“Yes, I’m the one behind it. Didn’t I tell you that you shouldn’t have any regrets? You have to live your life without regrets. I’m getting old, and I don’t have many years to live. Ever since you were eighteen years old, I’ve told you that Crystal is no angel, but you never listened.”
As Sharon spoke, she stopped a few times to catch her breath. It was obvious that today’s event had taken a toll on her.
“Why do you think I took down Yvonne’s painting and gave it to Crystal to get her to leave? I knew she was up to no good and that her love for you was not real. I was happy when you married Yvonne, but your marriage was short-lived. You never even cherished her as your wife in those two short years. I wouldn’t have done this if you had not insisted on marrying that woman.”
Lyle was shocked. He let out a quiet laugh that sounded like a sob. “I thought I knew what kind of woman she was. I was wronged. Why didn’t you tell me, Grandma? You shouldn’t have kept it from me.”
“I knew from the start that she was messing around with the youngest son of the Miller family. She has played you out. What more can I say to you? Do you remember what I said to you when I tried to stop you from marrying Yvonne? You made me a promise, but then you divorced her not long after you married her. I always want what’s best for you. Too bad you didn’t listen to me.”
“Grandma…”
“Suck it up. Don’t cry. You’ve always had things easy, and it’s partly my fault for taking care of everything for you. Now you know how painful it is to fall…”
Their conversation began to fade away, and by the time I reached the entrance, I couldn’t hear them anymore. Tears welled in my eyes when I saw Nathan pull Crystal to his side before both of them bowed before Sharon.
That night, Christopher did not come home together with me. Instead, he spent the night at the Lane residence. I lay in bed alone, and for a long time, I had trouble falling asleep. When I woke up in the morning, I received a call from Christopher. He told me he missed me, and that brought a smile to my face.
When Sabrina came to see me, she tossed a newspaper in front of me as we sat at the table. She grabbed the toast from me and took a bite before saying, “It’s unbelievable. Do you have any idea how hot the news is, Eve? All the newspapers are sold out, and I had to spend a small fortune to buy a copy of the newspaper from someone else. Take a look. You’ll be so happy once you read it. Oh, how the tables have turned. Congratulations! You’re finally free from all that toxicity. Come on, let’s go out today. Let’s treat ourselves to a nice meal to celebrate.”
I quickly scanned through the newspaper. The main photo at the top of the news was a close-up of Crystal in a state of panic at the wedding. The news article on Crystal’s disclosure was tactful, but it was enough to garner attention.
“Yes, I should be happy. I’m finally free from all the emotional baggage,” I said as I forced out a smile.
Sabrina talked elatedly as she recounted how Crystal was surrounded by the reporters when she left the hotel, and that she was holed up in the Tanner residence. Word on the street was that her paintings had been removed from the art exhibition. When Sabrina realized that I had not spoken, she asked, “Why don’t you look happy, Eve? Don’t tell me you’re sympathizing with Crystal.”
I shook my head. “I don’t sympathize with her. If she had not done those things, she wouldn’t end up like this. She has what’s coming. But I don’t feel happy. Instead, I feel rather bothered by it.”
“You put too much importance on your family. They treated you like dirt, and yet you worry about them at times like this. Don’t worry. As Christopher said before, with the backings of the Lane family, the Tanners will be fine.”
Sabrina patted me on the shoulder as she reassured me. When she saw that I was still in a daze, she rubbed her hands on my cheek. I slapped her hands away and asked, “What about the Smith family? Considering Sharon’s old age, all this stress will be too much for her to handle.”
