Chapter 0538
“I don’t know, Emma. I don’t understand what you’re asking,” Valerie replied, shrugging helplessly.
“Fine. I’ll tell you,” Emma said, her tone growing sharper I’m going to be blunt, but know that I say this with all the love a mother can give. Okay?”
“Yes…” Valerie murmured, bracing herself.
“Mary, I see a 43–year–old woman, pregnant with twins–boy and a girl, nearly five months along, I see a woman with a husband. And not just any husband–a man in every sense of the word. A man who has supported you in every aspect of your life, through good times and bad. He’s always been there for you, hasn’t he?”
Emma continued, her voice steady yet filled with maternal firmness.
“I see you with a loving and attentive husband–a man who exceeded every expectation left unfulfilled by your first marriage. A man who is, above all, a man, a husband, a father, and a lover. Let’s not forget that these two babies growing inside you didn’t arrive by divine intervention.”
She leaned closer, her gaze piercing.
“I see you as a woman who has grown into herself. You’re not that almost 18–year–old girl desperate to act like an adult to catch Maximus’s attention. You’re a grown woman now, Mary. You have a 20–year–old daughter, a 5–year -old son, and soon, two more babies. This–this–is your family, Mary!”
Emma softened for a moment, placing a gentle hand on Valerie’s arm.
“If Peter is alive, that’s incredible news! It proves that life, in its strange way, can be just. After all the pain you’ve both endured, it gave him another chance. I’ve seen his life, his struggles, and his triumphs until his father took him far away. I know the man. But just because he’s alive doesn’t mean you get to throw all of this away to run off with him.”
“Emma!” Valerie protested, her voice breaking with shock. How can you say such things?”
“I’m not saying anything that isn’t already in your heart,” Emma replied pointedly. “I see it in your eyes. If you weren’t pregnant, I believe you’d have packed your bags and run off with him without a second thought. You wouldn’t have cared about the pain you left behind. You’d have brushed it all aside.”
Emma leaned back slightly, her expression resolute.
“But here’s the truth, Mary–you’re in love with an illusion. The illusion of what you and Peter had when you were 23. Life didn’t allow you to be together, but have you ever stopped to ask yourself why? Maybe you weren’t meant to be. Maybe you were destined to meet, to love, and then to part ways.”
Valerie’s voice trembled as she whispered, “But how do I let him go? Tell me how, Emma.”
Emma sighed deeply, her eyes softening.
“You let him go the same way you have for all these years. By holding onto the love you receive from your family— your husband, your children, and those of us who care for you. That should be enough. Think of his return as a gift, an opportunity to say goodbye properly, not an invitation to reopen a closed door.”
Emma leaned forward, her tone growing more solemn.
“Think about it, Mary. If you run to Peter’s arms now, you’ll be repeating the cycle of harm Maximus brought Into your life. Do you remember what you endured when Maximus married you while being in love with Alexia? He married you out of obligation, not choice. He didn’t have anyone to tell him if it was right or wrong to pursue his great first love after marrying you.‘
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Chapter 0538
Emma paused to let the words sink in before continuing.
“That decision caused so much pain–you, your daughter almost taking her own life, you shattered and drowning in tears. And him? Maybe he was happy for a time. Maybe for a few years. But in the end, his so–called great love turned into a bad love, full of betrayals, mistreatment, and infidelities–from both of them. What happened to that so–called love that destroyed you? It self–destructed.
“Now, do you understand what I’m saying?”
Valerie’s voice was faint. “Emma, I don’t want that to happen. I can’t… I can’t leave my family.”
“Are you sure about that?” Emma pressed. “Because that’s not what I see in your eyes. I see that the thought has crossed your mind. You might try to fool me, but you can’t fool yourself.
“Sweetie, I will stand by you no matter what. If you choose the path you’re too afraid to admit, whether it’s sweet or bitter, I’ll walk it with you. But before you take any step, think about everything I’ve said.”
Valerie sat in stunned silence, her mind racing. Emma’s words cut through her emotions, laying bare truths she didn’t want to face. If she gave in to these feelings, she realized, she might become the very thing she had hated in others.
