Each of these questions pierced Sydney’s heart like sharp thorns. She didn’t know how to explain these matters to her son, so she could only avoid them.
As she kept avoiding, Theodore lost the motherly care he deserved. Not to mention, he had a father who didn’t care about him at all.
Theodore was truly pitiful; both of her sons were.
Sydney had endured a decade of torment, watching Wesley maintain an affair with another woman. Numerous times, she had contemplated divorce, but various reasons kept her from going through with it. Only when Wesley was left with nothing and the mistress had fled did Wesley realize he had been deceived and decided to return to his family, seeking forgiveness from his wife.
But Sydney’s heart had already turned to stone. She insisted on a divorce, but Wesley clung to her stubbornly, refusing to let go and disrupting her peace. He even threatened to haunt her even after their separation. Eventually, Sydney grew weary. She agreed to stay married in name only, living separate lives.
After ten years of hurt, Wesley finally understood the depth of his damage to his wife and children. He wanted to make amends, but how could one compensate for ten years of suffering? Healing wasn’t as simple as solving a math problem. It wasn’t a matter of stepping on someone’s foot, apologizing, and then being forgiven. It was deliberate, deep-seated harm etched into the very bone.
With Theodore and Sydney both not experiencing love from Wesley, their family had disintegrated into pieces that Wesley’s apologies or newfound remorse could never mend. Not all wrongs could be easily forgiven.
Sydney could never forgive Geoffrey, nor could she forgive Wesley. But she knew she had failed her two sons. Even though the fathers of her children had their flaws, she had her own faults too.
Geoffrey took her child away and deceived her into believing the child was dead; she shouldn’t have believed him so easily. Had she questioned Geoffrey, perhaps she wouldn’t have missed so many years with Sebastian.
Wesley’s infidelity and emotional
abuse were dear, but despite his neglect of Theodore, Theodore still had her, his mother. She could have
anim with love, but she
failed to do so. Her pain and fear of facing Theodore’s probing questions led her to avoid him, neglecting her son.
Sydney felt deeply that she was a terrible mother. The guilt and self-reproach consumed her, leaving her in despair and anguish. Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of someone knocking on
Sydney’s car door jolted her. She quickly lifted her head, wiped the tears from her face, and slowly rolled down the window.
Turning her head, she saw a man in a black uniform standing outside. Is there a problem? she asked.
Ma’am, are you planning to move your car? Our boss is waiting for a parking spot, the man replied.
Sydney glanced at the black armored vehicle parked nearby. Such vehicles weren’t driven by ordinary people; typically, only those of high status required this level of protection. She looked at the license plate and felt a pang of unease. Such a plate might be beyond even the reach of the wealthy.
The black exterior and tinted windows of the vehicle made it impossible for Sydney to see inside, and she had no interest in finding out who was in there.
Sydney tried to start her car, but after several attempts, the engine roared and then stalled. No matter what she did, it wouldn’t start.