Chapter 1168:
“JM Investments has been making real progress lately,” Millie said, watching Nicole’s face in the shifting sunlight at the doorway.
Nicole didn’t invite her inside. She simply asked, “And?”
Millie reminded herself that it was all right. Surely her mother would be happy once she heard everything.
Standing there, she began recounting all she had accomplished recently, hoping Nicole would feel proud.
“I just came from Yaroslav Technology, and things are really looking good,” Millie finished, her eyes shining with hope as she waited for Nicole’s reaction.
Years ago, Millie had vowed to earn enough money to give her mother a better life, to help her walk away from her stepfather. She had promised to take care of everything. She had dreamed of the two of them building something wonderful together.
More than anything, Millie wanted Nicole to recognize what she was capable of.
After her meeting at Yaroslav Technology, she had come straight here, wishing her mother would finally acknowledge her efforts. Maybe, with time, Nicole would see all that she had achieved and let go of the old hurts.
Maybe, just maybe, Nicole would let Millie call her “Mom” again someday.
Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting soft patterns across Millie’s face and highlighting the nervous anticipation in her smile.
Nicole listened quietly to Millie’s account, her expression unreadable as she skimmed through the paperwork.
After a moment, Nicole finally lifted her gaze to meet Millie’s.
Millie stood with her hands clasped behind her back, holding her breath in anticipation.
A moment later, Nicole handed the paperwork back to her.
“All right,” Nicole said.
Millie searched her mother’s face, but it was clear that Nicole had no intention of adding anything else.
Find the magic on gⱯlnσν𝓮𝓁s․𝒸𝗼𝗺
A light breeze drifted through the space between them.
They remained there in silence for several moments.
The hope in Millie’s smile slowly began to fade.
Nicole finally broke the silence.
“Is there something else? I’m heading out soon.”
It was clear that Nicole was asking her to leave.
Millie’s smile vanished completely. She tried to respond, but before she could—
“I really am running late, so I need to get ready,” Nicole added, already stepping back inside and closing the door behind her without another glance.
The door shut with a sharp thud, placing a barrier between Millie and Nicole.
Millie remained standing on the doorstep, her gaze fixed on the door that had just closed.
It felt as though an icy, impenetrable wall stood between them.
A knot tightened in her throat.
Millie couldn’t understand how, after everything she had accomplished, nothing had changed between her and her mother. She had poured all her energy into trying to mend what was broken, yet the distance between them never shifted, leaving her feeling lost and helpless.
She had clung to the hope that her recent successes would remind Nicole of the warmth they once shared, that maybe her mother would finally look at her with pride.
.
.
.