Chapter 587

Werner spoke slowly, each word weighted with meaning. "Your father…" With a heavy sigh, all he could muster was a choked, "I’m sorry."

Helplessly watching Sanford down one drink after another, Werner suddenly snatched the glass from his hand and pleaded, "Stop drinking!"

Sanford snapped, "What’s it to you? Who the hell are you to tell me what to do?"

"But you do have my blood in you. I’ve always said, in my heart, that you are part of the Lynn family."

"I’m not from the Lynn family, I’m from the Thomas family. Even if I died right now, no one would give a damn about me."

Sanford’s drunken words, each one a raw confession, stabbed at his other two children. "I belong in the shadows, just scraping by for the rest of my damn life." All he could do was plead with Sanford to stop drinking, or at least to slow down. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it, not if it meant losing his family. He really wanted to declare to the world that this young man was his son.

By the time Werner got back, it was already past midnight. Utterly drained, he shed his coat, tossed it onto the couch, and headed straight for the shower.

Cathy stepped out of the room, snatched his jacket, and took a whiff. The pungent smell of alcohol made her clench her fists in anger. Without a word, she hurled it into the trash.

Cathy stormed into the room, ready to have it out with Werner, only to find him dead to the world, completely oblivious to her fury.

Frantic with despair, Cathy pounded Werner’s shoulders, but her blows couldn’t even rouse him from his drunken slumber.

What truly shattered Cathy was her own despair. She knew that from now on, she’d always be consumed by suspicion of this man. Even if he claimed he’d only gone out drinking and done nothing else, she would never believe him again.

All Cathy could think was that he went back to those shady places again and sneaked off to hook up with prostitutes in those few hours. She thought, ‘Was he so worn out from all that he just passed out?’

She just couldn’t stop thinking about it. Every ounce of trust she’d once placed in him at that moment fueled an equal measure of hatred for his betrayal.

What truly baffled Cathy was where those 100 thousand dollars had gone. She spent the entire night stewing in her thoughts. She couldn’t shake the suspicion that Werner was secretly keeping a mistress.

Once the seed of suspicion took root, every little thing her husband did got blown out of proportion in her eyes, until she finally uncovered the whole truth. Cathy tossed and turned all night, consumed by suspicion and rage.

The next day, after thinking things through, Cathy consulted a lawyer about how to best protect her rights in divorce. She still intended to end the marriage. She couldn’t go on living in constant suspicion.

Cathy asked a lawyer named William Yaxley, “Mr. Yaxley, I suspect my husband is keeping a mistress on the side, and I believe he transferred 100 thousand to her. That’s our marital property. How can I get that money back?”

William said, “Mrs. Lynn, please stay calm. If you have solid evidence of your husband’s marital infidelity, the divorce would likely be in your favor. However, there is one thing you should be cautious about.”

William cautioned Cathy about the issue of a child born out of wedlock. “According to family law, children born out of wedlock have equal rights to legitimate children,” he explained.

“My concern is that your husband might have secretly fathered a child with another woman. If that’s the case, that child would be entitled to a share of the marital assets.”

Cathy’s heart dropped for a second, but she immediately shook off that horrifying idea. “Mr. Yaxley, that’s not something I need to consider. My husband would never have a secret child. I’m absolutely certain about that.”