I tore my gaze away from them, forcing myself not to linger on something that had already crumbled.
Just as I turned back to my desk, Hayes spoke again, casual as ever.
“The incident last time… it was Zara’s fault,” he said like he was talking about the weather. “I had someone buy some supplements. I’ll send them to Mom later—to apologize.”
I froze. 'Apologize? To my mother?'
My jaw clenched, my nails digging into my palm.
She was gone.
What was the point of apologizing now?
Elise’s POV
“There’s no need,” I said flatly. “She doesn’t need it anymore.”
The day my mother passed, I had called Hayes countless times. Not once did he pick up.
With each ring, the same cold, automated voice repeated itself, hollow and distant. At first, I was furious. But as time passed, the anger faded, replaced by a numbness I couldn’t shake.
For a moment, I considered confronting them, demanding they take responsibility for what happened. For the stress. For the pain that worsened my mother’s condition.
But every time I closed my eyes, I heard her last words: 'Don’t hold onto hate, Elise. Let it go. Live your life freely… gracefully… happily.'
So, I did. Or at least, I tried.