Chapter 191: Mother-in-law Wants a Divorce!
When Ryder mentioned Ernest’s eye, Karen couldn't hold back any longer, and slapped Ernest Johnson across the face.
Ernest recoiled from the slap, shrinking his neck, not daring to make a peep.
By now, most of his drunken haze had lifted, and he had a rough idea of the whole situation.
When he realized he had ended up in bed with Mary, he was beside himself.
But if you asked him how it happened, he couldn't explain.
All he remembered was being at the dinner table, pouring drinks relentlessly for Ryder.
Midway through dinner, Mary and Ryder each took turns visiting the restroom and then continued drinking upon returning.
But after just two or three more rounds, Ernest felt lightheaded, and his mind became a fog.
After that, he couldn’t remember a thing…
When he finally came to, the disaster was already done.
It scared him out of his wits!
He was dying to ask Ryder what exactly had happened, to try to prove his innocence.
But he and Karen had set that trap for Ryder, so he couldn’t come clean without giving them away.
So, he was like a mute eating bitter herbs – he had grievances he couldn’t voice.
Ryder find all this amusing.
After all, he had a hand in how everything had played out.
He got Mary to slip something into Ernest’s beer to knock him out.
Ryder Clark employed the same old tactics of intimidation and temptation to buy off the so-called "Mr. Reed" and "Mr. Carter," and managed to get Ernest Johnson hoisted into room 1106 to share a bed with Mary.
Then, he used Ernest's own fingerprints to unlock his phone.
Ryder quickly sent a message to Karen, indicating that the plan had been executed.
After sending the message, Ryder took the other elevator straight down to make his way home, securing himself a perfect alibi.
Karen had been frantic to catch a cheater in the act and failed to notice certain details and barged into room 1106, setting off the chain of misunderstandings that followed.
At the moment, Karen was completely overwhelmed by her emotions.
She thought that Ernest must have changed his plan on the fly because he had been captivated by Mary's beauty and figure, and decided to take advantage of the situation himself!
What made it worse was that it was she had used her own money to hired Mary - all 5,000 dollars of it!
The more she thought about it, the more she couldn't stay calm.
As she rubbedher cheek where Ernest had drunkenly slapped her, tears of injustice suddenly streamed down her face.
"Ernest Johnson! I've been with you for so many years, working hard for the better half of my life, and this is how you treat me? Don’t you have a conscience? You dared to hit me at the hotel! I guess you don't want to be with me anymore!"
Ernest shuddered at her words.
He knelt down before Karen and pleaded, "Babe, I'm sorry! I swear I won't do it again!"
With a bitter laugh, Karen snapped, "You always say you're sorry, but what exactly are you sorry for?"
Ernest was stunned.
He didn't even know what he was supposed to be apologizing for.
Could he possibly admit that he had made a mistake in trying to set Ryder up, only to end up shooting himself in the foot?
Seeing Ernest speechless intensified Karen's rage.
She pulled out her phone, scrolled through her messages, and thrust the phone at Ernest. "Take a good look at this! What does it say? How am I supposed to show my face now?"
Ernest took the phone with shaking hands and glanced over the messages - they were all from Karen's relatives and friends.
Cousin Millie: "Karen, what the heck is going on with Ernest? How can he cheat at his age? Don't let him off easy – does he think your family won't stand up for you?"
Third cousin back home: "If you ask me, that loser of a man needs a lesson! Just give me the word, cuz, and I'll be there in the city to teach him a lesson with a brick!"
Next-door bachelor, Jack Williams: "Hey Julia! If things don't work out with ol' Sue, just remember Jack's gotcha covered! I've got two houses and a sweet pension of seven grand a month all for you to splurge..."
Wait a sec!
Why was this sounding a little shady?
But Ernest Johnson didn’t dare dwell on these minor details!
Karen grimaced, annoyed. "The stuff they’re messaging me with is just the tip of the iceberg! Some lowlifes, who aren't even close to me, are insulting me on social media. They say I lack charm, that I can't keep my man in check, and that if he cheated, I had it coming!
“Ernest Johnson, didn't you say you were all-in with me? Well, guess what, I've had it up to here with you!"
Her voice faltered and then she glared at Ernest Johnson, berating, "Johnson! Let's just get divorced! Pack your things and get out tonight! Take nothing but the clothes on your back!"
Whoa!
At those words, Ernest Johnson's face went white as a sheet!
Divorce, and leave with nothing? That would drive him to a dead end!
You see, he was just a man doing his job. He had even been a victim in the whole mess.
No reward was one thing, but this was just adding insult to injury.
Sarah Johnson was startled too and quickly tried to defuse the situation. "Mom! What are you saying? Dad just messed up. You two have been together over twenty years. It’s not worth getting a divorce over this!"
"What's not worth it?" Karen shot back. "It's Ernest Johnson who's been playing the fool all this time. He thinks I'm nothing without him. Well, we’ll just see who'll be better off after we part ways!
“Ha! I’m not bragging, but with my looks, finding a richer, younger, and more handsome guy in Houston will be a piece of cake!"
Ernest Johnson rolled his eyes inwardly, but on the surface, he had to keep begging Karen to calm down.
Sarah Johnson sighed, a picture of helplessness.
She reminded herself of when Karen had burst in on a cheating spouse. Stay calm, stay strong, and don't dissolve into tears!
As for now, she was fine.
But Karen's fury hadn't settled for a moment; she was about to tear the house down!
What a mess!
Suddenly, her gaze caught Ryder Clark, lounging on the sofa, peeling an orange with a look of amusement on his face.
Frowning, she shot him a warning glance.
Ryder Clark instantly sat up straight.
Still, he couldn't help feeling gleeful inside.
At that moment, he finally understood why his mother-in-law was always pressing Sarah Johnson to divorce him!
It was actually quite entertaining to watch someone you'd grown tired of get a divorce!
What joy!
Even a regular orange tasted better!
Despite the ongoing pleas from Sarah Johnson and Ernest Johnson, Karen was relentless, insisting that she wanted a divorce no matter what.
Ernest Johnson, with a pained expression, knelt down and pleaded with Karen. “Honey, please forgive me! I’ll do anything you ask, just name it, anything!”
At his words, Karen narrowed her eyes and let out a cold huff. “Anything?”
Ernest Johnson nodded vigorously.
With a light cough, Karen fixed her gaze on him and said clearly, "I want to move into a Platan Heights mansion. Figure it out! Otherwise, we're getting a divorce!"