Summer was probably awakened by my ringtone and immediately went to look for me because I noticed that the bed was still unmade. After tidying up the bed slightly, I arranged my skincare products on the dressing table.
Hearing some movement near the bedroom door, I assumed that it was Summer and lectured, “Summer, you need to make it a habit to make the bed and change your clothes after waking up, okay?”
Even though there were maids at home, she needed to learn how to do these things on her own because not being able to do something and not wanting to do it were two different things.
When I didn’t hear her response, I frowned and glanced behind me to see Anthony’s towering figure.
His obsidian eyes were steady as he stared at me in silence. I stiffened and avoided his gaze, not intending to speak.
“How’s Mr. White’s injury?” he asked as his gaze darkened.
“He’s fine,” I replied succinctly.
He sat on my bed and kept the conversation going. “When are you planning to go back to A City?”
“After Independence Day.”
This one-sided conversation was awkward, but Anthony seemed unfazed as he continued speaking.
Already in a sullen mood, I stood up and made my way to the door, but he snagged my arm. “Must we continue fighting like this?”
I looked at him with a frown. “When did I fight with you, Mr. Featherstone?”
His expression turned slightly glacial at that. “Sienna, I want us to be able to sit down and talk things out, not give each other the cold shoulder and behave unreasonably.”
I met his gaze and huffed out a mirthless laugh. “You’re right, Mr. Featherstone. I’ve always been an unreasonable person. If you can’t stand it, don’t come here. No one asked you to anyway.”
Humans were funny beings. Obviously, I could have had a civil conversation with him, but I just had to hurt him.
Anthony’s face clouded over and he nodded with a cold smile. “Fine. Have it your way, then. I’ll stop bothering you.”
He was clearly speaking out of anger, but before I could react, he spun on his heels and went downstairs.
Drawing in a deep breath, I suppressed the inexplicable emotions in my heart and suddenly felt that I was indeed behaving unreasonably.
I sat in front of the dressing table and took a moment to calm myself. Just then, Emery came upstairs with Xavier in her arms and looked at me with a baffled expression. “What did you guys argue about this time? Do the two of you get off on fighting and hurting each other?”
I shrugged and looked back at her. “If I told you no, would you believe me? I just lost control of my emotions.”
Sighing helplessly, she said, “Anthony is actually a good man. In fact, it’s close to impossible to find a man like him nowadays. His company is facing such a huge crisis now and he’s already overworking himself, but when he found out about your return, he still came here to admit his mistake and yield to you. Sienna, I have no complaints about you in other aspects, but you’ve always been irrational when it comes to love. I think a large part of the reason is because you know that whatever you do, Anthony will always find his way back to you. This has become some sort of vicious cycle, one that you take pleasure in and even constantly induce. Have you ever considered the possibility that one day, Anthony’s patience might run out and it’d really be the end for the two of you?”
I was stunned and my mind buzzed as though her words had hit a nerve in me.
When I didn’t reply, she continued, “My relationship with Hunter isn’t as passionate or wild as yours with Anthony, neither is it as complicated. Marriage to me is pretty simple. When we’re in our own little home, we’d get mad and argue about unwashed socks, or if one of us isn’t spending enough time with our children, or if one of us brought home our emotions. Perhaps these trivial matters will keep happening, but at the end of the day, we know that these are just small, insignificant squabbles in life, and after the fight is over, we’ll leave it in the past. What’s important is to give each other a kiss when we wake up in the morning, give each other a hug before leaving, and let go of all the stress and unhappiness upon coming home to say ‘I missed you’. Yes, these are all little gestures that may seem troublesome to do in our everyday life. In fact, it’s not compulsory, but everyone lives differently. Hunter and I want a warm and cozy life for ourselves as well as for our child so that we can vividly feel each other’s love.”
Here, she paused briefly. “I know the love you and Anthony share is more passionate and intense than many of the couples out there, but there’s just something wrong with the way the two of you do it. You’re both overcomplicating love. Just think about it, is Rylee really a substantial obstacle between the two of you? The same goes for Marcus. Is he really? No, both of them have their own lives, but occasionally appear in yours. Whether or not there’s anything going on between Anthony and her, or you and Marcus, neither of you have ever witnessed anything truly notable. Sienna, love is about compromise and acceptance; about putting yourselves in each other’s shoes. You should be worrying about him and trying to understand him, not just taking what he gives you and asking for more. Anthony is changing bit by bit. He’s understanding and tolerant toward you. He even stands by your decision not to start a family. He’s already trying his best not to put pressure on you and let you do the things you love, but my dear, have you ever stopped to think what you’ve done for him over the years?”
What Emery said was like a hard slap to my face. During these ten years of marriage, I kept telling myself that my love for Anthony was real and that everything I did for him came from a genuine heart, but all these years, I never really tried to understand him. Since the death of our child to the day I found out that he was the reason my birth parents and I grew apart, I’ve been going in circles with only one goal in mind—to make his life a living hell.
