Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Fuming, Tabitha called Stan. “Where are you? Get back here and deal with your son!”
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Stan had been out of prison for five years. Maybe some people were meant to end up together. After everything, he and Tabitha still found their way back to each other.
But life wasn’t some fairy tale. They spent more time blaming and resenting each other than anything else.
Still, they stayed together, mostly because neither had a better option.
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Hearing Tabitha’s complaints, Stan snapped, “Can you stop whining for once? I’m dead tired from work. Can’t you handle this kind of crap without dragging me into it?”
Then he hung up without hesitation.
Tabitha stood there clutching the phone, her emotions crashing down. She broke down in tears again, cursing her bad luck and the people around her who’d all turned cold.
Her once–obedient son, who used to jump to help her, now acted like a total stranger.
Her aging parents, who used to spoil her, now ignored her completely. They got so much money from Geneva every month -more than they could ever spend–yet they wouldn’t spare even a penny for her. After all, she still believed she was the one who truly cared about them.
And Stan–he had promised to love and cherish her forever, but now he was just a washed–up, greasy middle–aged guy with a criminal record. She’d stood by him after everything, yet he looked at her like she was nothing.
She thought her life was a complete mess.
The only thing that gave her any comfort was the idea that maybe Geneva was doing even worse.
But that last bit of solace crumbled the moment she saw Geneva again–on TV.
Geneva had been brought back to the city for health reasons, basically to retire and recover.
The news covered her achievements and contributions over the past two decades. There she was again, standing tall on a podium, being honored by the country’s top leaders while the world applauded.
Her outer appearance reflected her inner peace. Though Geneva had aged and never married or had children, she looked calm and content. She carried herself with grace–elegant, poised, and full of quiet dignity. People admired her everywhere
she went.
With her return, Geneva instantly became the center of attention again. Every news outlet, every social media feed was buzzing with her name.
“Even with wrinkles, she’s still my forever goddess.”
“Wrinkles? Those are the marks of grace and time.”
“Let’s flood her with love–she’s our pride!”
Geneva’s legacy was now a permanent part of Astaria’s history–something future generations would remember.
When Stan saw the reports, his feelings were even more tangled than Tabitha’s.
After all, he was Geneva’s ex–husband–the only man who had ever truly been close to her.
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Chapter 34
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But he had thrown that chance away himself. Over the years, thoughts of Geneva had come and gone, but now, as he saw her shine like this, regret hit harder than ever.
If he had stayed with Geneva from the beginning, he could’ve been right there beside her, sharing the spotlight.
But there were no ifs. Geneva was a national figure now, and nobody was digging into her past. Still, part of Stan wished someone would. He almost hoped the media would dig up those old stories just so people would know–he was once her husband, and he’d been too blind to see her worth.
But that never happened. Compared to Geneva’s achievements, the people from her past twenty years ago didn’t matter anymore. Mentioning them felt like a waste of time–time better spent celebrating Geneva.
Stan could only fool himself into thinking Geneva had stayed single all these years because she still had feelings for him.
Deep down, he knew that was nonsense–someone like Geneva wasn’t the type to cling to old love. But imagining she still cared gave him a little comfort. It let him believe he was the one man she’d loved but couldn’t have.
That small lie helped him get through the days, instead of just dragging himself through life in a daze. Stan came home with a dead look in his eyes. Tabitha was trying to help Barclay pick out his clothes.
Barclay looked annoyed. “Mom, what are you doing now?”
“I’m going to dress you up nicely and take you to see your Aunt Geneva,” Tabitha said.
Stan blinked, caught off guard.
Barclay’s face lit up. “Wait, what? You mean she’s actually willing to see us, huh?”
Tabitha nodded. “Your grandparents reached out, and she agreed to meet with them. I’m going to take you along.”
Seeing how excited she was, Stan scoffed, “You really think you’ve got the guts to face her, huh?”
To be honest, Stan felt embarrassed. Part of him didn’t want Geneva to see how far he’d fallen.
Tabitha bit her lip. “Yeah, I did her wrong back then. But she’s gotten her revenge. We’re even now. She’s old. She must miss her family. We should be there for her.”
Then she turned to Barclay. “No matter what happened between her and me, she’s still your aunt. Even if she hates me, there’s no reason for her to take it out on you.”
Hearing that, Barclay suddenly remembered the things he’d done to Geneva as a kid.
Back then, when he bullied Geneva, everyone brushed it off. They said he was just a kid and didn’t really mean to hurt her. But Barclay knew better–he’d actually wanted her dead.
At that time, he believed Geneva was the reason his mom suffered. If she were gone, everything would be fine again. Now guilt washed over him. The idea of facing Geneva scared him. He wondered what to do if she brought up the past.
Tabitha continued, “Barclay, when we see Geneva, you need to act right. Be polite. Try to get close to her. If she lets you stay by her side, you can inherit everything she’s built. You’ll have a future.”
After all these years of failing to turn Barclay into anything impressive, Tabitha accepted that she couldn’t do it alone. But she wasn’t going to waste this one chance.
Anyway, Barclay was grown, and he’d understand that family ties mattered most. Geneva wouldn’t be able to win him over completely.
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Chapter 34
In the end, even if Tabitha hadn’t done a thing, she’d still end up with a successful son. It wouldn’t matter how amazing Geneva was–she had no kids. All her accomplishments would end up benefiting Barclay.
Barclay’s hope started to return. He also wanted to become someone important, someone like Geneva. “But what if Aunt Geneva doesn’t want to keep me around?”
Tabitha shrugged like it was obvious. “She doesn’t have any kids. You’re her nephew–who else is she gonna pass things on to? Her agreeing to see your grandparents means she’s starting to soften. Just wait. She’ll bring it up herself.”
