Chapter 82

**Chapter 82**

Hank was furious, his temper flaring to the point where he felt inclined to resort to force. To his astonishment, Liberty suddenly turned to face him, her gaze locked onto his raised hand.

With a flat expression, Liberty fixed her eyes on Hank and declared, “You better kill me if you want to hit me. Otherwise, you can sleep with one eye open.” In the past, Liberty had tolerated Hank’s verbal and physical abuse. She had done it all for her family, her son, and the love she once had for her husband. However, Hank’s demand to split expenses was the final straw.

Having previously worked at the same company as Hank, Liberty was well aware of his salary as a manager, which amounted to tens of thousands each month. Despite this, he had only allocated three thousand dollars for household expenses, not a single penny more. To make matters worse, he expected her to cover her own share, which left her feeling utterly disappointed.

Now, feeling let down, Liberty refused to be a pushover revolving around Hank any longer. If he ever laid a hand on her again, he could be certain she would retaliate! The ferocity in Liberty’s eyes made Hank loosen his fists at her threat. “You’re impossible,” he snapped before storming out.

Liberty stood there, watching the door close behind him, a lump forming in her throat as tears streamed down her cheeks. Although Serenity was unaware of the latest conflict between Liberty and Hank, something felt off to her even after returning home.

As she sat on the balcony swing, Serenity gazed at the starry sky, lost in her thoughts. Zachary approached her with a glass of water and said, “The food was salty tonight. Here, rinse your mouth with water.”

Looking up at him, Serenity accepted the glass, replying, “Thank you.” He then asked, “Something on your mind?”

Zachary settled into the seat beside her. Serenity took a few sips of her drink, pondering in silence before she spoke up, “I can’t shake the feeling that my sister is struggling every single day.”

She continued, “I thought things would improve once I moved out, but with in-laws like that…” Serenity sighed. “My brother-in-law favors his family, and they would likely team up against my sister.”

Liberty was not the type to let anyone walk over her, but the truth was that she deeply loved Hank. She was willing to sacrifice a lot for that love.

“Mr. York, I’m grateful you don’t have a sister who causes trouble,” she remarked. “Your family is quite cultured. I noticed at the family gathering that your mom seemed a bit displeased with me, yet she still treated me with kindness.” Serenity smiled as she added, “Your family is truly lovely, and Nana is the sweetest of them all.”

“It’s often said that marriage can be a woman’s second chance at life,” she mused. “All women dream of their happily ever after, but even fairy tales can have dark twists.”

Their marriage wasn’t founded on love, although Zachary had asked her to sign an agreement. He had given her everything she could wish for and more. Most importantly, he offered Serenity the respect she deserved as his wife.

Reflecting on it, Zachary seemed to be a much better match than Hank. However, the couple hadn’t been married for long, and Serenity needed time to truly understand Zachary’s character.

After a brief pause, Zachary said, “If you ever notice that Liberty is unhappy, please let me know. We’ll support her and make sure the Browns understand that we’re on her side!”

To him, any mistreatment of Liberty was also a slight against him. The esteemed Zachary York would never stand for that.