The Arrangement Factor (ARRANGEMENT SERIES #1)

Chapter 77

Sarah's POV

I was sitting on the sofa with my family when the door opened, and Dad came in along with Mom.

"Sarah!" he said in a relieved tone.

He rushed to me, crouched down in front of me, and held my hands. "Thank God you're okay. I was so scared." The shock I felt was an understatement—I didn't know what to feel. Dad had never shown concern for me like this, not even when I got hurt as a child. Now he was sitting in front of me, visibly worried.

Then he spoke again, "I know I have not been a good father to you. I am really sorry, child. But I want you to know that you can come back home whenever you want. No one will ever stop you, and you don't have to ask for anyone's permission. It's your house, and you are always welcome."

I looked at him in shock, a mixture of regret and love reflected in his eyes as he faced me. The weight of his actions over the years had finally caught up with him, and he realised the unintentional pain he had caused me.

Taking a deep breath, he began, "Sarah, I want to apologize. I've been a distant father to you, and I'm deeply sorry for that."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I listened, the words I had longed to hear finally spoken.

He continued, "I was afraid that I would be a bad father because that's all I knew from my own upbringing. My parents were incredibly strict, and I thought that was the right way to raise a child. I believed that your mother, with her different and loving background, would be the one to provide the kind, nurturing parenting I couldn't."

I looked at him, the hurt and anger slowly melting away from my heart, replaced by understanding.

He went on, "I didn't realize that in trying to secure your future, I was distancing myself from you. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me. I'm sorry for not knowing you better and for not showing you the love you deserve."

Tears streamed down my cheeks now, and I moved forward and hugged him, overwhelmed by his words.

He concluded, "I know I can't change the past, but I can promise you this, Sarah: from now on, I'll be a better father. I'll be there for you, I'll get to know you, and I'll make up for the lost time. I love you more than anything in this world, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day."

Overwhelmed by his words, I embraced him tightly, tears of forgiveness and reconciliation flowing freely.

Mom spoke, her eyes filled with bitterness and resentment, with a cold and detached tone, "I don't regret sending you away. All I wished for was that you would never come back."

Dad was about to say something angrily but I could see him clench his fists and jaw.

Her words hung in the air, like a heavy cloud of negativity. My heart aching, I asked, "Why, Mother? Why do you hate me?"

Mother's voice trembled with years of pent-up frustration and pain as she confessed, "I hate you because all I ever wanted was for Richard to love me, to be with me, and live his life for me. But then you came along, and he changed. He became so focused on you, on being a father, that he left me feeling alone and unloved."

Dad, listening to this confession, couldn't contain his anger. He began to speak, but my voice trembling with a mixture of hurt and anger, interrupted him.

"Why, Mother? Why couldn't you accept that he loved both of us? Why did you have to take me away from him?"

Mom's eyes, filled with a mix of sorrow and resentment, met my gaze. She revealed the depths of her pain, "I kept you away because I couldn't stand the thought of sharing him with anyone. I needed his love, a love that was once mine but was now divided, and it drove me to push you away, to keep him all to myself."