the doctor said sounded like a sentence for their family how could they talk about hiring a caregiver when there was only one Breadwinner left in the family

their children had grown up and were studying at the University they could not help financially and James never had a high income and they always lived on two salaries for the last year he had been working wherever he could but there still wasn't enough money because of it he often quarreled not only with his wife but also with his mistress Laurel with whom he had been together for many years now James could not break into two women if before he always had the opportunity to set apart part of his salary for gifts and Leisure for

his mistress now he didn't have a penny left at the end of the month and how are you going to deal with the loan Laurel asked sounding dissatisfied do you really think I will wait for you forever and put up with all this before you used to give me gifts and flowers and now what I haven't seen a box of chocolates from you for a whole year not to mention something more serious this can't go on they had been dating for 10 years and during that time James never found a convenient opportunity to talk to

his wife this is how he always explained to Laurel who was waiting and hoping that he would finally leave his family that James himself wasn't sure if he wanted that Laurel was far from household chores and family life she never cared about anyone but herself when James came to her for the weekend which he allegedly spent with friends on a hike at a bath house or fishing he saw how she lived his wife Audrey was the complete opposite for 20 years of married life she got up an hour earlier every day to prepare breakfast for

him made a delicious lunch to take to work and made sure he always had clean shirts and socks Audrey was the perfect wife and Laurel was a woman with whom it was always Pleasant to spend time even when their grown-up Sons left for the capital to study and no longer bound the spouses James was not ready to give up the life he had become accustomed to he understood perfectly well that Laurel was unlikely to provide him with the same comfort so he lived with two families besides he managed to hide his Affairs well after all

these years of infidelity Audrey never even suspected her husband was unfaithful to her but everything changed after Audrey's injury James now had to not only work for two but also take on all the household duties the caregiver he had hired for his wife only served her and asked for an extra fee for everything else when I hired you you said you could cook meals right ask James no problem of course I can but only for an extra fee answered the heavy tall woman however James couldn't afford to pay more Laurel quickly grew bored with the

whole situation she wasn't so jealous that James often stayed at home on weekends but rather of the lack of any incentive to continue the relationship she was no longer so young but in her 35 years she looked quite attractive and could find a more worthy man than James before Audrey became ill James was not rich or perspective and Laurel met him on her property but he regularly gave gifts and paid her bills when they spent time together they always had something to talk about and at a certain point Laurel began to think more and more

often that he suited her and she could marry him but she was not going to be a typical wife under any circumstances even since college she had been contemptuous of young guys who waited for marriage like Manna From Heaven to get full service from their wives and what kind of mothers have only brought you up she used to say to her classmates look for some simpletons who want to serve you you demand to pay for the apartment in half and that the woman pay for herself because we have equal rights and as soon as there

is a question of who will stand at the stove or clean the house the woman should do everything this is absurd Laura's classmates agreed with her as she always had Authority in the group and was the soul of the company however a significant number of young people preferred to avoid her and her friends immediately after graduating from college Laurel got a job as an economist and a few years later check out a mortgage she was not against relationships and before James she had other men but domestic slavery and other Delights of family life were not

needed for her on the weekend I'd rather lie at home and read a book than clean carry groceries and then stand at the stove she thought to herself she met James by chance he was waiting for the bus in the late evening and she came to the same stop after some small talking James and Laurel found out that they worked in the same Business Center but on different floors since then they have begun to drink coffee together and go to The Cantina Einstein and then James didn't even notice how he fell in love and Laurel

found the version of the relationship that completely satisfied her James never came to her without a bouquet or empty-handed while he hadn't given Audrey flowers in several years why the extra spending we have a small income he always thought to himself he considered it abnormal to buy such expensive flowers for his wife that he always gave Laurel at least 15 roses Audrey knew that sometimes he took money from their savings but didn't pay much attention to it after all they had a family and everything was in common she never once dared to ask her husband

what he took such sums of money for every weekend most likely he's hanging out with his friends she thought to herself cheating never crossed her mind they had been living together for too long raising two children their lives were relatively happy but not without nuances however what family doesn't have conflicts they fought very rarely always trying to find Mutual understanding after several years of being in a relationship Lauren realized she wanted more regular meetings were no longer sufficient for her she wanted James to be constantly with her when she first talked to him about divorce

and his wife he reacted very categorically baby why all these formalities we have children and they have always considered our family perfect do you want them to suffer he asked obviously appealing to pity of course Laurel did not want to destroy the family and she didn't want James and Audrey's Sons to experience pain they always considered their father and mother an exemplary couple the divorce of their parents would be a real blow to them however after moving to the capital to study Edward and Roger already felt less attached to their parents they had their own

