Chapter 217
Chapter 217
Later, communication between Andriana and Mason dwindled to almost nothing.
After she entered high school, she would lock herself in her room whenever she came home and refused to speak to him. Their only interaction occurred when it was time for him to give her living expenses.
In that house, faced with her cold and indifferent father, Andriana felt suffocated.
She threw herself into her studies and worked harder than anyone else. She wanted to break free from the man who had brought her so much pain, to escape this unqualified “father p>
In the end, she succeeded. She was admitted to Skyline University.
When the acceptance letter arrived, Andriana discovered that the man who had not shed a single tear at his wife’s death was crying like an old man, overcome with grief.
Even that did not soften her heart, and she left.
She left the house completely. She also cut off all contact with him, a man who had never set foot in a school.
At last, she escaped her father’s world.
The years that followed passed smoothly. At university, she rose to become the valedictorian. Her academic papers won international awards. Her laboratory received national funding, and some even predicted that she might one day win a Nobel
Prize.
There was no doubt that Andriana was exceptional.
In the blink of an eye, six years passed.
By then, Andriana had softened long ago. She had matured, yet she still could not bring herself to lower her pride. It was only after she became engaged that she thought, ‘When I get married, both emotionally and morally, I should invite him p>
Giving herself that excuse, she returned to the home she had not visited in six years.
The moment she pushed the door open, she froze. The yard was choked with weeds. The house had clearly been neglected for a long time.
With a trembling voice, she asked the villagers and learned that her father had died a month earlier. He had drunk pesticide.
Andriana broke down on the spot.
She ran to her father’s grave like a madwoman. Standing before the mound of earth, one grave old and one new, her tears fell without stopping.
Nine years ago, she had lost her mother. That day, she had lost her father as well.
Andriana collapsed.
In a daze, she returned to the house and entered her father’s room. There, she found a thick stack of tickets.
It felt as though lightning had struck her. She stood motionless, unable to react.
She could not imagine how her barely literate father had managed to find his way to Skyline City, much less to Skyline University. Before that, the farthest he had ever traveled was a town less than 6 miles away.
Every ticket was for a standing seat. Each journey lasted more than ten hours. How had he endured it?
At the bottom of the stack, she found a photograph. It was the only family photo of the three of them.
In the picture, both her father and mother wore gentle smiles.
She turned it over.
On the back were a few crooked words: [Don’t be afraid. When our child grows up, I’ll come keep you company p>
It was her father’s promise to his wife, and in the end, he had kept it.
At that moment, Andriana covered her mouth and cried until she lost consciousness.
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The host knocked on the door, pulling Andriana out of her memories. “Miss Palmer, the wedding is about to begin p>
She came back to herself, wiped the corners of her eyes, and said, “Alright. I’ll go out right away p>
She lifted her dress and stood.
As she entered the banquet hall through the side door, thunderous applause erupted.
The pure white wedding gown made Andriana look breathtaking.
At one end of the long red carpet stood the groom and the host. She stood at the other.
When the applause faded, the host said, “Next, please have the handsome groom take the beautiful bride’s hand and walk step by step toward their warm little home p>
Evan drew a deep breath and was about to step forward when the background music suddenly changed. “I’ve always taken from you and never once said thank you p>
At the same moment, the doors of the banquet hall swung open.
Everyone turned to look.
A man in formal attire walked in slowly.
Andriana froze. In the next instant, tears streamed down her face.
The song continued, “It wasn’t until I grew up that I understood how hard it was for you p>
She ran toward him as if she had lost all reason. Tears scattered through the air.
“Dad p>
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.