Forbidden Passion
Chapter 519 I Won't Cheat

Once-cherished love had vanished. Taylor was totally bummed out. And to make things worse, Brandon was all buddy-buddy with Bishop, using the shareholders to crush Theodore.

Just when Theodore was about to keep talking, the door flew open. Sarah, leaning on a servant, walked in, with a nervous Madison trailing behind.

Sarah plopped down next to Taylor. Once the servant left, she finally spoke up, "Taylor, I know this whole thing is a mess for you. I'll back you up. Can you not get a divorce?"

Brandon has been raising hell at home lately, and Sarah was worn out from trying to keep the peace. She was so stressed, her hair was turning gray.

"Sarah," Taylor said, wiping her tears, "Brandon is just too much. Our families got together through marriage. My dad trusted him with the whole business, just hoping he'd treat me right. But look at what he's done!"

"Taylor, don't blame him. If you gotta blame someone, blame me." Sarah's eyes filled with tears. "On your wedding day, Marlowe showed up pregnant to cause trouble. I hid it from Brandon and gave Marlowe a hundred grand to make sure she'd stay away."

Taylor stared at Sarah, shocked. "You knew about this the whole time?"

Worried she'd be misunderstood, Sarah quickly explained, "I kicked her out back then, but I never thought she'd come back twenty years later with a grown kid and rekindle things with Brandon. If I had known, I would've made sure she got rid of the baby before letting her go."

One bad call, and the whole family was in chaos. Sarah deeply regretted it.

Taylor, still wiping her tears, said, "It's not your fault. She was carrying a Reynolds family kid. It's understandable you couldn't do it."

Sarah's intentions were laid bare by Taylor, leaving her feeling pretty embarrassed. "Taylor, if you gotta hate someone, hate me. You and Brandon have been married for thirty years, gone through so much. Don't end it just like that." Taylor turned away, sniffled, and stayed quiet.

Madison quickly sat next to her and said, "Mom, please don't divorce Dad. I don't want our family to fall apart."

Seeing Madison cry so hard, Taylor felt a stab in her heart. Hugging Madison, she broke down and said, "Madison, when you fall in love, make sure you see his true colors. Don't marry a guy as fake as your dad."

"Mom, I won't get married. I'll stay with you. Please don't get a divorce. No matter how bad D is, he still loves you," Madison cried out.

Watching Madison and Taylor sobbing together, Sarah felt deeply sad. She patted Theodore's arm, signaling him to follow her out.

Theodore, feeling suffocated, followed Sarah out the door.

Sarah walked unsteadily, and Theodore reached out to support her. "Grandma, if Mom insists on getting a divorce, I'll get the best lawyer for her." Sarah was almost driven to a heart attack by Theodore's words. She hit him hard and said, "Theodore, isn't this already chaotic enough?" "Dad should've known that keeping his mistress and illegitimate kid on the side would eventually lead to this," Theodore said coldly.

Sarah clutched her forehead, her chest heaving with anger. "Theodore, do you want to see this family fall apart?"

Theodore shot back. "Grandma, don't pin this on me. Do you know what Dad said at the shareholders' meeting today? He wants to give Bishop 5% of the company's shares and let him join the Reynolds Group because he feels guilty about Bishop and Marlowe. He doesn't care if it pisses us off."

Sarah sighed. "I'll talk to your dad. I won't let him make decisions about the shares on his own. As for the divorce, you should try to talk your mom out of it. They've been married for thirty years. If they can just hang in there a bit longer, this will blow over. In a few years, it won't seem like such a big deal."

Theodore frowned. "Grandma, it's a matter of principle. I can't convince her."

"So you're just gonna let this family fall apart? Theodore, I never knew you could be so heartless. Most people are scared of their parents getting divorced, but it seems you can't wait for them to split up." Sarah had never been willing to scold Theodore before, but she was truly saddened by his indifferent attitude.

Theodore clenched his fists at his sides. Seeing Sarah's face turn purple with anger, he feared for her health and reluctantly compromised. "Grandma, I'll take you back to your room."

Sarah took emergency heart medication as soon as she got back to her room. She lay on the bed, breathing heavily.

Seeing Theodore about to leave, Sarah grabbed his wrist. "I wasn't blaming you earlier, but I really hope you can talk to your mom. Thirty years of marriage isn't something to just throw away over a moment of anger." Theodore paused, looking at the deep lines on Sarah's forehead. He nodded. "I understand. Please rest."

Sarah sighed deeply. "Don't take this lightly. I remember being worried about you and Phoebe when your relationship was on the rocks. I never thought your parents would be the ones considering divorce before you two." Theodore pressed his lips together. "I won't cheat, and I won't divorce Phoebe."

"Don't make me angrier. Go persuade your mom, got it?" Sarah said, exasperated.

Theodore replied, "Yeah."

As Theodore left Sarah's room, he saw Madison coming down the stairs, looking dejected. He frowned. "Why aren't you with Mom?"

"Mom didn't want me to stay. She kicked me out and told you not to go up either," Madison said, her face tear-streaked. "Theodore, are they really going to get a divorce?"

Theodore took out a cigarette and lit it. As the smoke drifted from his lips, he said, "I don't know. Dad is determined to protect Bishop and Marlowe. If he doesn't back down, Mom won't forgive him."

"What's wrong with Dad?" Madison couldn't understand. "Theodore, why don't we drive Bishop and Marlowe out of Kedora?"

Theodore tapped her on the head. "We're not bullies. Stay home with Mom. Don't go to the company for the next few days."

"Okay," Madison said, rubbing her head. She watched Theodore walk away and then turned to look upstairs, her expression complicated.

Theodore finished his cigarette under the eaves, threw the butt into the snow, and stomped it out, leaving a dirty footprint in the snow. Marriage was like this snowy field. When it started, it was pure and pristine. But once it got dirty, it left a stain in your heart.