Sweet Surrender: The CEO's Second Wife

Six months later.

Caroline and Mike met inside a cafe at 3:00 in the afternoon.

Mike looked at Caroline with tenderness in his eyes. "Are you ready?" he asked her.

"Yes..." Caroline was nervous 'coz today she's going to meet her children with Mike, after a long time.

Mike has prepared dinner with the family, only Suzanne and Justin will be present at the dining table.

Justin's wife and Suzanne's husband and their children were not invited. Mike make sure it's just an intimate gathering so that Caroline can have a heart to heart talk with her children.

"The reason why we have to go to my house early is that I want you to relax... and you can also see my mother. But don't be confused if my mother would act differently in front of you because she got Alzheimer's disease. The disease started when she turned 70 years old and that was five years ago, she no longer remembers my name or even her name. She will no longer remember you at all," he explained.

Caroline nods her head. "Okay, thanks for informing me in advance. Aunt Clara, John's mother also has Alzheimer's disease," she said.

"Yeah...sad to say the two women succ.u.mb to the dreaded disease, a cursed for the older generation," Mike said.

"What is Alzheimer's disease again?" she asked curiously.

"It's a disease that is irreversible, a progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks," Mike explained. "We hired a private nurse to take care of my mother 24/7," he said sadly.

"Clara also had two private nurses that take care of her," Caroline shared. Thankfully Hector was lucky and able to evade the dreaded disease that both women suffered in their lives. She was updated periodically about Hector, Clara, and Cathy's living condition through Catherine.

That's why she comes to know that her daughter Cathy with the late Joseph was already working in the family business together with Catherine and John's children - Angel and James - who are both married already.

Her firstborn Cathy was living with her grandparents in the Infinity Jade Tower - she wants to be closer with her grandparents who raised her lovingly from childhood until a.d.u.l.thood.

All her children have their own families and she has lots of grandchildren already! She's indeed growing older each day and so was Mike - who is ten years older than her.

"If you're ready now... we can head to the mansion and see Mother Susan before the children will arrive from work," he said.

Caroline knows that her children, Justin and Suzanne, were both working in the family business. Her children opted to stay close with their retired father and beloved grandmother in the same place, except for Mike and Althea's son who is already a parish church priest and living in the next city.

Two more houses were erected inside Susan's sprawling property to accommodate the growing family tree. Her children with Mike have a bright future as bright as the sun because they are the legal heir and heiress of Susan's business empire - since Mike has already entrusted the operation of the family business to his children. Suzanne and Justin's future is well secured.

All her five children are financially secured, but three of them are lacking with mother's love and she wants to fill that void in their lives while she''s still alive. Maybe... it's not too late yet to shower them with her motherly love and affection.

She took a deep breath. "Yes, I'm ready now, let's go!" she said energetically.

They rose to their feet and left the cafe. In the parking lot, they entered their car respectively.

Thirty minutes later.

Mike and Caroline's vehicles entered the gate at Susan's mansion and parked in front of the house.

They exited their vehicle and entered the huge mansion.

Mike saw one of the housemaid cleaning the living room. "Where is Mother Susan?" he asked.

"She's in the back of the house, Sir! In her favorite garden with her nurse," the maid replied and continue cleaning.

Mike looked at Caroline. "Let's go to the garden so that you will see Mother Susan," he said.

They exited the living room and trudged on the path going to the back garden.

There... they saw Susan and the nurse admiring the blooming flowers while sitting comfortably on the chair.

"Good afternoon, Sir... Ma'am!" the nurse greeted them.

Mike nods his head at the nurse. "Ria... can you please tell the maid to bring some refreshment here..." he said.

"OK, no problem, Sir!" the nurse said and left the garden going to the kitchen.

The couple settled on the chair.

Mike faced her mother. "Mom, I brought you a visitor today, she's here to see you...do you remember Caroline? She is Justin and Suzanne's mother," he said.

Susan looked at the visitor's face briefly... no recognition whatsoever in her eyes... she shifted her attention back to the flowers.

Mike glanced at Caroline apologetically. "I'm sorry...she no longer recognized you..." he said.

"It's okay... I understand her condition," Caroline responded.

