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Chapter 106: Your Mother’s Early Demise Left You Uneducated And Lacking Manners
Mae couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that Mark’s presence brought.
She had convinced herself that she had moved on from the emotional turmoil their past relationship had caused, but she realized she had been overly optimistic.
Their marriage, along with her previous life, had been riddled with misunderstandings, and now, hearing a familiar title from Mark’s lips was a bitter reminder of those times. Despite their divorce, the irony of hearing such a term was not lost on her.
A soft, ironic chuckle escaped her lips, and she faced Mark, asking, “Is there something wrong with
Jennifer?”
Mark was taken aback, and a pang of realization dawned upon him. He understood why Mae had asked that question. He struggled to find the right words and finally replied, “Can’t I come to you without a reason?”
Mae’s eyebrows furrowed, and her tone was indifferent, “Are you looking for me for something?”
She didn’t want to make eye contact with Mark, unaware that even after their divorce, they still had
unfinished business between them.
Mark found himself choking on Mae’s question, unable to formulate a coherent response.
It struck him that every interaction they had ever seemed to mirror this pattern, ending in bitterness. Now, with the divorce papers in their hands, it felt like there was nothing left to discuss.
Realization hit Mark like a blow, a sudden panic settling in. It was clear that each of their conversations had only led to this – an unresolved mess. Despite their legal separation, he found himself hit by a wave of emotions, a stabbing sensation of regret.
His gaze met Mae’s, but she seemed lost in the distance, her focus elsewhere. “Mae,” Mark’s voice broke through, snapping her back to reality.
Mae met his gaze, a hint of inquiry in her eyes. Mark struggled to find his words, eventually gathering the courage to speak, “Even if we’re divorced, we’re still connected, we can still be friends. We don’t necessarily have to reach the point of no return, do we?”
Mae’s brows furrowed deeper as she considered Mark’s words. She hadn’t expected him to broach this topic so solemnly.
If she were honest, without the marriage between them, they’d be strangers, each on their separate paths. Even friendship seemed like an inconceivable prospect. It simply won’t click as they didn’t share the same topics and interests.
Mark’s sudden earnestness caught her off guard, and she hesitated to respond.
It occurred to Mae that between her and Mark, even if they couldn’t be friends, they really hadn’t come to the point of being old and dead. With a hint of irony in her voice, she commented, “What you said is true, Mr. Smith.”
Mae’s gaze remained distant, and Mark’s nerves were on edge. She was just giving a perfunctory response as if entertaining his suggestion out of courtesy.
For Mark, it was a humbling realization. Their conversations had followed this pattern time and time again. Now, with the divorce, there was nothing holding them together – no legal or emotional ties.
A sense of powerlessness washed over Mark. He looked at Mae, his eyes filled with uncertainty. He longed to find a way to connect with her, to bridge the gap that had grown between them.
“Then… can we still be friends?” Mark’s voice held a note of uncertainty, his hands unconsciously curling into fists. His gaze remained fixed on Mae, revealing a hint of nervousness that was uncharacteristic of him.
Mae found herself once again taken aback by Mark’s persistence on this matter. She hadn’t anticipated that he would continue to pursue the idea of friendship between them. His usually composed demeanor was tinged with an unexpected tension, evident in his slightly furrowed brows and the apprehension in his eyes.
This sight was something she had never witnessed before. Mark was a master at concealing his emotions, making his nervousness a rare and intriguing revelation. Maybe she had misunderstood; maybe this wasn’t nervousness at all. Mae mentally corrected herself.
Suppressing her surprise, she offered a small smile and replied, “Sure, Mr. Smith. Thank you for your generosity.”
The notion of being friends with the president of the prestigious Smith Corporation held a certain irony that Mae couldn’t help but appreciate. A friend of Mark’s had a certain prestige to it, even if the past held complex layers of right and wrong. She chose to look past it all now, recognizing that clinging to the past was nothing but self–imposed shackles. It was better to move forward.
Mark, on the other hand, struggled to find the right words to express the emotions swirling within him. Mae’s response seemed to indicate her agreement with the idea of friendship, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was an element of indifference in her words.
He wanted to say more, to clarify his thoughts and feelings, but before he could, Mae changed the subject, “Time’s flying. I should head in and check on things.”
With that, she began to walk towards the hospital building, leaving Mark behind. A surge of frustration churned within him, a fire of emotion he struggled to contain. He felt powerless in the face of Mae’s decisions, unable to sway her in the way he once could.
As he followed her, his thoughts swirled in a tumultuous mix. The divorce, the abortion – he wondered how they had reached this point of estrangement. Could he have avoided it? Could they still be together if he hadn’t used the divorce as a tool to push for the abortion?
Mark’s brow furrowed deeply as his mind raced with unanswered questions. The silence that hung between them was heavy with unspoken thoughts and unresolved emotions. He couldn’t help but question the choices he had made, the path that had led them to become strangers.
Without a word, he walked alongside Mae towards the hospital ward, the weight of his emotions and regrets heavy in his heart.
Pushing open the door to the ward, Mae found Rebecca and Jennifer engrossed in conversation. Their expressions darkened when they saw Mae enter. Undeterred by their hostile looks, Mae went over to Jennifer and began removing the silver needles from her body. She spoke with a professional tone. “During the treatment period, it’s best for you to stay put and postpone any pending work.”
Rebecca’s voice dripped with scorn as she chimed in, “You should pray that you can actually save Jennifer’s fetus, or you’ll regret it!”
Rebecca tried to maintain a facade of dignity, but her frustration was evident. She wanted to regain some of the dignity her son had lost in front of Mae, despite her son’s misbehavior.
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However, Mae remained focused on her task as she slowly and methodically put the silver needle back into the silver needle bag slowly rolled it up, and put it away, paying no attention to Rebecca’s
words.
Undeterred, Rebecca continued, “Clearly, your mother’s early demise left you uneducated and lacking manners. You dare treat me, your elder, with such an attitude?”
Rebecca’s words were cutting, even shocking Jennifer, who had been waiting to witness a confrontation. The manner in which Rebecca, a woman of high status, spoke sounded crude and
unrefined.
Mark’s face darkened, his voice rising sharply as he interjected, “Mom, do you even realize what
you’re saying?”
His outburst startled Rebecca, who had rarely seen her son react with such intensity.
She knew Mark rarely displayed his emotions openly, even in anger. Yet, in this instance, he was furious. Her heart pounded as fear and anger mingled within her. She recognized that her own words had pushed him to this point. She regretted her harsh words, not because they hurt Mae, but
because they exposed her own lack of refinement.
However, Rebecca wasn’t one to admit fault easily.
“Was 1 wrong?” she retorted defensively. “Look at Mae’s attitude. Regardless, I am her mother–in–law, her elder!”
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