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Novel Catalog
Chapter 81
Liberty’s eyes burned with frustration as she snapped back at Hank. “Hank, I take care of our child all day, but you only see me as some useless person who eats and spends money unnecessarily. I can put up with that because I want to give my son the best I can. But your sister’s kids have nothing to do with me. They’re not my responsibility. There’s no way I’m going to care for her kids! I can’t believe you want guardianship of her children. The burden of providing for them and their education would fall on us.”
She took a deep breath before continuing, her voice cold and steady. “The title deed doesn’t have my name, so it’s your business if you want to transfer the ownership to your sister. It’s also your problem if you can’t get the house back. One thing, though: you should return the renovation cost to me before you put her name on the deed. I won’t be able to get my money back when the house becomes hers.”
A shadow of gloom passed over Hank’s face as he processed her words. He took a moment before responding, his tone more dismissive. “I said I’ll be giving you extra allowance. Isn’t that enough? You’re at home with a child anyway, so I don’t see the big deal of adding another two. Kids over ten years old are hardly a handful. You can just tutor them on their homework.”
Liberty’s frustration mounted as Hank continued. “If you think a thousand bucks isn’t enough, I’ll put in another five hundred. You should be happy with a thousand and five hundred. So what if the burden of the kids’ wellbeing and education falls on us? They’re my sister’s kids. It’s the least we can do. I trust my sister. She’ll return the house to me. What do you mean by the renovation cost? I bought the house with my money. Shouldn’t you contribute to the renovations since you’re living here too? The audacity of yours to ask me to repay you for the renovation cost. Dream on!”
Liberty’s blood boiled, her heart sinking with each of Hank’s words. The couple had been together for years before they tied the knot, and Hank had been the perfect boyfriend and husband—until two years into their marriage. Now, Hank seemed to only take his parents’ and sister’s side, leaving Liberty to fend for herself. It wasn’t just Liberty who was suffering; their son, Sonny, was also sidelined in Hank’s life. Hank catered to Chelsea’s every whim, leaving Liberty to handle everything alone.
“Hank, I’m sticking to my guns on this. It’s not a question of money. It’s not my responsibility either. I’m not taking care of your sister’s kids for her, nor will I tutor them. If you’re going down that route, you might as well pay me the wages of a tutor. I’ll charge five thousand bucks for each kid every month. That’s ten thousand dollars for both of them. Heck, I’ll cook, do the pickups and drop-offs, and tutor for that price. Take it or leave it. That’s a discount since she’s your sister. I’m very qualified to be a tutor, so I’m worth the price.”
Liberty had had enough, and she wasn’t going to back down. Since it was all about the money to Hank, she would play him at his own game. “I won’t agree to transfer the house to your sister’s name until you repay me for the renovation cost. We can divorce if you go ahead anyway. I’m still going to insist on getting the renovation money back as the divorce settlement.”
Her name had never been on the title deed because Hank had bought the house before they married. The Browns had quickly bought the house for Hank after learning that Liberty and Hank were getting serious, ensuring that Liberty had no claim to it. Liberty was entitled to nothing from the house, and Hank made it clear that she had no right to it.
Hank’s face turned dark with anger. “Five thousand bucks for each child? Why don’t you just rob a bank? A divorce? Do you think you’re only eighteen? You’re a married woman with a child and without a job. You’re fat and ugly. Just a look at you makes people sick to their stomachs. How are you going to feed yourself after the divorce?”
He paused for a moment, then continued, his voice laced with frustration. “Alright now. I need to think about this. Ten thousand is out of the question. The best I can do is three thousand bucks.”
Liberty’s answer was swift and firm. “No deal!” She turned over in bed, refusing to continue the conversation with Hank. The tension in the room hung heavy, and Liberty felt the weight of the situation pressing down on her. The trust in their relationship had been shattered, and she wasn’t sure where they would go from here.
