Hannah waved her phone and said with a smile, “She just texted me from someone else''s phone. She''sing over tomorrow. So, what''ll it be? Stay here tomorrow, or go home tonight and we''lle to your ce? Or we could meet at a coffee shop. I''m easy, whatever you prefer. See how nice I am?"


    After saying this, Hannah smiled and went back to her room to browse the inte, not caring what Cherry''s response would be.


    After all, the choice was never really Cherry''s. She could try to run, but she knew better than anyone what the consequences would be.


    Samuel, standing nearby, almost doubled over withughter. The plot twists just kepting. It was hrious.


    Cherry stood frozen for several seconds before she finally reacted. She went to the study to talk to them, but when she tried the door, she found it was locked.


    She pounded on the door several times, but got no response. Furious, she kicked the door a few times before storming off to find Gary and tell him what had happened.


    Gary was stunned. He had thought the matter was over, that if they just left, Hannah would drop it.


    They were family, after all; there was no need to make things so ugly. He never expected Mary to insist oning over to clear the air.


    "Tell me honestly, did she approach you... actually, never mind, it doesn''t matter now. The way Hannah is acting, if you tried to leave the country, hell, even leave the state, she''d hunt you down, drag you back, and crucify you online."


    Gary pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache brewing. He sighed heavily. “Hannah is aplete lunatic, certifiably insane. Why on earth did you provoke her!"


    "How was I supposed to know? I didn''t think it would get this serious. Besides, what''s done is done. There''s no pointining about it now You have to help me think of


    something YOU


    ''re Gary, you can


    just leave me to hang!


    Seeing him looking so helpless, Cherry finally realized the gravity of her mistake.


    "If I had a solution, I would have thought of it already. I wouldn''t have told you to go home tonight. Whate can I do? We''ll just have to y it by ear. Let''s just hope Hannah temembers we''re all Temples and goes easy on you."


    He felt uneasy saying it. After all, Hannah had only just returned to the family. Who


    knew if she even considered them her own?


    "The most important thing for her is


    divorcing Lionel. That''s the top


    priority. Tomorrow, steer the


    direction. Don''t


    conversation in the


    get sidetracked. Make Hannah realize that the divorce is what matters most right now!"


    Hearing Gary''s advice, Cherry nodded vigorously.


    It was the only n they had. If she didn''t do this, tomorrow would be a disaster.


    That night, Cherry slept fitfully, gued by nightmares. She even dreamed that Hannah beat her up eighteen times.


    When she woke up, she felt as if she''d actually been beaten, her back aching and


    sore.


    As she came downstairs, she saw Mary already in the living room.