Chapter 4

Austin didn't take my words seriously.

He thought I was just throwing a tantrum or looking for a way to save face.

He even comforted me. "Sure, sure, whatever you want. Once we handle Tyler’s debt, I will definitely dedicate time to sort out my family’s issues."

He believed he had me completely under his control.

But I knew the game had officially begun.

As a kindergarten teacher, my greatest skill was using gentle patience to guide, set boundaries, and watch children play within the rules I created until they reached the outcome I wanted.

Now, my targets were Austin's family.

My first targets were his parents, Beatrice and Arthur.

I called Beatrice, my voice as sweet as honey.

"Hey Beatrice, Austin has been under a lot of stress at work lately. He keeps saying how much he misses you, but he’s too shy to say it himself.”

“Are you and Arthur free tomorrow? I booked a private room at that high-end restaurant downtown. I want you two to have a relaxing dinner on us."

Hearing that her son missed her, Beatrice immediately agreed.

Then, using the exact same script, I called Arthur.

Arthur loved to be respected. Hearing that his son was thinking of him, his usual grumpiness vanished.

The next day, I drove to pick both of them up separately and brought them to the restaurant.

It was a highly private dining room with excellent soundproofing and its own private restroom.

I poured them tea, served some appetizers, and said with a smile, "Arthur, Beatrice, please chat for a bit. Austin and I have a surprise for you. We’ll be right back."

With that, I slipped out of the room. Once I was out of their sight, I quietly locked the heavy door from the outside with a key card.

I then taped a printed sheet of paper onto the door. Using a cute, bubbly font that I often used at school, it read:

“Dear Mom and Dad, to foster family harmony, we have set up this ‘Deep Communication’ session.”

“Please use this time to talk honestly, resolve your conflicts, and heal your relationship. Once you have successfully reconciled, let us know! Love, your son and daughter-in-law.”

After doing this, I took a picture of the door and sent it to Austin, who was currently at work talking to real estate agents about selling my condo.

Along with the photo, I sent a text.

“Honey, Step 1 of the Family Healing Plan is officially underway. Just helping you out! ”

Less than a minute later, my phone rang like it was on fire.

Austin was practically screaming. "Chloe! Are you insane?! What are you doing? Go unlock that door right now!"

I held the phone a bit away from my ear, my voice still as gentle as a spring breeze.

"I’m not insane, sweetie. I’m just using the method you taught me to help your family. Didn't you say running away doesn't solve anything? Didn't you say we should use love to dissolve conflict?"

"This is ridiculous! They are going to tear each other apart in there!"

"Isn't that perfect?" I giggled. "Only through intense collisions can deep communication happen. If they don't air out their dirty laundry, how can they resolve their issues?”

“Just like me—if it weren't for this condo-selling situation, I would have never known that in your heart, my life and my assets are things you can sacrifice at any moment."

Austin choked on his words.

I could easily picture his furious, speechless face.

I continued leisurely, "Oh, by the way, I booked the room for twenty-four hours. And to make sure they can focus on communicating without outside distractions, I paid the restaurant to temporarily block cell reception in that specific room."

"So, focus on your work, Austin. I’ll take care of our family."

"After all, a harmonious family is what you need so you can handle my family's mess without any worries, right?"