he disappointment in Henry’s eyes was unmistakable as he stared at his mother.
And from the moment you heard I was injured until now, you haven’t asked me once if I’m alright, Henry said, his voice unnaturally calm.
Catherine’s expression shifted, suddenly realizing her oversight. She reached for his injured hand with exaggerated concern. ‘Oh, Henry! I’m so sorry, darling Does it hurt terribly? We should call the family doctor immediately!”
Her sudden display of motherly worry only made Henry’s heart grow colder. This woman had raised him, had been the center of his world for so many years. Yet in this moment, she felt like a stranger–someone putting on a performance rather than a genuine mother.
‘Don’t bother,” he said, pulling his hand away. ‘Sophia already treated it.”
At the mention of my name, Catherine’s face hardened. “Of course she did,” she muttered. “Always trying to play the perfect wife.”
Grace, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly dropped to her knees in front of Henry, tears streaming down her face.
‘I’m sorry, brother,” she sobbed, clutching at his pants leg. “I was just so angry! That woman has been turning everyone against me. Father, Grandfather, and now even you! She’s stolen everything from me!”
Henry looked down at his sister, this spoiled child who had been the family’s treasure since birth. His own beloved sister who had–held a knife to his wife and son’s throats just hours ago.
‘I can apologize, Catherine interjected quickly, dropping to her knees beside Grace. “I can even bow down if necessary. Please, just don’t be angry with your sister. She made a mistake, but she’s family.”
These words, meant to soften Henry’s resolve, instead made his heart turn to ice. The realization that his mother cared about helping Grace escape punishment rather than acknowledging the severity of her actions hit him like a physical blow.
“A mistake?‘ Henry echoed, his voice dangerously quiet. “She held a knife to a five–year–old child’s throat, Mother. That’s not a mistake–that’s a crime.”
His gaze shifted to Grace, still kneeling with tears streaming down her face. “You have two options,” he said coldly. “One: sincerely apologize to Sophia until she accepts your apology. Two: I turn the security footage over to the police, and they decide whether you go to prison.”
Catherine gasped. “Prison? Henry, you can’t be serious! She’s your sister!”
“Which will it be, Grace?” Henry pressed, ignoring his mother’s protests.
Catherine didn’t even wait for Grace to respond. “No prison!” she answered immediately. “We’ll apologize to Sophia. I can do it for Grace if needed.”
Grace’s head snapped up, her tearful expression morphing into one of outrage. “Apologize to that gold–digger? Never! She’s nobody–just some cheap country. girl who trapped you! I haven’t done anything wrong!”
Catherine leaned closer to her daughter, whispering urgently, “Be practical, Grace. If you go to prison, she wins. Swallow your pride just this once. We can deal with her later.”
As mother and daughter continued their hushed argument, Henry stepped away, lighting a cigarette and staring out into the darkness beyond the window. His mind drifted to Sophia’s reaction when she’d seen his bleeding hand. Without a word, she had immediately put Billy aside and rushed to get the first aid kit. Her gentle hands had cleaned and bandaged his wound with practiced efficiency, her face betraying concern despite their complicated relationsh
The contrast between Sophia’s instinctive care for him and his mother’s performative concern couldn’t be more stark. How had he never noticed this before?
He recalled a conversation with his friend Benjamin years ago. “Why does your mother hate your wife so much?” Benjamín had asked. “A mother who truly loves her son wouldn’t force him to choose between her and his wife. Especially when Sophia is so respectful and accommodating. If she finds fault with a daughter–in–law like that, it only proves one thing: your mother doesn’t really love you.
1/2
The Ex–Wife’s Redemption: A Love Reborn
C
