Even if it was a reprimand, it was filled with indulgence.

Madison rubbed her sore forehead and pouted, “Theodore and Vanessa are the most compatible couple. Theodore is the KING of the business world, and Vanessa is the piano queen. They are simply a perfect match.” Mrs. Reynolds was lost for words.

What had Vanessa offered her to secure such unwavering loyalty?

Theodore dropped Phoebe off in the city center and went straight back to the company. Phoebe went to a cafe to discuss cooperation and talked until noon. Originally, She had wanted to invite the other party for lunch, but they refused and said they had a prior engagement. Phoebe could only farewell them.

As she walked out of the cafe, which was not far from the Golden Apartment, she called Mrs. Ziegler, planning to have lunch there.

Mrs. Ziegler had just picked up some medicine from the pharmacy and was planning to bring it over in the afternoon. She invited Phoebe to have lunch and offered to bring the medicine along.

When Phoebe arrived at the Golden Apartment, Mrs. Ziegler had already started cooking chicken stew. The aroma of the soup filled the room. Phoebe placed the fruits she had just bought on the table and asked, “It smells delicious. What are you cooking?”

“Chicken soup. Have some more later. It’s nourishing.” Mrs. Ziegler pulled her to sit on the sofa.

“You’re looking much better recently. The medicine seems to be working. In two months, you should go to the hospital for a check-up,” Mrs. Ziegler said.

Phoebe frowned. “Why are you bringing this up again?”

“Can I not mention it?” Mrs. Ziegler’s tone was sharp. She had just returned from the Vanderbilt family, and now the Vanderbilt family was in chaos. “It’s not easy to keep a family together when there’s a child involved.”

Phoebe understood Mrs. Ziegler’s ideas, but she couldn’t agree with her. “If a couple is destined to separate, having a child will only make him suffer.”

Mrs. Ziegler patted her shoulder. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Phoebe rubbed her aching arm. Sometimes, she could be like a tyrant and show no mercy when she hit her. “It aches.”

“You must understand and not talk nonsense.”

Mrs. Ziegler mentioned Christian and felt inexplicably annoyed. “Christian is a playboy. Even after getting married, he hasn’t changed his ways. This time, he was caught cheating in bed and almost had his leg broken. They are now arguing about divorce, but it’s a pity for Benjamin. He doesn’t understand anything. If this family really falls apart, what will happen to him in the future?”

Phoebe absorbed the words in quiet contemplation.

Christian had always been a free spirit, marrying more out of obligation than desire, and his innate restlessness had never truly been quelled. Over the past two years, he had found a semblance of stability, but now it appeared that his patience was wearing thin.

“In the event of a divorce, it would be best for the child to remain with the mother,” Phoebe remarked, her tone reflecting impartiality and reason.

Mrs. Ziegler replied, “If it were that easy to divorce, things wouldn’t be so chaotic. Both families are fighting fiercely for custody of the child.”

Even if Phoebe hadn’t witnessed it in person, she knew how intense the fight between the two families would be. She sighed, “What is Christian thinking?”

“He can’t do much. He admits that he was foolish for a moment and promises not to repeat it. He doesn’t want a divorce, but his wife insists on it, and no one can persuade her.”