Chapter 78

Ryder didn't say anything. He just stood there fixed in one spot. She missed him? If she really missed him then why did she leave him without even saying as much as a single word? Why did she disappear from his life then? He could understand if she wanted to leave his father because she no longer wanted to stay married to him. Anyway, as long as she wasn't happy, Ryder won't force his mother to stay in an unhappy marriage for his sake. She could have divorced if she wanted to. But why did she abadon her teenage son? He needed answers for that! "Mom....why did you leave back then?" Ryder asked. Kate froze when she heard that. She had imagined countless scenarios that was going to play out when she met her son again. She thought that as long as she acted pitiful and told him that she missed him, she was going to get her son to pity her. She felt that once he pities her, all of her plans are going to work well without a hitch. She was planing to use his feelings against him. So she immediately started crying immediately she saw him. Kate has forgotten that Ryder was no longer a sentimental teenager. He could think for himself now. And no matter how much he thought about it, something was wrong here. Why did she show up only now? And if she really missed him as she said why didn't she show up ever since, only coming back now?it did not make sense. Ryder really wanted to know what was going on here. "I...I had a lot of things that was going on for me back then...I know that you hate me...I'm really sorry for leaving you without saying a word. I know that it was my fault. Because of my own selfishness. Because I could no longer hold on to my marriage, I left you. No matter what, no matter how unhappy I was, I should have stayed. I should have stayed for the sake of my son. I'm sorry Ryder. I'm really sorry" Kate said. She wasn't hugging him now but she was still crying. Ryder "......" He was really specheless. He did not know what was going on but he felt that there was something up with his mother. He never said that she should have stayed with his father if she wasn't happy. But she could have come back to see her son from time to time right?. She just left as if she didn't care about any one of them at all. His father. Or himself. But he could not continue to question her like this when she was still crying like this right? He has to admit, this tactic of her crying had worked on him well. He could not continue to watch her cry. "Mom, that isn't what I mean. I don't want you to stay in an unhappy marriage because of me. If you are no longer happy then you should leave" Ryder said. But you should not have cut me out from your life like I didn't exist at all. You pretended that you did not have a son all of these years. However, he did not say those things out. He held them in his heart. "Ryder...I have a lot of things that I want to say to you. Why don't we have dinner?" Kate asked. She already promised Mira. She had to find a way for the both of them to meet. Since his mother, whom he had not seen in about ten years was asking like this there was no way that Ryder could bring himself to say no right? He nodded his head and said "Let me just finish some things here and then we'll go" Kate nodded. She smiled in satisfaction. She had thought back then that having a son was really stupid back then. She was happy that she had him. She finally saw his use now. ..... Scarlett sat facing the man. She had a cup of coffee in her hand. He was sipping how coffee too. "Didn't you say that you have something to say to me? What is it?" Scarlett asked. This man has been looking at her face since the both of them got here. She was almost 50% sure that her suspicions were right now. She just wanted to know why he was showing up in her life now. And as for the other things, she really did not have the strength to care about them at all! . "Yes. I have a story that I want to tell you. I hope that you can listen to me now". Ethan said. He cleared his throat before he began. "Your mother and your father...the both of them met when they were in thier last year of University. They were the model couple of the university back then. Everyone thought that they were going to get married. And they did get married" Ethan said and paused. Scarlett rolled her eyes..she felt that this was really boring. Of course they did get married. That was why she was born. . Ethan saw that he was losing her attention and so he started talking again. "Your mother's family was actually a well to do family. They had an established company and a lot of money. However, they did not like your father. They did not want the both of them to get married. They said that it was because they knew that your father wasn't a good man at one glance but heh heh....isn't it just because they were looking down on him since he was just a fresh graduate from the University trying to make a name for himself?" Ethan asked. This was what he believed. No matter how many things they talked about it,he was sure that Vanessa's family just did not like him because he was poor. Because he could not compare to thier family. That was why he made the decision that ruined his relationship with his wife and daughter. Because he wanted to make something of himself, he fell into that woman's trap. "Your father was tired of having his wife's family look down on him. He stayed together with your mother until you were five and then he could not deal with it anymore. He wanted to give your mother a good life. Because your mother went against what her family wanted ant got married to your father, she didn't get anything from her family. She left her family so that she could stay with your father. Things were hard for them. As a man, your father did not want to see his family continue to suffer with him" "Especially your mother. She was someone who was born in a rich family. She has always been living like a princess since the day that she was born. Why did she have to suffer with your father? So your father made a decision. He would have to give his family a good life no matter what". "He got an opportunity, but he will have to leave the country. So without telling your mother what he was really going to do, he left the country without looking back. He went to a different place, but then he fell into a trap that someone else had set" "Before he got married to your mother, he did something stupid. He was drugged and then...he cheated on her. It turns out that that woman has actually been planning for a really long time. She waited until it was time. Then she tricked your father and made him marry her. For so many years, because she had something that she was threatening your father with, she made him stay married to her and play the role of her loving husband. Until she died a few years ago" Ethan said. There was silence for a good five minutes before Scarlett spoke up. "So, are you my father then?" Scarlett asked. "Scarlett you...." Ethan did not know what to say. He had jerk dropping subtle hints but he did not expect her to be so straight forward to him. Like she could not wait to get this done and over with immediately. He really did not know what was going on with Scarlett. But one thing was sure, she had a lot of prejudices against him. Ethan on his part didn't want much. He just wants her to know that she still has a father who is alive. Even if she hates him, it will be because she is thinking of him. He was even happy with her hating him. As long as she knows that he is still alive. "What? I don't think that you were doing a really good job of trying to hide it" Scarlett said. There was a lot is sarcasm in her words. "Scarlett...I know that you probably hate me, after all, I left you and your mother without saying a word. I won't ask you to forgive me. I know that I have done a lot of wrong things. There is no excuse for any of that. But I just want you to know that I left because I want to give you and your mother a good life. If you want to hate me, hate me. But please, I want you to know that as long as you admit it, you'll always have a father here" Ethan said. He made a lot of mistakes in his youth and his daughter is the person whom he has hurt the most. Scarlett waited for the man to finish talking before she stated to talk. "hate you? I think that you are getting something wrong here. I don't care if you are dead or alive. It has nothing to do with me. When someone makes a choice, no matter what happens, you'll have to bear the consequences of your choice. Don't try to push it to other people. You made that choice to leave and the price that you have to pay is the fact that you lost your wife and your daughter. I'm sure that my mother has probably forgotten that she was married to you. She doesn't even talk about you at all! So don't get your hopes high up!" Scarlett said. She was done with this man. Scarlett!" He called out. I know that you probably hate me, after all, I left you and your mother without saying a word. I won't ask you to forgive me. I know that I have done a lot of wrong things. There is no excuse for any of that. But I just want you to know that I left because I want to give you and your mother a good life. If you want to hate me, hate me. But please, I want you to know that as long as you admit it, you'll always have a father here" Ethan said. He made a lot of mistakes in his youth and his daughter is the person whom he has hurt the most.