Chapter 724: Rosalind Green’s Dilemma

Goldie Thorne pursed his lips. Forget about reading; the mere sight of a book made him sleepy. One time, however, his ne’er-do-well friends had gotten their hands on a little booklet, and the story inside made his heart pound and his blood boil with passion. He’d even had a wet dream that very night.

The booklet was what would later be known as erotica. Its plot was explicit, its language bold, and its dialogue direct. The prose was rough and riddled with grammatical errors, yet Goldie Thorne devoured it with relish, lying awake at night. If schools taught this kind of material, Goldie Thorne was confident he could get a perfect score. Even now, he still remembered the female protagonist’s name.

He also remembered the protagonists’ first time—the scene and dialogue were still crystal clear in his mind. Even though he’d read it years ago, he recalled it with perfect clarity. ’It was just so damn captivating,’ he thought. ’This is how books should be written! What’s so great about all that prim and proper stuff?’

"By the way, have you told your mom about that vixen yet? Let me tell you, your dad is living with that vixen every single day. The neighbors all think she’s the real Mrs. Hawthorne, while nobody even recognizes your mom," Goldie Thorne said indignantly.

"Not yet."

"Well, you need to tell her, give her a heads-up," Goldie Thorne suggested. "Your dad and my brother-in-law... no, my *ex*-brother-in-law, that bastard, they’re cut from the same rotten cloth. Why not just have your mom divorce him and be done with it? It’s not like you can’t support her. She can find someone better after she leaves him."

Adrian Hawthorne frowned. The decision to divorce wasn’t his to make. ’Would Rosalind Green even agree to it?’

’Definitely not.’

’Asking my mother to get a divorce would be like a death sentence to her. Besides, even if Rosalind Green were willing, my maternal grandparents would never agree to it.’ He wondered how his grandparents were doing these days. Adrian Hawthorne wasn’t particularly close to his mother’s family, but Rosalind Green was different. She would undoubtedly listen to whatever her parents said.

"Let’s talk about it after I’ve seen my father."

Adrian Hawthorne’s mood instantly soured. He could handle any business challenge with ease, but these messy family affairs utterly frustrated him. ’No wonder the ancients said even an upright official can’t settle domestic disputes,’ he thought. ’They weren’t wrong.’

"Honestly, I still think it’s better to be straight with your mom. It’s a fact that your dad is keeping a mistress. You think your mom can tolerate that?"

"She can."

Adrian Hawthorne’s two words stopped Goldie Thorne in his tracks. Phoebe Thorne couldn’t tolerate it, but his mother absolutely could.

Goldie Thorne’s mouth twitched. ’Fine,’ he thought, ’I’ll just pretend I never said anything.’

Rosalind Green returned from outside, carrying a bowl of ginkgo nuts. She had started visiting her neighbors more often lately, either dropping by Phoebe Huxley’s place or the homes of the other women she sewed with. Her disposition had brightened considerably. Phoebe Huxley had fried up a wok of ginkgo nuts and sent Rosalind home with some for Adrian Hawthorne and Old Master Tate.

[PS: Ginkgo nuts are the seeds of the ginkgo tree. They are edible but should not be consumed in large quantities. Eating them in moderation can help prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.]

Rosalind Green moved so quietly that Adrian Hawthorne didn’t hear her as she reached the doorway. She, however, had overheard Goldie Thorne’s words, and her face fell. ’Keeping a mistress?’

’She understood that dialect phrase. When had her son found his father? And how did he know that Ethan Hawthorne was keeping a mistress?’

’Could it be true?’

Her good mood evaporated in an instant. Rosalind Green’s face turned grim. ’Ethan Hawthorne has another woman. He’s no longer my husband, and mine alone.’

In the past, Rosalind Green would not have reacted so strongly. At most, she would have felt a bit of discomfort before silently enduring it. She would have tried to coexist peacefully with Ethan Hawthorne’s new lover, demonstrating the magnanimity expected of a first wife.

This was what her mother had taught her, for that was how her own mother had treated her father’s concubines.

"Men are all like that. Don’t ever expect a man to be devoted to you and you alone. But you absolutely must hold on to your position as the main wife. You can’t let some little hussy walk all over you!"

Those were the words her mother had spoken to her before her wedding, and Rosalind Green had never forgotten them.