friends and interests therefore when their father told them what had happened to their mother they didn't even bother to come that this is all terrible of course but please understand us too Roger spoke to James as an adult and conscious person we have exams now we physically Cannot drop everything and come if we are expelled we can only be reinstated in the paid department and we have no money you understand this perfectly we have worked so hard to get here as soon as we can we will definitely come however during the first six months Edward

and Roger only visited their parents once after spending a few days with their paralyzed mother and tired father they began to pack up and leave are you leaving so soon James asked in surprise when he saw the sons packing their suitcases in their room well yes Dad it's summer Edward replied life doesn't stand still do you know how many jobs and vacancies are available in the city right now will earn a good amount over the summer maybe we'll be able to find a part-time job that we can combine with our studies so we can move

from the dorm to an apartment so you're just going to leave your parents like that I thought you would help me James was taken aback by his son's decision he expected more sympathy and compassion from them and hoped they would take a more active role in the family's life but his hopes were in vain that don't be angry with us we understand that you and Mum have problems we feel sorry for her but will it make her feel better if we get expelled and have to come back to this hole we will be left without

Education Without work without a future Audrey fully supported her boys and was sincerely grateful to them for coming to visit her that James was very dissatisfied no just look at who we raised with you and it's all your upbringing by the way they grew up as egotists thinking only of themselves their mother is sick and their father is struggling to make ends meet they came to visit for only a few days and then went back to their capital but the good Sons would return home to help their parents maybe you'll calm down Audrey asked sharply

for the first time since she was bedridden Audrey allowed herself to raise her voice at her husband before that she tried to behave calmly because she felt a strong sense of guilt for her helplessness and inability to work but the way he spoke about their sons angered Audrey very much or did I say that was so bad James protested by the way as for your mother where is she she lives two stops away from us and she hasn't visited us once in all this time and she could have moved here and taken care of cooking

washing and cleaning I would save money on your so-called nursing and I would rest a little from all this household fuss which I haven't left for over a year or do you think I don't need to rest such scandals had become commonplace in their family James's criticism of Audrey's mother hurt her deeply Mrs Marshall was already an elderly woman and due to her extra weight and other illnesses she could hardly take care of herself she needed help herself not to be exploited as a caregiver on the contrary Mrs dossett James's mother was still in the

prime of her life and had no health problems despite being the same age as Mrs Marshall she worked and lived for her own pleasure and did not believe it was necessary to help her son's family when James asked her to come and help with the household Mrs dossett chirped on the phone James I understand everything but what do you want from me you're already a grown man with two big healthy sons of your own and you want your mother to come and clean your floors come on don't you find that funny yourself she didn't have

any interest in her sick daughter-in-law since Audrey's fall on the ice she had come to see them only four times she drank tea nodded sympathetically but there had never been any real and concrete help from her even when James asked his mother for money to pay off his loan she jokingly but categorically refused him mom please understand me too James complained I work I can barely see the light of day the doctors haven't given any positive prognosis about Audrey's Health most likely she will never be able to walk again but we still have to pay

the loan I can barely support my family I know you have decent savings after dad's death please help at least to close this issue son what are you even talking about his mother replied what savings yes I won't hide that I inherited some money after your father's death but you should understand that my pension is not that big and I still need to live somehow and I'm not young anymore who knows what I might need but you should thank me for insisting that your father buy you a small but separate house after this conversation James

mentioned for the first time that he wanted to sell the house Audrey I can't do this anymore honestly I've almost decided to sell the house I don't see any other way out I can't work as hard as I did all this year while you're bedridden I can't keep up with this pace I'm only 41 years old I'm not planning to Die James said harshly Audrey was shocked by what he was saying she was at a loss and didn't know what to say at first she had always thought that her husband was her support and anchor

but now he seems like a stranger who was only interested in money what about me she asked bewildered where will I go to live you'll go to your mother's I don't see any problem with that she has a comfortable house too the two of you will fit in just fine and I'll go to my mother's I'll come to help you and give you money but I can't live like this anymore after all the house was bought with my parents money long before you appeared in my life therefore I have the right to decide how to

dispose of it I don't even have to consult you my mother is a sick person I will be a burden to her you have the right to live here for as long as I allow you if you haven't understood that then I'm sorry James shouted angrily it's not my fault that you're clumsy and don't watch yourself when you're stepping if you were more careful you wouldn't have fallen and received such serious injuries anyway I've said it all I'm still going to sell the house if you don't live on your own I'll sell it with you

