Chapter 10
1246 Words
Moments Earlier
When Maya found Marcus at the hotel, she told him she was finally willing to take the offer.
“What changed your mind?” Marcus asked.
Marcus stood with his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on her face as she tried to subtly cover the scars on her neck.
“I saw Damson and Bella,” she said quietly. “Getting married. Living a happy life after they threw me away to die. I always thought they might one day regret what they did. That they were reflecting on their actions. But no.”
Her jaw tightened.
“So I decided to get back on my feet.”
“That’s perfect,” Marcus said.
Marcus pulled out his phone.
“I also want to see what that cruel man had to say.”
He scrolled for a moment, then sighed heavily and looked up at her.
“You won’t believe what he said.”
Maya’s heart clenched.
“What?”
“When he was asked about his ex-wife, he posted on i********: that you had a lover. That you willingly signed the divorce papers and that the child you were carrying belonged to that lover.”
The rage hit her like fire.
“How dare he lie about me?” Maya snapped, her hands trembling. “About my child, the child he killed.”
She lifted her head and met Marcus’s eyes, her voice steady despite the fury burning inside her.
“I’m ready for anything.”
Marcus smiled slowly.
“Perfect.”
Her expression softened.
“But before we go any further, there’s something I need to do. I want to properly say goodbye to the old lady who saved my life, the one I’ve been working to repay.”
Marcus nodded.
“Of course.”
“I’ll need to borrow some money,” Maya added. “I promise I’ll pay you back.”
“Borrow?” Marcus scoffed lightly at his own words, shaking his head. “Anyway… let’s go meet her.”
Back to the Present
“So, Granny,” Maya said softly, “this is the Marcus I was telling you about.”
“Oh,” Nan smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling. “He’s a kind, gentle man.”
Marcus was surprised that she already knew his name and that she spoke of him so fondly. He bowed respectfully before the old woman.
Maya took a deep breath.
“Granny, I wanted to ask for your permission to leave. I know you’ll be lonely, and I shouldn’t just walk away like this. But for my own healing… I feel like I need to leave, get back on my feet, and rebuild my life.”
She hesitated, her voice turning softer.
“If you don’t want me to go, Granny, I can still reconsider.”
“Oh, my child,” Nan said gently. “Sit down.”
She motioned for Maya to sit, then gestured for Marcus to take the chair nearby.
“I found you by chance,” Nan continued honestly. “I won’t lie, I will miss you deeply. But perhaps I was only a step you needed to move forward in your life.”
Nan smiled faintly.
“And if you feel guilty about leaving me alone, don’t. I forgot to tell you something.”
Maya’s heart tightened as she listened.
“The doctor is an old friend of my late son,” Nan said. “Today, he shared some good news besides the TV.”
“My son had a pregnant girlfriend before he died. My grandchild and the child’s mother want to come and stay with me for a while. They even asked if I would move in with them.”
Maya’s chest loosened with relief.
“Oh, Granny… that’s wonderful,” she said, nodding repeatedly.
Even though Maya had already agreed to go through with Marcus’s plan, she couldn’t imagine leaving Nan behind. She had already begun thinking about asking Marcus to take Granny with them.
She turned to Marcus, her eyes filled with gratitude.
“Thank you for being the only kind person in her life.”
“It’s nothing, Granny,” Marcus replied gently.
Then he added, “We’ll leave tomorrow morning.”
He stood and bowed slightly.
“Please excuse me. I’ll return to the hotel.”
After Marcus left, Maya stayed with Granny Nan.
That night, she fell asleep beside her, feeling for the first time in a long while that her life was finally beginning to turn around.
Early the Next Morning
Maya woke up before dawn.
She hadn’t slept well, anxiety had kept her restless all night. Marcus was a principled man; she knew he would keep time.
When she stepped out of her small room, she found Nan already outside, waiting for her.
“There you are, my child,” Nan said warmly. “I made you some porridge. Take it, it’s my blessing for you.”
Maya bent down and drank a few spoonfuls.
Nan leaned closer and whispered, “He seems like a good man. I’ve never seen you remove your mask for anyone except me.”
Maya almost explained that she had simply forgotten to wear it, but then she remembered Marcus’s calm reaction when he had seen her scars.
No shock. No pity.
Perhaps Nan was right.
A car pulled up, it was the one Marcus had sent.
Maya turned to Nan, her eyes shining with sadness. She wrapped her arms around her tightly.
“Thank you for everything, my lovely Granny,” Maya said. “I’ll keep in touch. I’m not leaving forever.”
“That’s enough,” Nan said quickly, turning her face away to hide her tears. “Just go, okay?”
Maya nodded and stepped into the car.
As it drove away, Nan stood there alone, watching until it disappeared.
“She’s a sweet girl,” Nan murmured to herself. “She deserves everything in this life.”
Her shoulders sagged as she sighed.
“I’m sorry I lied,” she whispered. “There is no grandson. No wife.”
She pressed a hand to her chest.
“I just didn’t want you to feel like a burden… especially when this cancer will take me sooner or later.”
She wiped her eyes, struggling to hold back her tears.
Then she noticed an envelope on the table, the one she had seen earlier.
Slowly, she opened it.
Inside was a large amount of money.
Nan stared at it in silence.
…with a letter inside.
If I had given you the money in person, you would have rejected it.
So please accept it this way.
Thank you, Nan.
Use this money in the meantime, before your grandson comes.
If you need a doctor or if there’s any change in plans, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Live well, my Nan.
Nan pressed the letter to her chest, her vision blurring.
“Such a sweet girl,” she whispered, forcing back her tears as they threatened to spill again.
On the way to the hotel, Maya sat quietly in the car Marcus had sent. She stared out the window, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
“I wonder if she’s seen the money,” she murmured under her breath.
Marcus had already given her the money and she, without hesitation, had passed it on to Nan.
Maya closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.
Please be well, Granny, she thought.
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