"Oh no, please don't!" York stood up, saying, "Ms. Thea, please call me Mr. Smith."

"Mr. Smith," Gladys began, "my daughter will divorce James as soon as possible. She'll then be free to marry Yoel, who has said he won't shun Thea. Even though Thea and James have a marriage certificate, she's still a virgin. She won't be an embarrassment to the Smiths."

"Oh no, this is unacceptable!" York exclaimed. "Madam Hill, let's not discuss this. Thea and James are the perfect couple. Forget my useless son! Thea is far too good for him. Let's drop it."

Gladys looked confused. "Mr. Smith, does it bother you that Thea is a divorcee?"

"No, of course not! Haven't you heard the saying, 'It's better to burn bridges than to destroy marriages'? Ms. Thea and James are in love. We should forget about it!"

After learning of James's power, York realized requesting a divorce would be foolish. A divorce would destroy the Smiths. Now, they could only wait for James to calm down and maintain a good relationship with the Callahans.

"Mr. Smith, what…" Gladys trailed off, unsure what to say.

"Well, that's it then. I'll be going now. Oli, please tell James my son won't bother Thea again."

York left hurriedly. His son waited downstairs in the car, on their way to the hospital. Although Yoel had made serious mistakes, he was still his son.

The Callahans were left bewildered after York's departure. After spending millions getting David back, this was the resolution? "Dave, how are you feeling? I'll take you to the hospital now." Alyssa looked at David, lying on the couch, worry etched on her face. She almost burst into tears.

David listlessly waved his hand. "I—I'm fine. Just beaten up and tied up for a few hours. I lost consciousness for a while due to lack of blood flow and oxygen, but I'm fine now."

Gladys shook herself from her thoughts. She had no time for them. She approached David. "Dave, are you alright? Let's go to the hospital."

"Mom, I'm fine. We don't need to go."

"We must. Look at you! You're covered in bruises. Benjamin! Why are you still standing there? Carry your son downstairs and take him to the hospital!"

"Yes, dear." Benjamin carried David. They took David to the hospital for tests. They returned home only after the doctors cleared him.

Once home, Thea looked at Gladys eagerly. "Mom, Mr. Smith said James and I don't need a divorce. Can you…"

"How strange!" Gladys exclaimed. Relieved David was fine, she found the situation odd. Looking at Thea, she said, "Do you think Mr. Smith disapproves of you, so he doesn't want you with his son?"

"Mom, regardless, Mr. Smith doesn't want me as his daughter-in-law. As for James…"

"Thea, this is for your own good. Even without Yoel, you could choose someone else. What's the point of being with James? What about Bryan Grayson? He admires you, doesn't he? The Graysons are a powerful Capital family, even more influential than the Smiths."

"Mom…" Thea started to cry.

"David's okay now. Are you still forcing my hand? David's your son, but I'm your daughter too. I should have the right to choose my partner."

Seeing Thea cry, Gladys sighed. "Whatever I do, I do for you. I don't want you to end up like me. Since you insist on not getting a divorce, James can return. I suppose he's not completely useless. He has some medical skills, and he's a good housekeeper at the very least."

She had rejected twenty percent of Eternality's shares… She had let it go. This was her life now. She no longer hoped Thea would marry into a wealthy, powerful family. As long as Thea was happy and they lived in harmony, it was enough.

"Thanks, Mom." Thea burst into happy tears. She immediately called James from the balcony. "Jamie, we're not getting a divorce. Please come home."