Regret and Forgiveness

The car halted with a screech. Dylan turned to Evelyn whose eyes were riveted on her house. She was quiet during the whole ride, her anger had melted a long time ago but the thought of confronting her parents had her fraught with worry.

Evelyn wasn’t nervous, she was scared of her reaction. She was back to the place where she was abandoned by her parents around three years ago. She also has buckets full of complaints and was eager to drench them with it but the question was will that sort everything out? The years of alienation have built such a thick wall between them that the thought of coming on the same wavelength with her parents amuses her.

Dylan understood her anxiety. He was also going through the same pain because once she left him, he also left the city and started a new Empire in Italy and returned to New York only after getting the news of his father’s demise. Dylan was ashamed, and guilty but didn’t let those emotions overpower him unlike her. He knew he had to bear his mother’s wrath who after Mr. Black’s death had been hating him. Mrs. Black couldn’t bear the pain and turned mentally disturbed, her husband’s death left a dangerous impact on her life so Dylan stayed away from her not to stress her.

Evelyn felt a soft touch on her left hand. She tilted her head and looked at Dylan who inched closer to her and cupped her chin tenderly.

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine.” He spoke sweetly and caressed her jawline with his thumb.

Evelyn said nothing but she could feel her anxiety damping down. She slightly nodded and looked away. Taking a deep breath, she then unlocked the door when Dylan removed her hair tie and let her brown locks sway in the air.

“What are you doing?”

“Stopping you from hiding your true self.”

Evelyn gasped. Her heart skipped a beat. She gulped when her eyes met with his intense black ones that were staring at her with so much love and longing that made her heart beat like crazy.

She immediately diverted her gaze and got down the car before rushing inside her house.

Hunter who was the soul audience of their blossoming romance cleared his throat to catch his Boss’s attention whose eyes were pinned on his wife. Dylan watched till she disappeared from his sight but he still didn’t budge and continued staring in that particular direction.

Hunter this time harrumphed loudly which fortunately worked. But a cold bead of sweat trickled down his left temple after earning a glacial stare.

“Uhmm, should we leave Boss or do you wish to accompany Ma’am inside?”

“No need. Turn to City Hospital.” Dylan spoke gruffly and leaned back on the seat.

“Yes Boss,” Hunter quickly bobbed his head and veered the car to the left while Dylan stared ahead with empty, soulless eyes.

*****

‘Thump’

‘Thump’

Her heart rang loudly in her ears with every step she took in the direction of her home. Walking seems like an arduous task. Biting her lower lip and clutching a fistful of her skirt, Evelyn prodded forward, sweat dripping down her forehead.

‘How will I meet them? What will I say to them?’

Thousands of questions swirled in her mind but she had answers for none of them.

Evelyn scanned her small and sweet home which hadn’t changed a bit. The green hedges confined the place with lilacs, sunflowers, and her favorite white lilies bedecking the pebbled pathway. Not a single thing was out of place. Her eyes glistened watching the round swing placed in the corner where she used to study. It was still placed in the same spot with flower plush pillows kept on each side.

Her eyes slowly turned red. The tip of her nose tingled as she reminisced about her childhood.

She was such a vivacious girl, full of energy, enthusiasm, ambitions, life, and hope. She knew how to shoo away the negativity and loved to spread happiness and positivity everywhere but unfortunately, innocent souls are the favorite prey of evil and manipulative wolfs. And Evelyn faced the same fate.

“Evie?”

That endearment made her throat clogged up. Evelyn squeezed her eyes tightly; she didn’t dare turn around but emotions bubbled inside her.

“M-My child? Evie?”

A shaky low whisper rang in her ears. She recognized that voice.

He was her father.

His voice held a lot of pain that crumbled her heart.

“Evie, won’t you even look at your old father?”

Mr. Clarke spoke as he dragged his weak legs near her and continued calling her from a distance, hoping she would melt and come running into his arms as she used to in the past.

Evelyn couldn’t control it anymore and burst into hysterical sobs. Her knees gave up and she fell to the ground. Burying her face in her palms, she wailed out loud and rested her forehead on the ground.

It was such a heart-wrenching scene for Mr. Black to meet his daughter after so many years only to watch her sobbing like a broken soul.

The old man after a lot of difficulty managed to come near her. Very slowly, he dropped his cane and crouched down to her level. His eyes turned moist watching her Princess bawling like a child. He touched her shoulders with his trembling wrinkled hands and tried pulling her up.

