With that, she turned to Jewel and said they were leaving. The young woman got up to follow Ellen, and Alex instinctively held her back, saying, “Jewel, don’t overthink it. Rest well, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jewel looked at him, then glanced at Stefanie, who was still sobbing with her head down, but didn’t say a word for a while..
Alex shocked her and also made her heart ache. She didn’t know how much he liked her, but he definitely did. She couldn’t forget how he trembled and cried like a child while holding her. His grip on her arms was so tight. She knew he was holding on to his last straw.
She also couldn’t forget the desperation in his eyes, his words of hating his parents, and his statement that she was his threshold. Perhaps, at that time, he truly felt that way.
At that moment, he looked at her with eager. eyes and a nervous expression, but she couldn’t find the words to refuse him, no matter what. In the end, she only nodded in his expectant gaze. Alex smiled at once and ruffled her hair, his voice incredibly gentle. “Have a good sleep.”
Jewel nodded and followed Ellen out the door. Eugene, on the other hand, didn’t say anything. He just patted Alex’s shoulder, then held Olivia’s hand as they left.
Although Alex didn’t leave, his eyes were fixed on them, watching them as they left. When the door finally closed, he sighed deeply and dropped to the floor, feeling completely drained. I nearly lost her just now….
After a while, Stefanie’s voice came through, with a heavy nasal tone from crying. “Why are you still sitting on the floor? It’s cold!”
Alex didn’t move, he kept his head down, and his eyes closed. “It’s good to feel the cold. It keeps you level-headed.” Stefanie looked up and gazed toward the door. “How can you let me watch that woman act so smugly?”
“Where is the smugness?” Alex asked, looking at her. “Even if she took Edmont from you, he was a man you gave up on. What’s there to be smug about? You should have calmly said, ‘Long time no see, to show your magnanimity and not lose your grace. But instead, you’ve been agonizing over Edmont’s betrayal all these years. It might have looked like your outburst had embarrassed Winnie, but to others, it shows that you can’t let go and can’t handle it.
Olivia has only interacted with you a few times, yet she sees clearly what you care about the most.”
He continued, “You still can’t move on from him, so you remain unmarried and keep holding it against Winnie. It has even affected Jewel and me. You blame all the faults on Winnie as if that’s the only way to convince yourself that you’re not at fault in this marriage-that Edmont didn’t know better and didn’t know to cherish. But is that the truth? You are my mother, so in my biased perspective, I always side with you. But to be fair, you’re the reason for today’s tragedy!”
Then, he added, “Yes, Edmont abandoned you, but you still have me. But Winnie was also abandoned back when Edmont first married you. She was just as devastated as you. Put yourself in her shoes. Would you want to be Winnie?”
Stefanie looked stupefyingly at Alex and followed his train of thought, imagining herself watching the man she liked marry someone else. That pain would likely be no less than when she divorced Edmont.
So what if Winnie eventually got Edmont? Just as Alex said, he was a man I gave up on. Besides, she doesn’t have an outstanding son like I do!
Upon careful consideration, Stefanie came around. Alex looked at her expression and spoke again. “If you want, you can totally find yourself a boyfriend. Once you let go, they will mean nothing to you. Be honest with yourself. What will you gain from torturing your son and future daughter-in-law? Don’t even get me started on mother-son estrangement.
How will others perceive you? They will think you’re a graceless woman who deserves to be abandoned. Jewel and I will think you’re a malicious mother.. Edmont will think you still have lingering feelings for him, and Winnie will mock you as a victor. Mom, it’s not worth it!”
