Chapter 217

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“Your mother?” Timothy whispered, and he whipped his head around and looked at her, as if to confirm for himself.

I nodded, my voice barely a whisper. “I never thought I’d even see her again...” Anger simmered beneath the surface, a mix of

betrayal and confusion.

Timothy placed a hand on my shoulder. “Do you want to go back? We can-

“No,” I interrupted, determination cutting through my words. “I’ve come this far; might as well see what this dinner is really about.”

Timothy's expression reflected understanding, though concern lingered in his eyes. Together, we approached Kamran and my

mother, a peculiar quartet converging for an evening that had become far more complicated than I could have imagined.

Kamran greeted us with a welcoming smile, oblivious to the storm brewing within me. “Timothy, Evie, glad you could make it.

This is Mia,” he said, gesturing toward my mother.

My eyes fixated on Mia, who stood there with an air of calm composure. The woman who had been absent for so much of my life

now stood before me, a stranger in the guise of familiarity. The question burned on my tongue, demanding release.

“Evie,” Mia acknowledged with a nod. Her face remained neutral. Figures she wouldn't recognize her own daughter.

“What are you doing here?” I blurted out, my voice sharper than intended.

Mia blinked, her expression pleasant but guarded. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

I couldn't fathom the casual tone in her voice. After all these years of silence, all she could muster was a casual greeting? Anger

surged within me, a tempest threatening to break free.

“Awhile?” I scoffed. “Try a lifetime. Where have you been?”

Timothy and Kamran stood awkwardly to the side. Kamran, attempting to bridge the awkward silence, asked, “Do you two know

each other well?”

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Mia smiled at him before turning her attention back to me. “Evie’s my daughter. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

The words hung in the air, a delicate dance between the past and the present. I felt a storm of conflicting emotions, the wounds

of abandonment ripping open anew. “Was your plan to ‘catch up‘ at a family dinner orchestrated by your boyfriend?”

Kamran attempted to diffuse the tension, suggesting, “Why don’t we head inside? We have a reservation, and we can talk more

there.”

I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping me. “Talk? After all this time, now you want to talk?”

“Evie, please,” she started, and her bottom lip poked out like it usually did when she was confronted.

The tempest within me refused to be quelled. “No, Timothy. This is long overdue.” I turned to Mia, my voice cutting through the

night air. “You left me with a father who was mentally absent. I had to navigate that alone. Where were you?”

Mia’s gaze faltered, a hint of remorse flickering in her eyes. “Evie, I-”

“Don't,” I interjected, my anger boiling over. “Don’t act like you have the right to explain now. You lost that right a long time ago.”

Kamran attempted to mediate, his voice a measured attempt at peace. “Let’s not do this here.”

I shot him a withering glance. “Figure things out? You've got to be kidding me. You invited me to this twisted family gathering,

and now you want us to have a calm, collected conversation?”

Timothy spoke, his tone gentle but firm. “Evie, we can leave now. We don’t have to stay.”

I reluctantly tore my gaze away from Mia, feeling a swirl of emotions that left me dizzy. “No, I’m fine. Let’s just go inside,” I

conceded, though the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach persisted.

As we entered the restaurant, the warm interior felt oppressive. The low hum of conversation, the clinking of cutlery, it all seemed

like a surreal backdrop to the unraveling drama. A waitress led the way to our table, and as we took our seats, the air hung heavy

with unresolved tension.

The atmosphere at the table was strained, the weight of unspoken words threatening to suffocate us. Kamran, suddenly such a

diplomat, attempted to steer the conversation toward safer waters. “Let’s order and try to enjoy

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the evening. There’s no need for animosity.”

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My mother nodded in agreement. “He’s right, Evie. We can talk about everything later. For now, let's just have dinner.

I clenched my jaw, a seething anger bubbling beneath the surface. The audacity of suggesting a casual dinner. after all these

years of absence infuriated me. “Fine.”

As we navigated the awkward dance of dinner, Kamran’s attempts at pleasant conversation cut through the strained atmosphere.

I reciprocated with forced smiles, my mother’s presence a constant irritant.

“So, Evie, tell me about yourself. You're still a lawyer, right?” Kamran inquired, his tone genuinely curious. “I saw you win that big

case against your firm recently

Well done.”

I took a sip of my wine, choosing my words carefully. “Thank you. I was promoted recently to senior attorney, so things I have

pretty busy for me.”

Kamran nodded. “That’s impressive. Takes a sharp mind to navigate a whole firm.”

I offered a polite smile, the conversation feeling like a charade. “It has its challenges, but I manage.”

As the evening progressed, I couldn’t shake the sense of unease that settled over me. Kamran’s attempts at pleasant interaction

were disarming, a stark contrast to the cold glares he’d given me before. Mia, sitting beside him, wore an expression of detached

amusement that added fuel to the fire of my resentment.

The delicate dance of dinner took an unexpected turn when I mustered the courage to ask, “So, how did you two meet?”

Kamran’s eyes twinkled with a mixture of nostalgia and affection. “Mia actually tailored a suit for me a while back. We hit it off

from there, and the rest is history.”

My stomach churned at the casualness with which he spoke. Mia’s eyes, however, held a flicker of something more, a sentiment

that made my skin crawl. The realization hit me like a wave- Kamran and my mother weren't just casually dating; they had a

history that predated this orchestrated family dinner.

Timothy, seated across from me, seemed to absorb the revelation with a mix of and his expression grew distressed. His eyes

met mine, silently pleading for reassurance.

“You were with Mia while my mother was still alive?” Timothy asked, his voice unsteady.

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Kamran’s expression hardened, a defensive edge to his words. “Timothy, Lydia and I were already over by then. Our marriage

was falling apart, and Mia and I found comfort in each other.”

The revelation hung in the air, and suddenly I wasn’t the only disappointed child in the room. Timothy's gaze flickered between

Kamran and Mia and his frown deepened.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the table as we continued our meal. Kamran and Mia exchanged flirtatious glances and

gentle caresses, leaving Timothy and I to sit awkwardly as unwilling spectators.

As the dessert arrived, the atmosphere remained charged. Mia suggested, “We should catch up, Evie. It’s been so en so long.”

She handed me a slip of paper with her number, a gesture that felt flippant in the wake of the revelations.

I glanced at the number in my hand, a bitter taste in my mouth. “Catch up? You can’t be serious.”

Mia offered a nonchalant smile. “Life was... complicated, Evie. I think we should discuss it.”

The dismissiveness in her tone fueled the simmering anger within me. “Complicated? You abandoned me, and now you want to

chat over coffee and pretend everything's fine?”

“Think about it,” she said, and she took my hands in hers, “You’re still my best buddy.”

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