The Billionaire's Runaway Wife

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"It comes and goes in waves, it always does." 

Waves, Dean Lewis

Iris Parker

At first, mama only walked through the garden as I followed her. She talked about how she missed taking care of the flowers here.

And then the silence until we reached the huge Japanese style gazebo. The sun has already set, but there were lampposts everywhere and even the gazebo was filmed with lights, too much that it blinded me sometimes.

There were tea tables under the gazebo imported from England just for this place.

"Sit down, Iris." she says and smiles. It takes almost all of me to smile back. I rounded the table and sat down. After she sat down, a maid I hadn't noticed placed a teapot and two teacups in front of us. This was followed by some biscuits of all flavours.

After the maid left, I lifted the teapot gently and poured her cup and then mine. I remember Wendy explaining to me that I should always do this to family members of the Parkers that were older than me. It was an act of respect, of submission. It was a tradition from one of their English ancestors.

"Thank you." she whispered. As I sat back down, she stared at me with those longing eyes that everyone seems to look at me with.

"You know, when I first heard that you had left my son, I searched for you." she started. I wanted to say something because it seemed like the right thing to do, but my lips were sealed. "Alfred and I used our resources to look for you. But as they say, it's hard to look for someone who's not missing. My heart was broken, but even more when I found out why you had run away." as she says this, her eyes look more pained. 

In contrast from her son, her eyes showed her heart. She was an open-book and it seemed to me that she never tried to hide how she really felt. I somehow admired that from her. 

"Iris, I want to apologize for my son. I'm sure that he regretted it too. You see, the Parkers... As you might now know, it's a complicated family. Their family holds the strongest mafia in all of Italia and... Everything that Liam had done was to prove that he was worthy of being its leader, although everyone acknowledged that he was the rightful leader. After the Supremo was separated in three a few years ago and Liam came to age to be its leader, there was no room for mistakes. He had to be who he is now. Even if it meant losing himself, losing you. 

Using you to get an old property... That's very cruel. But Iris, please forgive him. I may not understand how you truly feel, all I know is that it hurts, but please. If needs be, take your time. But please find it in your heart to someday forgive him. You're good for him Iris. I know it. I see it." 

By the time she finished talking, tears were already running down her face and mine too. I understood her, what she was trying to say. It was things that I tried telling myself too. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. 

"I... don't know, mama. Every time I see him, all of it comes back. That he just used me like some asset in his business. It's hard, mama. I won't make any promises but I will try." 

Wendy smiled sadly and silence settled in for a while. 

-----

Alfred and Wendy had left about an hour ago after playing with the kids with the promise of coming back tomorrow. 

After Liam and I gave them a shower and changed them, they had instantly fell asleep. Liam and I hadn't talked about anything, but I could see how bothered he was. Was it his talk with his father?