hollywood billionaire

Chapter 542 Hurt her, but don't hurt her (Part 1)

"Family banquet tradition?"

Madison opened his mouth, looking completely bewildered.

"How come I didn't know our family had this Downton Abbey tradition?"

The tradition of male guests, at the invitation of the host, going to the study or a special smoking room to drink and smoke cigars after dinner is a social norm rooted in the Victorian and Gilded Ages.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Westerners believed that men and women had natural "separate spheres," and that the two sexes should engage in different leisure activities in their respective domains, only gathering together for breakfast and dinner. Therefore, after dinner, the host would gesture to the ladies to come to the living room for a glass of low-alcohol sherry and casual conversation. The men, on the other hand, would move to the entertainment room to smoke torpedo cigars, drink Scotch whisky, and perhaps play Whistler or Pickle.

But this was a popular social activity a century ago, and it was only available to a specific social class. You needed a fairly large country estate, a long table that could seat more than ten guests at once, and a group of servants to wash dishes and cook for the host...

Where would Madison have these?

Most importantly, even if her family really had this custom, it shouldn't be that old lady Lorian was drinking and smoking cigars with Han Yi!

“You just don’t know it.” Lorian curled her lips. “When I was young, any family event, Passover meal, wedding, Bar Mitzvah, or even the seven-day mourning period, was always the men playing pinocchio while the women washed up and then gathered in the living room to chat.”

"So when were you young...?"

"The late 1960s."

"When was the last time you saw men playing pinocchio in this house?"

“That’s irrelevant, young lady.” The old lady glared at her granddaughter, who kept undermining her. “The most important thing is that I want to treat our favorite guest with the traditions we cherish. Is it really such an unreasonable request to sit down and have a chat with Yi? I mean, I like him very much, both as your business partner and as a person. I’d love to get to know him better.”

“Of course not, Lorian.” Han Yi quickly stated his position. “The only slight regret is that I probably won’t be able to drink with you, because I have to drive back to the city later. And I don’t smoke.”

"It's okay, I'll have a drink and a smoke, you can just have some tea with me."

“Lorian,” Madison narrowed her eyes slightly, “Have you forgotten what I told you?”

“Just drinking, no smoking.” Loriann seemed to have no desire to get entangled with Madison any longer. She stood up and waved casually. “Come on, Yi, take your tea, let’s go… Maddie, you should find something to do with Youzhen too. Take her around, show her our spacious backyard. Tell her how much you love sneaking out of the house at night and lying on the lawn gazing at the stars.”

“Okay, Grandma,” Madison replied in a drawn-out tone, then looked at Youzhen, “Did you show me our backyard when you came to my house last time?”

“You showed us around this room,” Yoojin said, pointing out the window, “but we’ve never gone outside.”

"Do you want to go and see it?"

Hearing Maddie's question, Youzhen turned her head slightly, glanced at Han Yi who was following behind Lorian, carrying a teacup and walking towards the study, and shrugged with a light smile: "Why not?"

"Sit wherever you like, darling."

The study is not far from the dining room, just a few steps away.

Lorian pushed open the heavy solid wood door, and a smell mixed with old books, cedar wood and a faint dust wafted out.

The study walls were painted in warm gray tones, with one wall adorned with a deep blue velvet wallpaper featuring mottled gold patterns. The ceiling was decorated with simple, classic European-style plaster moldings, but suspended by a strikingly modern chandelier made of brass and frosted glass. The floor was a wide herringbone oak plank, casually covered with two faded Persian rugs.

A huge walnut bookcase stood against the wall, its glass doors crammed full of books. The gilded lettering on many of the spines was faded, and a thin layer of dust covered the tops, clearly indicating that it hadn't been touched in a long time. Interspersed among the bookcase shelves were several smiling family photos in silver frames, taken in different scenes and from different eras, their frames also dusty.

The focal point of the room is a large desk with a slightly cluttered surface. It is a Louis XV style curved-leg desk with elegant lines, but it is piled with things from a completely different era: stacks of documents and reports, and an Apple MacBook Pro with its breathing light on.

To one side of the desk, near the window, is a small seating area. A low, round coffee table with a natural marble-textured top surrounds a very comfortable-looking dark blue velvet sofa and two dark green velvet armchairs. Next to the armchairs stands an exquisite small walnut wine cabinet, behind which several bottles of whiskey and a set of crystal-clear glassware can be vaguely seen.

“This used to be our house, my husband’s and my home.” As soon as she entered the study, Lorian’s hurried steps instantly became gentle.

