One Last Call Before Goodbye Chapter 12
Devoción Café.
Darlene chose a seat by the window and sat down, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the rim of her coffee cup.
Tabitha appeared at the door right on time.
Her high heels clicked crisply against the floor, each step radiating an undeniable presence.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Hendrix.” Darlene stood up.
Tabitha glanced at her without responding and sat down directly across from her.
She set her handbag aside, skipped any pleasantries, and got straight to the point.
“Darlene, I thought you were a smart woman.”
Darlene sat down again, remaining silent.
“Back then, Mardy made such a scene with me because of you. I thought you could understand a mother’s heart.”
Tabitha picked up the glass of water the waiter brought, but didn’t drink it, only turned it in her hand.
“You’ve been together for five years. I gave you both a chance.
“But look at him now. Every attempt at starting a business ends in failure, not a single project goes through. Do you know why?”
Darlene lowered her lashes, her fingertips tightening slightly.
Tabitha set down the glass, her tone indifferent: “Because of you. As long as you stay with him, he can forget about ever relying on the family’s resources. I mean what I say.”
“Your family, your background—what can you offer him? Not only can you not help, you’re dragging him down.”
Every word was like a needle, pricking Darlene’s heart over and over.
Tabitha took a check from her bag and slid it across the table to Darlene: “If you really care about him, you should know what to do.”
Darlene stared at the check, but didn’t reach for it.
“Mrs. Hendrix, I won’t take this money.”
Tabitha let out a cold laugh: “Pretending to be noble? Last time you refused the money, I thought you truly had some backbone. And yet? You talk about breaking up, but you keep him hanging on.”
“I didn’t—”
“I didn’t—”
Tabitha leaned back in her chair, her gaze sharp: “Didn’t you? Then why are you still with him today? Darlene, I don’t care who’s clinging to whom between you two. I’m making myself clear today.”
Her voice dropped, each word like a nail.
“If you don’t leave him on your own, I have plenty of ways to separate you. You know I can make sure he loses everything.”
Darlene looked up, meeting Tabitha’s eyes.
There was no malice in those eyes, only a calm, almost cruel certainty—a certainty that Darlene was not good enough for her son, a certainty that she should step aside.
Darlene’s voice was a little hoarse: “Mrs. Hendrix, what if… I don’t leave?”
Tabitha was clearly taken aback for a moment, then let out a laugh, laced with sarcasm.
“Then go ahead and try.”
She stood up, picked up her handbag, and looked down at Darlene from above.
“You’ll regret it.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the door of the coffee shop was pushed open.
The bell above the door chimed crisply.
Marshall stood at the entrance, his coat lifted slightly by the wind. His gaze swept across the café and landed directly on their table.
Tabitha’s expression changed.
“Mardy? Why are you—”
Marshall strode over, not looking at Tabitha, but going straight to Darlene’s side.
He lowered his head and glanced at her. Her eyes were slightly red, her fingers clutching the hem of her clothes.
His gaze darkened, then he turned to face Tabitha.
“Mom, I heard what you said.”
Tabitha frowned: “You followed her?”
Marshall’s voice was deep: “I’m protecting her, Mom. You don’t need to threaten Lena.”
Tabitha’s face darkened: “Marshall, what kind of attitude is that?”
Marshall spoke each word clearly: “My attitude is simple. I won’t break up with Lena.”
Tabitha was so angry her voice changed pitch: “You… Do you even know what you’re saying? Most people who succeed in business do so with family support.”
“Then I won’t take the family’s help.”
Marshall’s voice wasn’t loud, but it made the entire coffee shop fall silent.
“Mom, whether you take away the resources or tell suppliers not to work with me, it doesn’t matter. I don’t need it.”
Tabitha stared at him: “Are you crazy? Do you think you can accomplish anything without the family’s support?”
Marshall’s tone was calm: “I studied medicine. I can take the licensing exam and work at any hospital. Even if I don’t do that, I have my own hands and feet—I won’t starve.”
He paused, his voice softening a little, but every word was clear.
“Mom, I respect you, but I won’t back down on this. If I can’t stay here, I’ll take Lena and leave this city. We’ll start over somewhere else.”
Tabitha’s face was ashen. Her lips moved, and after a long moment, she managed to squeeze out a sentence: “You’re willing to give up your family for her?”
“What I want is a life I choose for myself.”