Chapter 15: Making Him Apologize

Alistair thought he had made himself perfectly clear. To his surprise, Liam had called Rebecca behind his back to verify his story! Fuming with anger, Rebecca made a decision.

Wasn’t everything Alistair had done to get her attention and win his way back to her side? She looked around at her home, again in disarray because of her—perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea after all. She needed someone to look after them anyway. As for Richard, she could persuade him. Just as she exhaled slowly, satisfied that she’d finally found a way to punish Alistair, her phone rang. The caller ID made Rebecca’s perfectly shaped eyebrows arch slightly. She let out a contemptuous snort and deliberately waited until the caller was about to hang up before answering.

“Ms. Whitfield, Alistair says you’ve divorced him. Is that true?” the caller asked in a fawning tone, carefully seeking confirmation.

Oh, Alistair realized he’d gone too far and truly angered me, huh? Was he afraid I’d never take him back, so he called reinforcements? How ridiculous! Didn’t Alistair know that his sycophantic, incompetent father meant absolutely nothing to me? Rebecca had made up her mind. Even if she graciously allowed Alistair to return, she would willingly make him kneel before her and swear to be her servant for the rest of his life. That was what he deserved for his disobedience!

“Yes,” Rebecca replied with cold elegance. That single, lightly spoken word seemed to deliver a death sentence to the man on the other end of the line. After a long pause, Liam’s deeply embarrassed voice finally came through. “I’m sorry, Ms. Whitfield. That good-for-nothing boy of mine clearly hasn’t been treating you right. I apologize on his behalf. Please be generous and give him another chance, won’t you?”

Rebecca lounged lazily on the sofa, admiring her fresh manicure as she coldly remarked, “You think I’m playing house with your son?”

“I’m so, so sorry, Ms. Whitfield. Please don’t be angry. I’ve already given him a good scolding,” Liam pleaded. “Being accepted as your husband is a blessing from his past life, yet he doesn’t appreciate it. He’s completely ungrateful!”

Rebecca responded with a cold snort, saying nothing.

“How about this—I’ll make Alistair kneel before you and beg for forgiveness. He’ll stay on his knees until you forgive him!” Of everything Liam had said, this last suggestion pleased Rebecca the most. She began to fantasize about Alistair kneeling pathetically before her, weeping and begging for her forgiveness.

“What did I tell you before? Take good care of the mother and child. They come from wealth—you could be living the good life! Don’t give me that ‘incompatibility’ nonsense. You’ve been together six years; what incompatibility could there be now? You clearly haven’t done enough, and she’s become dissatisfied with you. Go apologize to her immediately—on your knees if necessary. Do whatever it takes to earn Ms. Whitfield’s forgiveness!”

Alistair listened silently to Liam’s furious commands over the phone. He stood tensely by the floor-to-ceiling window, his empty eyes revealing a hint of sadness. He realized how naive he had been. When Rebecca kicked him out, he had nothing and struggled to find his footing in society, so he naturally thought of Liam first.

Liam was his only relative. In times of trouble, it was natural to turn to him first. He had planned to borrow some money from Liam and pay it back as soon as possible. As an adult, he was determined to support himself and not become the dependent person he despised. But now it seemed that if he asked Liam for help, he would receive no comfort, and Liam might drag him to Rebecca’s doorstep to kneel and apologize. But what had he done wrong?

“Alistair! Alistair? Are you even listening to me? Marrying Ms. Whitfield was the luckiest break you’ll ever get in this lifetime, and you don’t even know how to appreciate it! You’re truly clueless! Don’t take offense at my words—I’m saying this for your own good! Ms. Whitfield is her family’s only child. If you keep her happy, will all their family fortune eventually be yours? You could live a life of luxury! Now go apologize to her immediately!”

Hearing this, Alistair lowered his head and let out a small, self-deprecating laugh.

“Dad, I haven’t done anything wrong. Why should I ask for her forgiveness?”

“Why did she leave you if you didn’t do anything wrong? You must have messed up! Stop arguing—I’m telling you, if you don’t get Ms. Whitfield to forgive you, I’ll disown you as my son!”

Each accusation from Liam fermented and expanded the frustration and injustice inside Alistair. When he heard the threat of being disowned, something inside him finally snapped with a deafening internal explosion that left him trembling, his hands and feet ice cold. Once the dust had settled, he smiled and calmly interrupted Liam. “Dad, do you really not remember why I married her in the first place? Others might not know, but surely you haven’t forgotten.”

“Weren’t you fortunate in your misfortune to become her husband? Don’t be ungrateful. A wealthy family like theirs could have chosen any man as a husband,” Liam responded after a long pause.

Alistair’s voice quivered. “Fortunate in my misfortune? Do you think I’ve been living in luxury all these years? And don’t forget the devastating price I paid—missing my SAT and becoming someone who can’t even find a decent job!”

Liam raised his voice. “What difference would taking the SAT have made? With your grades, could you have gotten into college? Without a degree, you’d still be the same useless nobody you are now!”

Alistair’s fingernails dug deep into his palms. He couldn’t believe his ears. Was this really what a father should say to his son?

Granted, Liam had barely fulfilled his parental obligations. Alistair often wondered if Liam even remembered he had a son. But Alistair had never forgotten that Liam was the only remaining family. Liam had his own life and journey, and Alistair never expected much fatherly love. Still, he genuinely wished for Liam’s happiness. So when Liam had stood before him, desperate and in tears, explaining that without compensation money, he might go to prison and his life would be ruined, Alistair’s heart had twisted in pain. He’d cried secretly all night. When Rebecca had approached him, he’d dropped out of school without hesitation, despite the shock and regret of his teachers and classmates. He had sacrificed his future to save Liam’s life. And now, the man whose life he had saved with his future was calling him what? A useless nobody who couldn’t have gotten into college even if he had taken the SAT!

Alistair had chosen to drop out of school willingly. On the night of the SAT, as he silently wept for his lost youth, he harbored no resentment. When Rebecca, in one of her foul moods, threw hot water in his face, he harbored no resentment. When Rebecca half-jokingly encouraged Daniel to call him worthless for their amusement, he harbored no resentment. It was the path he had chosen. As a man, he was willing to take responsibility for his life. But now, listening to Liam’s contemptuous assessment of him, he suddenly felt his sacrifice wasn’t worth it. Was this the father he had ruined his future to protect?! He regretted everything!

In his extreme anger, Alistair paradoxically became calm. “I never even took the SAT. How do you know I couldn’t get into college? Liam, do you have any idea how I performed in school? What grades could I achieve on tests? Tell me, what do you actually know about me?” He continued, “And how dare you lecture me from your position as an elder? If I hadn’t given you that two million dollars back then, you wouldn’t be where you are today!”