in it by law you have no rights to it the new tenants who buy the house will kick you out after these words James slammed the door loudly and went to work he didn't come back home to spend the night leaving Audrey all alone father what's going on over there Edward exclaimed over the phone the next morning have you decided to leave our sick mother to the mercy of Fate I don't understand how you could do that you've been living together for so many years why is mum calling me in tears and saying that you're

kicking her out of the house what gives him the right to teach me about life all of a sudden James thought angrily to himself son are you and your brother living peacefully in your Capital then mind your own business James answered harshly you have no right to dictate to me how to behave given that you know nothing about our problems your mother has nothing to do with this house my parents paid for it in full long before I even knew your mother James slammed the phone down and punched the nightstand loudly no can you imagine

my son called me to teach me about life such outrageous impudence James continued to be outraged looking at Laurel who had just opened her eyes why couldn't they have called a couple of hours later the woman protested what audacity to call so early on a day off James fully shared her indignation he hugged Laurel tightly and closed his eyes listen let's go somewhere far away from here suddenly suggested Laurel I'm tired of this grayness and dampness let's go to a warm Resort town we'll rent an apartment there rent out mine and live quietly great idea

James supported the only question is what will we live on there oh come on do you think there's no work there everything is the same as hair we'll definitely find something and we'll have enough money for the first time you'll sell the house and some of that money will go to pay off debts and something will be left and we'll live on the money for the first time and then we'll figure it out James liked Laurel's idea he too had been thinking that after selling the house it would be nice to go somewhere far away

from this city so as not to listen to his mother-in-laws and wife's reproaches most likely she had already called her mother and complained and James was right when he arrived home Mrs Marshall was already sitting at the kitchen table and looking at him with anger how dare you go somewhere at night and leave my girl alone Mrs Marshall said in an outrage tone do you even realize that she's handicapped a person who is unable to act anything could have happened to her you have no shame no conscience you're an egoist James if I'm such an

egoist then take your daughter and leave my house the man tried to talk to her calmly but still burst out in anger I don't remember you calling me an egoist when your daughter married me and moved into the house my parents bought everything was fine then but now when I ask for just basic support and help because I can't cope with the life circumstances I find myself in suddenly I'm a selfish person excellent position Mrs Marshall just Bravo the woman shouted back at him you've been a lazy person your whole life tell your lies to

someone and don't you dare talk to me in a raised tone I can also shout so loud that you'll go deaf you've lived your whole life without thinking about anything thanks only to my Audrey she did everything Cooks cleaned took care of the kids and managed the whole house you didn't lift a finger your whole life you just went to work and on weekends you were always out with your friends or maybe even worse well she's my wife after all who's obligated to clean and cook me James replied of course maybe for those men who

provide for their whole family wives have some obligations but not for you you've earned peanuts your whole life now you even have to sell your house just to pay off your debts he wanted to hit her but he restrained himself and sat on a stall across from Mrs Marshall James tried to speak calmly but it was difficult because of the boiling anger inside him I just said that I would do it why did everyone react so aggressively don't I have the right to dispose of my property independently I would like to point out that in

normal families both the husband and wife work and for the past year I'm the only one working I understand that situations in life can be different and we had something like this happen to us and no one is to blame for it but why don't I have the right to be relieved of this burden as soon as she became disabled did you immediately consider her a burden what if something like that happened to you Audrey would never leave you I'm sure of that and what about you shame on you okay sell your Shack and I'll

take my daughter from here tomorrow I just need someone to help with transportation no problem I can help James calmly said he was glad that the situation was finally resolving in his favor the next day James helped Audrey pack her things and took her to Mrs Marshall's house mum how could he do this to me tearful Audrey asked in confusion I thought until the very end that he wouldn't kick me out could he treat me like this darling don't cry please Mrs Marshall comforted her daughter you can't afford to be nervous you have to think

about your health and he let him do what he wants what difference does it make to us he doesn't want to take care of you help or support you I promise he'll live just fine without you let him go in every direction mum I won't divorce him Audrey said firmly I don't want us to split up completely he'll come to his senses come back and ask for forgiveness I'm sure of it well he didn't ask you for a divorce did he but if I were you I would divorce him Mrs Marshall said harshly what's the

point of having such a husband just look at how he behaves what does he allow himself and are you sure he doesn't have an affair with someone on the side Mom what are you saying you're making up some nonsense I don't even want to hear about it James has always been faithful to me it's just really hard for him now we lived together and seemed to live well and now I'm disabled do you think it's easy he asked his mother for money to pay off debts but she didn't give it to him even though she

