When fate plays its hand

“Yes,” Timothy answered calmly.

From a certain angle, he and Sam looked strikingly similar.

Timothy pried Nelly’s hand off his arm and strode away. As he passed Sam, he paused to pat him on the shoulder before leaving.

She stood frozen as she watched how calm and unaffected they both were. Then, something clicked, and her eyes widened in shock. “Sam! You already knew about this?”

She rushed over, grabbed his arms, and shook him. “You knew all along, didn’t you?”

Sam nodded. “Yes.”

“When did you find out?”

“I’ve known all along,” he replied.

Nelly let out a bitter laugh. “So, you both knew? All along I was the one left in the dark. My own husband and son made a fool out of me.”

“Mom, everyone has to face the consequences of their actions. Dad gave you a chance, but you didn’t take it,” Sam said.

“So, you’re saying I deserved this?”

“…If that’s how you choose to see it, then yes,” he replied.

Nelly fell silent.

…

Timothy personally visited the Garrison estate to inform Aren and Fiona of his decision concerning Nelly.

After hearing the news, Aren sat in silence for a long time. Finally, he said, “Perhaps this is for the best. Yes, maybe it is.”

Fiona added, “From now on, Florence is Florence, and Sam is Sam. As far as we’re concerned, they’ve got nothing to do with each other.”

“…I understand,” Timothy replied, though he wasn’t surprised by their reaction.

Still, he couldn’t help but wonder, “What about me? What do I mean to you both?” But in the end, he kept his question to himself.

As he was leaving, Fiona walked him to the door. He couldn’t resist glancing inside.

“Min is not here. Don’t bother looking around,” she said calmly.

:

Timothy gave a bitter smile and lowered his gaze.

Fiona’s expression softened, but it was gone in an instant. “Tim, you’re a good man. But you and Min… it just wasn’t meant to be. Life can be cruel like that.

“At least she didn’t suffer much over the past 20 years. We’re grateful that Lionel’s been taking care of her. After spending some time with him, we’ve come to really like him as a son–in–law. You…”

She hesitated, then continued, “You need to let go, Tim. Love and obsession aren’t the same thing. We don’t want to see you stuck in a relationship that should’ve ended a long time ago.

“We definitely don’t want to mess up the peaceful life Min and Lionel have now. Do you understand what I’m saying?” This belongs to NôvelDrama.Org - ©.

Her last sentence was the point of her little speech. The blatant favoritism and protective stance naturally extended to Lionel as well.

Timothy’s bitter smile deepened. “You have my word.”

He might have entertained the thought once. But Mindy had been through a lot, and she had finally reunited with her family after being apart for so long.

How could he possibly bring himself to ruin that? So, he decided to let it be. (1

That night, Sam wasn’t surprised to see Timothy at the bar. It wasn’t the first time his father had gone there. In fact, it was Sam who had introduced him to the place.

“Mind if I join you for a drink?” he asked.

Timothy smiled and gestured for him to sit. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper

father–son conversation.”

Sam glanced around and reminded him, “I’m not sure if this counts as ‘proper.“”

Timothy laughed heartily. “True. Guess we’ll just keep it casual.”

Sam didn’t reply.

“So, you spent the night before Easter Sunday at the Garrison estate? Miranda was there too, wasn’t she?”

Sam frowned and replied tentatively, “Of course she was. I even posted a family photo on my social media account. You didn’t see it?”

“There’s no need to be so defensive. I’m your father. Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours,” Timothy said.

Sam’s expression turned wary.