Chapter 235 Wife?
Cato looked at Rose, his face hardening, his jaw clenched in frustration. “You may have kicked Lien out, but she is still my mother. Whether you like it or not, she is the one who raised me, and you can’t just disregard her like that.” His voice was tense, his eyes cold.
Rose’s gaze flickered to Lien, who was still kneeling before her, tears streaming down her face. The sight of her ex-daughter-in-law’s dramatic plea only irritated her more. “Enough, Cato,” she snapped, her tone icy. “Lien’s presence here doesn’t concern me anymore, and neither does the future of your inheritance.”
Lien raised her head, her face flushed with both humiliation and desperation. “Mom, please don’t say that. I—”” Shut up!” Rose cut her off sharply. “You have no say in this matter. I’ve already made my decisions. You are no longer part of this family.” Her voice was like a blade, and the coldness in her eyes left no room for argument.
Cato stood still for a moment, taking in his mother’s words. His fingers clenched into fists at his sides. He had been raised to respect his family, but this—this was beyond his tolerance. “You can’t just erase people like they never existed,” he muttered bitterly, before turning to leave the room. “I’ll make sure you regret this decision, Mom. There will be consequences.”
As Cato walked out of the room, Lien remained on the floor, staring at the cold, polished tiles beneath her. She felt a wave of hopelessness wash over her. Her relationship with Rose had always been fraught with tension, but now it seemed irreparable. There was no going back.
After Cato left, Rose turned to Lien, her eyes narrowed in disdain. “I don’t want to see you here again. Get out of my sight.”
Lien hesitated, the pain in her chest almost unbearable. But she knew Rose’s words were final. She stood slowly, wiping her tears away, then turned and walked out of the room, her heart heavy with the loss of everything she had once hoped for.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Byron’s mind was still a whirlwind of emotions. The scene with Heather, the confrontation with his mother, and the accusations all clung to him like a fog he couldn’t shake off. He wanted to make things right with Athena, but every step he took seemed to push him further away from her.
He sat in the waiting area, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. His thoughts were consumed with the question that had haunted him since this whole mess began: Why was Athena so distant? Why couldn’t he reach her?
He could still hear her voice, cold and hurt, telling him she didn’t want him anymore. It was the hardest thing he had ever heard, and the pain of it gnawed at him relentlessly. He had pushed her to her breaking point, and now, he wasn’t sure if there was any way back.
Byron stood up abruptly, a decision crystallizing in his mind. He wasn’t going to give up without a fight. He had made mistakes, but he wasn’t going to lose her. Not without trying everything he could.
He walked back to Athena’s room, his heart pounding with determination. When he entered, Athena was sitting by the window again, staring out into the night, her back to him. She didn’t acknowledge his presence.
Byron took a deep breath, steeling himself. “Thea,” he said softly, his voice tentative. “I know I’ve hurt you. I know I’ve made mistakes, but I’m here, and I want to make things right. Please… give me the chance to prove that I can be the man you deserve.”
Athena remained silent, her shoulders rigid, her eyes never leaving the window. He could see the way her body trembled slightly, a mixture of anger and sorrow radiating from her. Byron’s heart broke at the sight of her. She was exhausted, not just physically, but emotionally too. She had been through so much, and he had been one of the ones to hurt her the most.
He took a step closer, his voice lower now. “I don’t care about the past. All I care about is you and our future. I can’t imagine my life without you, Thea. Please, don’t shut me out.”
Athena slowly turned her head, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She looked at him for a long moment, and for a brief second, Byron thought she might say something—anything—but instead, she spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.
“Do you even know what it feels like, Byron? To have the person you love question everything about you? To feel like you’re not even seen for who you truly are?” Her voice cracked with the weight of her emotions, and for the first time, Byron saw the depth of her pain.
Her words pierced him like a dagger. Every doubt, every accusation, every painful memory he had caused came rushing back.
“I see you, Thea,” he said softly, his voice thick with emotion. “I see everything you’ve been through. And I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.”
She looked at him, her expression unreadable, her eyes filled with both anger and sorrow. “Sorry doesn’t fix things, Byron. Sorry doesn’t heal the wounds you’ve caused.”
Byron stood there, lost for words, unsure of how to fix everything he had broken. All he knew was that he couldn’t lose her—not like this. “Please, Thea, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Athena looked away, her heart heavy, torn between the love she had once felt and the hurt that now clouded it. She was too exhausted to fight anymore, but she also knew that letting go of Byron meant letting go of everything she had hoped for. And right now, she wasn’t ready to make that choice.
“Go, Byron. I need time,” she said quietly, not meeting his gaze.
Byron’s chest tightened, but he nodded, his heart breaking at the thought of leaving her. “I’ll wait. For as long as it takes.”
As he turned and left the room, Athena sat in silence, the weight of the moment settling over her. She wasn’t sure what the future held, but she knew one thing: Byron’s apology wasn’t enough to erase the damage that had been done. And for now, she needed to find the strength to heal on her own.