received all the inheritance from his father Audrey protested there's a lot that your James wants Mrs Marshall objected Audrey look at him objectively he's a 41 year old man no car no house he doesn't have a normal job he's always been like that you just don't see the reality because of your love your feelings have clouded your vision your whole life and when something bad like your accident happened everything fell into place right away however Audrey was so emotionally drained that she could not think about anything but her relationship with James will he really love

her after so many years together will he really abandon her to the mercy of fate she wanted to believe that despite selling the house he would regularly come to her take care of her as he had done for the whole year before she hoped that everything he had said was said in the Heat of the Moment but with each passing day it became increasingly clear that James had no intention of supporting his wife in several months he had not come once to see her or even called one day she called him herself what are you

calling for what do you want from me James shouted into the phone isn't it clear that if I haven't called you or visited you in all this time I don't want to talk to you now is that so hard to understand I just wanted to know how you were doing Audrey replied through tears and to ask why you don't come or call me I thought but he didn't let her finish James really didn't want to explain himself to her he had already found a buyer for the house and was only thinking about how to leave

this town as soon as possible regretting what he had said he apologized to Audrey and once again blamed his tiredness sorry I didn't mean to say that in short I didn't mean to hurt you in any way just please understand me correctly over the past year I've been exhausted I'm not going to leave you or divorce you we've lived together for so many years it's not necessary I just want to rest and be alone after saying goodbye to James Audrey hung up the phone although it was an unpleasant conversation she was glad to hear his

voice after so many months her sons now called three times a week unlike before when they called only once a month although her physical condition didn't improve the support of her mother and sons made her feel much better mentally we should think of a hobby for you Mrs Marshall said one day you used to knit well didn't you mom you're kidding Audrey replied smiling but when was that back in high school it's been a hundred years since I've held a knitting needle in my hands I can hardly knit even one socked now without mistakes we'll

see that same day Mrs Marshall struggled to get to the market and bought her daughter some wool and needles Audrey returned to her once favorite but long forgotten task and realized she had not forgotten anything well you see and you were worried Mrs Marshall said smiling now I'll make us some tea despite her fatigue and health problems Mrs Marshall took great pleasure in caring for her sick daughter finding herself under her mother's Wing Audrey's psychological State gradually changed for the better to distract herself from the daily boredom Audrey began to blog on the internet where

she inspired people like her to enjoy life and strive for something meanwhile James finally formalized the deal on the sale of the house well mum we're leaving he told Mrs dotted on the day the deal was registered I'll pay off all my debts tomorrow and finally we'll be able to leave who's we the mother asked in Surprise well tell me mother what you're up to where are you going it's me and my girlfriend Laurel we decided to temporarily live on the coast Mrs dossett looked at her son with wide eyes what about Audrey are you

planning to divorce her mom why all the formalities we don't live together anyway and it's not a good idea to run around doing paperwork and don't forget that she's handicapped I could be forced to pay her alimony so divorce and litigation are not in my plans how long will you be gone son I don't know yet mum I just want to live in a warm and beautiful town for a while if I'm lucky enough to get a job there I'll stay there forever you can come visit us but you must understand that Audrey and her

mum should not know where I am or with whom I left we don't want any scandals or disputes doesn't this woman of yours want to be your lawful wife is she happy with the girlfriend status I don't know Mom honestly she and I have only talked about it a couple of times at most but she doesn't insist on anything so probably she's fine with it but as you realize I'm definitely not going to marry her a few days later James bought tickets and they flew out never before had the man felt so light and free

at last he got rid of the shackles he had been bound in for a whole year upon arriving in the South Town they rented a modest one-room apartment it will be enough for the first time and then we'll decide what to do Laurel said she was very happy that they were finally Alone Together James's family no longer loomed on the horizon and they didn't have to hide or meet only on certain days Audrey hardly ever thought about James one day she caught herself thinking that she hadn't thought about him in months her anger about the

sale of the house and his behavior was gone deep down she still loved him and was afraid of hearing the same rough and indifferent voice as when she had called him to find out how he was doing Edward and Roger were indignant at their father's action what a freak our father is Roger said to himself I don't know about you Edward but I don't want to know him anymore how did he do such a thing don't judge or you will be judged replied his brother you don't know what you would have done in his place

well I wouldn't leave an invalid wife that's inhumane okay stop it mum will be upset if she hears our conversation let's agree to act neutrally towards him without any negativity so as not to upset mum okay I agree actually it's better not to talk about our father in front of her let him do what he wants we're grown-ups now we don't need him we'll survive better without him and his occasional fatherly talks which happened once a month at best and besides we never had particularly close relationships with Grandma as well truth be told when the

