Jennifer gave a look, and Dylan took Tina out.
Dylan knew they needed to sort things out, and even if he stepped in, it wouldn’t change the outcome. So he hoped Jennifer would speak up and free herself from the past.
He took Tina out, but his eyes never left Jennifer.
Alexander sat down and found Jennifer unfamiliar.
“Jennifer, I’m sorry.”
Alexander spoke slowly, watching as Jennifer’s hands paused on the
ceramic.
“No need for sorry, because I don’t plan to forgive you. You made my sincere love all those years seem ridiculous.”
Jennifer replied without looking at him.
“After you left, the house changed a lot. It’s not warm or lively anymore. Every time I come home, it’s cold and quiet.”
“What happened before was my fault. I really don’t know how things got this way.”
Alexander knew it was too late for regrets. All he could do was lose with some dignity.
The pottery studio fell silent.
Jennifer looked up and said, “I won’t go back.
Because not everything can be fixed with an apology.”
Alexander’s eyes glistened with tears, and memories of his time with Jennifer flashed before him.
Jennifer felt a sudden relief after speaking her mind.
She had long wanted to break free from that home, the one that stripped her of all dignity.
A tear rolled down Alexander’s check. He now realized Jennifer would never forgive him.
They looked at each other, but the light in their eyes was gone.
Alexander froze for a moment, then stood up and walked forward.
As he passed Dylan, he shot him a glance.
His gaze was intense, fixed on Jennifer without wavering.
Maybe Dylan really could make her happy.
Jennifer wouldn’t go back with him, and he knew they would be strangers from now on.
Seeing Alexander come out, Dylan stepped in.
He didn’t even look at him.
Alexander’s heart sank. It was truly over between him and Jennifer.
He dragged his feet to the car, rested his arm on the window, and watched Dylan and Jennifer’s intimacy inside. His heart crumpled. He started the
Chapter 22
car and drove off.
Watching the car disappear into the distance, Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief.
All those years of love and time vanished with the car.
Dylan leaned over and asked, “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head and kept molding the clay.
The dark clouds in her heart dissipated with Dylan’s words.
Tina was still playing with clay nearby, smiling at them now and then.
Jennifer chuckled and bent down to pat her head.
The three sat together. Dylan held Jennifer’s hand, placed Tina’s hand on top of theirs, and together they molded a cute little bear.
Sunlight bathed their faces, and the air wrapped them in warmth and
peace.
After that, it rained for several days straight in Regional Capital.
“Uncle, Aunt!
Look at my drawing!”
The girl held the painting up to Jennifer, her eyes brimming with anticipation.
The sudden shift in address made Jennifer blush, freezing in place.
Jennifer forced a smile as she looked at her, then pinched her cheek.
Ħ
Suddenly, the silhouette of a middle–aged woman appeared outside the
door.
Her gaze sharpened before she recognized her biological mother.
The woman who had dragged her into the abyss and saw her as a stepping stone for social climbing.
