CHAPTER TWENTY: WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU
Lina's eyes welled up with fake tears as she spoke to her children. "Yes, my precious daughter. Your father said he didn't want us anymore, and he left. I begged him for hours, but he pushed me away and told me to get lost with you children."
The youngest child's face crumpled, and she began to cry. "Dad, why did you leave us?" Lina's heart swelled with satisfaction, thinking that her plan was working. But the next words out of her child's mouth shocked her.
The youngest child continued, "Dad, you told me that you loved me and would give me hugs every day. But why did you leave without fulfilling your promise to me? At least before you went, you should have given me a hundred hugs and lots of kisses on my cheeks."
Lina's face fell, and she struggled to maintain her composure. "Don't worry, my precious daughter. I don't know what's wrong with your father, but I know that when he comes back to his senses, he'll return and give you many hugs and kisses."
The eldest child spoke up, his voice laced with skepticism. "Mum, don't be offended, but I don't think Dad would leave like that. There must be something going on or something that happened while we were away that made Dad leave angrily. And you might be the source of the conflict."
Lina's eyes narrowed, and she felt a surge of anger. "What are you saying? You're telling me that I'm at fault? That I'm the one who made your dad leave?"
The second child intervened, trying to calm the situation. "Mum, calm down. That's not what my brother meant. We know our dad, and we know what he can do. Even if he wanted to leave you, he would still consider us."
Lina's face twisted in anger, but she tried to maintain a semblance of calm. "You get the point. If he considered you, you would see him today. But his absence means he didn't value you as his children. He can be a good father before, but now he has changed completely."
The children exchanged skeptical glances, and the eldest child spoke up. "We'll ask him about it when we see him again. If he doesn't come back, that's his problem."
Lina's eyes flashed with anger, but she bit back her retort. "Quickly, go and wash up before your food gets cold."
The children reluctantly got up and headed to wash their hands. The youngest child whispered to her brothers, "Life without Dad will be hard for me." Her brothers' moods were somber, and they didn't respond.
Lina watched her children walk away, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. "If you believe or not, that man you call your dad is gone for good. I want to move on with my life. Enough is enough!"