“We bought this house in the late 70s, a beautiful, classic house. We had a lot of fun here, and when Robert and Tracy got married, I sold it to them for less than market value to support their marriage. Tracy had a lot of ideas about the house, and she did some renovations, turning it into what it is today. I had no problem with that, except for one condition: don’t touch the study.”

"Because this is Grandpa's favorite place?" Han Yi keenly noticed those few small but important details in Lorian's narration.

“No, this is my favorite place.” Lorian scoffed, shook her head, and replied, “It’s the place where I spend the most time every day, and it’s the only place I can find peace after having three children.”

"After dinner, I will sit here alone, open a bottle of whiskey, and slowly drink it all down."

Lorian deftly retrieved a bottle of whiskey and a glass from the walnut wood liquor cabinet. She examined them closely, then blew the dust off the bottle and wiped the glass with a white cloth from the silver tray. She then unscrewed the cap and poured herself a small glass.

"Drink it all?" Han Yi raised an eyebrow. "Every day, or occasionally?"

“Not every day, not occasionally. It’s…” Lorian took a sip of the amber liquid and let out a short but satisfied sigh, “often. More than ‘occasionally,’ less than ‘every day.’”

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Why are you apologizing?" Lorian raised her arm, gesturing for Han Yi to sit down. "What did you hear?"

“Based on your description, I assume—and I apologize in advance if I’m wrong—that this is not a happy marriage,” Han Yi said, sitting down opposite him on the sofa and carefully choosing his words.

“Yes, I used to be very happy.” Lorian smiled at him. “When I was young, I was a very traditional Jewish girl, very obedient to my family. I went to school wherever they thought I should go, and I married whatever kind of man they thought I should marry. I met Marty through a family introduction. He wasn’t handsome, not at all, but my father said he was hardworking and very reliable. He used to work in a radio factory and then went to Vietnam. Unlike those unlucky guys who were drafted, he volunteered for the army.”

"So he definitely wasn't a hippie."

"He was the opposite of hippies. He used to hate them so much that he would curse them loudly whenever he saw them on the street. Everyone said he was a man who defended traditional values ​​and the concept of the atomic family."

"So after he came back, did he go into politics?"

“No, he… doesn’t hate them enough to want to systematically wipe them out.” Han Yi wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he sensed a faint hint of sarcasm in Lorian’s tone. “He was a communications soldier in the army. After he came back, the economy was terrible, and nobody could find a job, so he opened an appliance repair shop. Later, his business grew bigger and bigger, and he started selling electronic components, first to Long Island, then to New York, and finally to the entire East Coast.”

"Sounds very capable. Self-made."

“Yes, he’s very capable and loves his work.” Lorian’s voice trailed off. “When we first got married, we were practically inseparable. But after having three kids, I was overwhelmed at home, and he was constantly busy at work. He spends 12, even 16 hours a day at work, sometimes not even having time to come home for dinner. I suggested leaving the kids with my parents and going on a trip, even if it’s just for a little while. To Europe, or even Canada. As long as we can find a place where we can rediscover our passion and love.”

"But he repeatedly refused. He said the company was growing so fast, and he wanted to earn money to support his family while he could still make money. What could I say? I married such a good man who was willing to sacrifice himself, his own happiness and comfort, just so that I and the children could live a carefree life. As a woman, what more could I ask for?"

"All I can do is take good care of the children and make sure there's nothing at home that could cause him any worry."

“This model is indeed not particularly beneficial to the relationship between husband and wife.” Han Yi nodded slightly. “But perhaps… that’s the greatness of your generation. Family first, personal enjoyment second.”

“One day, he didn’t come home for dinner, saying he was too busy with work and would eat in his office.” Lorian didn’t respond; she just glanced at Han Yi and continued on her own, “I made dinner, fed the children, put them to bed, and then sat alone on the sofa, looking at the clock. It was already 10:15, and Marty still hadn’t come home. I thought to myself, he must be exhausted. If I could drive to his office to visit him and surprise him, he would be very happy.”

"So I got up, picked up the keys, got out of the car, started the engine, and drove for 25 minutes to reach his office."

"At that time, Marty's electronics company rented a... well, you could say a single-story space, or you could say a warehouse. There was a semi-open repair area outside, and the office area was further inside. I parked my car outside the repair area and walked towards the office area. There were about three or four rooms in the office area, but only one room had a light on. His secretary, Ronnie, was alone in the room. I remember thinking to myself, this is so strange, why is Ronnie alone in the room? Where is Marty? Did he go to the bathroom? Or did he fall asleep in the office chair?"

"To avoid disturbing Ronnie's work, I tiptoed over. Just as I approached the door, I saw my husband."

He was kneeling on the ground.

“Sucking his dick.”

(End of this chapter)