Come to think of it, it seemed like I was exacting revenge on him in the name of love.
Emery sighed softly when I remained silent. “Sienna, falling in love is easy. It’s staying in love that’s the hard part. Anthony grew up in a military family. His greatest strength is his responsibility and loyalty. He made a vow to Rylee’s brother, so she has become his responsibility. And I’m sure you know better than me how fiercely loyal he is. Stop hurting each other in the heat of a moment, okay?”
I nodded, realizing that I may have been too impulsive and willful. I never seemed to consider things from Anthony’s perspective or try to truly understand him.
“What happened to Featherstone Corporation?” I had been in A City and didn’t know much about the happenings in K City, so I had no idea how Anthony was doing these days.
Another soft sigh left her lips before she explained, “It’s an old incident from before. Remember when a few children’s bodies appeared on Featherstone Corporation’s construction site a few years ago? This incident was already taken care of several years ago, but somehow, it was brought to light again and the public is pointing fingers at Anthony, accusing him of using Louis’ influence to illegally develop in K City. At present, the real estate that Featherstone Corporation initially planned to develop has been put on hold. This current situation is quite serious.”
My brows knitted together. “Why would someone dig up the past? Aren’t all the real estate development documents reviewed before being approved? Why is Uncle Louis involved?”
Emery shook her head slightly. “There’s no substantive evidence, but all signs point to Featherstone Corporation. Also, all the companies abroad are now unable to continue operating.”
“Isn’t Joe in charge of everything overseas?”
She looked at me in surprise before frowning. “Have you been living under a rock for too long? An infectious virus broke out in Western Europe a month ago and it’s total chaos over there. Shopping malls were robbed and used for riots. It’s already a blessing to be able to survive there, so making money is definitely out of the question.”
I really had no idea about all this. I had been too busy with the Lavelian Village project recently and barely read any international news.
There was a knock on the door before Hunter poked his head in. He was carrying a briefcase and dressed in a grey suit with his hair combed neatly. After briefly greeting me, he glanced at Emery and said, “Honey, I have another class in the evening, so I’ll be back slightly later. I’ve booked the flight to J City and packed your suitcase. Go have a look later and see if I missed anything out.”
Smiling sweetly, Emery got up with Xavier in her arms. “I’m sure there won’t be a problem. I’ve always taken pride in my hubby’s capabilities. C’mon, I’ll send you off.”
The two of them acted lovey-dovey and went downstairs. When my bedroom was quiet once again, I sat in front of the vanity mirror and replayed Emery’s words in my mind.
When I came downstairs, Anthony was already gone.
Catching me glancing around, Cameron smiled helplessly. “He’s gone. He waited such a long time for you. He’s busy too, you know?”
I bowed my head, unsure of what to say. After some thought, I looked at Cameron and asked, “Mom, where’s Dad?” I had unconsciously blurted out those words.
All I could think of was what Emery said earlier, so I didn’t realize that I had just officially acknowledged them as my parents.
Suddenly, I noticed the surprise and joy on Cameron’s face as she gazed at me with red-rimmed eyes. Because she was struggling to keep her tears at bay, a few prominent wrinkles had formed on the corners of her eyes. She parted her lips a few times to speak, but perhaps she was too emotional, she only ended up saying, “My dear, did you just…”
She trailed off, as if afraid to ask, and there was also a trace of disbelief sprawled on her face. In the end, she could no longer hold back her tears. She raised her hand and frantically wiped them away, but more tears poured down.
Tears welled in my eyes all of a sudden, and I couldn’t help but recall Emery’s advice. Indeed, I wasn’t the only one suffering in silence.
Even though I was the victim, when a mother hurt her own child, yes, the child felt pain, but the mother’s pain was one that ran deep into the soul.
I looked at her and repeated my question with a smile. “Mom, where’s Dad?”
Cameron replicated my smile with a tear-streaked face and pointed somewhere behind me. “He’s there.” Then, she raised her voice slightly. “Zachary, did you hear what our daughter said just now? She’s looking for you!”
With that, she bowed her head and wiped her tears, but she couldn’t seem to keep the smile from her face.
I looked over my shoulder and was stunned to see Zachary holding the newspaper while looking at me with a small smile and reddened eyes. When he saw me looking at him, he asked in a slightly shaky voice, “What is it?”
I could somewhat relate to how they were feeling at the moment. The first time Summer called me mommy, I held her in my arms for a very long time, overwhelmed with indescribable happiness.
I replied, “I want to know about the situation at Anthony’s company.”
Zachary smiled and motioned for me to take a seat.
He took a moment to rein in his emotions while Cameron cheerfully poured us a glass of lemonade and glanced at me. “Letty, what would you like to eat later? I’ll cook for you.”
“I’m fine with anything.” I smiled.
She was in good spirits as she walked into the kitchen with a subtle bounce to her steps.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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