Chapter 3880

Mrs. Brown was silent on the other end of the line for a long moment. Finally, she said, “Oh, today? Well… congratulations, Liberty. I wish you and Duncan a lifetime of happiness together.”

“Thank you,” Liberty replied simply.

Mrs. Brown had so much she wanted to say, but hearing that Liberty and Duncan were obtaining their marriage certificate that very day made her words feel meaningless. With little else to contribute, she ended the call.

As soon as she hung up, Mr. Brown, who had been sitting beside her, leaned in. “So, did Liberty agree to let Sonny stay for a few days?”

Mrs. Brown, lost in thought, didn’t respond right away. Just then, the master bedroom door opened, and Hank shuffled out in his pajamas. Upon noticing his parents on the sofa, he yawned. “Morning, Mom. What’s for breakfast?”

Mrs. Brown shook herself out of her daze. “Noodles, but they aren’t ready yet. I’ll start cooking soon.” She glanced at Hank. “Aren’t you driving today?”

“Nah,” Hank replied, stretching. “It’s the New Year holiday—hardly anyone’s taking taxis. I thought I’d just relax for a few days. Besides, we’ve already done all the New Year shopping, haven’t we?”

Mrs. Brown nodded. “There are only three of us, so we didn’t need much. Your dad and I bought couplets. Oh, and Sonny might be coming over tomorrow to stay for a couple of days. Be sure to spend some time with him.”

Hank noticed his mother’s phone and assumed she had called Liberty. “Sonny has to actually want to come back, though. Don’t pressure Liberty into it.”

“Liberty wouldn’t do that. She always allows Sonny to make his own choices. She and Serenity have raised him so well,” Mrs. Brown replied with a sense of pride.

Mrs. Brown spoke with a hint of admiration, saying, “If only Lucas turned out like Sonny.”
Hank chuckled in response. “Mom, Lucas is spoiled because of you. Liberty keeps Sonny grounded.”
“Mom, I haven’t had a chance to sleep in for ages. I’m going back to bed—call me when breakfast is ready.”
Just as Hank was about to return to his room, his mother called out, “Hank.”
He turned, waiting to hear what she wanted to say.
“Liberty is getting her marriage certificate with Duncan today,” Mrs. Brown informed him.
Hank shrugged. “That’s her business. Did you congratulate her?”
“I did,” Mrs. Brown replied with a sigh.
“Good. Duncan’s a good guy—she’ll be happy with him. He treats Sonny like his own, so we can rest easy knowing that Sonny will have a solid home with them,” Hank said. “Duncan can provide Sonny with a better life than what he’d have with us.”
He paused, then added, “Since Sonny’s coming over tomorrow, I’ll stop by to see Jessica later and bring her a few things.”
This was his way of reminding his parents that things had changed—he and Liberty were a thing of the past. Jessica, despite everything, was his current wife, and Liberty was moving on to become Mrs. Lewis. They were now only connected through Sonny.
“Why are you still visiting her? Her own family doesn’t even bother,” Mrs. Brown snapped, clearly irritated by the mention of Jessica. “She nearly ruined you, Hank. Yet you refused to divorce her and even forgave her! If you’d just gone through with it, she might be facing a longer sentence now. Instead, here we are.”

“I’ll take care of them,” Hank said. “Duncan can provide Sonny with a better life than what he’d have with us.” He paused for a moment before adding, “Since Sonny is coming over tomorrow, I’ll stop by to see Jessica later and bring her a few things.” This was his way of reminding his parents that things had changed—he and Liberty were a thing of the past. Jessica, despite everything, was now his wife, while Liberty was moving on to become Mrs. Lewis. Their only connection now was through Sonny.

“Why are you still visiting her? Her own family doesn’t even bother,” Mrs. Brown snapped, clearly irritated by the mention of Jessica. “She nearly ruined you, Hank. Yet you refused to divorce her and even forgave her! If you had just gone through with it, she might be facing a longer sentence now. Instead, here we are.”

She shook her head, exasperated. “Sometimes, I don’t know what to do.”