No Longer Waiting For You Chapter 07
“Rod, what’s wrong with you? You haven’t been answering my calls these past few days.”
Claire walked in holding Macey’s hand, and she jumped when she saw the mess all over the room.
“Rod, why are you crying? Did Olivia get mad at you again? I told you she’s way too petty. She just forgot Tania’s birthday — does she really have to make a big deal out of it and talk about divorce?”
Rodney raised his head and looked at her with icy eyes. It was the first time he had ever looked at Claire like that. He had always thought she was pitiable — raising a child alone was not easy. But now, all he saw was someone false and selfish.
“Olivia isn’t throwing a tantrum.” Rodney’s voice was hoarse. “She really left — with Tanny. They went to New Zealand.”
“She went to New Zealand?” Claire froze for a moment, then a faint, hard-to-detect smile appeared on her face. “Good. Let her go. That way she won’t be on your case every day anymore. From now on we can be together out in the open. Macey and I will take good care of you.”
“Be together?” Rodney laughed, and it looked worse than crying. “Claire, what makes you think I’d be with you?”
“Rod, what do you mean?” Claire’s face changed. “You’ve been taking care of me and my daughter for five years. Wasn’t it because you liked me?”
“I took care of you because I felt sorry for you,” Rodney said. “I thought raising a child alone wasn’t easy, so I helped whenever I could. But I didn’t expect my kindness to become a weapon you used to hurt my wife and my daughter.”
“I didn’t!” Claire panicked. “Olivia is the one who’s petty — she’s jealous of me!”
“Jealous of what?” Rodney looked at her. “Jealous that I celebrated your daughter’s birthday but not my own daughter’s? Jealous that I remembered your daughter’s allergies but not mine? Or jealous that when I was at your place fixing a water pipe, my daughter was convulsing in the emergency room?”
Claire was left speechless. “Rod, I didn’t do it on purpose…”
“Enough.” Rodney cut her off. “Don’t come looking for me again. Fix your own pipes when they break. Go to Macey’s parent-teacher meetings yourself. Celebrate birthdays yourselves. I have no obligation to keep taking care of you.”
“Then what about me and Macey?” Claire burst into tears. “Macey never had a dad growing up — she can’t be without you!”
“She isn’t my daughter.” Rodney’s voice held not a trace of warmth. “My daughter is in New Zealand. Her name is Tania. What I owe her — I’ll never repay in this lifetime.”
He walked to the entryway, picked up the slippers that belonged to Claire and Macey, and threw them outside. “Take all your things and leave. Don’t step into this home ever again.”
“Rod!”
“Get out.”
Claire met Rodney’s icy gaze and knew he meant it. She gritted her teeth, took Macey by the hand, and walked out.
The door slammed shut with a bang. Rodney leaned against it and slowly slid down to the floor.
He had finally shaken off Claire, but his wife and daughter were never coming back.
He took out his phone and booked a flight to New Zealand for the next day.
Whether Olivia would forgive him or not, whether Tania would still recognize him as her father or not, he had to go. He had to bring them back. He wanted to be a good husband — a good father.
Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, he had to try.
Twelve hours later, the plane landed at Auckland International Airport. Rodney pulled his suitcase out of the airport and looked at the unfamiliar city, his mind a blank.
He did not know where Olivia lived, nor which kindergarten Tania attended. He only knew that Konnor had a law firm here.
He took a taxi to Konnor’s law firm. The receptionist told him the boss was out at a meeting and would not be back until the afternoon.
So Rodney waited at the coffee shop downstairs — from ten in the morning until three in the afternoon.
Finally, he saw Konnor’s car pull up.
Konnor got out of the car. When he saw Rodney sitting by the entrance to the coffee shop, he froze.
“What are you doing here?”
“Konnor, give me Liv and Tanny’s address.” Rodney stood up, his eyes bloodshot. “I need to see them.”
“I’m not giving it to you,” Konnor said. “Rodney, go back. Liv has finally started a new life — don’t come and disturb them again.”
“I know I was wrong.” Rodney’s voice carried a plea. “I know I wasn’t a good husband, not a good father. I’ll change — I’ll change everything. Just let me see them once, OK? Just once.”
“Too late.” Konnor shook his head. “When you threw a fourth birthday party for Claire’s daughter, when you watched Tanny convulse yet stayed behind to mop up water for Claire, when you replied to her with just an ‘OK’ — it was already too late.”
“I know it’s too late!” Rodney grabbed Konnor by the arm, agitated. “But I can’t live without them! Konnor, I’m begging you — give me one chance, OK?”
Konnor shook his hand off. “A chance? You’ve had countless chances. You’re the one who never cherished a single one.”
He turned to leave.
“Konnor!” Rodney shouted after him. “If you won’t let me see them, then I’ll wait here every single day — until you’re willing to tell me!”
