Chapter 106 Chapter 106
Chapter 106 Chapter 106
At an upscale café, Mr. Caleb sat across from an empty table, his face set like a statue. The door opened, and a woman with a sophisticated, sharp appearance walked in. This was Maggie—his ex-wife, the woman who had once been his whole world and also his greatest nightmare.
Mr. Caleb checked his watch, his voice cold. "You asked me here and then arrived late. Your pride is as arrogant as ever, Maggie."
Maggie sat down, removed her expensive sunglasses, and smirked. "You’re as dashing as ever. That’s good. But your grumpy expression is the same as every time I used to ask you out. It makes you look old, Caleb."
Mr. Caleb didn't bother responding to the taunt; instead eyeing her fashionable outfit. "Enough. Why are you dressed so youthfully and wearing such sharp makeup to see your ex-husband? Or do you still think you’re the queen of the family that fell apart ten years ago?"
Maggie casually glanced at his tidy suit. "And what about your suit? Don't tell me you came here to present a formal report to me."
"That’s because I had a meeting at school today and came straight here. Anyway, let’s get to the point. I’m busy. Whatever you want to say, say it quickly. I need to get back to the school," Mr. Caleb interrupted, his patience reaching its limit.
Maggie took a slow sip of her tea. "Congratulations. I heard your future wife is pregnant. A perfect new beginning, isn't it?"
Mr. Caleb narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Where did you hear that? Don't think you can just stick your tentacles back into my life."
"Don't try to lie to me. I actually know everything about you." She laughed softly. "Another official heir has been added to the family. Your mother must be thrilled; she always loved things she could control. Because of that, it’s time to give Vince back to me."
Hearing this, Mr. Caleb stood up abruptly, his anger causing the tea table to rattle. "What nonsense are you talking about? We’ve just started a new family. Serenity and Vince have their own happiness now. Do you want Vince to suffer through another separation? Does your selfishness truly know no bounds?"
Maggie stood up as well, facing her ex-husband, her voice hardening with every word. "You were the one who separated me from Vince. You and your mother did that, don't you remember? When we divorced, you used your power and your mother’s arrangements to force me to leave. Silence doesn't mean consent, Caleb. The person Vince chose to stay with back then was me. You took away that boy’s choice, and now you’re planning to take away his peace with that pregnancy from that other woman?"
Mr. Caleb fell silent. Those words were like daggers striking the weakest point of his soul. He didn't answer, turning his back and walking out of the café, leaving Maggie sitting there with calculating eyes.
During the entire drive home, Mr. Caleb’s head felt like it was going to explode. Her words kept repeating in his mind. "When we divorced, the person Vince wanted to stay with was me."
What would the current Vince—the one who had just found happiness with Serenity, the one who had just learned to forgive his family—think if he knew the bitter truth that it was his own father who had forced him away from his mother?
He was afraid. For the first time in all his years as a father, he was afraid to face Vince’s eyes—eyes that now knew how to love, and also how to hurt.
\---
In their room, Vince and Serenity sat side by side. The nightlight cast shadows across his face, highlighting a gaze heavy with unspoken thoughts.
When Serenity brought up the mother he had been estranged from for so long, Vince’s voice dropped into a low, somber tone. "Every time you ask about my mother, I never want to tell you. What kind of person is she? To be honest, I don't remember clearly. From the day she left and stopped caring about me, I ceased to have any impression of her. My grandmother didn't like her either. Whenever they met, they did nothing but argue. Grandmother said she only cared about appearances and dressed gaudily, not at all like an educated woman."
He let out a bitter laugh. "Thinking about it now, perhaps it was my grandmother's strict family rules that hurt her. And my father only cared about his work at the school. She couldn't truly become a daughter-in-law because she had to marry him only because she was pregnant with me. I remember her always saying through tears, 'Wouldn't it have been better if I had never had children?' Truly, she is a woman more to be pitied than blamed. And I was the reason she was trapped in a miserable marriage."
Serenity felt her heart tighten. She squeezed his hand. "Vince, don't say any more. I will never ask you to tell me again."
"But right now, I think I can go see her. When I see her again, I might not forgive her. Or perhaps I won't even think of her as my mother anymore."
"It will be okay. I will always be by your side. Whatever you decide, I will support you." Serenity rested her head on his shoulder, silently promising to be the anchor that would pull him through this emotional storm.
Just then, her phone rang. It was Ashton. He informed her that his mother wanted to meet both of them. Serenity nodded and replied, "I understand."
Hanging up, she thought to herself. Vince and I are full of warmth now; I believe we can definitely face the frozen wounds of the past. No matter how deep the injury, sincere love will heal all. I truly believe that.
In the living room that evening, Mr. Caleb brewed chamomile tea for Briona. Though they were sitting together, Mr. Caleb’s mind was still fixed on his meeting with Maggie.
"Vince has decided to see that woman," Mr. Caleb said, his voice laced with resentment.
Briona frowned, offering a reminder. "Why do you say it like that? 'That woman'? She is Vince's mother and was once your wife. I heard she has to move abroad for work. It’s only right that she wants to see Vince before she leaves, and it’s right for Vince to see her."