"I'm getting old. The plan was for me to step back gradually and let you take over at your own pace, so no one would feel too threatened. But the problem is, you turned out to be too capable. Even more ruthless than I was at your age. Tell me, how is anyone supposed to sleep soundly knowing that?"
It clicked.
What Grandma meant was that the Henson family had grown too powerful. People were wary of us.
Especially a partner on the level of the Farley family. They wanted to keep us close, but they also needed to keep us in check.
Pushing Sylvester on me had been Matriarch Farley's opening move, a test.
Now that I wanted a divorce, she'd be calculating. Was the Henson family shifting its loyalties? Did we no longer want to be bound together?
Of course, marrying me off to Sylvester had only ever been a temporary arrangement. Matriarch Farley undoubtedly had a longer game in mind. One day, she probably intended to swallow the Henson family whole.
But my little scene had given Grandma the perfect excuse to surrender a few key projects. A show of weakness. It should lower the Farleys' guard, at least for now.
Grandma fixed me with a look, her expression suddenly grave.