Chapter 389 Troubles
"Is it a big deal if I know?" Susan asked, seeing Catherine hesitate, her lips curling up in curiosity.
Catherine sighed, "Well, Dorothy's trying to get me to remarry your dad."
Susan's jaw dropped. She was totally floored!
Once she got her bearings, she blurted out, "Mom, did you even think about it?"
Susan was baffled. For years, it had just been the three of them against the world. Dorothy used to despise James more than anyone. The mere sight of him made her sick. And now, Dorothy was pushing for a reunion?
Catherine looked defeated. "There's no way I'm getting back with him. I'm not looking for anyone new, and I'm definitely not reconciling with him."
Hearing this, Susan let out a breath. "Then why not just tell her no straight up?"
Catherine sighed again. "You don't get it. James is crashing at Dorothy's place. It's a mess. He's filling her head with all sorts of nonsense, making things worse with Henry. I just want him out of her house, but he's got nowhere else to go."
Susan finally got where Catherine was coming from. But getting tangled up with James again? That was a one-way ticket to misery.
"Mom, Dorothy's marriage is already a train wreck. You can't get dragged into this. If you remarry James, you'll never have peace again!" Susan said, gripping Catherine's hand.
Catherine's eyes clouded over. "I know that. But is there really no hope for Dorothy and Henry?"
Susan didn't want to stress her mom out more, but she had to be real. She couldn't let Catherine get hurt again.
She turned back to the kitchen, picking at the veggies. "Look at Dorothy now. You think Henry wants someone who just stirs up drama all day?"
Catherine followed her, nodding with worry. "Dorothy's changed. She's not the same lively kid she used to be. Now it's all about shopping, beauty salons, working out, and hanging with friends. Amanda's in an international preschool thanks to her grandparents. I told Dorothy to get a job. She's got a degree and she's still young. She shouldn't waste her life like this, but she won't listen. She just keeps living this wild lifestyle."
Susan frowned. She was worried, but what could she do?
Catherine kept venting, "Henry got a job at a training school recently. They say the pay's good since he used to be a college professor. He gives Dorothy $20,000 a month for household stuff, and she blows through it every month."
"Does she think spending his money will make her feel better about him?" Susan shook her head.
"Henry should come home after work to be with her, but Dorothy says he's never around. Whenever she calls, he claims he's working late. Sometimes she doesn't see him for days. How's she supposed to live like that?" Catherine's face was etched with worry.
Seeing Catherine so stressed out, Susan tried to comfort her. "Mom, this is Dorothy's choice. She wanted to hang onto this marriage, so she should've known it wasn't just Henry feeling trapped, but her too."
"Sometimes I think she should just divorce Henry and start fresh. She's still young; she can start over," Catherine said, frowning.
Susan gave a bitter smile. "To start over? She needs to be independent first. She's not financially or mentally independent. How can she start over? Mom, we can only hope she figures it out."
"That's all we can do," Catherine nodded, looking defeated.
Then Catherine switched gears. "By the way, you and Seb have been living together for a while now. When are you gonna remarry?"
"He's been busy lately. We'll talk about it later," Susan replied, a bit hesitant.
"You silly girl, remarrying is just paperwork. How busy can he be? It only takes half an hour to get a marriage certificate," Catherine said.
Susan laughed. "Mom, Seb said we never had a wedding before, and this time he wants to make it grand, so it takes time to plan. No rush."
"You two handle your own stuff. I can't keep up with both of you. Neither of you two daughters gives me any peace," Catherine shook her head and stopped talking.
Seeing Catherine's mood dip, Susan quickly brought over the food, grinning. "Mom, smell this. Does it smell good? If not, I'll add more sesame oil."
Catherine took a sniff and frowned. "How much sesame oil did you use?"
Susan held up the bottle. "Just this much."
Seeing the bottle half empty, Catherine closed her eyes and complained, "Why did you use so much?"
Susan laughed. "Mom, we used to be so broke we couldn't afford sesame oil. Now we can splurge a little."
"But you can't use that much sesame oil!" Catherine was both amused and exasperated.
Susan turned away to hide her laughter, successfully shifting Catherine's focus to the sesame oil.
Susan happily ate with Catherine.
After the meal, Susan thought for a moment and then said, "Mom, if you're not happy living in Maple Valley, why don't I buy a small house in the central district, and you can move there? That way, you won't have to deal with James anymore."
Hearing this, Catherine was stunned for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I can't leave Dorothy like this. I'm not worried about you, but I feel uneasy that something bad will happen if Dorothy keeps going like this."
"Mom, Dorothy's a grown woman. What could happen to her?" Susan frowned, though she felt uneasy too.
Catherine firmly said, "Alright, I know you mean well, but this is not up for discussion. I need to stay in Maple Valley to watch over you all. Once your lives are stable, I'll think about leaving."
Seeing Catherine's firm stance, Susan could only drop the subject.
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