Chapter 796:
Even though I knew that both Herbert and Connor were being kind, I couldn’t accept their help anymore.
The reason I started my business was to gain independence.
I didn’t want to be a woman attached to Herbert.
If all the significant projects I took on came from him, how could I claim to be independent in the future?
And now, with everything that had happened between us, I couldn’t rely on him. I couldn’t accept his help.
If we quarreled or even broke up, but I accepted benefits from him, it would only make me lose confidence.
The more I relied on him, the less I would have the strength to leave him.
Would I have to compromise for the sake of the company, even if I knew he had other lovers?
“No, you’re not my father! A father doesn’t abandon his family and disappear without a word for years. You don’t have the right to call yourself that.”
Ryan looked at me, his face reddening with frustration, but he didn’t respond right away. Instead, he turned to my mother, who had been quiet and still, her eyes fixed on him.
“Why are you making this harder than it has to be?” Ryan asked, his voice rising in exasperation.
“I’ve come to apologize. I want to make things right, to fix everything.”
I couldn’t hold back my anger.
“Fix everything?” I repeated, my voice sharp.
“You left us with nothing, no explanation, and now you think you can just waltz back into our lives like nothing happened? You don’t get to fix anything.”
My mother looked down, her face a mask of calm despite the tension in the air. She didn’t say anything. I could tell she was hurt, but she wasn’t showing it.
Ryan took a step toward her, his voice softer this time.
“I made mistakes, I know. But I’m here now. Please, just give me a chance to prove that I can make things right.”
I couldn’t let him manipulate her again.
“No,” I said firmly, stepping between them.
“You don’t get a second chance to destroy our lives and then expect us to just accept you back.”
Ryan opened his mouth to argue, but then seemed to think better of it. His shoulders slumped, and with one last desperate glance at my mother, he turned and left, slamming the door behind him.
I stood there, still seething, but when I looked at my mother, I saw how drained she was.
“Mom,” I said softly, sitting next to her.
“You don’t have to deal with this anymore. You don’t owe him anything.”
