Chapter 40: Shifting Blame

The events of the previous day had left both Alicia and Charles utterly exhausted. When Alicia woke up naturally the next morning, she realized that both of them had completely forgotten about their planned divorce appointment from the day before. Rubbing her tired eyes, Alicia sighed. Yesterday had been overwhelming, so Charles had probably forgotten about it too. They could just go today and finalize the divorce papers. As she got up and opened her door, she noticed a faint but delicious aroma in the air. The smell of food made her stomach grumble. She glanced towards the living room and saw Charles sitting at the table, absentmindedly eating a sandwich. When Alicia stepped out, she immediately noticed that Charles seemed a bit off. After a brief glance at her, Charles spoke in a soft tone, "It was sent over by Grandmother." Alicia had expected him to be harsh or angry, given his expression, but his voice surprisingly carried a touch of gentleness. Just as she was about to sit d