Chapter 50 Belated Apology

Chapter 50 Belated Apology

Outside the door, Linda's body visibly trembled. She heard the wariness in her daughter's voice, and tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

"Monica... it's Mom's fault. Mom is so sorry." Her voice was thick with congestion and sobbing, sounding especially hoarse and exhausted—completely different from her usual aggressive and domineering manner.

Monica froze.

Sorry? Hearing that word from her mother's mouth was more shocking than the sun rising in the west.

She pressed her lips tightly together, not responding, just listening quietly.

"Mom knows that over these years, Mom did a lot of terrible things. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have only cared about your brother, shouldn't have treated you like a cash cow, and especially shouldn't have... shouldn't have made you marry that Derek." Linda's voice choked with deep regret, each word like a dull knife, slowly cutting into Monica's heart.

Monica's tense body relaxed slightly, but the doubt in her heart only grew stronger.

Was this really her mother? That woman who had only known how to take and curse since childhood—how could she suddenly say such things? There must be some ulterior motive behind this.

"Mom knows you love apple pie. When you were little and your dad was still alive, you loved the apple pie Mom made..." Linda's voice carried a hint of cautious flattery, mixed with deep nostalgia and sadness. "Mom specially made some for you today. Can you open the door and let Mom in? Mom promises she won't cause you any more trouble."

Apple pie.

Her pupils suddenly contracted, her chest felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand—sour and painful.

That was the only warmth she could feel in her childhood, the rare tender moments at home when her father was still alive.

Her mother hadn't mentioned it in many years, let alone made it.

Monica's knuckles turned white. She forcibly suppressed the surging emotions in her heart, her voice still calm without a ripple: "Did you take Shane's money?"

Outside the door, Linda's crying stopped abruptly.

After a brief silence, she suddenly raised her voice, with a hint of wronged grievance and anger: "Monica, what are you saying! Mom swears to God, I didn't take his money! No matter how terrible Mom is, I wouldn't take your money to pay for your brother's wedding!"

She paused, her tone carrying a hint of gritted-teeth stubbornness and a barely noticeable embarrassment: "The money for your brother's wedding, Mom borrowed it all from relatives. Don't worry, from now on, Mom will never ask you for money again, never cause you trouble again."

She swore? Huge waves surged in Monica's heart.

She knew her mother too well. She could lie, she could emotionally blackmail, but she would never swear lightly, especially not swear to God like this. And she actually said she borrowed money from relatives instead of coming to her? This completely overturned everything Monica knew about her.

Could it be that Shane really had that kind of ability to completely change her mother?

Monica's breathing became rapid, her mind in complete chaos.

She suddenly wanted to see her mother's expression with her own eyes, to find even the slightest flaw on that weathered face.

She slowly reached out her hand, trembling as she gripped the doorknob and gently turned it.

Linda stood outside the door, her face still marked with undried tears, clutching the thermal container tightly in her hands. Seeing the door open, she instinctively looked up, those red and swollen eyes full of hope and anxiety.

Monica's gaze fell on her face, trying to catch a trace of pretense from her subtle expressions.

"Monica..." Linda's voice was hoarse, as if she couldn't believe her daughter had actually opened the door.

Monica's heart was filled with complexity.

She looked at the rare sincerity on her mother's face.

"Monica, you really have good judgment," Linda suddenly spoke, her tone carrying a hint of relief from surviving a disaster and approval for her daughter. "That Derek really isn't a good person. Mom always thought he was all talk and not decent! Good thing you didn't marry him, otherwise Mom would regret it for the rest of her life!"

As she spoke, she roughly wiped away her tears again, as if truly relieved that her daughter had escaped disaster.

Monica stood there, completely stunned.

Her mother's words were like a thunderbolt, shattering her long-held perception of Linda.

The woman who had once fawned over Derek, eager to package her up and send her over immediately, was now painfully criticizing him.

This complete reversal of facts stirred up complex and indescribable emotions in Monica's heart.

What did Shane say to her? Or what did he do?

"That Derek, he's really a beast!" Linda seemed to have found common ground, her voice clearly gloating. "He deserves to be arrested! People like him should be locked up for life, so they can't come out and harm others!"

Monica quietly watched her, her eyes complex.

"Monica, look at Mom, just going on about all this nonsense." Linda seemed to suddenly remember something, carefully handing over the thermal container from her arms, then taking out a large roasted item wrapped in foil from a cloth bag. "This is the apple pie Mom made for you, and... and the roast turkey you love. Mom knows you don't like Mom, but these are all made by Mom herself. Will you try them?"

Turkey? Monica's heart jumped.

She remembered that last night she had mentioned to Shane on the phone that she wanted to eat roast turkey.

How would her mother know? She looked up toward the bathroom, where the sound of water had stopped—clearly Shane had heard everything outside.

She took the thermal container and the roasted item, the heavy weight carrying the residual warmth of the food, making her fingertips tremble slightly.

She nodded, her throat tight, unable to make a sound.

Seeing her accept them, a barely noticeable relief flashed in Linda's eyes.

She knew her daughter was still angry with her, and she knew that every second she stayed here was an intrusion.

She sighed, showing a tired expression on her face, yet forcing out a smile.

"Mom knows you don't welcome Mom." She said in a low voice, her tone carrying a hint of careful humility. "Mom won't go in and disturb you. You... you should take good care of yourself too. Don't always stay up late working. Look at you, you've gotten so thin."

She reached out her hand, wanting to touch Monica's face, but stopped mid-air, finally just gently patting her shoulder.

"Also, Monica," Linda's voice carried pleading, "can you take Mom off your WhatsApp and phone blacklist? Mom promises, from now on I'll never make things difficult for you, never ask you for money again, never cause you trouble again."

Monica looked at her mother's bloodshot eyes, her heart trembling.