Chapter 687: Stop Apologizing
Upon entering the room, Wendy swept her gaze over the people gathered in it.
She went straight to Mary and said quietly, "Mom, Timothy Woods would like to see you. He’s waiting outside now."
Mary had heard the police officers talking about Timothy before they left the room with Wendy. She thought he requested to meet Wendy because he wanted to meet his daughter one more time before he had to leave. She hadn’t expected him to ask to see her as well.
Without hesitation, Mary rejected, "I don’t wish to see him."
Her mother’s response didn’t surprise Wendy.
Mary would have visited Timothy if she wanted to see him, and he would not have had to ask to meet her.
After some thought, Wendy decided she would help Timothy persuade her mother.
After all, he had saved Leah.
"Mom..." Wendy hesitated before continuing, "Perhaps you can see him for a minute or two. It won’t take much time.
"If you do not want to meet him alone, I can accompany you. He’s still a convict, and it’s unlikely you’ll ever get to meet him again."
"Wendy, I know you feel like you owe him something because he saved Leah. Don’t forget, however, that he owed it to us first!" Mary said angrily, "Thirty years ago, he left without looking back, got married, and had a thriving career. He has long forgotten about us! Don’t I have the right to refuse to see him now?"
"Mom, don’t be angry. We won’t see him. We won’t, okay?" Wendy rubbed Mary’s back, trying to soothe her anger. "I’ll tell him to leave now."
Mary’s resentment at having been unfairly treated could not be easily resolved.
Wendy turned and left the room.
When Timothy saw Wendy reappear, he immediately asked, "Did your mother agree to see me?"
Wendy shook her head. "Mr. Woods, you’d better leave."
"But..." Timothy looked into the room. However, he couldn’t see Mary from where he stood outside the door.
He felt he could not simply leave without seeing Mary.
The apology he owed her weighed heavily on his conscience. He would regret it for the rest of his life if he did not get it out.
He knew this might be his last chance to see Mary in person. He seemed to be thinking of something as he looked down.
Suddenly, he stepped around Wendy and hurried straight into the room.
Wendy had not expected that from him and ran after him, calling out, "Mr. Woods!"
By then, Timothy was already in the room. He scanned the room and his gaze rested on Mary. Approaching her, he asked, "Sylvia?"
The face was somewhat unfamiliar, and Timothy uttered her name with uncertainty.
Sylvia Stewart did not look like this in his memory. She was elegant, sophisticated, and beautiful.
Thirty years ago, she was a princess who had grown up in a relatively well-off family.
She had doting parents who had raised her lovingly.
The woman he saw now had many wrinkles. The ravages of time were painfully obvious on her face.
Timothy’s eyes welled with tears. He lowered his head, and tears streamed down his face.
He raised his hand to wipe the tears off his face and then proceeded to give himself a tight slap.
"What do you want? Why are you here?" Mary asked. "I do not want to see you! Why did you still barge in? Get out! Get out!"
...
"Sylvia, I’m sorry..." Timothy ignored Mary’s outburst.
Instead, he fell to his knees in front of her with a thud.
Wendy and Michael exchanged looks. Silently, they both went to Leah. Michael picked Leah up while Wendy took the drip bottle attached to Leah.
Then, everyone left the room quietly. The only people left were Timothy and Mary.
On his knees, Timothy slapped himself again. "I’m a jerk. I hurt you. Sylvia, I’m sorry."
"Sorry?" Mary raised her head and laughed.
The laughter was soon accompanied by streams of tears that flowed on her cheeks.
"Sorry? Did you think you can make up for all the wrongs you did to me with just a simple apology?"
"I had no intention of doing that. I just wanted to say I’m sorry face-to-face," Timothy explained.
"What’s the point of that? Can it undo everything that happened in the past 30 years?" Mary asked. "I made it clear that I did not want to see you. Why did you still force your way in?"
"I just wanted to say I’m sorry," Timothy repeated, his voice trembling.
"I don’t need your apology." Mary shook her head, enunciating each word slowly.
"Hubert, I think you are the one who needs that apology, not me. Now that you’ve personally apologized to me, do you feel better?"
Mary called Timothy out with no regard for his feelings.
She was right. Had Timothy not apologized to Mary, his conscience would not have been in peace for the rest of his life. He knew the words meant nothing to Mary, but he needed them.
