Chapter 9. Battle of Wills
Maria was still living in Bernard’s family house, and his mother had never made things easy for her.
The woman’s hostility was no secret, and it was clear she knew Maria didn’t like her either. There was no way they could ever get along.
Whenever Bernard’s mother acted in her usual cold and condescending manner, Bernard or Betta Gilbert would try to intervene, telling her to stop.
But that did little to change the atmosphere in the house.
Maria was growing tired of it all. She couldn’t understand why her parents had decided to give everything they had worked for to Bernard, leaving her with nothing.
The thought alone made her sick with frustration.
The burden of it all was becoming too much to handle. She needed answers, and there was only one person who could give them to her... Bernard.
That evening, around six o’clock, she found him in the garden, sitting alone, seemingly relaxed.
Bernard had asked her many times before to join him in the garden, but she had always refused. She never had the desire to talk to him, not with everything going on. But today was different.
Today, she needed to speak.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped closer. "Hi, Bernard," she greeted, forcing a small smile. Bernard looked up, startled.