36 WHAT NEXT?

“Livid, that's a rather interesting word to use,” Tom commented, “If I may ask, Renee, what exactly do you mean when you say he was livid? How exactly did he react?” Renee sat up straight, letting out a heavy sigh. “There’s no one who wouldn't get mad when they find out the source of their joy was nothing but a lie. Just like my husband, my father-in-law and the entire family weren't happy about it—” “—But despite that, they didn't attack me or make my situation worse. On the contrary, they were quite supportive—” she wiped a tear that was trickling down her face and sniffed, “—Even though they were affected by it badly, they didn't hate me for it, especially my husband,” she concluded with a smile. “I’ve caused them a lot of pain and trouble, and I hope the public sees that this is all me and they aren't involved in any way,” she said with a pleading tone. With a slow, disbelieving shake of the head, Tom said, “I must say the Monroes truly live up to their reputation. It's