Ruth Shaw froze, forgetting even to breathe.
Old Mr. Shaw chided gently, "Titus, what nonsense are you saying? Family ties can't just be broken on a whim."
"If I say they're broken, they're broken," Titus Shaw said, dead serious.
Seeing he was serious, Old Mr. Shaw softened his tone. "I saw Cecilia today. She's the one who told us you were in the hospital. She seemed quite reasonable. I'll have her come visit you tomorrow. You need to calm down."
Titus Shaw laughed in anger. "I merely want to cut ties with Ruth, and you're the one who can't stay calm. Yet you tell me, a man who has lost his wife, to calm down? How can I calm down? I trusted her so much, and this is how she betrays me. All of you, get out."
