Chapter 69: Unexpected Invitation
The phone rang, interrupting Lyse’s peaceful evening. She glanced at the screen, recognizing her father’s number. A wave of confusion hit her, why would he be calling her phone. She hesitated before answering, her tone clipped when she finally did.
"Hello." she said, her voice devoid of warmth.
"Lyse, my child. where have you been? I have been trying to reach you," Jeff’s voice, usually smooth and confident, sounded a bit strained.
"Your child?" Lyse scoffed in disbelief at the term he had used. She had never been his child, just some unwanted child. "Why, suddenly are you concerned about my whereabouts? After all these years of ignoring me, pretending I did not exist to you?"
Lyse’s relationship with her father was complicated. Whereas her mom had always been very straightforward about her dislike for her, her father had not really interacted with her. He left her entirely to her mother’s mercy and that caused her to despise him even though she also craved his recognition and love.
Jeff stumbled over his words. "I... I did not mean it like that. It’s just... I hate to come between a mother and her daughter so I left you to Lottie, but I never hurt you."
Lyse rolled her eyes in disbelief at his ignorance, everytime he had refused to take her side he had hurt her.
"So basically you were a coward, Or maybe you just didn’t care. But now that I’m married to a wealthy man, suddenly you are interested in reconnecting with me."
Jeff sighed, the weight of her words heavy on him. "I know that have made mistakes, Lyse. I wish that I had done things differently."