A Warm Marriage After Rebirth

Because Justin Hale had made such a high-profile appearance at the school gate, Kimberly Jennings was allowed to stay home for a week—on the condition, of course, that her grades didn’t slip! So, Seraphina Sterling finally had time to do what she loved!

As soon as she woke up, she started packing, gathering all the antiques she had collected from street stalls over the past half-year. She was waiting for Joel Xavier to arrive so they could transport everything to the antique shop. ’This is the first step in building my own enterprise! I can’t afford a single mistake!’

At that very moment, the Jennings Family residence was in an uproar.

"Mom, the police arrested Zeke first thing this morning! You have to save him! Ray is still so young, you can’t let him lose his father!" Eleanor Young came over, sobbing and wailing, disturbing the entire household’s peace. The eldest Jennings son lived with the old couple, and with such a racket, the whole family was now awake. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"What on earth happened? Why would Zeke be taken away just like that?" Miss Jennings frowned. Her favorite son had been arrested, and she was terribly worried.

"I don’t know either! Zeke had just gotten to the shop today when a group of police officers rushed in. They said he was selling counterfeit goods and defrauding customers, that someone had reported him, and then they just took him away!" Eleanor Young was so frantic she didn’t know what to do.

"Then what did the police say?" Miss Jennings demanded, slamming her hand on the table.

"The police said the best solution is to find the person who filed the report and reach a settlement. Otherwise, our shop will likely be shut down, and Zeke will have to go to jail!" The thought of the shop’s fate made Eleanor Young’s already frantic heart race with even more anxiety.

"Then what are you waiting for? Hurry up and find that person! See what their conditions are. We have to get Zeke out. We absolutely cannot let him end up in prison!" For Miss Jennings, it was like clutching at a final straw.

"I already have. But they’re asking for a ridiculously high amount—fifty thousand dollars right off the bat! Mom, you know our shop is a small business. If things go well, we might make fifty thousand dollars in a year. But business has been terrible this year, not even half of what it used to be! Sylvia and Ray have school, and with our daily expenses, we have no savings at all! We saved up a little a few years ago, but it all went to paying Kimberly back! We just don’t have any money on hand right now!"

As she spoke, Eleanor Young started crying again. "If we had the money, I would have used it to save Zeke already! Why else would I come begging you, Mom? I’m completely out of options!"

Aria Cheney’s mind started racing as she listened. ’So, the third family is here for money! The old lady has always favored them. She never sees any of our good qualities, even though we’re the ones who live with her. Now that her precious third son is in trouble, she’s definitely going to save him! And where will the money come from? Us!’

Aria Cheney shot to her feet. "We have to save him! Our family would have been able to pitch in, but all our savings went to paying off Kimberly’s debt. Right now, Kimberly’s the one with all the money! Didn’t she just move? I heard the developers gave her a huge payout. It’s just fifty thousand dollars—she can definitely come up with it!"

The mere mention of the relocation made Aria Cheney’s stomach burn with resentment. More than half the families in town had received compensation for demolition, but their specific block had been excluded from the plan for "surveying reasons." They could only watch helplessly as others received money and moved into brand-new apartment buildings, while they remained stuck in their old, single-story house.

And so, first thing in the morning, Miss Jennings had brought her two daughters-in-law to her daughter’s home. Their purpose was singular: to get money.

Over at Kimberly’s, she had just finished breakfast and was preparing to practice her calligraphy when they arrived.

"Grandma, what brings you here today?" Kimberly Jennings set down her calligraphy brush. Even in the most ordinary clothes, she exuded an elegant charm that made the other two women, Eleanor Young and Aria Cheney, burn with jealousy.

"Hmph! Since you won’t come visit this old woman, this old woman has to come see you!" Miss Jennings had a short temper, and her tone was harsh.