Serenity and Zachary York novel Chapter 3

Serenity casually responded.

Although Grandma May was nice to her, Zachary was her blood relative while Serenity was only related to the family by marriage. Serenity found it hard to believe that the Yorks would stand by Serenity during a conflict between the couple.

Such was the case with her sister’s in-laws.

Pre-marriage, the in-laws were nothing but good to Serenity’s sister to the point their birth daughter was jealous.

It was a different story post-nuptial. Every time Serenity’s sister got into a disagreement with the husband, her mother-in-law would get on Serenity’s sister’s case about being a bad wife.

In short, the son was always family while the daughter-in-law remained as an outsider.

“You must be heading to work, so I should get out of your hair. I’ll get Zack to get you home for dinner tonight.”

“Nana, I’m closing the shop pretty late at night. I probably won’t be able to make it. Can we reschedule for the weekend?”

The school was off on weekends. Since the bookshop’s livelihood depended on students, business was slow on days when school was out. She would have time and no need to set up shop during such occasions.

“Sure.”

Grandma May thoughtfully added, “The weekend, it is. Go on with your work then.”

The old lady hung up the call.

Instead of heading straight to the shop, Serenity sent a text message to her best friend, Jasmine Sox, that she would make it back before the last school bell rang.

With one major milestone ticked off her list, Serenity had to let her sister know and move out of her place.

About ten minutes later.

Serenity arrived at her sister’s home.

Her brother-in-law had gone to work while her sister was hanging clothes out to dry on the balcony. Seeing that Serenity was home, her sister expressed her concern. “Why are you back at this hour, Seren? Is the shop closed today?”

“I’ll go when it’s busy in the afternoon. Is Sonny awake yet?”

Sonny was Serenity’s nephew. The boy was currently in his Terrible Twos.

“Not yet. The house won’t be this quiet if he’s awake.”

Serenity asked about last night as she helped with the laundry.

“Seren, your brother-in-law isn’t trying to kick you out. He’s simply under a lot of stress. It’s not like I’m working.”

Liberty clarified for her husband.

Serenity kept to herself, knowing well that it was her brother-in-law’s covert attempt to throw her out.

Her brother-in-law earned a lot as a manager in a firm. Liberty met him in college and was working in the same firm when they later got married. After marriage, the man lovingly said to Liberty, “I’ll take care of you. Just stay at home and rest. I don’t want you to be tired when the baby comes around.”

Believing she had found the right man; Liberty quit her job and became a housewife. She gave birth to a lovely son a year into the marriage and had no time to dress up between caring for a child and managing housework. Liberty paid no thought to watch her figure, nor could she break free from her routine and return to the workplace.

Fast forward three years, Liberty went from a young and beautiful woman to an overweight and unkempt housewife with no time to spare for herself.

Serenity was five years younger than her sister. Their parents passed away from a car accident when Serenity was ten. Since then, Serenity and Liberty only had each other.