At Sy Mansion.

Senior Sy couldn’t help but show his excitement for the coming wedding of his daughter. He was overjoyed and tears welled up in his eyes because of happiness the moment he heard the excellent news from Jorge and Miley.

He called them both on their mobile numbers after he settled his emotions and instructed them to come home early for dinner. He then called Liam next to join them at dinner since Lana was also back home.

Afterwards, he heaved a long deep sigh with eyes darted in a particular direction. He felt so proud of himself seeing how her children grew up and had splendid success not only in their career, but they both had stable and trustworthy partners and a great love life as well.

He wanted whatever was best for them and how he hoped and prayed that the relationship of his children with their spouses would stand a lifetime unlike his. He always wanted a complete family with his wife and children for himself, but he failed in maintaining it. So he vowed that he would make sure his children would have complete and happy families of their own.

He stood up from his seat and walked towards the bas.e.m.e.nt. The forbidden area but unknown to his children, it became his secret sanctuary.

He often went there whenever Miley and Liam were not around. He knew his children would scold him if they would catch him in the act, especially Liam, but he could not help his longing to visit all her things or look at those photo albums where his family was once complete and she belonged to him.

Liam wanted to destroy and burn everything pertaining to their mother but he begged him not to do that, so they decided that all her things including those that would bring back her memories to his children, who did not want to remember her at all, be kept in that one room and locked in the bas.e.m.e.nt. Liam wanted all those memories to get locked up in that room alone forever and rot.

Senior Sy went inside and sat weakly on the couch while he looked at the four corners of the room where they kept Carie’s belongings. He bent down and grabbed his favorite photo album.

He opened it and once again saw his beautiful wife smiling widely in those pictures. She looked really happy always, and he never thought she was not happy all along during all those years.

His marriage with her was an arranged marriage between families that he personally requested because he fell in love with Carie the first time he laid his eyes on her. So when the opportunity knocked his life and he could have her as his wife, he immediately grabbed it without blinking an eye or thinking twice. All he knew was that he should not let that moment slip away.

He could still feel that memorable day vividly, that time when he first saw her, the day when he accompanied his uncle Rigs Ken for an important business talk with Carie’s father. Uncle Ken was the father of Karl whom his sister got married to. Even though they were not blood related, they had close family ties as in-laws. They supported each other well.

The Kens had helped their family a lot. Uncle Rigs would often bring him along during business transactions to train him and make him learn to do business as well as improve his connection network, and thus later he became the Vice-Chairman of one subsidiary of the Kens Group because of his capabilities.

During one of those meetings, Carie served them some tea when they were at her place and her father introduced her to his uncle and him. She had a very sweet smile, and he instantly felt something changed in him in just a few moments. His world stopped that instant, and he felt Carie was the only person before him at that time. He could see no one or hear anything others spoke.

Cupid struck him really hard. He could not exactly explain it, but he knew that instant she was the woman for him. He could not take away his eyes from her and he smiled, seeing Carie blushed by his gaze.

She already left when Carie’s father, in the middle of the conversation, suddenly suggested, “I want assurance in this partnership Rigs. This is a big deal and a very important one. Why not stabilise it with something substantial? You know how it goes…”

His uncle laughed as he said, “No way… If you are trying to hint at a proposal of arrange marriage with your daughter then I won’t agree. I have to discuss these things with my sons and trust me, those men in my family are too stubborn. Besides, Karl already has someone he loves. Alex has a girlfriend as well…”

Ram saw that opportunity of a possible marriage with the fairy he saw and fell in love with and whispered, “Uncle, if you both will agree then I’m willing to marry your daughter.”

“Ram? You! Really?” Uncle Ken burst.

He had a timid smile on his face and said, “I like her.”

“But you just met her now! In fact, you have just seen her for just a few minutes and don’t even know her properly!” His uncle added in disbelief.

Carie’s father laughed and straightforwardly said, “I guess my daughter’s beauty has mesmerized him. Well, I will agree to this proposal happily, since Ram holds most of the shares in the group.”

His uncle Rigs looked at him and asked for the last time, “Are you really sure about this? I mean, marriage is a heavy responsibility for you, Ram. I still believe it’s better that you and Carie get to know each other and see if the two of you are compatible with each other.”

“No Rigs, love can be developed as time goes by and a relationship progresses. What matters is the family assurance in the business world. I’m sure Ram and Carie would do well…” Carie’s father continued to encourage.

Ram heaved another long sigh as he drifted back to the present. All those years, he thought he and Carie had mutual feelings for each other. Little did he know, Carie was not happy with him. She had someone else in her heart beforehand. He just met her accidentally, and she married him under pressure from her father… And after all those years, that man stayed there inside her heart.

Tears unconsciously fell down his eyes because of the pain he had in his heart. He did not know where he lacked because he knew he gave everything to Carie. He gave his all for her… But she still left him and went away.

After all those years, the pain in his heart remains, but his love for her always stayed as it was on the first day he saw her. He never stopped looking for her. Hoping that someday she would still come back to them. He did not care about the past. He was willing to accept her if she came back, no matter what.

He never stopped waiting, but Carie never returned to them.

“Why…” he whispered repeatedly. He could not understand how she could abandon her children like that.