“I am sorry Evie. I know no matter how much I apologize; it wouldn’t change the fact that I traded my own daughter to save that lame excuse of a company. You worked so hard for it yet I turned a blind eye and sell you off just like that. But believe me, Evie, there hasn’t been a single day when my heart didn’t cry for you. I wanted to see you and bring you back home but I have made the deal with the devil without realizing the outcomes.”

“You sold me, Dad.”

Evelyn finally said as she lifted her head and looked at Mr. Clarke. He immediately lowered his eyes, not having the courage to face her.

Evelyn saw how much her father had wilted over the years. His salt and pepper hair, round pair of big glasses resting over his nose, and wrinkled skin were just the signs of old age but what shattered her heart was his skinny structure. His bones were protruding out and he looked way older than his actual age.

Panic groped her. Evelyn gripped his hand and quickly sat on her knees.

“What happened Dad? Why are you-?” She spoke restlessly but stopped when Mr. Clarke sadly smiled.

“I don’t deserve your concern, Evie. You should spit on me-”

“No Dad, please,” Evelyn quickly covered his mouth. Fresh tears pooled in her eyes.

“What’s done is been done, Dad. I know we can’t erase it but I had definitely moved past it by achieving my dreams. I have turned much stronger than I was in the past and that’s why I came back to take you with me.”

Mr. Clarke looked at her with glassy eyes. He caressed her hair and gave her a strained smile.

“I know my child and I am so happy and proud of you. My decision brought so much trouble in your life but you fought with them like my lioness and come out as a diamond in the rug.”

Evelyn smiled and hugged him. She rested her head against his shoulder and sniffed while the smile on her face never wavered.

“I am the richest businesswoman in San Francisco, Dad. I am invited as a chief guest in every special event that is organized in the city. My company earns billions and is the top-notch and one of the most successful companies in the country.” She started bragging about her achievements making his father chuckle at her childishness.

“You’re still the same.” He spoke while patting her head. Evelyn beamed.

“Evie?”

“Mom”

Evelyn broke the hug and looked behind only to find her mother staring at her with surprise. Her lips curved in a smile but that didn’t reach her eyes once she noticed the scowl on her mother’s face. Unlike her father, she wasn’t delighted to see her, and that irked Evelyn badly.

Evelyn stood up on her feet and helped her father stand. She then picked up the cane from the floor and gave it to him before hooking her arm around his right arm.

Mrs. Clarke’s expression turned sour. She marched towards them and then crossed her arms over her chest before staring down at her.

“Stop acting Evie. We have each other’s back and have been living like this since the day you abandoned us. We don’t need you anymore, so get out of here.” She snarled and gripped her hand before tearing it away from her husband’s arm.

Mr. Clarke lost his balance at her harsh move but Evelyn quickly supported him. She then turned to her mother and give her the sharpest glare.

“Yeah, I saw how much you’re helping Dad. What have you done Mom that he turned so weak?” She snapped, angered by the way Mrs. Clarke was behaving with him.

“Wow!“, her mother exclaimed and burst into laughter.

Soon her laughter died down. She then stepped forward and looked at her with blazing eyes, “The audacity you have to stand in my house and shout at me. Now you will lecture me on how I should treat my husband? A girl who left her man to get a life of her own.”

“How dare you?” Mr. Clarke growled.

“No stop it, Dad,” Evelyn stopped her father and looked at Mrs. Clarke.

“It’s useless talking to her. I thought that maybe by now you must have realized your fault but no. How come I am so delusional Mom that I always yearn for your love when the truth is that you have never even seen me as your daughter.”

She trailed off as a sob erupted from her throat. Evelyn could believe that her mother was still full of spite. Even after so many years, she doesn’t even have a single scar of remorse.

Her words fueled Mrs. Clarke as she clenched her fists and glowered at her.

“What wrong did I do? Enlighten me dear because from what I remember is making a deal to save our company and secure your future. And I wasn’t the one who brought the condition of marriage, Dylan come up with a proposal because he wanted you.”

“And you agreed despite knowing that she had a girlfriend ” Evelyn raged, disgusted by the way her mother was defending her mistakes.

Mrs. Clarke surged her shoulders, “Yeah, so what? Rich people especially businessmen always have extramarital affairs. Wives then lure them and make them fall for them but you came as a disappointment. You failed in wooing your husband by prioritizing your self-esteem, confidence, and career. You didn’t even care to consult me and decided everything on your own. If you had seduced Dylan, there is no way he wouldn’t have fallen in love with you.” She spat and rolled her eyes.