Sorry, Mr. Stanford, Your Wife Owns You - Chapter 8: Chapter 8

All eyes snapped to Nelson as he strode into the conference room, his expression grim. Without missing a beat, he signaled to his men, who swiftly slid the frosted glass panels shut, blocking the prying stares of employees outside.
Leonard's face was still flushed and swollen from my slaps. He scrambled toward his grandfather like a wounded puppy.
"Grandpa! Thank God you're here! Nicole's lost her mind!"
"She's a vicious shrew! She doesn't deserve the Stanford name. I'm divorcing her today!"
Nelson didn't even glance my way.
Amused, I dragged a chair over and sat back, watching the drama unfold.
Leonard barely finished his sentence before Nelson's face darkened. Without warning, the old man swung his cane—crack!—striking Leonard's arm.
"Ah! What the hell?!" Leonard yelped, clutching his arm. This wasn't some light tap; the pain had him rubbing the spot frantically.
Nelson didn't answer. Instead, he brought the cane down again—thwack!—this time on Leonard's leg.
"You ungrateful brat! I'd rather beat you to death than watch you throw your life away!"
"Grandpa, have you lost it?! I'm your grandson!"
Nelson trembled with rage, but his arm never stopped swinging.
"If I hadn't shown up, you would've ruined this family! Who the hell do you think you are, talking about divorce? You got a death wish?"
"Nicole marrying you was the luckiest damn day of your life! You divorce her, and you're signing the Stanford name's death warrant!"
The Stanfords were rising fast, but Nelson had clout—military connections, decades of respect. People listened when he spoke. And thanks to me, the family's influence had skyrocketed in just two years. Nobody crossed him. Especially not Leonard.
Now, here he was, publicly thrashing his own grandson over a divorce. The onlookers exchanged uneasy glances.
"Did… did Nelson Stanford just take Nicole's side? And hit Leonard? Was she telling the truth earlier?"
"No way. The Stanfords are too powerful to care about some nobody daughter-in-law. She's probably just sucking up to the old man."
"But did you hear him? This isn't just some family spat. Are we screwed…?"
No one dared finish that thought.
Nelson kept swinging, but Leonard finally snapped. He grabbed the cane mid-strike, teeth gritted.
"Enough! I'm sick of this!"
"Why are you obsessed with Nicole? The Winslows run Lumeport! They've got ties to the capital's elite. With their backing, we could finally break into the big leagues!"