Her daughter had clearly inherited the same lovely traits.


    "That you threw hot milk in her face this morning for no reason," Lionel said, his voice tight with frustration. "Hannah, what has gotten into you?"


    Hannah, who had just raised her teacup, gently set it back down. She was d she hadn''t taken a sip, or she might have choked on it fromughter.


    "Yes, what has gotten into me?" she repeated, tracing the rim of the cup with her finger.


    "Lionel, I can understand you siding with Sandra. But Cora has only been here for a few days. Why are you so protective of her?" Hannah paused, her tone serious. "Are you in love with her?"


    "Hannah!" Lionel snapped, his brow furrowed in anger.


    She took a sip of coffee and sighed dramatically. "Wrong guess? Then you don''t love her, but something happened between you two, and that''s why you''re defending her?"


    "Hannah, I think you''vepletely lost your mind! The twisted things you say... I''m asking you why you threw milk on someone for no reason, and you''re turning this into some drama about love and affairs. What is wrong with you?"


    Lionel gritted his teeth, his chest heaving with anger.


    "Hannah, my mother ising to the house this afternoon. I expect you to be home right after work."


    "Fine."


    Hearing thepleteck of emotion in her voice, as if she couldn''t care less, only fueled Lionel''s frustration. She wasn''t like this before. Why had she be so...bative? Was she doing all of this—all these things she knew he hated— just to force him into a divorce?


    The thought settled like a lead weight in his chest, making it hard to breathe.


    Hannah hung up. It was pointless trying to reason with him.


    That afternoon, Hannah left work and drove straight home.


    As she walked in, she saw Mary, whom she hadn''t seen in ages. Beside her sat Lily, her arm in a cast, and Cora, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying.


    And then there was Lionel, his face a thundercloud, his eyes fixed on her from the moment she entered.


    Hannah walked in, unfazed, and sat down in a lone armchair. She calmly asked a nearby maid if lunch was ready.


    Her casual demeanor infuriated Lily,


    who began to sob. "Madam, my


    daughter is a university el


    She''s


    new to


    this line of work an was just trying to help. If she did something wrong, you could have just told her. You didn''t have to humiliate her like that."


    Tears streamed down her face as she continued, "My daughter has never been treated so horribly in her life, especially not in front of so many people. How is she supposed to face anyone now?"


    Hearing her mother''s cries, Cora began to weep even more hysterically.


    Mrs. Mary Rosenberg raised her


    eyes, her gaze sharp and imposing


    as she stared at Hannah without


    saying a word the past that jook a in would have been enough to make Hannah''s legs tremble. But things were different now. She was getting a divorce. She had nothing left to fear.


    "Hannah," Lionel said, breaking the silence. "Don''t you have anything to say?"


    "I''d like to hear what Cora has to say," Hannah replied, a faint smile ying on her lips as she looked at the mother and daughter. "Tell me, how exactly did I throw milkan you for no reason'' this morning?"