Chapter 1836 Parting
Time was ruthless and it eventually broke Raeleigh’s dream.
The weather had been awful for the entire day. Raeleigh sat on the bed as she reminded Santiago and the children about the time. Santiago had brought the kids to visit the Richards family, but they still had not returned when it was already late night.
Raeleigh and Jepherson didn’t rest but only sat in silence as they waited for the time to pass.
Finally, Raeleigh called Santiago when she was tired of waiting and asked when they would return. When Santiago informed her that they would not be coming home, she hung up the phone and prepared to go to bed.
Jepherson’s health had almost fully recovered, but he still refused to get out of bed. Instead, he only lay on the bed upstairs. Raeleigh didn’t force him to get up, but she knew that his health was getting worse and worse these days.
His body had grown weak as he had been bed bound for a long time, and he had become so fragile that he no longer had the strength to get up.
Raeleigh thought that it wouldn’t be long before he finally fell ill.
Upon noticing Raeleigh lying down, Jepherson said, “You left without saying anything. How could you expect me to understand? How am I supposed to know if you never tell me? Why can’t you calm down and solve the problem between us?”
Raeleigh opened her eyes and looked at him. Deanna had been here for the entire day and though she did not hear what they had said, she must have convinced Jepherson of something.
“You never listen to me. You are a jerk. You lured me with your good looks, and now, you want to use it to imprison me for the rest of my life. There’s nothing wrong with me leaving you upon realizing that you are a ruthless and cold-hearted person. Why couldn’t you let me go? Why do you want to trap me again and again? This isn’t right!
You are my nightmare. You broke many of my dreams only to satisfy yourself. Now that we are in our middle age, do you still intend to make me lose everything?
I can’t just abandon what Santiago and I have between us. You and I are already divorced and no longer together, so why can’t I choose to marry again?
You’re not God, so why should I stay chaste for you?
Since when did you become so ruthless? Have you ever thought about my feelings?”
Jepherson paused subconsciously and replied, “Although we never swore to be with each other forever, my heart has always belonged to you. If you must think that I failed you, then I won’t deny it. But you have been with Santiago for five years already. Don’t you think that’s enough?
As long as you’re here, Santiago will never be able to move on from your relationship. I will not be able to let go either and will eventually die of depression.
But what can you gain from all this?
Is it because of your persistence, or your stubbornness?”
Raeleigh swallowed hard and turned around to lie beside Jepherson as he spoke. I had hoped that you would promise to stay with me forever, but I never thought that you would do that for others. I didn’t interfere with your feelings for each other because I believed that there wouldn’t be a third person in our relationship.
Santiago’s like a child…”
“He is not a child.”
Raeleigh interrupted him abruptly. He looked at her and continued, “I know he’s not a child, so I never blamed you. But now, Raeleigh… You have given him five years already. Please give me the remaining five years. After that, you may spend the next five years with him.”
Raeleigh stared at him in shock. “Are you crazy?”
Sucking in a deep breath, Jepherson closed his eyes and spoke again.
“I’ve witnessed my parents in love with each other since I was a child, but I always had a voice in my heart telling me that gentleness will always be suppressed by dominance. Because to me, my mother had been suppressed by my father. However…”
Jepherson hesitated for a moment, then continued, “Later, I realized that it was not true. Instead, dominance goes hand in hand with gentleness. The two of them lived in harmony together, and there was no separation between them.”
But by the time I understood this, you had already left me. And even when I went all the way to find you, I still couldn’t get you back.
Raeleigh, please come back. I’m sorry. I promise I won’t do that again.”
Raeleigh stared at him. “We have reached our end…”
“If that were the case, you wouldn’t have come back.”
Raeleigh didn’t answer. Arguing with him would be meaningless. She couldn’t pretend to turn a blind eye to what Santiago had done for her in all those years.
The next morning, Raeleigh got up early to cook breakfast. When Jepherson asked her why she got up so early, she didn’t answer. Later, when she called Santiago to come down for breakfast, the call didn’t get through.
After Raeleigh had breakfast with Jepherson, she went downstairs to call Jacky, asking him to come over and take care of Jepherson. She was worried about leaving Jepherson alone at home.
She drove out of Waverly Village at high speed. However, when she arrived at the Richards family manor, it was still empty. This time, not only Santiago left but also Hansen and Jenna too.
Upon questioning, the servant told Raeleigh that Hansen and Jenna had gone to the airport as they were travelling abroad. However, he did not know where they went.
Raeleigh called Jacky, but he did not answer the phone.
Meanwhile, Santiago glanced at the five children beside him and said with a smile, “Let’s go back.”
Jacky glanced at Jacqueline and reminded her, “Be obedient when staying with your uncle. Don’t quarrel with Forden. I hope that you can see the world while spending some time with your brothers.”
Jacqueline adjusted her backpack and replied, “Dad, I will come back when I’m older. In the meantime, you must give me a younger sister.”
Jacky grinned proudly. “You’re my pride. I won’t share my love with anyone else. I’ll be waiting for you here, so you must return properly.”
“All right.”
Two drops of tears glided down Deanna’s cheek as she walked up to Santiago and gave him a hug. “Take care.”
Santiago gave her a hard hug. “You’ve grown up.”
Deanna acknowledged with a hum. After leaving, she looked at the three children and said, “Be obedient.”
“All right.”
“Get in the car.”
Santiago looked around and ordered the children to get into the car. The children went in and put away their own things.
Jacky looked at the children and said, “Take care.”Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.
Santiago then returned to his car and left Waverly Village.
When Raeleigh realized that something was amiss and returned to Waverly Village, Santiago’s car had already left. Upon noticing Raeleigh’s car going after him, he told the children that Raeleigh was there to send them off but did not stop until he got off the highway. Raeleigh had chased them for more than a hundred kilometers until her car finally ran out of gas. Abandoning the car beside the road, she chased after them for a distance.
Santiago glanced at Raeleigh in the rearview mirror. He slowed down for a while but disappeared from her sight in the end.
Raeleigh sat on the side of the road for a long while before Jacky came over. Harvey carried a barrel of gasoline and filled Raeleigh’s tank up. Then, he drove her car away.
After Harvey left, Jacky carried Raeleigh into his car.
Then, he took her back home.