"Why am I being blamed for meeting you here when you were the one who called me to see you? You wanted to meet, and I came. "What is the harm in greeting an ex-wife?" Alex retorted, unhappy and not wanting his mother to aggravate his emotions. He hissed.
"Isabel needs you right now. This is the perfect time for both of you to have children and resolve this issue once and for all," Kristy urged, trying to persuade him, but he rudely interrupted her.
"Did she come to you and complain about me? We have already attempted IVF twice, and you are fully aware of the situation. I can't continue to expend my masculine strength on a woman who can't conceive despite my efforts," Alex complained.
"It's not her fault. She also wants to become pregnant. Have compassion for her and do your part. Hopefully, one of these days, she will conceive," Kristy encouraged him.
If he was still with Lilian, they may have had two kids by now. It was all his mother's doing; she had pushed him in that direction, and now he felt lost, just drifting along wherever life took him.
"I'll do my best again, Mum, all because you want me to give you a grandchild," Alex reassured her.
Kristy smiled, knowing he would always heed her advice. He should go along with whatever Isabel wants so that her friend and she could both share a grandchild, strengthening their friendship bond.
"But one more thing, don't mention Lilian to her," Alex added.
Without saying another word, Alex started the car and drove off. He dropped his mother off before returning to the company.
The memories of the conversations about him and his mother from earlier flooded back into his mind. He blamed it all on Isabel. If she hadn't gone to his mother to complain about him, he wouldn't have had to meet his mother for lunch at that restaurant, and he wouldn't have encountered Lilian either.
At this moment, he can't stop thinking about her. She has grown even more beautiful and mature. She now exuded a unique charm that he had never noticed before.
Questions raced through his mind. Was she already married? Had she been abroad? He yearned to see her again and resolve things between them. Would she still have feelings for him if he approached her?
When he had cast her out, she was destitute and broken. He never imagined she would rebuild her life and move forward in a more refined manner.
He made up his mind to seek out Lilian and offer his apology. If she couldn't be his wife again, he hoped she would at least accept him as a friend.
For the remainder of the day, he found it impossible to focus on his work. His thoughts lingered on Lilian.
***
Lilian bought a car and enrolled her daughter in a new school. She moved her belongings into their new home, accompanied by her friends.
"Thank you all for helping me move in. I couldn't have done it without you," Lilian expressed with gratitude as they settled in.
With a soft sigh, she realized she was now prepared to face the future. Guiding her daughter to her room, Lilian settled into her own.
"Mom, I love our new home! It's so cozy," her daughter exclaimed with excitement.
Lilian prepared homemade tacos for them, a dish they all enjoyed, and promised to take them on a city tour during the weekend.
"I can't wait to explore the city with you guys. It's going to be so much fun!" Lilian's friend remarked eagerly.
Uncertain about her upcoming work responsibilities, she knew she would have the weekend all to herself.
"I wonder what work will be like, but I'm looking forward to having the weekend just for us," Lilian mused aloud.
"Don't worry about all of that." Maureen assured with a smile. "I'm sure everything will work out just fine. You'll get used to it."
Feeling content and fulfilled, she acknowledged her life, her job, and her beloved daughter. She looked forward to spending her days pleasing herself and Aurora.
Later that day, Ryan drove Maureen home. He had found himself drawn to Maureen, feeling an instant connection with her.
"Thanks for the ride, Ryan. I appreciate it," Maureen said as they arrived at her house.
"You're welcome, Maureen. I really enjoy spending time with you," Ryan replied with a smile.
He then mustered up the courage to ask; "Would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow?"
Maureen looked into his eyes, sensing a potential chemistry between them. However, she hesitated, concerned about Lilian's feelings for Ryan.
"I... I'm not sure, Ryan. I'll have to see how things go," Maureen replied, trying to gauge her own feelings.
As they sat in the car, Maureen thought about the situation. She couldn't shake off her worries about potentially causing hurt to Lilian.
"Maybe it's best to keep things platonic for now," Maureen thought to herself, contemplating the complexities of the situation.
Before Maureen got out of the car, Ryan said, "I understand, Maureen. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow."
They waved at each other before Ryan drove off.
As Maureen entered her house, her mother greeted her with a warm smile. Maureen eventually told her about everything; including how Lilian was happily settled in her new home, but not about Ryan who had just dropped her off.
"I'm so happy to see how Lilian has taken charge of her life again. She's living on her own terms now, and that's truly inspiring," Maureen's mother remarked with a smile.
Maureen recounted the encounter with Alex, her ex-husband, to her mother, praising how gracefully Lilian had handled him, which ended up making Alex and his mother appear foolish. Maureen's mother found it quite amusing, giving emphasis on the importance of women standing tall with their heads held high in the presence of disrespectful men like Alex.
Upon Alex's return home, he ignored his mother's remarks and acted calmly with Isabel. Despite engaging in intimacy with her, Alex kept murmuring Lilian's name throughout, causing Isabel discomfort. She endured it to avoid him stopping along the way..
During their intimate moment, Alex visualized Lilian in his mind, leading him to treat Isabel gently and affectionately as if she were Lilian. Unaware of his mistake, Alex continued to call out Lilian's name, mistaking Isabel for her sister.
Once he had finished with his wife, she felt happy and content. It had been a while since her husband had been so gentle and loving towards her. Lately, their intimacy had felt more like an obligation rather than a source of pleasure.
Previously, he would be rough and impersonal, treating her almost like an object. However, on that particular evening, he displayed the familiar tenderness of the Alex she used to know.
His change in behavior seemed to be a result of a conversation with his mother-in-law. Alex lay quietly beside her on the bed, not saying a word.
Disappointment flickered across his face when he rolled over and realized that it was his wife Isabel lying next to him, not the woman he had been imagining.
"Have you been thinking about my sister recently?" Isabel asked in a cheerful tone, her voice vibrant and lively, as one would expect from a satisfied wife.
Alex narrowed his gaze in response.
"Why do you ask?" he countered.
"You were calling out her name while we were intimate, and you were unusually sweet tonight." Isabel elaborated, snuggling her body against his naked form and pressing her chest against him to ensure he felt her presence.
Alex seemed disinterested in her, completely unaware that he had been murmuring Lilian's name. His thoughts were clearly consumed by her, reflecting in his physical actions.
"Hmm, I had no idea," Alex replied nonchalantly, carefully lifting her off himself and standing up to head to the bathroom for a clean-up.
Isabel's suspicions became palpable. It appeared that Alex had found Lilian and was engaged in secret affairs with her. His behavior that evening strongly suggested that they had been seeing each other, much like she had seen him when he was still married to her.