grandchildren were born Mrs dossett was still working and had no time for diapers and onesies when she found out she had become a grandma she joked don't you dare call me that in public I'm still young and have my whole life ahead of me it was said in a playful and joking tone but there was a grain of truth to it she didn't want to associate herself with her grandchildren or admit that the years had caught up with her Mrs dotted was always a big fan of the highest Society lifestyle she regularly found and attended

interesting events went on excursions to other cities and socialized with her friends she had no time for fussing with small children Mrs Marshall on the other hand always helped her daughter when the boys were very young she regularly came to babysit them when they grew older she often took them to daycare and then picked them up from school mum if it weren't for you I don't know how I would have raised my children Audrey said to her once if you weren't so involved in the lives of your grandkids I would never have coped Mrs Marshall

was pleased to hear these words she understood that it was much harder for children to live nowadays than it was for them in their time there was no stability finding a job was very difficult and even with good education experience and skills one could suddenly become homeless she loved her daughter very much and always tried to support her even though she never approved of Audrey's Choice she always tried to behave very politely and correctly towards James looking at Audrey now she really wanted to believe that someday she would definitely stand on her own two feet

now Mrs Marshall was even more afraid for her daughter who had lost the support and backbone of her husband unlike her daughter the wise experienced woman understood that James had no plans to return to his sick wife Mrs Marshall was worried about her daughter but believed in her and she didn't even imagine what a terrible fate awaited her family it's true that they say that Trouble Never Comes alone and Mrs Marshall saw this first hand in her family it's been three years son hi Sunny James heard his mother's voice on the phone I have some

bad news for you you need to come to your hometown right away mum can you tell me what happened he asked I can't just drive back and forth like this I'm actually working for three years James and Laurel had been living in a resort town they both found jobs and rented an apartment for two and James had never felt so free since the move he had never once returned to his hometown but he regularly called his mother she had always been the closest person to him and no circumstances or distance could stand in the way

of their communication at first Mrs Dorset tried to tell him about his wife during their course but at a certain point James verbat her from doing so mum I'm not going back to the past so Audrey's life is of no interest to me at all he said curtly especially since she has someone to take care of her so I believe that I owe her nothing sometime after the move he changed his phone number and gave it only to his mother he cut his relations even with his own Sons Audrey is dead Mrs dossett said quietly

and my advice to you is to come to the funeral because there may be something valuable for you too mum I don't understand you what are you talking about James was annoyed by the mystery his mother was obviously not telling him something and he did not want to go anywhere for nothing James I tried to tell you about Audrey many times but you didn't want to listen and now I can't tell you everything in two words that's why I'm asking you to come immediately but I don't need two words tell me everything as it is

or I'm not going anywhere mum seriously what's with the unnecessary mystery I honestly don't understand why I have to drop everything and come to the funeral of the woman I've had nothing to do with for a long time okay look you need to come for the inheritance I hope that a good enough argument for you ridiculous mum what inheritance Audrey didn't have a dime to her name I was actually surprised she didn't divorce me and demand alimony for her disability support how did they make ends meet there James there's a lot you don't know a

lot has changed in the three years you've been out of town and Audrey stopped being a beggar a year after you left she's a star look her up on the Internet she has her own blog you have no idea how much money she's been making from advertising alone not to mention she created her own brand of knitwear that she sold online she also had a bunch of local TV contracts James you're not officially divorced are you so you're a legitimate Heir like your sons after hanging up the phone James immediately surfed the internet and was

shocked by what he saw he didn't use social networks in his daily life and rarely spent time on the computer he had enough of it at work sometimes he had to sit at his laptop for 14 hours which exhausted him a lot he found Audrey's blog and couldn't believe his eyes she not only posted regular posts and pictures but also made videos here she was trying to get out of bed on her own here she was putting on makeup and picking out clothes thanks to her mother eating drinking and walking this blog was her whole

life it turned out that when Audrey moved in with her mum and left without the support of her husband she decided to create a blog it helped her cope with the stress over time Audrey found like-minded people at first people like herself who found themselves in a similar situation for different reasons subscribed to her blog but after some time among her subscribers there were also people who were physically healthy and expressed their admiration for her because she did not give up despite the serious trauma and was able to live on gradually the block turned into

a business and things were going so well that Audrey could not believe that not so long ago she lived in extremely cramped conditions a year later money was no longer a serious problem for Audrey she launched her author's course created a brand of knitted clothes and sold handmade items for individual orders however the blow came from a place where she was not expecting it at all after another examination after passing tests Audrey was given a terrible and disappointing diagnosis she had cancer at first Audrey couldn't believe her ears when she heard from the doctor that

