Regrets

49

Aaron and Heather's attorney mediated the litigation through their solicitors.

"My client is amenable to resolving the claim for 22 million pounds, which will be donated to Hope Charity for Women and Children."

"22 million? Has Heather lost her sanity? And for a charity, no less? That spiteful woman!" Marissa snarled.

"Please desist from such language. Should you decline, my client is prepared to proceed to trial."

Aaron requested an audience with Heather.

"Please, can you entreat her to meet me just once?"

Aaron was incensed with Marissa. "Marissa, I no longer possess that sum of money. Everything I had has been exhausted to settle debts."

"What! Are you serious, Aaron?"

"Yes. The sole recourse left would be to liquidate this house."

"What happened to the money Heather returned?"

"I have no idea. The investors retracted their funds and threatened litigation. I had to compensate them out of my pocket."

"Why on earth would you do that?"

"I would have ended up in jail. My career, my medical license—everything was at risk."

"You are such a fool, Aaron. How are we even going to survive?"

"We can rebuild from scratch. I only need your support."

"It took you more than 20 years to reach this point. How can you start over?"

"You are useless."

Aaron reminisced about Heather from 25 years ago. She had just handed him her property documents.

"I have unwavering faith in you. Take this."

"Heather, I can't."

"You and I are intertwined; if you succeed, I will also reap the benefits."

He glanced at Marissa's face. He wondered why he had fallen so deeply for her. She wasn't as beautiful as Heather. It was as if her façade had crumbled.

Seeing Aaron in a daze, Marissa felt contrite about her outburst. She grasped his arm.

"Don't worry, Aaron. Mum can bestow my inheritance upon me. We will be fine. I will speak to Alex."

"Don't you dare, Marissa?" He raised his hand but restrained himself. "You know what sort of people are affiliated with Henry Crawford? You are fortunate Alex never conversed with his father, or else you might not be alive."

"How do you know?"

"I thought you were so naive and innocent. How can you blackmail someone with such a sensitive issue?"

Marissa was rendered speechless.

They did not converse for weeks, but Marissa broke the silence by apologizing. Aaron forgave her. She was the only family he had left.

Heather refused to meet Aaron and Marissa, but Daniel insisted.

"You should meet them, Anne. Let them experience what it's like to be on the receiving end. It will give me satisfaction to see them supplicating you."

"Daniel, I'm not doing this for revenge."

"I know, darling. You have a magnanimous heart, but I can't forget the agony they caused you."

"I'll acquiesce just because you insist."

"Anne, please don't negotiate anything further."

"I promise I won't. It's not just me; it's us. Mr. and Mrs. Crawley filed the lawsuit. You have the final say."

He appreciated her traditional values. No one could epitomize the role of Mrs. Crawley better than her. To him, she was too soft. She forgave easily, whereas he was relentless. He knew it was Zach who precipitated Aaron's company's bankruptcy. He admired Zach's acumen. To everyone else, Zach was just a poor, industrious boy, but Daniel knew the wealth Zach had amassed. His business acumen was extraordinary.

"I don't understand, Zach, why you pursued medicine. You could have been a brilliant businessman."

"Medicine is my passion, and business is merely an avocation. I've neglected my passion for my hobby."

He took a three-year hiatus from his training.

"I have sufficient wealth, and I've put everything in order. It's time to return to my passion."

"Zach, I know you orchestrated your father's downfall."

"How did you discern that?"

"You're clever, but I am your senior," he laughed. "Zach, my target is not Aaron. I seek Lisa's downfall and reclaim all the jewellery that rightfully belongs to Anne—her mother's mementoes. That would be my anniversary gift to her."

"Let me handle that for you."

"No, let me do this one thing for my wife."

"I want to see how Marissa will cope with her new status. She always looked down on working-class people."

"Zach, she'll still be affluent because of her profession."

"Yes, but she won't be able to maintain her current lifestyle. She'll need to work arduously to remain in the wealthy class."

"I concur."

Aaron was captivated upon seeing Heather after a long time. The corpulent and unattractive woman he once derided was nowhere to be seen.

Just a few years ago, she was a timid woman in court, but now she stood proud and confident. It seemed as though she had reversed in age. He couldn't avert his gaze from her. Marissa, who was younger than Heather, looked like a plastic Barbie.

He was so engrossed in admiring her beauty that he failed to notice the man next to her who held her waist possessively.

This reality struck him hard. He clenched his fists. She belonged to him, and she was supposed to live a reclusive life in his memories. He would have supported her and perhaps visited her occasionally, but here he was pleading for her mercy. If this was karma, it had indeed struck him hard.

His father once said that every man would have an opportunity to meet his lady luck once in his lifetime. "You are fortunate; you met yours." He dismissed it as a jest because, to him, Marissa was his lady luck.

In retrospect, it was Heather who brought him a fortune.

"How can we assist you, Mr. Biffrey?" Daniel inquired.

"Heather, you don't need that money. Please, can we reach an agreement? I will issue a public apology and accept responsibility for my affair, which led to our divorce. I regret how I managed the divorce," he addressed Heather, ignoring Daniel.

"It was not just me, Mr. Biffrey, who was affected by your wife's defamation. My family's reputation was in tatters. My husband's character was impugned. I don't seek a public apology from both you and your wife, but that compensation is vital for my charity."

"Was your return of the alimony and funds merely a ruse to deceive me?" he retorted.

"Mind your tone, Mr. Biffrey. I am more than willing to litigate. The way your in-laws and wife maligned my family's image is unforgivable. Given your background, you won't comprehend the importance of preserving our values. We Crawleys never forgive those who target our family. You nouveau riche won't grasp this."

Daniel then turned towards his attorneys. "The deal we proposed is non-negotiable. We don't have time to waste here. Witcombe, every second is worth millions to me. Please expedite this matter."

He departed, holding Anne's hand.

Aaron felt utterly humiliated. He had no recourse but to sell his home to pay the compensation.