After the Best Friend and Daughter-in-law Divorced, The Sons Regretted It

Rachel's tears fell instantly, her voice shaky as she whimpered, "I know you don't like me, but how can you..."

Rick, seeing his precious Rachel so "wronged," was consumed with fury. He lunged forward and slapped Monica hard, too quickly for me to intervene. The sound of the slap echoed through the room, leaving Monica, already weak from her illness, to crumple to the floor in agony. She had been trying so hard to find answers, but in her fragile state, that blow seemed to take what little strength she had left.

Riley let out a cry of distress, stumbling as she tried to rush to Monica’s aid. But Rick stood in her way, his voice cold and commanding. "Let her get up on her own! She’s just acting out, playing victim. I don’t know where she learned these pathetic tricks!"

I could see the shift in Monica’s expression as she gazed at Rick, her eyes hardening with a new sense of resolve. Whatever feelings of love or loyalty she had for him seemed to fade with that single slap. She wasn’t going to tolerate this any longer.

I helped Monica up, gently guiding her to the sofa, trying to calm her down. My heart ached for her, for both of them. And yet, Rick continued to mutter insults under his breath, bitterness twisting his words.

"Why did I marry such a green tea bitch? She's just like that manipulative woman Rachel always talks about!"

As if echoing Rick’s delusion, Mike, who had been standing idly, suddenly approached Riley with a sly grin. "Riley, isn’t Harvey Specter, that top lawyer, your high school classmate? Maybe you could—"

Riley cut him off sharply, her eyes cold as steel. "Don’t even think about it!" She wasn’t going to be used to save Randy, no matter what Mike or anyone else wanted.

Rachel, ever the actress, immediately threw herself at Riley’s feet, her voice soft and pleading. "Miss Riley, I know you dislike me, but you can’t let my brother suffer for this. Please, help him!"

Her eyes flashed with provocation as she feigned helplessness. Behind her, Randy knelt as well, his smile twisted and sinister. "Yes, Miss Riley, you wouldn’t leave us in this situation, would you?"

Riley’s reaction was immediate and visceral. It was as if she had been plunged into some kind of nightmare, her entire body shaking uncontrollably. She clutched at me, her grip tight as if holding on to a lifeline. She was terrified and the sight of those two—Rachel and Randy—kneeling before her only made her fear worse.

With all the strength she could muster, Riley screamed at them, her voice hoarse and filled with anguish. "Get out... GET OUT!!"

But Mike couldn't see her helplessness and fear. He just dragged Riley toward the door, his grip rough and his expression hard, he seemed utterly blind to her terror. He thought she was throwing a tantrum, not recognizing the fear that gripped her. With a scowl, he shoved her in front of the storm outside, forcing her to confront the raging thunder and lightning.

Riley’s eyes widened with panic, the storm outside triggering something deep and painful within her. It was the same kind of night—the same kind of storm—when everything had fallen apart for her.

"If you don’t agree to help, then get out of my house!" Mike’s voice was harsh, his patience gone.

Riley couldn’t respond. Words seemed to fail her as she shook her head in utter despair. There was nothing left to say. Mike, disappointed and angry, muttered, "I didn’t expect you to be the kind of person who wouldn’t help someone in need. I misjudged you!"

Without warning, he pushed her roughly and she tumbled down the steps, the rain quickly soaking her as she landed outside.

I immediately took them both back to the hospital, unable to process the cruelty of it all. They remained unconscious for three days, trapped in their nightmares, while the storm outside continued to rage.

When they finally woke, summer rain still pelted against the hospital window. Riley and Monica, staring out into the storm, spoke softly, their voices barely above a whisper.

"Mom, we want a divorce."

There was no hesitation in their decision, no room for second thoughts. Their minds were made up and I had to respect their wishes. So, I drafted the divorce agreements myself, making sure to secure the best possible terms for them. After all, it wasn’t their fault—they hadn’t been the ones who had broken their vows.

When I presented the agreements to Rick and Mike, they were stunned. Rick, with a look of disbelief, asked, "I haven’t even blamed her for running away from home and now she wants a divorce just because I slapped her?"

Mike, angrier than ever, snapped, "Is it really that serious? I didn’t even hit her! What did I do wrong to deserve this?"

Both of them stared at the agreements, their expressions shifting between shock and indignation. Mike, shaking his head, said, "Brother, is she really serious this time? She was the one who insulted Rachel first!"

"And Riley... I can’t believe she wouldn’t help with something so small. She really let me down!" Rick’s eyes flickered with frustration before he finally curled his lip into a sneer.

"Sign!" he said, much to Mike’s surprise.

Mike blinked at him, confused. "Are you serious? You’re going to just sign it?"

Rick, ever confident in his delusion, explained with a smirk, "They’re playing hard to get. They want us to chase after them, but I’m not falling for it. They’ve become way too unruly and they need a lesson. Let’s sign the divorce agreements and then we’ll see if they come running back, begging us to take them back!"

Mike seemed unsure but eventually agreed, trusting Rick’s misguided plan.

I stood there, watching the arrogance and self-righteousness of my two foolish sons. They were completely blind to what was really happening, convinced that their wives were just testing them.

Mike, with a grin that grated on my nerves, sidled up to me and said sweetly, "Mom, can you help us reach out to Riley’s high school friend? You know Rachel really needs Harvey right now."

I responded with a fake smile, hiding my contempt. "Of course," I said, knowing full well that I had no intention of doing anything to help them anymore.

As the trial day began, Rick and Mike stood confidently outside the courtroom, both dressed in their finest, as if this were a routine event they had already won. Rick, noticing Rachel's concerned expression, tried to reassure her with a casual tone.

"Rachel, don't worry, everything will be fine. Your brother's situation is under control." His voice dripped with false confidence.

Rachel, playing her part, looked up with tears in her eyes and nodded affectionately. "I believe in you," she said, though there was a glint of something colder in her gaze.

Rick, feeling even more sure of himself, caught sight of Monica, Riley and me as we approached. We shielded the two women carefully, ensuring they were supported and protected. Seeing this, Rick couldn't help but smirk. He nudged Mike with his elbow, pride swelling in his chest.

"See? Just like I said, they came running back to us in a few days. Women, you can’t spoil them," he declared smugly.

Mike, always eager to follow his brother’s lead, grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "Brother, you’re still the best."

But as we passed them without a glance, completely ignoring their presence, Mike’s smile faded. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. Something wasn't right.

"Brother," Mike said, his voice uncertain, "I don’t think they’re here to find us. It looks like they’re... suing too."

Rick’s smirk faltered and he narrowed his eyes, watching us head toward the courtroom. "What could they possibly be suing for?" he muttered, but a growing sense of dread was creeping in. He couldn't shake it.

That dread only intensified as they entered the courtroom and saw us seated in the plaintiff's section. Rick and Mike exchanged nervous glances, their overconfidence now visibly cracking. Still, they tried to keep up the charade for Rachel’s sake.

"Rachel, don't worry," Rick whispered, though his voice trembled. "Your brother just accidentally stabbed those women a few times, nothing serious. They’re not dead, after all."

"Yeah," Mike added, his bravado fading. "If those women hadn’t been out so late at night, none of this would’ve happened. It’s their own fault. And what kind of decent woman walks alone in a dark alley, anyway? Randy was just doing his part to keep the streets safe."

Their voices trailed off as the weight of the situation sank in. The sight of us, particularly Monica and Riley, seated across from them, shattered their last vestiges of confidence. Both men fell silent, struggling to process what was happening.

Finally, they turned to me, their voices shaky and unable to form complete sentences.

"Mom… this… what’s going on?"