"You’re as selfish as ever. Thirty years ago, you left me for your own selfish needs, and now 30 years later, you’re forcing me to accept your apology for your own selfish reasons." Mary’s eyes were red as she spoke.
"Thirty years ago, I did not know you were pregnant. If I had known..." Before Timothy could finish what he was about to say, Mary interrupted him, "What would you have done if you had known? Would you have given up on your dreams of wealth and fame and returned to me? Would you have divorced your wife and married me instead?"
Timothy realized he could not answer any of Mary’s questions.
Back then, he had been bedazzled by the promises of wealth and fame in Rheinsville City.
It would not be convincing at all if he said he would have returned had he known Mary was pregnant.
His conscience had been overthrown by the accolades and awards he had received.
Fame and fortune had cemented his fate.
If he had not gotten arrested and had time to spare while in prison, he would not have reflected on his actions.
"I’m sorry, Sylvia. I’m sorry..." Timothy did not know what else to say except to repeat the same words over and over again.
It all seemed so insignificant.
"Hubert, stop apologizing to me. I don’t need your apologies!" Mary glared at the man kneeling in front of her. She continued, "Since you forced your way in, I will tell you what happened 30 years ago."
Mary had planned to keep the past buried, but Timothy had insisted upon digging it out.
Did he think he could put his conscience to rest with mere words of apology?
Mary was not about to let him have his way.
...
"One month after you left, I learned I was pregnant." Mary choked back tears as she told her story. "Communication was not as convenient then as it is now, and you did not leave me any contact information. I tried everything I could, but I simply couldn’t find you.
"Do you know what it’s like to be an unmarried and pregnant woman 30 years ago?
"My family wanted me to abort the baby. They said you would not return. As long as I aborted the baby, things would return to normal.
"But I believed you would return... I was beaten and made to kneel as punishment, but I refused to give up.
"Later, as my pregnancy advanced and my belly became obvious, I had no choice but to leave my hometown.
"I went to Linton, changed my name, and found a job.
"I was a sheltered girl, and I had to work as a waitress, mopping floors and wiping tables.
"Even then, I didn’t earn much. There were times when I could not even afford to buy food.
"For the baby, and to survive, I often ate the customers’ leftovers.
"That way, I managed to live until Wendy was born. Do you know what kept me going?
"The place I rented would flood whenever it rained. When I was eight months pregnant, there was a storm, and I got drenched and had a fever. If the neighbor hadn’t found me when she did, Wendy and I would have died then.
"After giving birth, I could not go to work. It was the hardest month of my life. During that time, I relied on my neighbors’ generosity.
"When I had recovered somewhat from the birth, I brought Wendy with me to work odd jobs.
"Even then, I believed you would become successful and return for us.
"I fantasized about you coming to me all dressed up in a fancy suit, bouquet in hand, asking me to marry you.
"I waited and waited. Finally, I learned that you had become famous, but with it came the news that you had gotten married."
As he listened to Mary’s recounting of the past, tears streamed uncontrollably down Timothy’s face.
He did not know how he should look this woman in the eye... this woman, whose life he had ruined.
Mary looked at Timothy who was on the floor. She could not see his face, but from his shuddering body, she knew he was crying.
However, Mary had no intention of forgiving him. She continued, "Do you think that’s the worst of it?"
Timothy slowly raised his head when he heard Mary speak. He looked fearfully into Mary’s eyes.
He was afraid to know what else there was.
"I did not dare to go home for a few years. When I finally went back, I found out that my father got into an accident while looking for me." Mary viciously kicked Timothy.
"Hubert! Did you know that my father got into an accident while looking for me? He died!
"Here you are, trying to get peace of mind with a puny apology.
"Let me tell you, it’s impossible! There is no way I can forgive you in this lifetime. I will never forgive you, ever!"
Timothy was sprawled on the floor.
He did not feel pain from Mary’s kick.
However, Mary’s words stabbed his heart. It hurt so badly he could not breathe.
"My father died because he was out looking for me. I became what I am now because of you. So, Hubert, you can be considered half a murderer. I hope you rot in prison for the rest of your life!" Mary cried. Her tone was cold and her expression imperious as she glared down at the man at her feet.
