Chapter 1371 The Real Reason She Cried
Caroline was fuming, "Today’s supposed to be about the kid. Can’t you two act like grown-ups for once? You just had to piss off your wife today, huh?"
Michael was floored. He didn’t see Laura blowing up like that. "I didn’t piss her off; she pissed me off."
Someone chimed in angrily, "We were having a blast playing cards, and you kept butting in. You were trash-talking Laura, even calling her stupid in front of everyone. Laura didn’t even clap back; she was showing you respect."
"Yeah, Michael, you were way out of line with Laura. We play cards for fun. Losing a few bucks isn’t a big deal. Plus, us women don’t count cards like you guys. If it were my husband, I’d have told him to shove it. Laura’s got the patience of a saint."
"And she just had a baby, so of course she’s a bit slow. Losing money’s no biggie; you should just pay up and chill."
"I used to think Laura was lucky to have you, but now I see I was wrong. If you treat her like this in public, I can’t imagine how boring and unromantic you are in private."
Michael’s head was spinning.
Why was everyone ganging up on him?
What were they even talking about?
Could it be Laura wasn’t crying over losing, but because he kept yelling at her?
"That’s not what I meant," he tried to explain.
Caroline, still pissed, said, "Put yourself in her shoes. If you were playing cards and Laura kept bossing you around and calling you stupid, making you feel like you couldn’t do anything right, would you be happy? These people today are all Jude Family relatives. She cares about her dignity. But I bet she wouldn’t leave over just a few words. You must’ve said something really hurtful."
Michael was too embarrassed to argue, couldn’t even look up.
He wished he could punch himself.
He was such an idiot.
He had no clue why Laura cried.
Her tears kept coming, probably because he made her cry.
He thought she was bummed about losing at cards.
"Forget it, I don’t want to talk about it anymore," Caroline sighed. "Do whatever you want. Marriage is between two people. I can’t force you to stay together."
Honestly, as Michael’s mom, Caroline never thought he could be so clueless. Laura had it rough.
In the end, Michael didn’t even know how he left.
He drove back to the villa and asked the nanny, only to find out Laura had packed up and left with Maeve. Even Rose went with them. When they left, Rose told the nanny they were heading to Silverwood for a while.
Laura went back to Silverwood.
Michael sat in the living room, feeling the emptiness. He hadn’t felt this alone before. It was like a void inside him too.
He couldn’t stand being there another second.
Feeling antsy, he called Lucas and Joseph to hit the club for a drink.
It wasn’t until 7 PM that Lucas and Joseph showed up.
"You guys are killing me. I told you to be here at 5 PM, and now you roll in?" Michael grumbled, feeling way less confident than he did earlier.
"I had to finish dinner with Cassie and the kids first," Joseph said, not hiding his lack of enthusiasm. He'd rather be home with his family than hanging out with two dudes.
Michael was annoyed, "So your kids and Cassie are more important than your friends?"
"Obviously," Joseph shot back, like Michael had just asked the dumbest question ever.
Michael felt a sting. He turned to Lucas, "What about you? You don’t have a wife or kids."
"I got held up by a patient," Lucas said, grabbing a stool and pouring himself some red wine. "You’ve got a wife and daughter, but you’re not home with them."
Talking about it made Michael feel even worse, "They went back to Silverwood."
"Silverwood?" Lucas and Joseph both looked at him, "What did you do this time?"
Michael struggled to get the words out and told them what happened.
Lucas and Joseph exchanged a look and went quiet.
After a long pause, Joseph said, "I can’t believe we're friends. I’m usually pretty picky."
"Shut up," Michael snapped. "Joseph, I’ve got plenty of photos to prove it. You can’t just ditch me."
Lucas shrugged, "Maybe you should get a divorce. I hate to say it, but maybe Laura’s not the right fit for you. You need someone more obedient, gentle, and understanding."
"I agree," Joseph nodded. "With your status, it wouldn’t be hard to find a woman like that. They don’t need love; they just want the honor, reputation, and perks you bring."
"There are probably tons of women like that."
"Enough."
Michael cut them off, looking grim, "I didn’t call you out to hear you tell me to swap wives. If I change wives, what about Maeve?"
"If you and Laura don’t get along, Maeve’s gonna be stuck in the middle, hearing you two fight all the time. That’s not good for her," Joseph, being a dad, knew a thing or two about this.
"There are plenty of illegitimate kids and divorced couples in wealthy families," Lucas said calmly. "It’s normal."
Michael was at a loss for words.
After a long silence, Michael spoke again, "No, you guys don’t get it. Derek likes Laura. If I get divorced, she might end up with Derek. Wouldn’t that be a mess?"
"Derek?" Joseph’s eyes widened. "Jude’s son? I met him once. He’s ambitious, just like Jude. He’s already got a big role in Madison’s government at such a young age. He might even become President of Madison someday. If Cassie knew Laura could become the First Lady, she’d be over the moon."
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