He Wants An Open Marriage? Done!

Roxanne met her eyes squarely, fully prepared to stand her ground. Whatever Margaret Vance was there for, she was going to find out that Roxanne was not a pushover.

Margaret interlaced her fingers on the tabletop, staring at Roxanne for a silent moment. She let the silence hang for a minute longer. Then, finally, she let out a heavy breath, the tight lines around her mouth relaxing just a fraction.

"First and foremost, I owe you an apology for everything I have said and done to you," Margaret confessed, her tone calm.

Roxanne’s eyes narrowed slightly as shock rippled through her. For a split second, she wondered if her ears were playing tricks on her. But no, Margaret Vance had actually just apologized to her.

"I take it you have seen the latest news reports about Cara," Roxanne stated, keeping her expression guarded.

Margaret gave a nod. "I have. But my apology is not simply because of those reports," she said, her voice dropping into a steady rhythm.

She exhaled slowly, her posture softening. "I have to admit that I lost sight of what truly mattered over these past few months. The line between wanting to protect my family and simply being controlling became entirely blurred."

Roxanne listened silently, her heart thumping against her ribs as she processed the unexpected words.

"I should have recognized much sooner just how happy you make my son. I honestly do not know why I refused to see it for so long," Margaret continued. A subtle tremble entered her voice, and a faint shimmer of emotion glinted in her eyes. "I want you to know that moving forward, I am ready to accept you as the woman in Richard’s life."

A sudden wave of warmth washed over Roxanne’s chest, and tears welled up at the corners of her eyes. She remained silent, afraid that speaking would shatter the moment.

For so long, she had dreamed of this exact moment, wished for it during quiet nights, and prayed that Richard’s mother would finally see her.

Now it was finally happening, and it was not a dream.

Margaret swallowed hard, her sharp gaze locking onto Roxanne’s tear-filled eyes. "I do have one condition, however," she said, interlacing her fingers on the table.

Roxanne’s sudden surge of happiness instantly faltered, the warm feeling in her chest turning cold as her brows pulled together. "What condition?" she asked, her voice tight and raspy.

Margaret took a deep breath, and then she leaned forward, fixing her sharp gaze directly on Roxanne. "You have to promise that you will stand by Richard’s side through every single storm. That you will fight for him and for the family that you will build together," she said, her tone steady. "You need to promise me that you will wear the Vance name with pride and make sure that no one ever brings it down."

Roxanne’s eyes stung intensely now, a hot tear slipping over her lashes. Inside her chest, the cold knot of suspicion melted into a deep ache. All of Margaret’s past hostility, the sharp looks, the harsh demands, the constant suspicion, suddenly clicked into place.

Margaret was not trying to corner her or set a trap. She was literally passing the mantle to her.

The weight of the gesture made Roxanne’s heart ache in the most wonderful way. She parted her lips, desperate to utter a proper response, but a thick lump of emotion blocked her throat completely.

The quiet hum of the air conditioner was the only sound in the vast room as she pressed a trembling hand over her mouth. Unable to speak, she simply nodded, letting fresh tears spill free and trace warm paths down her flushed cheeks.

Margaret nodded back, drawing in another shaky breath. "Then we have a deal," she whispered. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and she tilted her chin upward, blinking rapidly against the ceiling lights to stop her own tears from falling.

She lowered her head, looking closely at Roxanne once more. "I feel so grateful," Margaret confessed, her voice trembling with emotion. "I feel so deeply grateful that you make him happy."

Roxanne’s vision blurred as a fresh wave of tears welled up and spilled over. She wiped her face with the back of her sleeve, her breath hitching softly. "What is happening? Why now?" she asked through her quiet sobs, searching Margaret’s face for answers.

Margaret reached up to dab at her own wet cheeks. She pushed her chair back, the legs scraping quietly against the floor, and walked around the long conference table. Stopping right beside Roxanne’s chair, she reached down and took both of Roxanne’s trembling hands into her warm palms, squeezing them tightly.

"I had a very huge wake-up call this afternoon," Margaret admitted softly, nodding as if the painful memory was replaying behind her eyes. She swallowed hard. "Will you ever be able to forgive me?"

Roxanne sniffled, shaking her head gently. "I don’t think you ever meant to hurt me," she said softly. "You were trying to protect your family, even if you went about it the wrong way."

Margaret shook her head, fresh tears breaking past her eyelashes and sliding down her face. "I was being completely unfair to you," she said, her voice fracturing. "As a mother, I should have opened my eyes and looked at you as my own daughter. God, I know I have so much to make up for. I am starting to realize that the long feud between Nick and Richard is entirely my fault. I never even really gave Pamela the warmth and love she deserved."

She paused, taking a sharp breath as a sob caught in her throat.

Roxanne moved her hands, gently rubbing the back of Margaret’s knuckles to soothe her. "It is alright," she murmured.

Margaret nodded, trying desperately to fight the tears, but they spilled over anyway. "My son stood in front of me today and told me he would rather walk away from me than allow me to dictate the woman he loves. And for the first time, I realized that Henry was right all along. I wasn’t protecting my family anymore. I was pushing them away," she confessed.

Roxanne sniffled, squeezing Margaret’s fingers with reassuring strength. "You were simply protecting your children the way you saw best. No one can ever judge you for wanting to guard your family."

Margaret looked at Roxanne for a quiet moment, wonder and disbelief washing over her tear-stained face. "You should genuinely hate me, yet here you are—"

"You are my child’s grandmother, and I could never bring myself to hate you," Roxanne interrupted gently, her voice growing steady despite the wet tracks on her cheeks. "All I ever wanted was for you to see how deeply I love Richard, and that I am willing to fight tooth and nail for that man. I will make sure that the Vance legacy does not end with him."

Margaret closed her eyes, shaking her head as she sniffled into the quiet air. "I am so sorry, Roxanne," she whispered, her voice raw with honesty. "I want us to get to know each other and build a real bond. You, me, and Pamela."

Roxanne smiled through her tears, feeling a deep, comforting warmth wash over her entire body. "I am sure that Pamela will be elated."

Margaret let out a soft, breathy chuckle and pulled back, using a small handkerchief from her pocket to wipe her eyes. She straightened her posture, smoothing down her tailored jacket as she reclaimed a touch of her usual composure.

"Enough crying for one afternoon. Now you need to get right back to work," Margaret said, a playful spark returning to her dark eyes. "Richard made it abundantly clear earlier that you will be Mrs. Vance one day, and that means you cannot afford to sit around weeping in a conference room. So get back to work."

Roxanne let out a light laugh, wiping her damp cheeks as she smiled and nodded. "Yes, Lady Vance."

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