[Short Story_Completed]

Chapter 02

I hope you didn't forget to vote the first chapter.

So, here is the last chapter.

It was his graduation party. He was twenty-three and never missed anything about his hometown. He did invite Harry but he never expected him to actually come. But he felt good seeing him after seven years. Martin was happy to hear that Harry left the town too and now was settled in New Jersey.

"I am happy that I can see you more often now." Martin genuinely told him.

"Same here, man," He replied.

They talk about the old days and the mention of Lydia was inevitable.

"It was a marriage of convenience. Her mother wanted her to settle and the butcher's son was the only one who offered to pay the bills for her brother." Harry mentioned.

"Oh, poor Lydia," Sofia said.

"But what we can do about it?" Martin replied squeezing Sofia's arm.

"Yea, she looked so sad to me, even in her wedding dress. I tried to talk to her mother but, Man! she didn't budge. But now Lydia is fine. With her four sons, she looked happy last time I saw her."

"Four sons!" Sofia and Martin cried out in unison.

"Such people are the reason behind the population problems," Sofia commented.

"Such things start the never-ending loop of poverty and are the reason behind increase rate of crimes eventually," Martin added.

"You two are really something. Always so judgmental. She gave birth to twins twice. That's it. And those four kids have their parents. Let them figure out." Harry said with quite an irritation.

Somehow the party ended but he never called Harry ever again for the next three years. After three years he sent Harry his wedding invitation. He was marrying an elite lady, Josephine.

This time he came to know that Lydia and her husband were having some differences and filing for divorce. Because of some unknown reason his husband sold out his or her old home, his restaurant, car and everything else. She was forced to live in the store of the company she was working for. And she had adopted a colleague's daughter too.

He knew Lydia was incapable and will fail miserably at life. But he didn't know she will fall this hard. He couldn't do anything except feeling sorry for her. And then he looked at his wife who was rich, well-mannered, educated, was amazing when it comes to business and even running a foster care. She was making a difference in society. This is exactly what he wanted in his life.

The time went by. He was forty-five when he came to know about Harry's demise.

Harry's family wanted him to burry in his old hometown, and planning to shift forever. He paid his last visit to his friend in New Jersey before his body was taken to Ohio, their old place. Though he wanted to be there at his burial time, he was busy with his business dealings and second wife. His first marriage only went for twelve years. Josephine was nothing but an imposter of someone he wanted. She doesn't want to work for anything at all.

He felt sorry for Harry's daughters. They were only aged sixteen and eighteen at that time. He offered some money to his widow that she declined saying that they can manage. He never got the time to check on them. They shifted to Ohio, and he never heard from them ever.

He was sixty years old when he decided to retire. He got three hospitals from his father that he managed to make nine. Four of these hospitals were specialized. He was famous in his line of business and indeed owned billions of dollars in his account. It was after three days after his retirement when he was sitting in his living room and reading a newspaper. He looked at his watch while reminiscing the day when his third wife gifted him this. It's been four years that she lost the war against leukemia. His son was thirty-one and was very busy nowadays. He was a great kid, never forgets to give him time and still manage to visit him at least once in a month. His daughter was a traveler and someone who hardly shows up in any of the family dinners. The last time he saw her was eight months ago.