disability wasn't the only thing she had to face in life she was sure that after such a hard winter fall and its consequences fate would be favorable to her but everything turned out to be precisely the opposite despite the doctors fighting for her life for months the disease progressed rapidly she was fading away before her eyes and Mrs Marshall could do nothing about it on the last day of her life not only her mother and sons were near Audrey a whole crowd of the poor woman's followers with whom she openly shared the details of her

illness came to support her through the window she could hear their cries and thanks to her mother she even managed to look out into the street and wave to them and in the evening she died Mrs Marshall's heart ached with pain when she got home she collapsed on her bed and sobbed why is she her life was just beginning to get better it's so unfair she thought to herself Mrs Marshall tried to call James with whom she hadn't spoken in three years but found out his phone number had changed then she called Mrs dossett and

shared the sad news I already know Mrs dossett said your daughter was a local celebrity it seems like the whole town knows well not everyone knows but the most devoted Audrey people are already aware Mrs Marshall said barely holding back tears please let James know as well he's still her legal husband it wouldn't be right to not invite him to the funeral of course I'll let him know Mrs dossett said before dialing her son Mrs dossett called her son as soon as she finished talking to Mrs Marshall I wonder why she didn't think of this

before then I wouldn't have had to live impoverished for so many years James thought to himself it turns out that being disabled is more profitable than being healthy look at how much money you can make flashed in his head when Norrell heard the news she was also surprised but being a pragmatic and cynical person she immediately began to coax her husband into not missing his chance James you need to behave yourself and not mess up your chance to inherit some money make a mournful face she said to her lover while packing his things for the

road I will but I can't imagine how I'll face Mrs Marshall and my sons I've been out of their lives for three years I didn't help Audrey and to be honest I changed my phone number so they wouldn't call me James said but it's just a little thing pretend that you've been working on your own goals all this time you can even say that you've been living in a monastery all this time if you behave properly they'll believe you no doubt about it Laurel said waving her hands he boarded the airplane with a heavy heart

it had been a while since he had felt such emotions but it wasn't regret or nostalgia instead he found himself feeling a sense of incomprehension why had she only succeeded after he left her he was angry about the fact that he had worked like a dog for a whole year with no time off or breaks or she had been a heavy burden on him if she had found a way to earn money like that he wouldn't have had to spend credit money and sell the house they would still be living happily together unfortunately he had

never considered that he had spent a large part of his family's savings on expensive gifts for Laurel and not once did it occur to James that if he hadn't spent the family money on Laurel he wouldn't have had to take out a loan for his wife's treatment and sell the house afterward after leaving the airport he immediately got into a cab and headed for his mother's house upon seeing his mother on the doorstep he hugged her tightly and said mum I miss you so much however in a few days he was to meet with people

he had no sympathy for and who had no desire to see him nevertheless James was surprised by their reaction during the funeral and wake Mrs Marshall did not say a word to James when she saw him she politely said only hello and stepped aside as if demonstrating that they had long since ceased to be relatives but also observing the elementary rules of politeness Edward and Roger only nodded to their father when he entered the funeral Hall and never approached him to talk over the years he had become a stranger to them they had no respect

for him but they did not show it in public Mom I wanted to ask you James continued who was that man standing next to Mrs Marshall I've never seen him before some relative of orders too that's her father I don't know why he's here he's probably worried about the inheritance too the last time he saw his daughter she was still a newborn speaking of inheritance what are we going to do about it are you suggesting that I stay here for six months to wait until I can inherit I'd like to settle the matter at once

let the main morning periods pass or are you already planning to leave if that's the case you could have requested leave from work it's important because you should solve all the issues here you understand that it's indecent to talk about the money now yeah the mother was right James shouldn't reveal all his cards at once and openly declare that he came for the inheritance it was more profitable to pretend that he was trying to restore relations with the family go to the sons invite them somewhere together talk to them Laurel urged James over the phone

you came went to the funeral stood there with a mournful face and that's it no that's not enough you must pretend that you deeply regret that all this time you did not communicate with them on the same day James went to Mrs Marshalls where Edward and Roger stayed the young men met their father reluctantly but observing the rules of decency and politeness they invited him into the house boys I have to tell you something critical James began pouring her glass your mum was an excellent person and for many years we lived soul to soul and

loved each other but then fate treated her very cruelly and coping with it was impossible let her rest in peace he spoke as sincerely as possible hoping that Edward and Roger could see his grief however they sat opposite their father and watched him silently suddenly the door opened and an old man with a battered face stumbled out of the room it was evident that he had been drinking for a long time making him appear much older than his actual age and who is this James asked squinting one more guest it was obvious that Edward and

