Chapter 34 Thirty Four
Doris and I walked out of the living under Rose and Mark’s watchful gaze, feel- ing their scrutinizing eyes boring into us as the door closed behind us.
Stepping out into the tranquil courtyard, we walked through the courtyard then into the garden. The garden cocooned us in its serene stillness. The occassion- al gentle rustle of leaves, and the soft fluttering of birds‘ wings disrupted the calm stillness. The vibrant hues of the various flowers lot up the the whole area, their petals swayed gracefully in the breeze and the equally colourful but- terflies of all shapes and sizes flitted avout in the garden, adding an ethearal feel and look to the space.
I admired the flowers and butterflies. I sighed quietly, if only my life could be as effortless as their beauty.
Grandma Doris had her hands clasped behind her back as we walked along the pathway between the garden. It would pain me to say no to Doris but it was what I have to do.
“Sydney,” Doris finally called, her voice was a soothing balm to the ears. “Do you still love Mark?”
I pondered on her question. Do I love Mark? I’ve asked myself this question a number of times but I had never answered it. Now I had to, “Maybe I used to,” when I still wanted to make the marriage work. I shrugged, “Maybe I once tried to,” I scoffed, a dry bitter erupting from my throat, “Maybe I never even did.” I sighed and let my shoulders fall in resignation, “But right now? I don’t know. I have no idea if I have any of those feelings for your grandson. All I know and I’m sure of is that he doesn’t love me. Mark has never loved me and I can’t remain where I am not wanted.”
All the while, Doris listened silently, her walk slowing down just as mine did. She lowered her head in silence for a while and I wondered what she was think- ing? Was she dissapointed in me? In Mark?
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Chapter 34 Thirty Four
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She had seem the happiest on her wedding day. Was she dissapointed that the
union didn’t work out?
“Sydney,” her voice was comforting, “I know Mark has hurt you but as his grand-
mother, I still want to fight for a chance for him.” Her pleading gaze met mine.
“You’re a good woman and nothing would make me happy as having you in my grandson’s life. Is that okay?” Then she shook her head and rephrased her re-
quest, “Would that be possible?”
I shook my head. And instead of baselessly telling her how I wouldn’t allow it even if it was possible. I brought out my phone and went straight to my hidden files.
“Look at this,” I handed her the phone and played the video Bella had sent to
me some months back for her to see.
I know I should’ve angrily deleted it but something stopped me and I just felt the need to keep it. I guess it was for cases like this. It was to show the good
people in my life that I wasn’t just throwing out marriage away because I want-
ed to. I had my reason. It was all a farce anyway. So why suffer in it?
Doris eyes only widened a fraction as she watched it. Other than that, there
was no other reaction to guage her shock. I guess she already knew that her grandson might be capable of such.
“That is your grandson.” My voice trembled as I spoke and I wanted to hit my- self for it. It wasn’t supposed to hurt anymore so why do I feel a ache in my heart? I guess it was why I had hid the video. It was why I always choose to be angry rather than hurt. It was my way of shutting out all these unwanted feel- ings. I swallowed, is my sister!”
And that woman
“Your sister,” Grandma Doris‘ brows slightly creased as she muttered, her de-
meanor was calm and her expression remained unreadable. I couldn’t help but
admire how calm she was.
“This isn’t the Mark I love,” she muttered, probably to herself, as she watched.
Now she was shaking her head, “This isn’t the sweet boy I watched grow up in-
to a good loyal man.” Then her voice quivered as she whispered ever so silently,
Chapter 34 Thirty Four
“This isn’t Mark.”
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Even long after the video ended and the screen remained still, Doris was still
watching the phone, her frail hands steadily held the phone.
Then she looked up. There was a smile on her face but it didn’t reach her wa- tery eyes. It made me feel bad but I had to console myself that it wasn’t solely my fault. Up until the damned video, I was still struggling to make things work by being the perfect wife but Mark only acted like I didn’t exist. I had tried and I’ve long learned that it’s okay to let go after fruitlessly trying for so long.
Her voice trembled as she spoke. She handed the phone back to me, “It’s no doubt,” she shook her head solemnly, “Mark is not worthy of you.” She took a deep breath and finished, “I agree with your divorce. If it makes you happy then you have my full support.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding and it felt like something weighty was finally lifted off my ch*st after so long.
“Thank you, Grandma,” I beamed and chuckled shakily when I felt tears slide. down my cheeks. I wiped them off but they kept pouring. Finally, I let them fall and pulled Doris into a tight hug. “You are the best grandma in the world and I’d forever be grateful to you.”
“Don’t cry, child. You tried your best.” Doris soft but firm palm gently patted me on my back, “You are my best grand daughter–in–law, you’d always be.”
I smiled a watery smile, “Even after our divorce, I promise to still keep in touch with you.”
“Of course, you have to!”
I laughed, sniffing. I felt at peace. I felt happy.
“It’s Mark who doesn’t know what to cherish and how to and I pity him. He has lost a gem and he’d miss you, Infact he already does. One day, he will regret ever treating you wrong and letting you sl*p through his fingers.”
I chuckled and pulled back from the hug, “To be very honest, grandma,” I
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paused and squinted my eyes, “I don’t care if he regrets it or not.”
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There was silence as the both of us just stared at each other then abruptly, wel both burst out laughing.
We both took our time letting out our emotions and going through it and laugh-
ing to our fill before we walked back to the house.
As we got closer, we could see Mark on the balcony of the sunroom upstairs.
He was looking down at the both of us, his brows creased.
I couldn’t stop the huge grin that my l*ps stretched into, neither did I want to
stop my arms from going up and waving cheerfully at him.
“Good morning, Mark,” I said loudly and waved with such vigorousness. I didn’t
feel the usual pain or resentment as I looked at him and waved, only relief and freedom. Finally.
Mark watched me, his deep set eyes solely on me. He didn’t smile back or
wave back. He just stood there and watched the both of us get closer to the
mansion with a resigned look on his face. I guess he could already tell what the
outcome of our talk was.
When we reached the living room, Mark wasn’t there. It was just a fuming Rosel
who kept on pacing the living room.
“Where’s Mark?!” Doris bit out harshly and Rose flinched before she registered
our presence. Rose opened her m*uth to speak when Mark’s measured voice re-
verberated through the room.
“I’m here, grandma.”
We all looked up and found him leaning on the railings guiding the stairs.
Doris pinned him with a hard glare, her l*ps turned down dissaprovingly, “Come here.” It was funny how she ordered him as though he was still some unruly teenager. Then she turned away from him and took a seat on the one–seater
cushion chair, “I have an announcement to make.”
Mark looked away from his grandmother and pinned his gaze on me as he
Chapter 34 Thirty Four
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took his time to descend the stairs. I didn’t back down either, I held his gaze too.
When everyone was seated, Doris addressed us all. He turned to Mark first, a simmering anger in her eyes, “Mark, Sydney has decided to divorce you and I agree with her decision. You should go with her and handle the divorce proce-
dures tomorrow.”
Mark just calmly sat there, his face expressionless.
When he didn’t say anything, Doris looked away from him and continued.
“I have also decided to transfer five percent of the shares in Mark’s name to Syd-
ney,
“What?” I burst out, unable to control myself. I turned to Doris, we didn’t dis- cuss this. It wasn’t even something I had ever hoped for.
as
Doris turned to me with a smile etched on her l*ps, her eyes filled with adoration “Yes dear, consider it a compensation for the grievances.you have suffered in our family for the past three years.”
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