Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 98

Chapter 98 

Briana lowered her gaze. 

: 

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‘How am I supposed to tell Evelyn that I’m already carrying the Carter family’s child?‘ Briana thought to herself. 

Evelyn’s wish had already been fulfilled. 

Standing aside, Richard said, “The moment Mom woke up, the first thing sho 

or was to see you two.” 

Briana, who already had her head bowed, dropped it even lower. 

Shepard, meanwhile, stood firm and upright behind her. 

Evelyn was still very weak, her voice barely more than a whisper. “You all know what I want. I won’t say anything else. 

“Shepard, Briana, I’m begging you–just do me this favor, for my sake… Can you two try to make things work again? Please, don’t get divorced, okay?” 

Everything that needed to be said had already been put on the table before Evelyn fell into a coma. 

Now, Evelyn was swallowing her pride and pleading with them in a low, humble voice. 

Briana’s heart ached. 

“I was the one who brought you two together,” Evelyn said. “You were just kids back then, barely in your teens and didn’t know much about the world yet, but I was so sure you two were meant for each other. 

“And it turned out I was right. At least… at least before Vivian showed up, you two were really happy together. After you got married, you got along well for five years. 

“How many five–year stretches do we get in our lives, especially during the best years of our youth?” 

Evelyn had to pause for a moment, catching her breath before she could continue. 

“Shepard, especially you,” Evelyn said, fixing her gaze on him. “Don’t let some homewrecker out there cloud your judgment. 

“Think about who’s been by your side all these years, who’s always loved you with all her heart. Briana is a good girl. You should count yourself lucky to have her. 

“If you really want to break my heart, then go ahead and divorce her. Just pretend you never had a grandma. like me. From now on, we won’t…” Evelyn’s voice broke as she started coughing again. 

“We won’t see each other anymore,” she finished the last line. 

Getting anxious, she couldn’t stop coughing. 

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Evelyn still believed it was Shepard who had wanted out of the marriage. Briana was just left with no other choice. 

After all, forcing a man to stay when his heart was already somewhere else was pointless. 

“Briana,” Evelyn continued, gently patting her hand. “Just give Shepard one more chance, and give me one, too, okay?” 

Briana bit her bottom lip, hesitated for a few seconds, then finally spoke the truth. “Grandma, I want a divorce.” 

She wanted the divorce just as much as Shepard did. 

Honestly, she wanted it even more than he did. 

Evelyn was taken aback. 

Suddenly, Shepard cut in. “Grandma, I don’t want a divorce.” 

Evelyn was shocked again. 

Richard and Isabelle looked at Shepard in shock, then turned to Briana, completely taken aback. 

‘Wait, what’s going on? Is Shepard actually the one who wants to stay together now?‘ they wondered. 

“Are you serious?” Evelyn asked, her voice trembling. “You’re not joking with me, are you?” 

Shepard nodded. “I’m serious, Grandma.” 

He paused for a few seconds, then said, “But I can only make my own choices. I can’t force Briana to do anything against her will. 

“If she insists on getting a divorce, then I’ll have no choice but to go through with it.” 

Everyone except Shepard looked astonished for a moment. 

Shepard’s face stayed cool, totally unreadable. 

“Shepard,” Isabelle asked, still in shock, “have you really changed your mind? Do you actually want to stay with Briana as her husband?” 

“Yes, Mom,” Shepard replied. 

“Are you sure?” Isabelle pressed. 

Shepard spoke slowly, taking his time. “As long as Briana doesn’t bring up divorce, I’m not going anywhere.” 

Briana turned around slowly to look at Shepard. 

He dropped his eyes, then looked up to meet her gaze. 

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He arched an eyebrow. 

www 

There was a cold, calculating look in his eyes. 

: 

At first, the whole divorce thing was just supposed to help him and Vivian get together. 

But now, it would be all about paving the way for Briana and Henry. 

Of course, Shepard was definitely not okay with that. 

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He hadn’t even secured his place in the Carter family yet, and Vivian hadn’t wife, but meanwhile, Briana was all lovey–dovey with Henry, starting a family 

ig moment as his 

How could Shepard ever stomach that? How could he just sit back and watch it happen? 

He’d rather keep stringing Vivian along than have to watch Briana get married again and start a family with someone else right in front of him. 

Briana could see right through Shepard. 

He really would go to any lengths to stand in the way of her happiness. 

“Briana,” Shepard said, reaching out to rest his hand on her shoulder. “I know I messed up a lot in the past. I wasn’t a good husband to you. But I promise, I’ll change. Please, just trust me.” 

Briana blinked, her jaw clenched so tight she thought her teeth might crack. 

She’d dealt with her share of fake, scheming women before. 

But this was the first time she’d ever seen a guy pull the same stunt. 

‘Seriously, how does Shepard even have the nerve to say that?‘ Briana thought, barely able to believe it. 

Shepard kept his gaze fixed on her, never looking away. 

“Right here, in front of the whole family, Briana, I can make a promise to you… will you forgive me?” he asked, sounding all soft and sincere. 

He laid it on thick, like he was some reformed bad boy finally trying to make things right. 

Briana was sickened but couldn’t expose his true color. 

‘It was like choking down a fly–no matter how much it made me want to gag, I had to swallow my disgust and keep quiet,‘ she thought. 

Evelyn finally came to herself, her face lighting up with joy. “Shepard, do you really mean it? You’re not just putting on a show for me, right?” 

“Grandma, if it’s real, I can’t fake it. If it’s fake, I can’t make it real,” Shepard replied. 

Evelyn turned to Briana. 

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“Why not give him a shot to make things right?” she said. “You two have real history together. You’ve known each other since you were kids. 

“If you just try to get along and find what you used to have, I’m sure you can make it last and together.” 

grow 

old 

Briana looked torn. 

Evelyn suddenly let out a soft laugh. “I know. I really do. I understand everythi 

‘Huh? What does she mean by that?‘ Briana wondered, still trying to figure 

“Shepard,” Evelyn said, her smile fading as she got serious. “Apologizing isn’t just about saying sorry or tossing out a few words. 

“You’ve got to show some real sincerity, put in time and effort, and really work to win Briana over. Got it?” 

“Got it, Grandma,” Shepard answered. “Been working on it, but she’s not buying it yet.” 

“Don’t just talk the talk. I’m too old to be fooled by you over and over again,” Evelyn warned, her tone firm. 

“No way I’m lying to you, Grandma,” Shepard said, sounding earnest. 

Evelyn’s smile gradually grew more content and gratified. 

In Evelyn’s mind, Briana loved and cared about Shepard more deeply than he loved and cared about her. 

If Shepard just tried to sweet–talk her a little, Briana would come around. 

‘Women are just easy to forgive, that’s how it is,‘ Evelyn thought. 

But in reality… 

“Evelyn,” Briana said, “actually, I…” 

“She’s just too proud to admit she wants to forgive me,” Shepard chimed in before Briana could finish, totally speaking on her behalf. 

“We’ll sort this out between us later. Just give me a little time. Let me properly chase after my wife,” he added. 

Without warning, he bent down and scooped Briana up into his arms, bridal style. 

Briana glared at him, giving him a death stare. 

He let his hold slip on purpose, and Briana felt herself sliding down. Panicked, she immediately clung to his 

neck. 

She was pregnant–falling was absolutely not an option. 

“We’ll get going now,” Shepard said. “Grandma, take it easy and rest up.” 

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