Roger didn't like all this but they were forced to tolerate this man in their home I'm Audrey's father my name is Gordon the man said through his teeth and you're probably her husband right so you're my son-in-law well we finally meet the man approached James closely and putting his hand on his shoulder shouted well let's commemorate Audrey James poured the glasses with the clear liquid when Mrs Marshall arrived her grandchildren went to their rooms and she sat down at the table with James and Gordon so are you still drinking she asked reproachfully and you son-in-law

have come I wish I never saw you again for the first time since the funeral she allowed herself to express her feelings you've been away for three years and now you've come to mourn and make a show of yourself as if you're devastated you should be ashamed Helen don't insult my son-in-law Gordon stood up for James at least I got to know him we have never met before this is wrong oh I shouldn't have called you to the funeral in the first place audra's mother replied angrily you're just the same as you were 40 years

ago when I ran away from you ah Helen you're too harsh with me by the way it was you who kept me from my daughter I've always been ready to do anything for you and Audrey but you ruined the family and left your husband to fend for himself and as for the fact that I drank regularly who hasn't sinned in our time a sober Man is Hard to Find and I by the way have always worked hard Mrs Marshall listened to all this and felt disgust at the memory of her rash marriage during the first

year after the wedding Gordon was still a man but then he changed sometimes he came home from work and he could barely stand on his feet Mrs Marshall was always amazed that the bosses did not stop all the drunkenness in the workplace but since there had never been any serious accidents at work the bosses overlooked the men's drunkenness after Audrey was born life became unbearable Gordon became even dangerous once he had beaten Mrs Marshall so badly that she could barely get out of bed the next morning after that she packed her things and ran away

to her mother's she saw no other way out her mother was tough on Gordon and quickly kicked him out of the door and gave him a good slap after that he changed his mind and did not insist on continuing their life together after the divorce Gordon never saw his daughter Audrey almost never asked about her father only as a child did she try to find out who her father was at that time Mrs Marshall made a sorrowful face and said that he had died a long time ago meanwhile after the divorce from Mrs Marshall Gordon

went on to marry twice more but never had children in either of these marriages and he was not too upset about it Mrs Marshall didn't know why she called Gordon and told him that his daughter was dead maybe she simply thought that it would be wrong to conceal such an event after all it was not a wedding or a birthday but a death and it was an important event just like a birth Gordon scraped together the rest of the money from his part-time job and went to the funeral he did not think so much about

his daughter as about the fact that he might inherit something and when Mrs Marshall told him about his daughter he was overjoyed that's what Audrey was she wailed look at the socks she knitted she was an exemplary daughter but the Fate treated her so cruelly Mrs Marshall told her ex-husband whom she hasn't seen in over 40 years everything about their daughter and he listened but did not show any emotion in any case the inhabitants will be divided among all relatives and I'm her own father after all he thought to himself meanwhile Mrs Marshall did not

suspect what James and Gordon had in mind she was sure that both men had decided to give Audrey a decent burial and say goodbye in a humane way but Gordon like James was only focused on money the next day Roger approached his grandmother with a serious question granny when will he leave here I'm sick of this drunkenness he drinks every day but he has also found a Common Language with our father are they going to drink here every day now both Roger and Edward were outraged by what was happening unlike their naive grandmother who wanted

to believe in the best they understood why their father suddenly appeared on the horizon he had left their sick mother and had not remembered them for three whole years their grandfather also appeared whom they had not seen at all grandson how can we kick him out he came to say goodbye to your mother please be patient for another week the elderly replied as it will be nine days we will remember your mother and the next day we will leave at once I doubt that very much and anyway don't you realize why they both came here

it's written all over their faces Roger continued to be indignant what are you talking about oh granny don't be so naive they're here for the money how dare you talk like that you're a cultured and well-mannered young man behave yourself I am behaving properly I suggest you tell them the whole truth and you'll see how they get away so they'll find out everything eventually why do you need me to tell them now so they won't be hanging around here for another six months they'll be waiting around for their inheritance what's the point of that one

is a complete alcoholic and the other I don't even want to talk about him Roger you can't do that James is your father after all he and Audrey lived together for so many years can't you just cut him out of your life yes Grandma I can and I really want to and my brother supports me completely we don't need a father like that we realized what kind of a man he is despite his grandmother's pleas Roger firmly decided to announce who would inherit his mother's Fortune Edward fully supported him in this decision Roger's words came

