NovelEnglishChapter 259:
Zandra found Theo's perspective ridiculous. “You're too young to realize that love is the most delicate thing in
the world. It cannot withstand any real trials. You're merely being blinded by the idea of love.”
Theo responded calmly, “Life is far too long. The thought of spending decades with a woman | don’t love, having
children with her, and raising them together until we're old fillswith dread.”
Zandra couldn't understand why he found this so appalling. To her, these were the necessary sacrifices to uphold
family alliances. She scoffed, “Dreadful? That's exactly how your dad and | have lived our lives. Do you think
that’s terrible?”
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Theo answered, “Dad would rather spend years in the forest than chome. He finds more joy in watching a
plant grow than in living with you. Can you honestly say there’s love in your marriage?”
Hearing that, Zandra’s eyes widened with anger. She stormed over to Theo and slapped him across the face. The
slap left a clear mark on Theo's cheek. Zandra was visibly shaking with anger and bitterness as she glared at
Theo. Her son’s words had deeply wounded her, the pain evident and fresh.
Zandra couldn't confidently argue that Theo was wrong, fully aware that her husband didn’t love her and that
their marriage was a matter of convenience. Thankfully, her husband remained faithful. Despite not loving the
woman he married, he never sought comfort in the arms of another. But he didn’t like to be close to her.
After Theo was born, he took his equipment and went to a distant mountain forest for research. For years,
Zandra had never acknowledged that her husband didn’t love her. She preserved her self-respect. Anyone who
dared to gossip about her situation faced her anger. So, no one had brought it up in recent years. She had almost
managed to convince herself that she was cherished in her marriage. Night after night, she would wait, hoping
her husband would return hafter completing his research.
But now, with Theo confronting the truth so bluntly, she felt deep shame. She could no longer hide her
embarrassment. Theo was unfazed by the slap; he had anticipated it from Zandra after his comments. Feeling
the numbness in his cheek, he said, “Mom, you know living in a marriage without love is miserable. Why can’t
you understand and letbe with the one I truly love?”
Zandra, masking her embarrassment with stubbornness, replied, “I'm doing this for your own good. You've
always followed my advice and had a successful life because of it. Your friends and relatives have been there to
support you. Freda is the best wife you can have.” She clenched her teeth and added, “Don’t choose a path that
leads to suffering.”
Theo realized Zandra was unable to see his point of view. At that moment, he stopped trying to convince her. He
had initially planned to persuade his mom before reaching out to Elyse. After all, when he was in love with Elyse,
Zandra had treated Elyse harshly. Now Theo decided it was tto set aside his efforts with his mother. He
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmwould handle things with Elyse first, then try to persuade his mother afterward.
Seeing Theo didn't listen to her, Zandra sneered, “Why do you insist on making your life difficult? Are you tired of
living comfortably? Don’t say | didn’t warn you; true love is hard to get. Everyone weighs the pros and cons of
marriage. Do you really think you'll be the lucky one?”
Theo stood up and said, “I don’t know if | can find true love again. | once had it but didn’t value it. Now, | deeply
regret it.” Stubborn, Zandra realized she couldn't sway him despite her efforts. She grabbed her purse, ready to
leave but paused at the door to add, “You owe Freda an explanation. You can't afford to lose the partnership with
her family. | don’t care who you end up with, but if you jeopardize our cooperation, you'll be the one to make
amends.” With that, Zandra stormed out in anger.
Theo thought he was ridiculous. He regretted not understanding his feelings for Elyse sooner. Why hadn't he
realized it earlier? If he had, perhaps Elyse wouldn't be married to another man now. But it wasn’t too late; he
believed he could still make things right. He then took out his phone and dialed Freda’s number.
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