Chapter 19

Wesley's mouth fell open in disbelief, yet no words of defense came out. He never knew his mother deceived Mabel, even using underhanded means to bind her to him. At this moment, he finally understood something. No apology or plea for forgiveness could ever compensate for Mabel's pain. He and his family had carved away at Mabel's heart, bit by bit, until nothing remained. As Mabel turned to leave, Wesley couldn't muster a single word to stop her. He felt something inside him slipping away as he watched her retreating figure—something he knew would never return. Desperate, he called out one last question. "Mabes... during those three years, did you ever love me? Even just a little?" Mabel paused mid-step as memories of their first meeting came flooding back. What Wesley didn't know was that they'd met long before his hospitalization. Back then, Mabel was still a medical student—a scholarship recipient representing underprivileged students at a corporate sponsorship event. There st