Chapter 408 Extremism
Susan knew that with James and Catherine keeping an eye on Dorothy, nothing was gonna go down. Plus, Dorothy had beef with her, so it was best to steer clear.
After bailing from the police station, Susan spotted Henry and Hailey leaning on each other and felt a twinge of jealousy.
She walked up and said, "Hey Henry, can we talk for a sec?"
Hailey shot Susan a look, but Henry nodded and told Hailey, "Hang tight over there for a bit."
"Sure," Hailey said, and obediently moved to the side.
Under the dim streetlight, Henry's bruised face cracked a smile at Susan. "If you're here to chew me out, go ahead. I know I messed up."
Susan didn't expect that. She couldn't smile, but her tone was chill. "Why would I chew you out?"
"I cheated on my wife, and Dorothy's your sister," Henry replied.
Susan looked up at the night sky. "I actually regret dragging pregnant Dorothy to you and making you take responsibility."
Henry frowned a bit.
Susan went on, "If you and Dorothy hadn't tied the knot, she wouldn't have gone through all this crap. Amanda wouldn't have been caught in the middle, and you wouldn't have lost your gig as a professor. You wouldn't be in this mess."
Susan felt super guilty, but it was too late for regrets.
Henry sighed. "No point in dwelling on it now. You don't need to feel bad. Dorothy and I are where we are because of fate, not anyone else."
Susan cut to the chase. "Henry, Amanda's innocent. I think Dorothy saying she doesn't want custody was just her being pissed. No matter what, you're Amanda's dad. You brought her into this world, and I hope you can give her a good life. Dorothy and I grew up in a single-parent home, and that's why Dorothy's a bit extreme. I don't want Amanda to end up like her."
"Don't worry; Amanda's my daughter. I'll do everything I can to give her a happy childhood," Henry promised confidently.
Susan nodded. "That's a relief."
Henry glanced at Hailey, who was standing not far away.
"Hailey might seem tough, but she's got a soft heart. She'll be good to Amanda," Henry said, looking at Hailey with admiration.
Susan followed his gaze. Hailey, standing in the night, looked like a little girl waiting for Henry, totally different from her earlier fierce vibe.
"Anyway, I wish you both happiness," Susan said sincerely.
"Do you know why I fell for Hailey?" Henry suddenly asked.
Susan frowned, puzzled.
Henry smiled. "Because she's a lot like you."
Susan's heart skipped a beat!
No wonder she felt a bit fond of Hailey earlier; the answer was right there. Hailey was a lot like her younger self.
Ever since Spring came along, it felt like the rough edges of her personality had been smoothed out. Susan saw a bit of her younger self in Hailey.
Looking into Henry's eyes, Susan felt a swirl of emotions and a touch of awkwardness. Maybe if she had given Henry a shot back then, things would’ve turned out differently for both of them.
Susan smiled. "Henry, no two people are exactly the same."
"I get it. You’re you, and Hailey’s Hailey. I really love her," Henry said, his eyes lighting up with happiness.
Seeing that happiness in his eyes, Susan felt a lot more at ease.
"I hope you both find happiness. Goodbye." With that, Susan turned and walked away.
She hoped Henry’s future would be smooth, that Amanda would have a happy life with him, and that Dorothy would get her act together soon.
A few days later, still worried, Susan called Catherine.
"Mom, where are you?" Susan asked when the call connected.
"I’m at Dorothy’s place," Catherine’s voice was a bit hushed.
Susan knew Catherine was trying not to be overheard by Dorothy.
"Mom, if it’s not a good time, I can call you later," Susan said.
Then Catherine’s voice returned to normal. "Dorothy and James just stepped out. Go ahead and talk."
"Mom, how are things between Dorothy and Henry?" Susan asked.
Catherine sighed. "They finalized the divorce yesterday. The house is now in Dorothy’s name, and the $100,000 in cash has been handed over. Dorothy and James went to the community office to change the names."
"What about Amanda?" Susan felt a bit relieved hearing the procedures were done.
"Amanda’s with the Thompson family. They’re taking her abroad for a trip tomorrow," Catherine replied.
"Didn’t Dorothy go see Amanda? Does she really not want custody?" Susan was anxious, worried Dorothy might regret it later.
Catherine sighed. "I’ve said all I can, but Dorothy’s stubborn. Now James is always pushing her to grab the house and money."
Hearing Catherine’s helplessness, Susan said, "Mom, you’ve done your part. If she won’t listen, there’s nothing more you can do. When are you coming back?"
"I don’t think Dorothy’s very stable right now. I’m not comfortable leaving, so I plan to stay a few more days until she calms down," Catherine sighed and hung up.
After hanging up, Susan had a bad feeling. But there wasn’t much she could do, so she decided to focus on her work.
Just as she was about to wrap up, her phone rang.
Looking at the screen, she saw it was Seb calling.
She frowned slightly, thinking, 'Hasn’t he been in the central district these past few days? Could he be back today? It’s been five or six days since he left, so it’s about time for him to return.'
After the phone rang for about ten seconds, Susan finally picked it up.
"Hello?" As soon as the call connected, Susan felt a bit breathless.
"I just got back from the central district. Wanna grab dinner tonight?" Seb’s deep voice came through.
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