Chapter 87- the ceremony
"You should go," Harold said, staring down at the crimson wedding invitation in his hands. There was a trace of sorrow and disappointment in his expression—Janet was getting married, and she hadn’t even told him. But what right did he have to blame her? The way he had treated Janet... he had never acted like a real father.
"Dad..." Ternence saw the shadow in his father’s eyes and felt a pang of guilt. He had always known—Harold had distanced himself from Janet because of Anila, but deep down, Janet was the child he cherished most. She was the daughter of the woman he had truly loved.
"Tell Janet I’m sorry. And... give her my blessings. I hope she and Charles are happy," Harold said quietly. The lines on his face seemed deeper today, like age and regret had finally caught up with him. Ternence suddenly felt his father looked much older than before. Perhaps he had never been a successful man—not a good husband, nor a warm father—but he had sacrificed his love to hold this family together.
"She’ll understand, Dad," Ternence said gently, offering comfort in return.
Harold gave a slight, weary shake of his head, as if he had long since seen through the illusion of control, then turned and walked slowly up the stairs.
Ternence leaned back on the sofa, lacing his fingers behind his head, lost in thought. But the quiet was broken by the sudden chime of a special ringtone. His heart skipped a beat. He chuckled bitterly—he’d told himself not to think about her anymore, and yet he had still saved her ringtone under "priority."
"Charles... you’re getting married..." A soft, slurred voice came through the line, tinged with the unmistakable haze of alcohol. Ternence’s fingers tightened around the phone.
Zoey.
Another woman left brokenhearted by Charles.