They stayed in the garden admiring the colorful flowers with Susan while waiting for the children to arrive home.

Two hours later...

Justin's car arrived first...followed by Suzanne's car.

The siblings entered the living room.

"Is father already home?" Justin asked the maid.

"Yes, Sir! Please wait here, I'm going to inform him. He's currently in the back garden with Madam Susan," the maid said and left the living room going to the back garden.

The siblings settled on the couch comfortably.

Suzanne's brows furrowed. "Do you have any idea what is this important thing that Father wants to discuss with us?" she asked her twin brother.

Justin shrugged his shoulder. "I honestly have no idea..." he answered.

A few moments later, Mike and Caroline casually entered the living room.

Justin and Suzanne looked at their mother in shock, they haven't seen her for a long time!

"Justin...Suzanne..." Caroline said, her eyes swimming with tears, she was about to come to them to give them a loving hug.

But Suzanne stood up immediately..."Stop there! Why are you here? Why did you suddenly remember visiting your long-forgotten children all of a sudden?" she yelled at her mother, nostrils flaring in anger.

Mike looked at her daughter. "Watch your words, lady! Don't you have any respect left for the woman who gives birth to you? Where are your manners!?" he scolded his daughter.

Suzanne looked at her father. "Dad, why did you bring that woman here?" she asked in pain.

Mike released a deep sighed. "Daughter, past is past, can you give her a chance?" he asked in a pleading voice.

Suzanne snorted and looked at her brother, he was silent the whole time. "Ah, I know why she's here. When her beloved husband was still alive she never remembered us. Now that her husband is already dead, she suddenly remembers us! How convenient!" she continues throwing snide remarks at her birth mother. All the pain she kept inside her heart - she's ready to unleash it all in her face now that she had a chance.

Caroline breathed deeply, biting her lower lip as fresh tears sprang in her eyes.

Mike glared at her daughter. "Young lady, show some respect to your mother! Stop being rude to her! She's still your mother!" he ordered his daughter indignantly.

Suzanne closed her eyes for a moment, trying to hold her temper, she doesn't want to upset her beloved father. "I'm so sorry for my temper, Dad. I'm not in the mood to deal with mother right now," she apologized. "I'm leaving..." she said softly and left the living room without further ado.

Mike was fuming mad, he dislikes the way his daughter treated her mother with hostility and disrespect.

Caroline sighed. "Mike...calm down. I don't blame Suzanne for acting this way. Let her cool down first..." she said with tears streaming down her eyes.

Mike breathed deeply.

Caroline looked at her son Justin and went to his side.

Justin's eyes were digging a hole on the floor avoiding his mother's eyes.

"Son..." she said softly.

Justin took a deep breath and stood up. "I'm sorry, Mom. I'm not in the mood to talk with you right now," he said and left abruptly.

Caroline bit her lip, she lowered herself on the couch. She feels like the weight of the whole world fell upon her shoulder when her children with Mike was avoiding her presence - as if she is a carrier of some infectious disease. It's so damn painful! Her heart was breaking inside as tears continue to fall from her eyes.

Mike went to his ex-wife's side and gave his clean handkerchief to her while rubbing her back gently. "Take this..." he said.

Caroline accepted the handkerchief and wiped the tears from her eyes.

A few minutes later.

Caroline's tears finally subsided. She stood up and looked at her ex-husband. "I want to go home..." she said.

"Okay... I'll take you home," he offered.

"No need, I have my car," she responded.

"It's okay, I'll just drive my car following you from behind. My heart and mind just want to be reassured that you will reach your house safely," he said softly.

"Okay. Thank you for the effort...just that... the children are not ready to reconcile with me yet," she said sadly.

"Well... we can try again in the future...maybe their heart will be softened by then. Just don't give up and disheartened easily because years of pain cannot be erased in just one day," he said.

Caroline smiled a bit. "Okay...let's try again... next month?" she asked.

"Sure..." Mike replied with a smile.

They left the living room and entered their car respectively.

The twins, Suzanne and Justin were standing a few meters away, overwhelmed with their emotions - they have tears in their eyes while they watched their parents entered their car.

Their gaze followed the vehicles exiting the gate.

Suzanne broke down in tears, while Justin wipe the tears from his eyes.