Seven Years Late To His Wifes Funeral

Seven years after my parents’ divorce, I earned my acceptance letter to The Westwood Institute. At the freshman orientation ceremony, I saw him: Pierce Harrison, attending as a major investment representative. My father. He froze for a fraction of a second when he saw me, his voice hesitant as he spoke: “Aubrey, is your mother… is she doing well?” I swallowed the bitter lump in my throat and turned to walk away. He quickly grabbed my arm. “Tell your mother to call me. We should all have dinner together.” My eyes instantly welled up. I yanked my arm away. How utterly ridiculous. How can a dead woman have dinner with you?

1 As soon as the ceremony ended, my friend, Maya, rushed over, her voice soft and cautious. “Aubrey, is Pierce Harrison… your dad?” I kept my head down, offering no reply. Seeing my silence, Maya gently tried to comfort me. “Are you okay? I truly didn’t realize he was a major backer for the school.” “The Freshman Gala is this afternoon. You might run into him again…” I managed a faint smile, cutting her off. “Don’t worry. I already asked for an excused absence. I have other plans this afternoon.” Maya visibly relaxed a little, but the worry still hung in her eyes. “Please don’t try to pretend you’re fine. I hate it when you put on that brave face.” I squeezed her shoulder. “I’m heading out now.” I hadn’t walked far from the auditorium when an administrator, Mr. Keller, rushed up to stop me. He asked me to go to the Dean’s office. “It’s Pierce Harrison, isn’t it?” I stated, the finality in my tone leaving no room for doubt. Before he could answer, I refused him flat out. “Please tell him that there is nothing for us to discuss.” “I have an appointment. I’m leaving now.” The administrator was stunned for a moment, clearly aware of some of the history. He quickly grasped my arm, his tone complex. “Miss Monroe, I can’t speak to your family matters. But Mr. Harrison is your father, after all. What kind of feud could there be? He just wants to see you…” Feud? Father? No father poisons his child’s mother. He took both of my parents from me in one fell swoop. Seeing him for the first time in seven years, I didn’t look nearly as distraught as I used to. I was calm, like I was looking at a complete stranger. But I hadn’t moved on. At the very least, I couldn’t move on for my mother. Pierce Harrison’s betrayal couldn’t just be written off. Leaving campus, I headed straight for the cemetery. I placed my mother’s favorite irises carefully at her headstone. The woman in the photo looked vibrant, her smile bright and carefree. It was taken when she and Pierce were dating. Back then, they were the campus Golden Couple, the envy of everyone. They won competitions together, spent countless hours in the library, and led the school to victory in debate—they were like a couple living out a perfect romantic movie. I even used them as the inspiration for a short story I wrote. Everyone who read it said it was the sweetest thing. But reality isn’t a storybook. The ending of our story was anything but sweet. I wiped the dust from her picture, forcing a smile. “Mom, starting today, I’m a university student.” “I told you I’d get in. See? I didn’t lie.” “Do you remember promising me that we’d go to a concert together when I got into college? I went by myself. It was Fiona Apple—your favorite.” As I spoke, my voice caught in my throat. “Mom, I saw him today…” “…I still hate him. But I hate myself more.” 2 Leaving the cemetery, I wandered aimlessly. A passerby alerted me that my phone was ringing. It was an unknown number. Pierce Harrison had somehow gotten my contact information from the school. “Aubrey, your dad just wants to see you and your mother…” I hung up immediately and blocked the number. I didn’t have a father. I was better off without him. But he clearly wasn’t giving up. Soon, a text message arrived from a different number. [Aubrey, it’s your father. You don’t want me to bother Grandma Monroe, do you?] I stared at the screen, my fingers clutching the phone until my knuckles turned white. Seven years later, his shamelessness had reached a new low. I took a cab to the address he sent. He was wearing a bespoke suit, his posture poised, his demeanor cultured. He looked almost exactly as I remembered him. But my mother was gone. Seeing me enter, he set down the files he was holding and rose eagerly. “Aubrey, you’re here. Come, sit.” I didn’t move. He didn’t seem bothered, a smile plastered on his face. “I saw your transcript at the school. Very impressive. You are certainly my daughter.” Hearing his compliment, I only felt contempt. My accomplishments had absolutely nothing to do with him. Quite the opposite: it was precisely his suppression and his abandonment that forced me to run forward, desperately. The countless sleepless nights, the humiliation I swallowed—all of it was his doing. I just wanted to be a normal girl, safe in my mother’s embrace. This so-called excellence was nothing more than a survival instinct. Before I could speak, someone approached to greet him. “Pierce, fancy meeting you here. And who is this?” Pierce Harrison responded with a slight, proud smile. “This is my daughter, Aubrey.” While they exchanged pleasantries, I slipped away to the restroom. When I came out, I overheard the low voices of the group. “Pierce Harrison has a grown daughter?” “That’s the one from his marriage to Julia Monroe.” “Those two were the original golden couple in our circles, building that empire together.” “Didn’t that marriage end in a cheating scandal? A total mess, I heard.” “Exactly. Goes to show how easily people change. