30 Days Till I Divorce My Husband novel Chapter 419

That evening, Bryce was hosting a dinner party, celebrating Jesse's second baby on the way, toasting to his buddy's upcoming fatherhood journey once more.

Bryce was on cloud nine the whole night, acting all high and mighty, lecturing Grayson, Taylor, and the rest about the joys of settling down. He was urging them to shake off their bachelor status pronto and start their own families, insisting there’s nothing quite like the bliss of family life.

Grayson was unfazed. The guy’s patience was something else, opting to brush off the unsolicited advice. Thomas and the crew, on the other hand, weren’t having any of it and decided to give Bryce a piece of their mind, literally.

But for Grayson, Bryce’s bragging was the least of his worries. It was the family pressure weighing heavy on his mind that was the real headache.

By the time Grayson got home from the dinner, it was past ten. There was Catrina, looking all frazzled with a postpartum headband wrapped around her forehead, frowning like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. She was deep in conversation with Mrs. Wu, the housekeeper, looking totally at her wit’s end. Grayson couldn’t help but notice the air of 'late parenthood' vibes around her.

Upon seeing Grayson, Catrina’s headache seemed to intensify. She let out a heavy sigh, too drained to even start a conversation.

Grayson turned to Mrs. Wu, asking, “What’s got Mom so worked up?”

Mrs. Wu quickly filled him in, “Ms. Angel didn’t do well on her recent exams, so the lady of the house is stressed out.”

Catrina, catching Grayson’s attention, finally opened up with a pained expression, “Angel’s grades have plummeted, fallen beyond the top hundred in her grade. Her teacher called earlier, urging us to keep a closer eye on her, worried she might waste her potential in these final months.”

Mentioning the call from the teacher made Catrina even more distressed, clutching at her chest, “Oh, my heart, my head... How could her grades drop so drastically?”

“She’s not usually like this.”

The thought of the teacher’s call made Catrina feel even more pained and guilty, as if she had neglected Angel due to her own distractions. It was almost enough to make her consider drastic measures.

Hearing it was about Angel’s grades, Grayson couldn’t help but feel relieved and tried to comfort his mom, “Mom, it’s normal for grades to fluctuate. Angel’s foundations are solid; there’s no need to worry too much.”

But Catrina, sitting up straight, countered, “Fluctuations are normal, yes, but she’s always been within the top twenty. This drop is like falling off a cliff!”

She then blamed herself, admitting, “It’s my fault. I’ve been too caught up with my own distractions.”

Grayson, trying to lighten the mood, reassured, “Mom, Angel’s a good kid. She doesn’t need constant supervision.”

Catrina, trying to shake off the worry, then changed the subject to Bryce’s dinner, “Speaking of tonight, Bryce was celebrating because Jesse’s expecting again, right? He’s about to be a dad again.”

The thought of Bryce’s growing family seemed to invigorate Catrina. Her mood visibly lifted as she started on Grayson, “Look at Bryce, younger than you, and he’s already on his second kid. And here you are, not even dating. Don’t you think you’re falling behind?”

Before Catrina could continue, Grayson quickly excused himself, “I’ll go check on Angel’s test papers, see where she needs help.”

With that, Grayson made a beeline for the stairs, dodging another lecture. Catrina, left talking to the air, stood up in frustration, “Every time we touch on this topic, you run off. You want to be the death of me.”

Grayson hastened his step, reaching Angel’s room and knocking before entering – better this than being set up on a blind date. He knew he should be more concerned about his personal life, yet he couldn’t muster the enthusiasm.

Inside, Angel lit up at the sight of her uncle, “Uncle Grayson!”

Angel nodded, “I think so.”

Grayson calmly said, “Then try to do it on your own.”

Angel picked up her pen, “Okay, Uncle.” Angel’s desk was by the window, allowing her a view of the moon outside. The moon tonight was exceptionally large, bright, and surrounded by a myriad of stars, with a gentle breeze rustling the newly sprouted leaves. The moonlight bathed the earth, softening the night just like the atmosphere in Angel's room.

For years, Grayson had been overseeing Angel's studies, so he hadn’t forgotten the material he learned in school. At the desk, Angel took another look at Grayson’s explanation, then calmly started to write down the solution process he had outlined. While Angel worked on the problems, Grayson flipped through her upcoming lessons. Even though it had been over a decade since he'd left school, the senior year material wasn't challenging for him, but staring at the complex symbols and formulas, his eyelids began to droop.

He had been on a business trip the past couple of days and had just landed in the evening when Bryce called him. So now, the quiet of the room, combined with the spring drowsiness and the lateness of the hour, had him nodding off.

“Uncle, I…” Angel, holding the paper, hadn’t finished her sentence when she saw Grayson, his hand supporting his forehead, asleep beside her. She swallowed her words.

And then, she just sat there, motionless, watching Grayson. Uncle must be exhausted from his business trip and returning so late tonight. Wearing a white nightshirt, her soft, slightly dark hair tied in a low ponytail at the back of her head, Angel’s skin glowing white, she sat next to Grayson, her eyes fixed on him.

Staring at him, she thought, her uncle was so handsome! Far more than any boy at her school. More than anyone she had ever seen.

Watching Grayson, Angel’s heartbeat suddenly quickened. She suddenly wanted to hug Grayson, wanted to cling to him like she did when she was little, wanted to wrap her arms around his neck carelessly, wanted to stand on his feet and be lazy not wanting to walk.

Taking a deep breath, Angel swallowed, then, as if possessed, she shifted her seat closer. Then, subconsciously lifting her right hand, she gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and then, bending over, she leaned closer to Grayson.