Billionaire Ex-husband's Baby

Chapter 42 - The Suffering

As Helena burst into tears again, Ethan balled his hand into a fist, the veins on his arm popping out.

Before Olivia could speak to him, he stormed out of the restaurant, still with clenched fists.

"He hates me." Helena sniffled as she buried her face in her hand.

After Olivia comforted Helena, assuring her that it was only because it was all too much for him to take in, she headed outside to find him.

The moment she was out of the restaurant, she saw him across the street, facing the wall with the palm of his hand resting on it.

As she slowly approached him, she suddenly ran to him when he punched the wall.

She held onto his hand and checked his knuckles, their state making her gasp. "You're hurting yourself," she said.

"It's nothing compared to what my mother went through." He took a step back, looking around at the sky, then at the ground. "Her whole life, she's only suffered. Who knows what that man did to her when he took her away for her to be the way she is now? And even now, she continues to suffer!"

His yelling attracted a few people passing by and she had to get closer to ask him to calm down.

"Would you like to go back inside with me?" she asked softly.

"I don't know." He leaned against the wall with his eyes shut. "I need a moment alone."

When Olivia returned to the restaurant, Helena got up from her seat with wide eyes, but soon sat down when only Olivia approached their table.

"He doesn't want to see me," Helena said.

"He just needs a moment alone."

"I'm greatly at fault."

"What's important is you reunited them."

"But Martha's already dying. I reunited them too late."

"But you still did."

After several attempts to put Helena's guilt at ease after Ethan had stormed out, she finally nodded and they decided to wait for his return.

After a while, they got up the moment he approached them and Helena followed him before he could get to their table. "You must hate me and I understand. Words will never be enough to apologize to you, my dear."

He could only stare at her until he found his words. "I'm only upset about how my mother had suffered. It has nothing to do with you."

With a hand on her chest, Helena's teary eyes widened as she sighed with relief.

He suggested they return to their seats and when they did, he held onto Olivia's hand before he spoke calmly.

He recalled how on the day he was adopted, he had so many toys to play with in his new home and had more than he could've ever wished for. He had everything at his disposal and was grateful.

"For years, it all meant the world to me, until it didn't. I've recently realized that my deepest desire was just a mother's love, which I never received from.... from...."

"Ms Hudson?" Olivia asked, saying what he wished not to say.

"And now you have it," Helena said.

"But for how long?" He asked. "I keep telling myself it'll be alright but that's not the case. The woman who raised me showed me her true colors when I stood up to her."

"If you ask me," Helena said, inching forward. "You did the right thing. To me, she only maintains relationships that are beneficial to her."

"It still bothers me that she was ready to offer you money just so I would never meet my real mother."