Back to Love: A New Beginning
Chapter 108

Chapter 108:

Shane flicked the cigarette and it drew a fiery red arc in the darkness.

“Eveline, my mother is sick. I hear she’s bedridden. Please come home with me, at least for her sake. I’m not asking you to forgive me and take me back. It’s just a favor to comfort my sick mother. She would be happy to see us together. You’ll just have to pretend we’re still together.”

It seemed he wasn’t as heartless as I thought he was. At least he cared about his mother.

“We’re divorced. You can’t keep it from them forever. Sooner or later, they’ll replace out the truth,” he said.

Shane looked at me, his eyes pleading with me to help him. “The truth would kill my mother, Eveline. You know my parents love you very much. It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to be with me or give me another chance. I just want you to pretend in front of my parents. This one lie could make my mother happy and save her life. She has worked so hard to raise me. I can’t lose her.”

Shane’s voice was full of emotion. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Just then, his phone rang. He answered the call and handed me the phone. I hesitantly picked it up and held it to my ear. His mother’s faint voice on the other end of the line broke my heart.

Despite her ailment, she seemed excited to talk to me. She wanted to meet me and feared she wouldn’t get the chance to see me before she died. I wanted to explain to her that Shane and I were divorced, but I stopped at the thought. His mother was too sick and I didn’t dare break her heart. I feared the truth would make her condition worse.

She had worked hard to raise Shane. As a mother, she had never once bothered her son. She called him only because she was sick and wanted to see her son. I could not refuse her request.

So, I agreed.

“Shane, let me get this straight. I’m only doing this for your mother. Don’t get any other ideas.”

Shane nodded happily. “Okay. Thank you very much. I’ll pick you up tomorrow.

We’re going to the hospital together to apply for discharge.”

The next morning, we went to the hospital and headed to our respective departments to apply for discharge.

Lɒtєѕτ ϲнαρτєrs ιn g𝒶l𝑛ovєls.𝓒𝓸𝓶

As I was about to leave, I ran into Aaron.

“I heard you took a long leave, what’s going on, is everything okay?” he looked worried.

I told him the truth because I had nothing to hide.

His brow furrowed; he looked worried.

“Eveline, you’re too kind.”

My stomach churned with uneasiness. I was conflicted, even though I had agreed to meet Shane’s parents. I didn’t know if I had made the right decision or not.

Despite my doubts, I got into Shane’s car and drove to his hometown, not knowing what awaited me.

At the time, I didn’t know that a big secret about me would be revealed upon my return from the trip. I had already told Shane that I would not take the car his mistress had sat in. I didn’t want his foul smell to ruin my mood.

I had severed all ties with Shane and didn’t plan to interact with him again after what had happened. Never in my worst nightmare did I think I would go to his hometown and meet his parents.

“Thank you, Eveline,” Shane said, breaking the silence.

“You don’t have to thank me. I’m doing it for your mother, not you.”

Perhaps because I had always longed for family affection, I instinctively sympathized with a mother who had worked hard all her life. I wanted to help her in any way I could.

It took us five hours to get to town on the highway. Another thirty-minute drive took us to the town where her family lived. The entrance to the town was crooked. Shane drove slowly, adjusting to the bumpy terrain. It was four o’clock in the afternoon when we arrived at his parents’ house.

I had only been here twice during the two years of our marriage.

The house was located on a narrow street through which the car could not pass. Therefore. Shane parked the car on the shoulder and we drove up to the old two-story building.

Shane’s father was sitting in the doorway, smoking. He was an honest man who rarely spoke. He saw us from a distance and stood up, smiling innocently.

“You’re back.”

I couldn’t call him ‘Dad’ anymore, so I smiled and nodded.

“Shane and Eveline are back?”

His mother’s faint voice echoed from the house.

Shane and I walked into the house. His mother was lying on the bed. A thin blanket covered her skeletal figure; her messy gray hair was strewn across the pillow.

I could see that life had taken its toll on her. She was only fifty, but she gave the impression of being at least ten years older than her age.

A smile of ecstasy spread across her face. She wanted to get out of bed and cook for us, but even the small movement made her gasp. I stopped her, put on my apron and prepared to cook.

As I left the room, I turned around and saw her nudging Shane, asking him to help me light the fire.

After dinner, Shane’s father insisted on washing the dishes, and I agreed.

I had gotten plumes of dust when I was cooking. Seeing that I was constantly dusting my hair, Shane said he would boil water for me to take a shower.

The bathroom looked sorry for itself and the tiles were crooked. But despite the awkwardness, it was pretty nice to have a separate bathroom in the camp.

When I entered the bathroom, I discovered that the door latch was broken. So, I pushed a stool against the door to hold it in place.

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