Now You Want Me? Too Late

Elena stared at her. Her heart went completely still.

For years, she had believed her mother simply didn’t want her. Now she was being told that her mother had been forced to choose.

Elena couldn’t decide whether that truth made things better or worse. Because if Amber had truly been forced to choose, then she had still chosen Cedric.

She had chosen a man over her daughter. And no explanation could change that.

"So you chose him over your existing family. Great." Elena couldn’t understand whether to laugh or cry.

"Seven years of marriage meant nothing to you. The man who loved you and gave you a family couldn’t compare to the man who once refused to marry you. And you certainly didn’t want me."

"No, this is not true."

"You readily agreed to marry Cedric the moment he showed up in front of you," Elena said, not giving Amber a chance to explain further.

"You forgot that he abandoned you once. You forgot that he was the reason you were separated from your daughter. You forgot every pain he had caused you."

Amber’s eyes were red and puffy by now. A hollow emptiness spread through her, leaving her unable to react.

"You cared little about my father and me. You always blamed him for your misery. But the truth is—the man who let you suffer was Cedric. Even after everything he did to you, you still chose him. Now tell me—if you are not materialistic and selfish, what are you?"

Amber nodded. Grief tore her heart apart.

"I was selfish," she admitted. "If wanting to be with the man I loved is selfishness, I am selfish. If longing for the daughter who was taken away from me immediately after her birth is selfishness, then I am..."

A crushing pain settled in her chest, making it difficult to breathe. Every sob carried years of pain, regret, and loss. But she didn’t stop.

"Leaving you wasn’t easy for me. But I had to. I wanted to live for myself."

She wiped her tears with trembling fingers.

"Marriage with your father was already falling apart. Constant fights and endless arguments drained both of us. Ending a meaningless relationship was the only way to end the suffering we were causing each other."

She stared at Elena blankly, feeling lost. "Thomas didn’t stop me. He didn’t complain. He simply let me go."

After a moment of pause, she added, "If I could have, I would have taken you with me. But Cedric didn’t allow it. I thought Thomas would take care of you. I believed he would give you endless love, that you wouldn’t miss me."

Elena snorted and looked away. "Yes, I never missed you," she muttered. Her throat tightened. "For me, you were dead the moment you left me."

Amber gasped at the harshness of her words.

"I never wanted to see you again in my life," Elena continued. "When I saw you for the first time at Grandpa’s birthday party, I recognized you. But I never tried to approach you."

Amber felt as though something inside her had been torn apart. Elena’s every word twisted her heart painfully as she realized how much she had hurt her own daughter.

But Elena looked dangerously calm. There was no anger left in her, only a deep, aching sadness that seemed to have settled permanently inside her.

"I stopped considering you as my mother a long time ago," she added. "I never wanted you to recognize me. But today, I couldn’t stop myself."

She looked at her without the slightest trace of warmth. "You offered me money to save Vivian."

Once, remembering Amber leaving her would have broken her heart. Now, she couldn’t bring herself to care. Or perhaps she had simply learned how to live with the pain.

"Now you know who I am. Are you going to say the same thing?"

Amber lowered her head, her shoulders trembling as she struggled to contain the pain. After a long silence, she finally looked up.

"She is your sister," she started, her voice rough from crying. "Save her. I’m begging you."

Elena couldn’t believe it. Amber still wanted to save Vivian.

"She tried to frame me and accuse me of being a traitor. She even tried to destroy my marriage. Do you think I’ll forget all that?"

"I know she was wrong. But Vivian is childish, reckless, and spoiled. I’ll talk to her. She will apologize to you. And I’ll never let her trouble you again. Help us this time. I promise I’ll keep her away from you and Elias."

Elena was done talking. No matter what Vivian did, Amber would always take her side. She would always find a reason to protect her precious daughter.

It didn’t matter how much trouble Vivian caused. It didn’t matter how many people she hurt. Amber would still try to save her.

Elena finally understood that nothing she said would change that.

"You came to the wrong person. If you want to save your daughter, find a lawyer."

She rose to her feet and turned to leave.

"Elena..." Amber quickly went after her and grabbed her wrist. "Show some mercy. I came with a lot of hope."

Elena’s eyes slowly dropped to the fingers wrapped around her wrist.

A scene crossed her mind.

In the past, she had held Amber’s hand just like this, pleading with her.

’Mommy, please don’t go.’

She remembered crying, begging.

But Amber pried her fingers away and left.

That scene had haunted her for a long time.

Elena’s chest tightened. For years, she had wondered what she would feel if she ever stood in front of her mother again.

Facing her now, she felt no hatred. Not even anger. Just an unbearable sadness.

"Back then, I begged you not to leave me. But you didn’t stop. You walked away, leaving me there alone."

Amber instantly released her hand. The pain was overwhelming, but the guilt was worse. Every memory came rushing back, each one cutting deeper than the last.

She closed her eyes, wishing she could turn back time. But it was too late. She realized Elena wouldn’t help her, even if she knelt in front of her.

"Vivian was facing the consequences of her actions," Elena said. "And you... Now that you are wealthy, you try your best if you can save her. Hire the best lawyers. Use your influence. Do whatever you want."

She looked at Amber one last time.

"But don’t come looking for me again. You ended that relationship a long time ago. You lost the privilege to ask anything from me."

She turned and walked out of the café.

Amber remained still. She didn’t cry. She simply stood there, staring at her departing form with empty eyes, as though her mind had refused to accept the truth.

She had found the daughter she had left years ago. Only to realize that her daughter no longer needed a mother. And perhaps that was the punishment she deserved.

A man who had been silently watching the entire scene stood up and followed Elena. He watched as she got into her car safely.

Only after the car disappeared did he turn around and walk toward the opposite side of the street. He pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Sir, Madam met with Mrs. Sterling," he said.

"What?" On the other end of the phone, Elias stiffened in his seat. "Why did she meet Amber Sterling?"

"They seemed to be arguing about something," the man said. "I couldn’t hear them properly."

Elias ended the call, already walking toward the door. He wanted to see Elena immediately. He needed to know why she had gone to see Amber Sterling.

’Why, Elena? What are you hiding from me?’