Chapter14 Mommy got taken to the police station!
The room fell into an eerie silence.
Nora suppressed the emotions welling up in her as she looked at the two guilt-stricken faces. “I’m leaving now. Dad, remember I own 20% of our company. I’ll send you an account number soon, and you’ll transfer all my dividends—every single penny owed over these years. I’d rather not show up at the office to remind you. It wouldn’t look good for either of us.”
Those shares were her mother’s sacrifice, traded with her incarceration.
For years, her father had withheld what rightly belonged to her. It was time to reclaim what was hers.
Without another look at the others, Nora turned to Madam Smith. “Grandma, come with me. I’ll take care of you from now on.”
Tears glistened in Madam Smith's eyes at the words. “My dear, there's no need for you to provide for me. I'm quite happy at the care facility.”
“Grandma!”
“I insist. I'm fine.”
Madam Smith was resolute.
Nora, thinking of the children and the mysterious person back at home, did not press further. “Then let me at least take you back to the care facility.”
She would take care of pending matters before moving Grandma to the nurturing haven she had in mind.
“Alright,” Madam Smith agreed, her voice laced with relief.
“Nora, did you drive here? I can give you a lift back,” Lucas said, rising to his feet after being silent throughout the exchange.
Nora paused mid-step, a mocking smile touching her lips as she glanced at Becky. “Are you sure you want to do that?”
“Lucas, why would you drive her?” Becky snapped, cutting him off.
Becky was livid. She marched over and grabbed his arm with a grip of fury.
"Ouch! Ease up, you're pinching me," Lucas winced, shrugging off her hand.
"Lucas, what's with the attitude? The moment she walks in, you're all eyes on her!" Becky spat out.
"Me? You're making a fuss over nothing," he retorted.
"Am I really the one being unreasonable?"
Silence.
Nora snickered under her breath and helped Madam Smith make their exit.
"Becky, don't argue with Lucas," Martha interjected urgently.
"Me? Argue? Mom, it seems like he doesn’t want to divorce," Becky exclaimed loudly.
Lucas, adjusting his cuffs, wore a grim expression.
"Something's come up at the office. I need to go," he said.
He was the one who didn't want a divorce.
He regretted being charmed by Becky. What had gotten into him?
"Lucas, don't you dare walk away!" Becky yelled, trying to follow him, but Martha held her back.
"Enough, Becky. Keep up appearances for your husband's sake in front of others. No more scenes," Martha insisted.
Becky stamped her foot in frustration.
"Mom, you've seen it. Nora refuses to divorce. What am I supposed to do?"
Martha's face darkened. "She'll do it. She said as long as she finds the man from that night, she'll divorce Lucas," she reminded.
"But I'm not sure if that man was Mick," Becky lamented, collapsing onto the sofa in a huff.
Martha sat down next to her, her eyes flashing fiercely.
"Don't worry. Even if it wasn't him, we can make it so."
Four years had changed Nora so much. Did she really plan to overturn her mother’s conviction? She wouldn't let her have her way.
"She has some nerve threatening me! " Charles suddenly slammed his hand on the sofa, enraged.
Allen walked over and poured him a glass of water.
"Calm down, sir. The young lady isn't strong enough to stir trouble," he soothed.
Charles took the teacup, their eyes met, and he felt a little assured.
All those years gone by, and the trials they entailed, could this girl really dig up anything significant?
Meanwhile, outside, Nora drove Madam Smith towards the Sanatorium.
"Nora, what did you mean back there in front of your father? Is there some hidden truth behind your mother's imprisonment?" Madam Smith inquired.
Nora remained silent for a moment, but she didn't hide the truth.
"Grandma, Mom went to prison for Dad," she confessed to Grandma Smith, her voice barely a whisper.
"What!" The shock on Grandma Smith's face was palpable.
“Before I left for overseas, an auntie who claimed to be Mom's prison mate found me. She told me that Mom spent her last night in tears, regretting taking the fall for Dad," Nora explained, the old wounds reopening.
"Mom did it because she was a stay-at-home wife. If Dad had been incarcerated, our family would have crumbled. She sacrificed her freedom so I could have a better life."
“She had made Dad promise to take care of me, but the heart is fickle, Grandma. She never realized that he had already betrayed her. And a child without her mother is treated like nothing, insignificant.”
"Oh, what a tragedy!" Grandma Smith's heart ached as she processed the gravity of the situation. "So your mom's death... it wasn't natural?"
Nora’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. "It's likely connected to Martha, but I have no proof."
Grandma Smith sighed deeply, her face etched with regret. "It's all my fault. I thought I was helping Martha when I offered her the nanny job, given the hard life she had come from the countryside. If only I knew..."
She paused, her voice laced with bitterness. "Never would have guessed she'd end up in your Dad's bed! No wonder she left after just a year— she was whisked away to be his hidden mistress!"
Nora took Grandma Smith's hand, offering silent consolation. It wasn't her fault. It's just that some people's nature is dark and greedy.
In the Suburbs Courtyard House...
"Mr. Thomas, my hair is a mess. Can you help me tie it up, please?" Samantha approached, her unruly hair framing her face, offering two black hair ties from her tiny outstretched hands.
Aaron stared at the hair ties and then at Samantha, clueless. Tying a little girl's hair was beyond his expertise.
"Mr. Thomas, why aren't you moving?" Samantha asked with innocent impatience.
"I’m just trying to figure out how to do your hair," Aaron replied, taking the hair ties and bracing himself for the challenge.
"Just like Mommy does, two ponytails would be great," Samantha chirped, her small fingers fidgeting playfully.
Aaron recalled what ponytails looked like and set to work.
"Ouch, Man, that hurts!" Samantha protested as he inadvertently pulled too tight.
"Sorry," Aaron murmured, his Adam's apple bobbing with the unusual strain. Tying these ponytails felt harder than closing multimillion-dollar deals.
"It still hurts," she whined softly.
Samantha furrowed her brow once more.
Aaron clumsily finished tying one braid and quickly coaxed, "All done, Samantha, you're the best. You didn't even say ouch."
Samantha was indeed obedient, and even though it pulled painfully again, she just frowned without crying out.
At last, the pigtails were done.
Looking at the uneven ponytails atop the little munchkin’s head—one higher than the other—Aaron winced at the lopsided sight.
Tying pigtails was way harder than he thought!
"Are we done? Let me see."
Samantha found a hand mirror and preened in front of it.
"Mr. Thomas, why don’t these pigtails look like the ones Mommy makes? They’re kind of ugly!"
Aaron cleared his throat, "Samantha, you don’t understand, this is what we call 'asymmetrical beauty.'"
"Really?"
The little one's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Absolutely, you’re so adorable, anything looks good on you."
Aaron managed to say it with a straight face.
The kiddo giggled, "I’m off to play with my brother!"
Aaron watched her scamper away and felt an odd pang of guilt.
The two youngsters outside wouldn't be so easily fooled, after all.
As expected, the boys' voices filled the air.
"Samantha, what happened to your hair? Did a dog chew on it?"
"Stop it! Mr. Thomas said I’m cute, and it looks good no matter what!"
"He’s just a big fibber."
"No, he's not!"
The laughter of the children filled the room, bringing a smile to Aaron’s face as he leaned back on the bed.
Then, suddenly, all three kids screamed.
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