When Timothy saw Vince calling again, his eyes darkened; he tossed his phone aside in annoyance.
After a while, he reached for the phone and finally answered.
"Timothy, I got in touch with Jessica," Vince began.
Timothy's voice was cold and low. "Is she going to the party?"
"She refused."
"So you want me to help convince her?"
"No, no, it's not that," Vince hastily clarified. "She texted me, said you two are getting divorced."
Timothy's knuckles whitened as he gripped the phone tighter.
"She's that close to you?" he asked.
"Not at all. We only met once," Vince replied, his tone serious.
Not close, yet she felt comfortable enough to spill news about their divorce. Clearly, she wanted to make things awkward for him on purpose.
"So," Timothy said, his voice steady but icy, "why are you actually calling me?"
"It's like this," Vince took a second, weighing his words. "My granddad really wants to meet her. But she said since you two are getting divorced, she doesn't want to show up at the party with you. So… how about you just don't come the day after tomorrow? Pretend I never invited you, act like you never heard about Grandpa's birthday. That way, I can try to talk her into coming."
Vince did his best to sound diplomatic, even a little apologetic. After all, what he was suggesting was awkward, and he knew it.
Timothy's eyes were glacial. "Vince, you've got some nerve."
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