Chapter 5 One-Year Pact

• "You don't have a decent job after serving in the military all these years. How are you deserving of my daughter? She can lead a better life by simply marrying anyone else!" Liam pointed at Austin and yelled angrily.
• Liam had assumed that because Richard was a well-known businessman in Fairville, the Wrights would be able to enjoy a prosperous life once Deborah married Austin. Liam would be able to enjoy a raise and climb up the corporate ladder with the Brigham family's help. Unbeknownst to him, Richard had passed away and his hopes for a luxurious life were dashed. In addition, the Brighams' attitude toward Austin changed drastically after his father's death.
• Given that his plans had been disrupted, Liam did not wish for his daughter to continue living a miserable life with Austin. He hoped Deborah would marry into a wealthy family so that he too could have a prosperous life. It was still possible to salvage the situation as they were only married in name. All Liam had to do was convince Austin to agree to the divorce.
• Austin was disheartened by Liam's words. Now that he had returned, he planned on making up to Deborah and taking good care of Liam and Meadow.
• Meadow sighed and said wearily, "As Deborah's parents, we wish for her to lead a happy and fulfilling life. We no longer want her to live in misery and face ridicule from others. Please understand that, Austin. We ask for you to free Deborah if you can't give her happiness. You may vent your frustrations on me if you have to. Liam and I agreed to the marriage previously because of our relationship with Richard."
• Deborah stood in the living room, tears welling up in her eyes as she watched the confrontation unfolding before her. She did not know what to say to Austin and her parents. After seeing Austin's cowardly behavior at the Brigham family's ancestral house today, Deborah felt immense disappointment and chided herself for wasting four years of her life waiting for the man. Hence, she did not protest when her parents requested Austin to divorce her. Instead, she felt emotionally tired and could not wait to be free of this loveless and overbearing marriage.
• "I don't blame you, Liam and Meadow. All of this is my fault. I failed to take care of Deborah and you guys for the past four years. However, I don't wish to file for a divorce. I hope to be given the chance to be filial and allow you both to lead a good life. I hope to be a good husband to Deborah and allow her to be the happiest woman in the world," Austin looked at the trio and said earnestly.
• Austin thought to himself, if I consent to the divorce, I'll come across as a worthless fool and a coward. It will only reaffirm Deborah's lowly opinion of me and that it's the right decision to part ways. Deborah has been waiting for me for four years. I'm sure she's not expecting such a poor outcome. I don't want her to think that the time waiting for me has been for naught. I promise to treat her well for the rest of my life. She will be my beloved wife, for whom I'll love dearly and cherish.
• Deborah's expression visibly lightened up at Austin's heartful words. She felt that he was finally behaving like a real man and was prepared to be responsible for his actions. In contrast, Liam burst out laughing and he retorted in a mocking tone. "How do you plan to be filial to us and make up to our daughter? What makes you think that you are capable of doing so? Do you think that love and piety are sufficient to feed us? Is the Brigham family so desperate to cling to the Wright family? Are you guys that incompetent?"
• Liam was simmering with anger as he thought that Austin was a good-for-nothing and wanted to take advantage of Deborah. Not only was the man useless, but he was also prideful and refused to back down.
• Finally, Liam was unable to fight the chaos of his rage and he threw the glass of alcohol at Austin's face.
• "Why are you so selfish, Austin? Can't you spare a thought for my daughter?" Meadow bellowed. She shared the same thought as Liam and was appalled when she heard that Austin refused to divorce Deborah. Fury twisted inside of her and she no longer cared about her demeanor. Meadow thought that the matter could come to a close once Austin agreed to the divorce. Now that the man refused, she thought that he was bent on hurting her daughter and causing her misery.
• "Do you wish to divorce me, Deborah?" Austin approached the woman and softly inquired. He would agree if it was what the woman desired.
• Deborah was caught aback by the sudden question and was at a loss for words. In truth, she did not want to file for a divorce. She was a strong-headed lady who refused to admit defeat. Regardless of her career or marriage, she did not want others to think that she had committed a mistake. However, she was not confident of Austin's abilities. Her encounter with the man thus far suggested that he was nothing but a sore loser and could never succeed in life. She was exceptionally disappointed when he did not have the courage to defend her when she was humiliated by the Brighams earlier on. It was impossible to feel hopeful about such a man.
• "I don't wish to divorce, but I'm really disheartened. I don't yearn for my husband to be a hero worshiped by many. All I'm asking is for him to be able to hold his head up high and not be ridiculed by others. He'll not choose to remain silent when dealing with disparaging remarks. If you can't be the man that I hope for, I would rather not have a husband at all." Deborah looked at Austin and said solemnly. She could not hold back her tears any longer, and they streamed down her cheeks.
• When Austin heard Deborah's reluctance to divorce, he realized he still had a chance to save the situation. Like Deborah, he did not wish to part ways and would do anything to save their marriage. A woman who was willing to wait for him for so long was deserving of his love.
• "What will it take for you to accept me as your son-in-law, Liam and Meadow? How can I convince you that there's no need for a divorce?" Austin looked at the couple and asked sincerely.
• Meadow pondered for a moment and voiced her minimal expectations for Austin. "I'm not demanding you to become the CEO or manager of some company. All I wish is for you to have a decent job that's comparable with my daughter. This will ensure that she can lead a decent life."
• "A cook like him is only capable of being in the kitchen. What else can he do? Are you expecting him to be a CEO or a manager? Dream on!" Liam chortled and said coldly. He had little hopes that Austin would succeed in life.
• "I'll work hard to meet your expectations. Please allow me to prove my worth in a year's time. If I accomplish nothing, I'll agree to divorce Deborah. All I'm asking for is some time and a chance to prove myself," Austin looked at the trio and pleaded.
• "I'm not falling for your lies, you worthless fool! You are going to file for a divorce today!" Liam roared, seemingly unaffected by Austin's pleas. He knew that Deborah had not spent a night with Austin for the past four years. Hence, there was still hope for her to marry a rich man after the divorce was finalized.
• "All right, I'll give you a chance to prove yourself in one year. Don't disappoint me," Deborah said solemnly, her jaws clenched and eyes blazed with conviction. She wanted to prove to herself that she did not fail in her marriage, in addition to providing Austin an opportunity to honor his words.
• Meadow was not surprised by the choice that Deborah made. She could only sigh as her daughter reminded her of her younger days.
• "Get lost! I'm not letting you get close to my daughter, even if you refuse to file for a divorce!" Liam's voice was shaking with rage as he shouted. He slammed the door shut after forcing Austin out of the home.
• Austin could still hear Liam's hurling insults when he stood outside the door. However, he remained calm as all was not lost if the divorce was not finalized. He believed that he would be able to prove his sincerity and earn Deborah, Liam and Meadow's trust.
• Feeling hopeful, Austin left the Wright family and walked out of the alley. Once he reached the main road, he spotted a military SUV along the roadside. The man in the driver's seat was none other than Venom Snake.
• Austin did not hesitate to slip into the passenger seat once he recognized Venom Snake. Once they were seated in the vehicle, the latter said respectfully, "Your orders are here, Sir."