<b>Chapter </b><b>131 </b>


    Victoria


    I never told Zoe not to tell Mason. She decided that on her own. After what happened over five years ago, she never mentioned it to him, even in person. It was as if there was a silent agreement between us to keep it a secret.


    We both kept it locked away in a vault. But now it’s out, all those secrets are out in the open, and it has cost just what I was trying to avoid. How do you grieve the loss of two children who are still alive? Zoe and Mason are no longer with me.


    Now, on the edge of my bed, I stared straight into space. It has been a few days since they left, and the house has not been the same without them. One knock and I shifted my gaze <i>to </i>the door. It pushed open, and Rita stepped in with a tray of food in one hand. She ced the food on the table beside me.


    “You have to eat something,” she said, her voice soft. “If you want them back, if you want to have the strength to wee them back when they walk through the door as they will, you have to stay


    healthy.”


    “But 1 am not hungry,” I said, pushing away the food.


    “It doesn’t matter, just take a few bites. I don’t know how you are feeling. I don’t really know what is going on, but I can see how badly it is affecting you. Maybe you should call them and tell them how you feel about the disagreements you have, and you can settle it,” she said.


    If only she knew it wasn’t as easy as she thinks. If this can be settled with them knowing how I feel,


    then I wouldn’t be here.


    I indeed brought her to keep watch over Zoe and make sure it never leaves her room, but I never told her the reason, and she never asked.


    I could not trust anyone with the information about what happened years ago. The person I was afraid of hearing from was Mason, and he already knew and had taken Zoe with him. However, it still mattered if others knew.


    Rita was right, I needed to eat to have the strength to wee them back. My lips shook, and my heart was heavy as I tried to console myself.


    Not ready to speak to her, she left the room without taking the tray of food. My mind reverted back to the times when we were happy together as a family, before my husband died and before I even had to


    remarry.


    Those times when Zoe and Mason lived with me and listened to me. That was long before Lydia came. It all started going sideways when Lydia entered the picture. I knew from the day Mason introduced her to me as the woman he was in love with that she would be trouble, but I never expected her to destroy my family.


    Even after years that I have sessfully kicked her out of our lives, she still found a way to rip us apart, she sure was a handful and reminded me of a woman I have always wanted to forget. She was too simr to Lydia, not only physically but also in the way they act and their resilience.


    I


    I got rid of that woman once and for all, the same way I had done to Lydia, but here we are. I don’t


    even know what to do with Lydia anymore. But one thing was certain, my hatred for her was valid and


    had gone deeper than ever.


    If she was capable of pulling apart my family even after I had driven her out of my son’s life years ago, then she is a no–no. I do not want her in my life. I do not want her in Mason’s life, and I will certainly


    not ept her bastards.


    I would sooner eat grass or squeeze water out of stone before I apologize to Lydia. If anything, she’s


    the one who owes me an apology for pulling apart my family, that stupid girl.


    I was able to reach for the tray on the table when my phone rang. My heart slipped out of my chest, and I quickly stood up and walked to the vanity table. Expecting Mason or Zoe to be on the line.


    Maybe they finally realized that they cannot leave without me. Yes, they were angry, but they can’t be angry at me forever. After all, I am their Mother. No matter how much power you think she has over my children, they will always choose me first.


    But my happy face fell when I saw the ID caller. I drew a breath, disappointed that it wasn’t Mason,


    but instead it was Mrs Everett.


    Why was she calling me? What does she want from me? If only her stupid daughter were able to hold her engagements together, then all this would not be happening. How could a girl so smart and


    beautiful not be able to win Mason’s heart?


    Anger ran through me as I washed the phone ring till it stopped, and then I returned to my bed. Honestly, it wasn’t just Lydia I was angry at.


    I am also angry at Julia, yes, but also needed her to get her ce back in Mason’s life if I wanted to kick Lydia out of Mason’s life for good. But right now, I am not ready to deal with Mrs Everett. I do not know what to say to her.


    I picked up my fork and took slow bites from the food. A few minutester, Rita returned to the room. What does she want? She was driving me crazy. Or maybe it was the entire situation.


    “What is it this time?” I asked, raising my head to meet her eyes. She looked worried, fidgeting with


    her hands.


    “Ma’am, you have a visitor,” she said. I raised my brow, my eyes brimming with excitement, but the look on her face was enough to tell me that it wasn’t the person I was expecting. So I quickly calmed


    myself.


    I asked, trying to remain calm andposed, but inside I was running mad. Who was this person? I do not have any friends who woulde visiting.


    “Mrs Everett’s secretary,” she said.


    “I don’t understand. Why was Mrs Everett’s secretary at my house?”


    “She has to see you,” she said, “urgently.” She added. “Did you ask her who sent her?” I asked. She


    shook her head.


    “No, I did not, but she’s downstairs. She’s not even taking a seat. She said she’d wait on her feet until you speak to her.”


    I decided that it would be best to go out and see her. I pushed the tray back on the table and stood, walking out of the room with Rita trailing behind me.


    In the sitting room was a woman in a ck suit, tapping her feet continuously on the floor. She had. her back facing me. When I got closer to her, as if sensing my presence, she turned around and bowed


    slowly.


    “Good day, ma’am,” she greeted respectfully, but didn’t lift her head. It wasn’t until I heard footsteps behind me that I realized she wasn’t bowing to me anymore. I turned and saw Mrs. Everett walking towards me with a straight face and a squared shoulder, with Gloria beside her.


    I gave Rita a look, and she looked just as surprised as I was, which means she didn’t know either.


    “You don’t look very happy to see me.” Mrs Everett said, a smile stered on her face, and that was what reminded me to smile too.


    “Of course, I’m happy to see you.” We exchanged pleasantries and did the same with Gloria, who was with her. I invited them in, although I didn’t want to. That was when realisation dawned on me. We were supposed to meet this afternoon, and I totally forgot about it.


    Well, you can’t me me. I have enough on my te already.


    After Mrs. Everett settled, she crossed one leg over the other, and I then spoke.


    17:06 Tue, 26 Aug


    Q


    33%4


    “So, what are we going to do about this? You know I will never ept this breakup.” Finally, there was


    someone on the same side as me.


    “How can Mason do this to Julia? He never loved my daughter and was too selfish to let her go quickly. He got her pregnant, and now he’s abandoned her. I don’t know how you trained your son, but you did a terrible job.”


    I have never tolerated a single insult to Mason and will not start now. But I had to hold my tongue in ce if I wanted to act smart.


    “What do we do to bring them together?” I asked, lunging forward.