Chapter 329

Willow made another attempt to walk away, but George moved to block her once again. “Take it! Take the money!” he pleaded, going into a panic. “And then I’ll never bother you or your mom, ever again! I just need to do this, or else I’ll never be able to forgive myself! If you won’t accept my money, I’ll take that to mean I still have a chance for us to become a family together again!” Willow halted, her expression darkening at these words. George pressed the card into her hand, saying, “Take it, and we’ll go right back to being strangers again—just like you said.” And then he turned away, and headed back towards his room. Willow’s fingers tightened around that card, which seemed to singe her hand. She couldn’t discard it; but neither did she want to hold on to it. She watched George hobble back into his room, a wretched and miserable figure. Twenty-seven years she’d been deprived of a father’s love. At that thought, her nose stung with imminent tears. She squeezed the card