Watching You Burn In Regret novel Chapter 8

As for Zena's indifference to Seren…

Zena was his mother, and it wasn't his place to criticize her choices.

Carla didn't press the issue either; she just gave a faint, resigned smile.

Seren's flight was at nine in the morning, and by the time she landed in Seaside City, it was already half past eleven.

Stepping out of the arrivals gate, she immediately spotted Nadine in the crowd—her long, wavy hair and elegant beige dress made her look both sophisticated and approachable.

Three years had passed since Nadine last saw Seren. The moment she laid eyes on her, Nadine's eyes reddened with emotion. She grabbed Seren's hands, scanning her up and down with concern.

"They say everyone puts on a few pounds after getting married, but you look even thinner than before. You must've had a tough few years, haven't you?"

Seren shook her head with a gentle smile. "Not really. I'm fine."

"Oh, don't go defending Sheridan Powers. For the past three years, he's been bedridden, unable to take care of himself. Looking after someone like that is backbreaking work—no way you didn't suffer."

"At the hospital, even professional caregivers refuse to take on patients who are completely paralyzed. They're hard to please and even harder to care for."

Nadine was a doctor herself, so she understood better than anyone what Seren had gone through over the last three years. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became—that all of Seren's devotion had gone to waste.

"I used to think the only rotten apples in the Powers family were those two old fossils. As long as Sheridan treated you well, I figured you'd be fine. If I'd known he was just as shameless as the rest, I would've chained you up three years ago—anything to keep you from moving to Riverbend City."

Her voice trembled with emotion. "You wasted three years, not just your time but your youth. If you hadn't gone to take care of that man, with your talent, you'd already be shining in your own career by now—even if not yet world-famous."

Seren had shown remarkable artistic talent as a child; by five, she was already painting at a level that caught the attention of Mr. Shaw, a legendary master in the art world. He'd even broken his own rule to accept her as his last and most cherished student.

During her ten years of study under Mr. Shaw, Seren racked up awards big and small. He publicly declared that Seren would be the sole heir to the Shaw School tradition.

In the art world, fame favors the young. By twenty, after a decade of training, Seren should have been entering her golden years—making a name for herself and reaping the rewards.

Instead, she'd set aside her brushes without hesitation, chasing after Sheridan, trading her art for domesticity, and devoting three years of her life to being his caretaker.

Nadine was a committed single woman, never married, no family to speak of. With so much space, taking in Seren was hardly an inconvenience.

Seren had barely stepped through the front door and hadn't even taken off her shoes when her phone buzzed with a call. It was Sheridan's mother, Diana Yates.

"Seren, why don't you and Sheridan come over to the house for dinner tonight?"

Diana's voice was soft, nearly delicate, holding neither warmth nor reproach.

Seren replied politely, "Thank you, Diana, but Sheridan and I have broken up. I'm not in Riverbend City anymore."

"I heard from Aggy," Diana sighed heavily, her tone weary. "Sheridan went to the airport to pick up Willa yesterday and missed your third wedding anniversary."

She paused, her voice taking on a note of disappointment. "Honestly, sweetheart, you're making too much of this. Anniversaries are just formalities."

"Sheridan and Willa have practically grown up together—they're very close. Sheridan just went to the airport, that's all. You really didn't need to leave over such a small thing."