Chapter 535 Never See Him Again
Hearing Catherine's words, Susan scrunched up her face and said, "Look, as long as they ain't divorced, they're still hitched. You'll always be the side chick. Mom, you used to hate side chicks more than anything. Why you wanna carry that shame now that you're older? And Todd is Seb's dad. How am I supposed to deal with this mess later?"
Catherine looked like she was about to cry, clutching her chest like she was in serious pain.
Seeing her mom like that, Susan freaked out and squatted down, asking, "Mom, you okay?"
Right then, Dorothy came out of the kitchen with some fruit, rushed over, grabbed a bottle of heart meds from the coffee table drawer, popped a few pills into Catherine's mouth, and handed her a glass of water.
After a bit, Catherine's color came back. She took a deep breath and slumped back against the sofa.
Seeing her was better, Susan finally relaxed. She'd been scared out of her mind and felt bad for not thinking about her mom's feelings before speaking.
Dorothy then turned to Susan and said, "Susan, cut Mom some slack. What she's doing might not be cool, but there's a reason. Mom's been alone for so long; it's been rough. Now she's found a guy she likes who likes her back. Yeah, he's married, but his marriage has been dead for ages. Why can't they be together? You want Mom to be lonely and miserable forever? She's only in her fifties. If she lives to eighty, that's still thirty years!"
Dorothy made some good points, but Susan still couldn't wrap her head around it. But looking at her mom's sad face, she was torn.
Susan then said, "The Anderson family is a mess right now. Todd's already filed for divorce from Carol."
Catherine sat up straight, eyes wide. "What did you say? Todd wants to divorce Carol?"
"Yeah, Carol lost it and had a huge fight with Todd. Seb and Rylee are against it too, so it's a standoff. Todd said if Carol doesn't agree, he's taking it to court," Susan replied.
Catherine was stunned, muttering, "Todd, why didn't you talk to me before dropping the divorce bomb on Carol?"
Susan frowned. "Mom, you didn't know?"
Catherine sighed, "I know my thing with Todd is scandalous. But we care about each other a lot. We can't go a few days without seeing each other. But because of our age and being in-laws, we agreed to just meet up occasionally and not get too deep. So, I've had my phone off these past few days and haven't talked to him. I didn't think he'd make such a rash move."
Susan knew her mom wasn't lying. It seemed Todd couldn't wait any longer and wanted to divorce Carol first so he could be with Catherine openly.
It seemed like Todd really had a thing for Catherine. Susan was glad her mom found someone like Todd, but the catch was, he was Seb's dad.
The Anderson family had no clue about Todd and Catherine. If they found out, Susan couldn't even picture the fallout. The Andersons would go nuts, and Carol would never forgive them.
"Did Todd say why he wants a divorce? Do they know about me and Todd?" Catherine suddenly grabbed Susan's hand, looking desperate.
Susan shook her head. "Todd just said he and Carol haven't been getting along for years and it's better to split."
Catherine finally let out a sigh of relief.
"But if Todd and Carol get divorced and you two get together, they'll find out eventually," Susan said, worried.
Catherine didn't say anything, but you could tell she was super tense.
Susan added, "Todd's willing to leave with nothing if Carol agrees to the divorce. But Carol's not having it and wants to go to court. These divorce cases can drag on for years."
"Leave with nothing?" Catherine asked, shocked.
Susan nodded. "Yeah, Todd doesn't want anything. He says he'll live on his pension."
Dorothy chimed in, "So Todd really loves Mom!"
Susan frowned. "Don't get all excited. If Todd leaves with nothing, life's gonna be tough for him. He used to be a big shot. Can he handle being broke? Plus, if the Andersons find out why he divorced Carol, will Seb and Rylee still respect him? They'll probably hate him. He'll end up all alone."
Dorothy nodded. "Yeah, the cost is too high."
"Todd's a respected guy, known for his integrity and honesty. If this scandal blows up, his reputation's toast. He'll have no family, no status, no good life, just you, Mom, to keep him company. You need to think this through!" Susan didn't want to push her mom too hard. Matters of the heart are personal.
After saying this, Susan stood up, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door.
"Wait!" Catherine called out just as Susan was about to leave.
Susan stopped but didn't turn around. "Mom, you raised me, and I know I can't meddle in your love life. I'm just laying out the situation. Whatever you decide, it's your call. I won't hold it against you."
After a few seconds of silence, Catherine said, "Go back and tell Todd I've decided never to see him again."
Susan quickly turned around.
She saw Catherine sitting on the sofa, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't hold back anymore, covering her mouth with her hand, her soft sobs breaking Susan's heart.
"Mom, are you sure?" Susan didn't want to pressure her and felt really bad.
"Just tell him what I said," Catherine replied, then turned and cried as she went back to her room.
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