Joe cleared his throat hesitantly. "Uh, yes, sir. I, um, I was just about to inform you that Selena's mother, well, she... she passed away yesterday. Her funeral was already conducted by the early hours of this morning."
Kieran had a mix of annoyance and disbelief on his features. "What do you mean, she's dead? Why wasn't I informed?"
I should have known he would react this way - more concerned about not being informed earlier than showing any genuine concern for my well-being.
His assistant, Joe, tried to defend himself, explaining that Kieran had specifically told him not to report my personal matters.
I wasn't surprised by Kieran's behavior, to be honest. I had grown all too accustomed to his indifference towards me over the years. I couldn't help but recall the last time he had visited my mother, who was terminally ill with cancer.
It was his birthday and we all agreed to celebrate it at home. My mom had cooked all of his favorite meals, hoping to celebrate with him, but he didn’t even come on time. We waited for hours and when he eventually showed up, he left abruptly, taking a call from Nina, and never returned. Even the gifts she had gotten for him, he didn’t even bother to open them.
My poor mother had been absolutely devastated by Kieran's callous actions, but she had hidden her tears and sadness, not wanting to upset me further. I had felt so sorry for her, and had even considered breaking things off with Kieran then and there. But I had ultimately decided to stay, because I truly believed I had no one else.
Now, as I stood facing Kieran, I felt a whirlwind of emotions - sadness, anger, and a strange sense of relief. Sensing that he was losing me, Kieran suddenly panicked and promised to make amends. He even offered to marry me the very next day, but I swiftly refused.
“No, why are you talking about a wedding so suddenly? I thought you were forcing me to kneel down and beg your Nina?”
“I didn’t know that your mom was gone and I know it was her wish to see us married and for you to be finally happy,” Kieran explained.
In that moment, I realized just how exhausted I had become from years of being in this toxic relationship with him.