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Julia Monroe around in ages…” I walked back, moving around them. Pierce glanced at me. “What took you so long?” “You couldn’t even manage a greeting for your elders.” I scoffed. “Mr. Harrison, why did you really ask me here?” He frowned, his tone hardening. “Aubrey Monroe Harrison, what is that attitude?” “I’m a Monroe!” I cut him off. “And I don’t have a father. Stop acting like one and lecturing me.” He slammed his hand on the table. “Your mother has truly ruined you. Is this how you speak to your elders?” “Call your mother. Whatever issues we have are between us. It’s not your place to interfere. Call her.” My eyes immediately turned red. I glared at him, venom in my voice. “See her?” “Pierce Harrison, do you think you’re worthy?” Slap! The sharp sting of the backhanded strike snapped my head sideways, my ears ringing violently. “I am your father!” I laughed out loud. See? This was his true face. A cold, utterly selfish businessman. His nature had never changed. If he set his mind to something, he didn’t care about anyone else’s feelings. Admittedly, that very coldness and calculation were what allowed him to reach his current heights. When my mother met him, he had nothing. It was Grandma Monroe who, recognizing his talent, subsidized him so he could finish school. From campus to the business world, in just a few years, he showed a startling commercial genius. He had drive, a plan, and ambition, completely shedding the label of a poor student. And my mother was once his most trusted partner. They pitched clients together; she blocked drinks and navigated social circles for him. They pulled all-nighters on proposals together; she stayed up until dawn with him. The company’s initial structure and clientele were all things my mother helped him build, piece by piece. He absorbed her dedication as capital for his own success. Successful career, beautiful wife. At their wedding, he promised my grandmother: “Teacher, I will take care of Julia for the rest of my life.” Too bad a man’s promises are worthless. Perhaps those moving words never truly entered his calculating heart. And my mother’s life, Because of him, stopped at thirty-three. I stared straight at him, my voice eerily calm. “When you were cheating with my classmate’s mother, why didn’t you remember you were my dad?” 3 I was the one who inadvertently introduced the other woman to him. It was pouring rain that day, and my father had come to pick me up from school. I saw my classmate, Hailey, and her mother standing on the curb, soaked to the bone. My heart softened, and I suggested he offer them a ride. Later, that Mrs. Price came to the house to thank us, and over time, she became familiar with our family. It wasn’t until I saw her at my father’s company that I first sensed something was wrong. I was young then, only vaguely uneasy. Pierce Harrison’s explanation was smooth: “Mrs. Price is a single mother, struggling to raise a child. I had an opening at the company that fit her skills perfectly.” “I asked your mother about it, and she thought it was fine, so I hired her.” I frowned, ready to argue, but he smiled and lightly tapped my nose. “What are you thinking? Isn’t it good to help your classmate’s mother?” “Mrs. Price has a certain drive… she reminds me of your mother and me when we were first starting out.” That comment reminded me of the story I was writing, and I quieted down to listen. The next time I saw Candace Price, she had been transferred from the logistics department to the Executive Office, becoming Pierce Harrison’s personal assistant. The sudden shift was jarring, and it made my stomach churn. I even heard colleagues joking. “Only Candace can handle the boss’s temper.” “If Mr. Harrison weren’t married, you’d think she was his girlfriend.” “They just have such incredible chemistry.” I couldn’t take it anymore. I rushed to his office and told him everything I’d heard. He just laughed. “You know how strong your mother’s and my feelings are. Mrs. Price is your friend’s mother. What could possibly be going on? Can I stop every single whisper of gossip?” He stroked my hair. “Aubrey, don’t mention this to your mother. She’s not well, and it will only upset her.” He promised me, “I’ll transfer her to another department. The rumors will die down eventually. Don’t worry, Dad will handle it.” Candace was transferred eventually, but he also forbade me from visiting the company, telling me to focus on my studies and leave adult business alone. I thought my mother remained blissfully unaware. Until the day I skipped class and came home, walking in on a terrible fight. The realization