"Dad, please think carefully about a divorce."
Jacqueline Spann didn't think Vernon Spann should have a complete falling out with Phoenix Golding right now. Even if they did get a divorce, she wouldn't go live with Vernon, despite liking her father more.
But she had to be realistic. Sticking with Phoenix Golding was the only way to live a better life. The Golding family could shelter her, whereas Vernon Spann was an outsider. If he got divorced, he couldn't even support himself, let alone her.
Besides, she didn't want to end up like Adrian Hawthorne, who was relentlessly bullied in the village. Even the children could curse at him. Adrian Hawthorne couldn't talk back when he was insulted or fight back when he was hit, all because he was an outsider with no support on Millstone Peak.
If Vernon Spann got a divorce, he would become a second Adrian Hawthorne. She wasn't that foolish.
