Becoming Mrs. Manoban

15. Family Woes

Will she at least give up the baby, once it's been birthed?" Chitthip asks as she takes off her reading glasses and scratches her forehead.

"Mom. I know the baby is important to you, it is to me too. But, Jennie is also the mother of the child and I cannot imagine taking the baby from her after all that has happened. No matter what is at stake."

"It's been two months Lisa and we don't even know where she is." Chitthip argues.

"I know where she is. She isn't well mom, but all I can do is watch from a distance. I can't talk to Jennie, I can't make any sort of contact with her because she's made it abundantly clear that she wants nothing to do with me. I'm a reminder of her pain. And now you want me to add onto that pain by taking away from her the only family she has left? What kind of people would we be? What kind of father would I be?"

"Jisoo?" Chitthip calls out, "what do you have to say about this?"

Jisoo who is seated across the room, watching the drama unfold raises her head and heaves a sigh.

"We have a binding contract for situations like this, but I don't think any of it matters now. I highly doubt that Lisa will ever resort to suing Jennie. She loves Jennie, Chitthip. If it comes down to it, I support Lisa. The baby should remain with Jennie, even if things don't work out between them." Jisoo gives her a faint smile and she nods appreciatively.

"I understand, believe me when I say I am not heartless. I know the love and bond a mother and a child share. It would be a cruel thing to subject any young woman to. Especially when it is her first child." Chitthip places her fingers on her temples and her eyes zone off into an abyss as she retreats into deep thought.

After some moments, she resumes her speech. "Alright, say you've just lost your wife and although you have a child, you can't publicly claim it so as to protect Jennie. What then shall we do?"

Nobody in the room seemed able to answer her question and soon their conversation is interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in." Chitthip calls out and Art walks in with a worried look on her face.

"Chitthip, you have some visitors. I think you might want to come to the living room."

They all make their way to Chitthip's living room as quickly as their legs would allow.

"What in the world is this? Who let this wretch into my home?" Chitthip exclaims as she points to a woman sitting on a sofa. She is also elderly and commands the same grace as Chitthip, next to her is Hanbin Manoban, her son.

"Zenobia, remove yourself from my chair and my home at once." She screams in anger.

Chitthip and Zenobia rarely ever crossed paths but when they did, it was a very explosive event. It was as though Chitthip went from being the graceful, elegant widow of Marco Manoban to scorned, bitter wife. She was barely recognizable.

Zenobia did not move, if anything she looked unbothered. It riled Chitthip up.

"Calm down, Chitthip. There's really no need for this. I called the meeting, it was urgent." A man walks in, dressed in a black suit and in his hand is a smooth leather briefcase. He was James Umstead, the family lawyer.

It was becoming a circus, what next? Would Marco also be joining them from the grave?

"What in God's name." Lisa murmurs as her eyes follow the man who makes his way to a chair and rests onto it.

Everyone is always quiet when James Umstead is in the room. He held both their present and future in his hands and their belongings could either be assigned or removed by the swift movement of his pen on the right paper.