Chapter 14
A month later, my mother–in–law called. She said my father–in–law’s heart condition had worsened and he had a heart attack so his situation was dire. Sandra looked at me pleadingly and appealed for my compassion, “Regan please come back with me. Dad doesn’t have much time left. Let’s see him one last time.”
I flipped through my documents without looking up. My expression stayed the same as I said, “You go back. Your father never liked me. I doubt he’d want to see me now on his dying day. I won’t antagonize him.”
Sandra’s eyes turned red. She stared at me unblinkingly as she asked desperately, “Regan, can you really let go of our twenty years together? Is there really no way to go back to the way it used to be?”
I cut her off. “Sandra, I’ve already signed the divorce papers. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. It’s best if we go our separate ways.“}
“Regan, I know it’s all my fault. I don’t want to lose you.”
In the end, Sandra left in tears.
It wasn’t that I was heartless. I had simply had enough of living a life where I had to lose myself.
For the rest of my life, I wanted to focus on my own dreams, not as Sandra’s husband, not as the Wilson Family’s son–in–law.
A week later, my father–in–law passed away. Sandra handled everything herself. Before a week had passed, she sold the company and transferred most of the funds to me.§
I stared at the long string of numbers but didn’t refuse. This was my hard work and my sweat and blood.§ Then, I donated it all to an orphanage, hoping no more children like Joy would be left wandering the streets.
Later, I heard that Morgan was sentenced to ten years in prison. His so–called underground wife divorced him.> Adam and Amy were now orphans and had been sent to an orphanage.
Sandra disappeared. Some said she left the country. Others whispered that she had met with foul play. However, I knew it was not the case. In a remote town in Noroeste, a small inn had opened and was called “The Rendra Lodge.“}
Two burly men managed the place but no one had ever
Seen
owner.
People said they charged next to nothing and basically they losing money. They even gave discounts to married couples.
I never visited because I didn’t care.
My company was thriving and as the Vice President and CEO, I was always too busy to even eat properly.
Two years later, the company’s revenue exceeded tens of millions of dollars. I used my bonus to buy a villa with a garden and moved in with Joy.
As she grew up, she became more talkative. She kept nagging me daily to eat on time and stop drinking.
Years passed, filled with work and quiet contentment. I never looked back.
The past was like an old dream, fading into dust and it would never again be a part of my life.
(The End)?
