Chapter 1137 Did You and Dad Have a Fight?
Fiona had no idea why Ethan hadn't come back.
Guilt ate at her.
She could only tell herself that maybe Ethan found things weren't so bad and decided to stay.
She'd slept in the wine cellar last night.
After washing up, she went to the living room.
Chicago, Charles, and Charlotte had already finished breakfast.
"Why isn't Dad up yet?" Chicago mumbled, then saw Fiona.
"Good morning, Mommy."
"Good morning, Mrs. Solomon."
The three kids were each more well-behaved than the last. Fiona looked at them and felt a sense of relief.
"Mommy, why is it just you? Where's Dad?" Chicago asked.
"Dad's probably still asleep after working so hard. I'm taking you all to school today," Fiona said, gently patting Chicago's head.
She glanced towards the stairs out of habit, wondering if she should be the one to go up and smooth things over with Darwin.
Fiona had thought about it last night. Sometimes, she admitted, she was too lenient with Darwin. This time, she was determined to let him figure things out on his own. Otherwise, he'd just keep making the same mistakes.
After dropping the kids off at school, Fiona planned to head over to Monsoon Investment. She decided not to have Tom drive, so she could clear her head on the way.
She found herself lost in thought as she drove. She was supposed to drop Charles off first, but she made a wrong turn and ended up taking Chicago and Charlotte to school first.
"If Dad and I can't make it this afternoon, Mike and Stuart will come to pick you up, okay?" Fiona said softly as the kids got out of the car.
"Got it! You two have a great day at work!" Chicago waved and added, "Charles, remember to talk to people and interact, okay?"
"Okay," Charles nodded.
With that, Chicago and Charlotte walked hand in hand toward the school gate.
"So, you and Chicago seem to have struck some sort of deal?" Fiona teased as she drove towards Charles' school.
"She thinks I'm too withdrawn," Charles replied quietly, "and is worried I might get sick."
"Chicago's growing up, and her ideas are expanding. Just remember, happiness is what really matters," Fiona said, trying to reassure him.
"Got it," Charles replied, fiddling with the seatbelt and staring out the window. "Did you and Dad have a fight?"
Fiona hesitated for a moment before answering honestly, "Arguments between spouses are normal."
"Is it because of Ethan?" Charles pressed.
This time, Fiona fell silent.
"So, Dad really did force him to go abroad," Charles said, lowering his gaze to the seatbelt he was fiddling with. "When we were in North Alabama, Ethan mentioned an upcoming competition, and he had no intention of leaving. Then, suddenly, he was gone. I knew something was off."
"Charles," Fiona struggled to find the right words. She found it difficult to talk about this, especially when she couldn't even come up with a reasonable excuse for Darwin.
"You don't need to defend him, Mom. It's just despicable," Charles said flatly. "But maybe for Ethan, being forced out could open up a whole new world."
Ethan was an excellent chess player.
He started seriously learning when Darwin had his accident over Christmas. Within a few months, his skills advanced rapidly, to the point where even Kenny and Alexander sometimes couldn't keep up with him.
So, Charles knew Ethan wasn't the type to be held back.
"He won't be anymore. I'll make sure of it," Fiona said hoarsely.
Charles didn't respond, turning his gaze back to the window.
The heavy rain from last night had cooled things down a bit. On the streets, sanitation workers were sweeping up the fallen leaves.
Fiona glanced at Charles through the rearview mirror, her emotions a tangled mess.. As I always say, being happy is the most important thing.”
“Okay.” Charles looked out the window, fiddling with the strap of his car seat. “Did you and Dad have a fight?”
Fiona was slightly taken aback but didn't hide it from Charles. “It's normal for couples to argue.”
“Is it because of Ethan?” Charles continued to ask.
This time, Fiona fell silent.
“So it was Dad who forced him to go abroad.” Charles lowered his eyes, staring at the strap he had rolled up. “When we were in North Alabama, Ethan told me about an upcoming competition. He had no intention of leaving then. When he suddenly left, I knew something was wrong.”
“Charles.” Fiona didn't know how to explain it.
To Fiona, it was something she couldn't even talk about.
She couldn't even come up with a reasonable excuse for Darwin.
“Mom, you don't need to think about how to defend him. It's just despicable.” Charles's tone was still indifferent. “But for Ethan, maybe being forced to leave will open up a whole new world for him.”
Ethan was very good at chess.
He started learning seriously during the Christmas when Darwin had his incident.
In just a few months, his chess skills had improved rapidly, sometimes even beating Kenny and Alexander.
So Charles knew that Ethan was not someone who could be held back.
“He won't do it again. I'll keep an eye on him,” Fiona said dryly.
Charles didn't say anything, looking out the window again.
It had rained heavily last night, making it a bit cooler.
On the road, sanitation workers were sweeping away the fallen leaves.
Fiona looked at Charles through the rearview mirror.
Her heart was filled with mixed emotions.
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