CHAPTER - 25 Abel supports Grace's decision

"It is not like I haven't told her. But she would not listen to me! She is her mother's baby and not mine." Mason said with dejection.

“Mason, don’t be disheartened. One day, Tina would understand that she doesn’t have to follow her mother blindly. She can have her own thoughts and do things that she likes,” Grace patted his shoulder and tried to console him.

"If you ask my opinion, I don't think we should stop Tina from pursuing what she wants to do. She can relax when she is our age. Now is the time to thrive and I support Grace's decision in involving Tina with the management duties of the hospital. Didn't we all work hard and even lose a few nights of sleep just to bring our company to the top? When you are young, you must work hard and achieve your dreams. Then later in your years, you can ease and do what you desire to do." Abel said.

"The thing here is... Does she even know what she wants to pursue is actually her dream and it’s not Grace's?" Millie asked.

"Also, who wants to hear your opinion, Abel. Don't listen to him, Mil. He would always support Grace no matter what! I feel like more than Mason, Grace should have been his own offspring." Kylie said while glaring at her husband.

"Then I would take this sweet man, Mason, to be my son. He is way easier to handle than my own daughter. At least he understands what is right and what is not!" Grace said.

Mason coughed and thought, 'I am still sitting right here, people. Also, I am all grown up now. So, why can't they stop pushing and pulling me in between their conversation? Can't they just concentrate on saving Tina instead of rolling his head in the middle?'

"Yes, please take him away. I am quite disappointed with him as well. If only he managed his home a little better then we wouldn't have to face such a day. All I want now is only for my granddaughter Tina to be happy and nothing else concerns me. We need a plan to stop her from attending this conference no matter what." 

Kylie declared and started to think of a scheme to send Tina far away from here. At that time no one realized that what they wanted to do was going to happen sooner.

"Leave me out of your stupid plans. Anyway, not even one of your so-called plans worked till now," Abel commented and made a face to his wife.

"Why not? Didn't we stop her from attending the previous conference? That's one success!" Kylie argued with him.

"Yes, out of ninety-nine, just one succeeded. That's nothing to brag about!" Abel fought back.

"Whatever! At least we are planning and helping our granddaughter. What about you? What have you been doing anyway other than mocking us?" Kylie asked and put her tongue out.

"I am letting her grow free-willed. She can decide what she wants to do with her life. I am still not happy with you for plotting against my daughter-in-law. How could you even think of that? She is our family member," Abel responded and tried to make his wife understand his point of view.

"Tina will not grow to be a free-willed person until we remove her from the clutches of my daughter's grasp," Grace commented while looking at the ground.

She was happy that her daughter could get into such a good family. Or else with her attitude no one would have been able to tolerate her so far. 

"There is nothing wrong with Grace's method. She is training her daughter to be a confident, and independent young lady." Abel said with a proud smile.

"Are you being serious here, Abel? Her method of training is one of the worst. She needs to stop dictating my granddaughter." Kylie argued.

"When Tina is ok with everything Grace does, why are you interfering in their life? I feel like more than Grace, you people are imposing on something that Tina doesn't want. Have you ever thought about that perspective? If Tina wanted to attend today’s conference then we should let her attend. I will have to go against you if you try to stop her today. You are making me helpless," Abel said and tried to conclude this argument.

But it only increased Kylie’s rage and she stood up from the couch.

“What do you mean by I am making you helpless? I still don’t understand how blind you could be? What is the use of those two eyes, if you can’t see the truth?” Kylie asked him.

"Enough! Everyone…" Mason said and tried to stop them from going off track.

They completely forgot about the current issue they have in their hands. Instead, they got busy quarreling with one another, just like teenage kids. No one wanted to listen to him, even after he tried to stop them multiple times. All the elders did what they wanted and they kept on arguing with one another. At one point, he couldn’t take it anymore and stand up from the couch.

"That's enough, everyone! Morning coffee time is over. Please go back to your respective homes and enjoy your breakfast. The kitchen is closed in Tina's mansion." Mason shouted and showed them the way out.

The butler, who heard those word from Kitchen, he came running to the living room and hurriedly declared,

"Sir, Kitchen is still open and breakfast is ready to be served."

After hearing him speak, everyone laughed out loud. So the butler also joined them even though he didn’t know the reason behind their laughing. He scratched his head and tried to understand why they would suddenly start to laugh. He noticed that just a few minutes ago, they were all arguing with each other.

“All these arguments early in the morning, made me hungry. So what’s special today?” Kylie asked and walked towards the dining room.

Mason, Grace, and Abel followed her. All of their moods improved and they didn’t argue anymore.

…

Back to the present, Grace opened their bedroom door and looked at her pitiful husband, Mason in contempt.

“Are you going to keep sitting here and show your protest?” She muttered.

“Grace, please…” Mason tried to speak when her angry voice stopped him.

“Just to make sure that Tina would not attend the conference, you sent her away. You won’t even tell me where she is! Is this how you are going to declare your objection towards me and my actions? I am utterly disappointed with you, Mason. I have not expected this from you,” She huffed and slammed the door on the side walls.

Mason stood up slowly and looked at his angry wife. He didn’t know how to tell her that even, he didn’t know where Tina was. He held his head down and tried to think of a way to inform her about that. 

“I am not a heartless person to make my own daughter suffer, Mason. You should have already understood me after so many years of our marriage and staying with me for so long. I don’t know why you keep thinking that I am a villain in our daughter’s life. Whatever I am doing is for her own good. Why can’t you understand that?” Grace asked him.

Mason didn’t reply and walked away. Grace looked at his retreating back and she felt like someone poked her chest with a sharp needle. She went back into the room and in rage lifted the flower vase and bashed it on the floor.

Mason came running back and looked at what happened. He was speechless. He now understood that he could never tell her the truth. He had to convince Dina to take Tina’s place and sooner.

“Are you ok? Did you get hurt?” Mason worriedly asked and rushed towards her.

He started to check if she got hurt anywhere. Only after he was sure that she was fine did he lift his head and looked at her.

“Please… Please... I will ask Tina to come back. I promise. She will be back by tomorrow, trust me.” Mason said and walked her to the bed.

Once, she laid down on the bed Grace smiled victoriously and removed her hands from his grasp. She did not look at him and had her back towards him. Mason looked at her and sighed. He pulled a blanket on top of her and sat next to her on the bed. 

“Grace…” He called her.

But he only got silence as a reply from her. He tried to keep his hand on her shoulder and wanted to turn her around. But before he could do that, Grace swatted his hands.

“Don’t touch me! Only when you bring my daughter back to me, then you can talk or even touch me. I hope you understand that clearly,” She said and pulled the blanket on top of her head.