hit me like a blow to the head. I struggled to breathe. Pierce Harrison truly was cheating with Candace Price. My mother had walked in on them having sex in his office. His so-called attempts to “put distance” between them were all just excuses to keep me stable. He stopped me from going to the office only because he feared I’d discover more. As I strained to hear more, Candace rushed into the room. She stood in front of Pierce, tears streaming down her face. “Julia, it’s all my fault. Please, take it out on me…” Looking at her hypocritical face, I snapped. I lunged and slapped her hard. Pierce instinctively pushed me away, and my mother, trying to shield me, fell to the floor with me. He coldly tossed out one final phrase. “Calm down. We’ll talk later.” Then, without a backward glance, he led Candace out the door. 4 After the argument, my mother’s health deteriorated even further. Pierce, perhaps out of guilt, or perhaps out of respect for Grandma Monroe, pulled some strings. He used his contacts to bring in a top cardiology expert, Dr. Quentin. They reviewed her case repeatedly, creating the most comprehensive surgical plan for my mother. They carefully adjusted her medication and recovery schedule. For a period, my mother’s condition stabilized. I rushed to the hospital every day after school. Watching her color return day by day, I held onto the silent hope that everything would be alright. Until the day I saw Candace Price’s car downstairs at the hospital. My heart sank, and I rushed upstairs. In the hospital room, Candace was feigning concern. “Julia, Pierce specifically asked me to visit you, as he was worried you might be bored alone.” “There are some things he can’t bear to say. But since it’s come to this, why not just get divorced? A marriage without love is torture for everyone involved.” Her words were full of sharp barbs. I was trembling with rage. How dared she come to my mother’s bedside to say these things? I grabbed the glass vase from the cabinet by the door and hurled it at her. She screamed, clearly not expecting my sudden appearance, and froze in shock. I tried to lunge at her again, but a strong hand yanked me back. Pierce Harrison was gripping my arm tightly, his face contorted in fury. “Aubrey Monroe! Have you gone mad? Where is your respect?!” We had a massive fight that day. I cried, yelling at him, “That’s my mother! She can’t take stress! Candace did this on purpose! If anything happens to her…” Slap! A ringing slap cut me short. Pierce’s eyes were ice cold. “Can you try to act your age? If you behave like this one more time, don’t expect me to continue managing your mother’s surgery!” He turned to my mother, warning her. “Control your daughter. As long as you behave, I will treat you well.” After that, he stopped pretending altogether. He barely showed up anymore. But Candace’s provocations continued. She would “casually” reveal details of her time with Pierce to my mother. Sometimes it was newly bought jewelry, sometimes it was the corporate credit card he’d given her. She even left her prenatal appointment slips where my mother would find them… I quickly discovered these things. I held my mother, sobbing. “Mom, after the surgery, we’ll leave. We’ll get far away from them, and I’ll never let you be upset again.” She forced a smile, stroking my head. “My Aubrey is all grown up. You can protect your mother now.” “Don’t worry. I’ve signed the papers. I’ll hand them over to him after the surgery.” She was referring to the divorce agreement that had been sitting on the table for months. All I could think was: After the surgery, when she’s well, we can finally leave Pierce Harrison forever. But before that thought could be realized, my mother’s condition suddenly worsened. The monitoring machine sounded a piercing alarm. The doctors said she needed immediate surgery. But the hospital and I couldn’t reach Dr. Quentin. We frantically called Pierce Harrison. After countless busy signals, the call finally connected. “My mother is in critical condition. She needs surgery immediately! Why can’t we reach Dr. Quentin?” Pierce’s voice was filled with irritation. “Aubrey, stop causing trouble. I know your mother’s condition. It’s not critical enough for immediate surgery.” “Candace’s mother has a heart issue, and she needs Dr. Quentin to lead the surgery. I’ve arranged for other specialists to take over your mother’s case.” “Stay with her and stop being unreasonable. I’m very busy lately. Talk to my assistant if you need anything.” Before the phone disconnected, I faintly heard Candace’s voice: “Aubrey must be exaggerating. Julia was fine that day when she walked in on us, wasn’t she?” My mind went completely blank, the sound in my ears a deafening roar. Everything after that was a blur. I only remember the operating room light turning off, the surgeon walking out, and slowly shaking his head. … I pulled my thoughts back, about to speak to Pierce Harrison. A familiar voice came from the side. “Aubrey, I thought you said you were going to visit your mother’s grave today? Why are you here?” Next to me, Pierce Harrison instantly froze, his pupils contracting violently.