As soon as Molly burst through the door, she plopped down next to Mia with excitement. "Did it kick off? Did Andre get into it? How's the damage? Mia, you're my warrior goddess, seriously. You're like one of the guys to me; I'm gonna worship you forever!"
Naomi glanced over at her brother-in-law, quickly covering her mouth to whisper, "Ahem, Molly, nothing happened. It got stopped before anything could start."
"What? How did that happen? Who stopped it?" Molly couldn't hide her disappointment as she looked at her best friend, seeing Mia's distressed expression. "Mia, what's up?"
Naomi's explanation finally clued in the late-arriving couple on what went down.
Jade, looking innocent in all this, turned to her husband, "Chad, didn't you say this wouldn't be too hard?"
Chad awkwardly scratched his nose, "I said it depends on the person."
Andre, sitting across from his wife, piped up, "Mia, don't just take everyone's word for it being tough. Not everyone is on the same wavelength. You're smart; you can pick it up..."
"Shut it, don't try to brainwash me. I'm not falling for it. Denny said it's tough, and he had a nightmare of a year."
Andre raised an eyebrow, "Who's Denny?"
Hansen gave his second son a light smack on the leg, comforting his daughter-in-law like a child, "There, there, Mia, no need to cry. Look, I've already given Andre a piece of my mind for you." He added a few more playful slaps on Andre, settling old scores under the guise of fairness.
Meanwhile, Henry was placed on the ground by his great-uncle, practicing standing on his own.
Seeing his grandpa slap his dad, the little tyke turned and hit his grandpa's knee with his tiny hands.
"Hey, you're hitting Grandpa for your dad's sake? Grandpa was avenging your mom," Hansen puffed up, glaring playfully.
Henry turned to see his mom crying sadly, still not getting the full picture.
Anya, standing behind the couch, updated her boyfriend on the family's latest drama via her phone, "Chad, Aunt discovered the endless pit of law studies, and Auntie and Great Aunt are trying to cheer her up."
Leo quickly messaged back, "Anya, zip it. Don't say a word, especially about us being part of the scheme."
"Why not?" Anya asked.
"With her temper, if she finds out her husband kept it from her, she might go after him. We won't be spared either," Leo explained.
Anya got the hint; Chad was worried Aunt might come after him.
After all, Aunt was ready to book a flight overseas to confront 'Henry.'
"Send me a video; I want to see Mia in her moment of despair," Leo, the "good friend," wanted a glimpse of the chaos.
Anya discreetly turned on her camera, capturing the familial antics.
Andre, who had come up with the idea, found himself consoling his wife.
He moved to sit next to Mia, and Naomi quickly made room.
Andre's first move was to gently hold down his wife's fists, "Listen, honey. Nothing's easy, and the harder it is, the more rewarding it can be. Don't let others scare you with talk of difficulty. Every year, countless people succeed. As long as you enjoy it and work hard, there's nothing to fear."
"Easy for you to say. Millions take the exam, and less than 10% pass. Why don't you try it?"
"Alright, I'll take it with you."
The room fell silent.
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