out as a complete surprise to both James and Gordon the next day Roger announced that he wanted to close the question of the inheritance once and for all so that those who came here for its sake would leave and never come again because there was no sense for them to stay it appeared that Audrey's block and everything she had were registered to her sons and technically she had nothing what a wretch she did not leave anything even to her own mother James thought to himself as he listened to his son's fiery speech but Mrs Marshall

unlike James didn't need anything she would have enough of her old house for the rest of her life and her grandchildren would never abandon her or hurt her she was 100 sure of that not only James was outraged but also Audrey's father what the hell is this he asked bulging his eyes won't I get a penny from my own daughter from my blood blood how can it be he got very drunk and began to complain about life telling everyone how miserable he was utilities have gone up in price this season and the pension is penniless

sometimes I can't even buy groceries but Mrs Marshall realized that Gordon had nothing to eat not because of high food prices but because he drank most of his pension Helen let's live together for Old Times Sake said the drunken man barely standing on his feet well why not you and I have so much in common our daughter died we have to live through common grief together but Mrs Marshall only laughed in reply it was more like a hysterical laugh the very next day she threw Gordon out of her house and having bought him a train

ticket sent him home nothing can be done now James Mrs dossett waved her hands when she learned the truth you see how it is Audrey apparently realized that sooner or later you would come to inherit and she insured her sons from that mum I haven't told you the most important thing James replied after the wake my much-loved sons came up to me they said that Audrey asked them to give me the money that I spent taking care of her and paying off the loan they said that I had reproached her with the money and that

she didn't owe me anything now I was just shocked when I heard that so what son if I were you I would say thank you because for you now any penny is not Superfluous don't spend that money and then you'll decide how to use it James was flying home with a heavy Soul he imagined what Laurel who was sure that he would receive a large inheritance would say to him worthless children they didn't even share it with their father James continued to be indignant they threw me this Penny handout they have no conscience Audrey should

have given me all the money that I spent while I lived with her that would have been really fair I had been working for all my life too invested in my family and instead of an inheritance I got some pennies Laurel was very unhappy with the way things had turned out she expected that James would get at least half of all that Audrey had managed to save for three years of large stable earnings but instead he came back with some pennies not for the first time she caught herself thinking that she had begun to lose

interest in him when Laura learned that James could become a rich Heir she was still thinking about tying his fate to hers but after everything that had happened she thought in an entirely different way she didn't need him just like she didn't need that rented apartment on the coast just like she didn't need the job she had taken she really wanted to go home to go back to her apartment and live in peace without James and without his whole family a month later she informed James that she wanted to part with him and was about

to return to her hometown he took it completely calmly without pretension or resentment he himself was tired of life with Laurel and more and more often remembered life with Audrey who always met him with a hearty and delicious dinner in a perfectly cleaned apartment and with whom he never had any problems oh if it hadn't been for this trauma everything could have turned out completely differently he thought to himself still sincerely believing that it was his wife's trauma that had ruined his almost perfect family and peaceful life he never noticed his faults and did not

recognize his mistakes because it was beneath his dignity he was always right about everything and there was no other way and although his life was a Clear Proof to the contrary he still remained stubborn and unshakable three more years later having completed their studies in the master's program Edward and Roger settled in the capital thanks to their good knowledge and diplomas they managed to find a decent job although each of the brothers began his own life they never forgot about each other and were always ready to help if necessary Edward offered Roger to move their

grandmother to them as he feared she was getting old and might need help at any moment but the elderly woman flatly refused she had a daughter buried in her hometown and she regularly visited her grave if she moved away she would not be able to visit Audrey so often and this was the most important thing for her she felt well so she didn't need help from her grandchildren they sent her money regularly and Mrs Marshall could afford to live decently after parting with Laurel James had nothing left but to return to his mother in his

hometown he did not want to look for a new job and having moved to his mother's house lived on the money that he had received as in his opinion unfair compensation for caring for his sick wife Laurel returned to her apartment and found a new job since her separation from James they had never crossed paths or caught each other Edward and Roger did not forgive their father and were not going to help him they considered him the real traitor who had destroyed their mother the mothers regularly came to their mother's grave and visited their grandmother

but they never visited their father James stopped remembering Audrey but could not forgive his sons for not sharing their mother's inheritance with him he was sure that he had the right to this money never realizing that he had done wrong to his wife who by the will of an unfortunate Coincidence of circumstances remained an invalid but James was not given the chance to understand this