Anne was looking forward to a quiet night at home with her husband, Edward. They met in college, and at first, her father, Chris, didn’t approve. But that was his gut instinct.

He didn’t trust anyone anymore, primarily after building Harrison Group and gaining wealth. But his mistrust started earlier, when Anne’s mother, Fiona, left them forever.
Anne remembered that moment clearly. She was just five, and her parents fought all the time. One night, after yelling for a while, Fiona walked out. Back then, Chris worked three jobs to support his family and only founded his company years later.
Luckily, Chris warmed up to Edward and loved their relationship. He particularly liked that Edward refused the spot he offered at Harrison Group, choosing to work for his passion on his own. Chris respected his ambition and let it go. But Anne did work for him, and she deserved her job despite being the boss’s daughter.
It was hard work, and now, she was returning home looking forward to making dinner and talking to Edward about her day. But when she approached her front door, she saw a post-it note stuck in it.
Please, call me. Love, Mom.
There was a phone number after the message, and Anne couldn’t believe it. Her mother had not made contact in years. What could she want from her now? Should she call? Did she want money? She knew she would never get the answers unless she reached her so she took the plunge.

“Hello, darling!” Fiona chirped when she saw Anne entering the restaurant. The younger woman finally dialed the number and agreed to meet her mother for lunch the following day. But now, the moment had arrived, and Anne was nervous. This woman was a stranger.
“Hey, uhhh… Mom,” she replied awkwardly.
“If you don’t feel comfortable calling me that, it’s ok. You can call me Fiona for now,” the older woman said and sat back down, gesturing for Anne to do the same. “Also, thank you for calling me. I’ve been dying to catch up with you.”
“Let’s get to the chase, Fiona. Why did you call? The last time I saw you I was five years old. What do you want?” Anne demanded.
“I want to tell you the truth about what happened,” Fiona stated, pursing her lips and crossing her fingers on the table. “It was all your father’s fault…”
Fiona revealed that she came back a few years later and wanted to see Anne. But Chris refused and told her to stay away from the little girl. She understood why he did that. Anne had been traumatized when she left. But Fiona finally discovered Anne’s address and decided to take a chance.
“I don’t understand. You had many chances to find me for years. Why now? Do you need money?” Anne asked seriously. It was the most important question on her mind.
“No! Of course not! I actually have a rich husband now. Also, I’m buying your lunch today! I don’t know how else to prove that I don’t want anything but a relationship with you,” Fiona replied. “When you get older, you realize your priorities, and I wanted to make amends before it was too late. Is it too late?”
Anne thought about that for a few seconds. “No, it’s not too late. So, tell me about yourself.”
They changed the subject and talked for several hours while Fiona ordered all kinds of things off the menu. She even requested the most expensive wine, so Anne was sure that she didn’t need money from her.

Qe While lunch with her mother had been lovely, Anne became enraged afterward. According to Fiona, her father had prevented her from reaching out for years and he was the reason they didn’t have a relationship now. She could understand that her father was probably hurt and trying to protect her, but she had been an adult for a while.
So instead of heading home, she went to her father’s house.
“How could you keep her away from me all these years, dad? That wasn’t fair! She wanted to make amends. I was old enough to make that choice! We wasted years!” Anne almost yelled, trying not to become hysterical.
“She didn’t, Anne. She’s lying to you,” Chris told her.
“No! You’re lying!”
He breathed a huge sigh, placing his hands on his waist. “I didn’t want to show you this, but come with me,” her father insisted and walked towards his office. He sat down on his chair and started clicking some things while Anne reached his side.
“What is it?” she asked, drying a few errant tears that had fallen.
“I’ve been protecting you from this for many years. But you’re right. You’re old enough to know the truth now,” Chris said quietly and opened a video