Watching You Burn In Regret novel Chapter 291

Swain had only found out it was Seren's birthday after seeing Nadine's post on Twitter.

At the mention of Seren's name, Zena's frown deepened. She assumed Swain's coldness was just him still being angry with her over Seren.

"Swain, are you going to disown me as your mother over Seren, too?"

"No, Mom, it's not that. It's just… I've celebrated so many of Carla's birthdays, but I've never once celebrated Seren's. I want to make it up to her."

Though he was angry with Zena, she was still his mother, so he answered her calmly.

Zena's voice rose, her face contorting in rage. "So you're implying that I'm a bad mother for never celebrating her birthday? You think what she did was right, and what I did was wrong?"

Swain's silence was his answer. As an observer, he had always felt that Zena's treatment of Seren had been excessively harsh.

His silence felt like a punch to the gut. Zena's expression froze. It wasn't just Old Mr. Rutledge and Susan who thought she was wrong; now her own son did, too.

But what had she done wrong? Nothing! She had laid out the best possible path for Seren, one that would benefit both her and Rutledge Group. She had considered the entire family. And Seren had been defiant. How could she be expected to waste her efforts on such a lost cause? No smart person would invest in something with no return. Her decision to give up on Seren had been a logical, sensible one.

But Swain was now siding with Seren, and he had already been hostile toward her over the matter. Zena knew she had to tread carefully.

Zena watched his figure disappear from the entryway. She slowly walked to the sofa and sank into it, her back hunched, looking as if she had aged several years in a matter of moments. She leaned her head back and stared blankly at the ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

The house fell silent.

With Carla's whereabouts known and the affairs of Rutledge Group no longer her concern, Zena had a rare moment to reflect. She realized, with a start, that she couldn't remember ever celebrating Seren's birthday. In the beginning, when Seren was born, she had been swamped with work at the company, personally overseeing every detail. She simply hadn't had the time or energy.

Later, when Seren was living elsewhere, it was easy to neglect her. Birthdays were naturally overlooked. And by the time they brought Seren back home, she had become so rebellious. Coming home exhausted from the office, the mere sight of Seren irritated her. She certainly never thought about her daughter's feelings or remembered her birthday. It would have required time and effort, and she had been unwilling to waste either on Seren.

Zena belatedly acknowledged that she had, in fact, neglected her duties as a mother.