Chapter 1410
When Hertha dropped that bombshell, Thalassa’s grip on the steering wheel tightened so sharply it might have squeaked.
She spared a quick glance at Hertha, who was lounging in the passenger seat, and a wry smile played at the corners of her mouth. “What’s wrong with me? My kids have a dad now. Honestly, that’s not so bad.”
Hertha and Thalassa were the best of friends, who had weathered storms together. There were hardly any secrets between them.
Which is why they spoke so freely, without holding back.
And that’s why Hertha didn’t hesitate to sprinkle a little salt on Thalassa’s wounds.
“Yeah, your kids have a dad, but are you any happier now than when you were flying solo? Let’s not even start on whether the kids are happier. What about you? Are you happy?”
Hertha’s big, round eyes fixed on Thalassa with concern.
Once upon a time, when Thalassa was a single mom, juggling four kids and as many jobs, life was like spinning plates on sticks. But in that bustling household, laughter was the soundtrack to their lives, with the kids‘ antics as the main event.
Since discovering Lysander was the father of her children, Thalassa’s days had become a tightrope of tension and fear. She had tried to keep the kids under wraps, always dreading the day Lysander would discover their existence and take them away.
But her worst fears had come true. Lysander had found out and, just as she had dreaded, claimed the children.
Thalassa went from being rich in love to the poorest soul around overnight.
Losing her children was like losing the whole world.
Hertha could now empathize with that pain.
Thalassa’s hands were steady on the wheel as she threw a sidelong glance at Hertha, who was clearly waiting for a response. She knew what Hertha was getting at.
When her children were taken, she had indeed felt the earth crumble beneath her.
But now, her perspective had shifted. She felt that her kids being with their dad, and her keeping Lysander in her life, was a kindness that fate had granted her–the greatest blessing she could ask for.
Had she never met Lysander, never known he was the father, sure, she could’ve raised her kids alone. But deep down, each child would harbor a profound sense of loss.
The absence of a father’s love is something that can take a lifetime to heal.
It’s like her own story. Growing up fatherless, she had longed for that relationship yet feared it too.
“No matter what, I have no regrets. Some hardships, once you get through them, lead to spring,” Thalassa replied to Hertha.
Hertha deflated a bit. She had hoped to hear Thalassa express some complaints about her encounters with Lysander, so she wouldn’t have to suffer so much. But all she got was Thalassa’s lack of regret.
Hertha couldn’t understand, “Thalassa, no offense, but you’ve got a bit of a martyr complex. If it were me, I’d keep my kids under wraps, no way would I let their dad find out. These days, what woman with kids needs a man, huh?”
“Look, isn’t that Alaric watching us leave?” Thalassa’s gaze was fixed on the rear–view mirror, tactfully changing the subject.
“Where?” Hertha craned her neck to look, and sure enough, that was Alaric standing at the hotel exit, his tall figure shrinking in the mirror as the car drove away.
Had Alaric actually come chasing after them?
Chasing after Hertha?