CHAPTER 39


    Bloody hell! I wanted to give her a befitting reply, but I couldn''t. I needed to get an exnation from


    Luke first. I open the study, hoping to find him there, but he''s nowhere to be found. I walk back and


    forth, trying to dial his number again. This time, there''s no service on my phone, and out of frustration, I


    smash the phone on the floor. Realizing I must''ve scared my poor child, I caress my stomach as I move


    to pick the phone up. Suddenly, my mind goes back to the day I almost fainted here, in the study. I


    touch the spot where the phone fell, and I remember that I''d felt something there that day. There was


    something under the rug, under the floor. I move the rug out of the way, and like I assumed, there was


    indeed, something under the rug. A hiddenpartment. I open it up and there''s a box inside. I open


    the box and begin to go through it''s content. Pictures of a family. Pictures of a young girl, probably


    around age 5 or 6. There''s a few white papers inside and I open them to read. The contents of the


    paper renders me weak in the knees and makes bile rise to my throat. At this point, I knew I needed no


    exnation from Luke. Everything I''d seen in the box was enough exnation.


    I''m seated at the bar, waiting for Luke to return from wherever he was. It was almost midnight. Aunt


    and Lydia had been up in my room, anxiously waiting for me.


    Suddenly, I hear footsteps. They arezy footsteps, and I can guess who they belong to. I get up,


    waiting for him toe closer and say the first word. He does.


    "What are you still doing here?" He asks. I can smell the strong stench of alcohol oozing from him.


    I get up, approaching him. "You know, I always wondered why a total stranger would coerce my family


    into doing his bidding. I hated you for it. I thought you were just wicked and probably taking advantage


    because somehow, you got control of our estate. You lied through your nose from the very first day."


    Heughs sadistically, "Isn''t it ironical? A liar using another of lying. You''re pathetic."


    "No, No. You are pathetic, you''re the pathetic one for lying to my face all this time. If I was terrible for


    not telling you about Rocky then you''re much much worse, horrible, eve for making me a pawn for your


    dirty revenge." I chuckle "Are you even human?!" I yell. I wanted to cry, weep and wail, but I couldn''t let


    this monster see me break. My husband was indeed, a monster. The worst of the worst.


    "All I did was love you!" He responds


    "Shut your mouth." I state bitterly, and as though the universe is inline with my anger and pain, it begins


    to rain heavily just at that moment. "You nned it all. It was all nned, you had it all nned, I know.


    I know everything now. You targeted me, I was your target, right? I was the weak little prey, right? And I


    let myself be hunted by you!" I say, and immediately my eyes meet with his, my doubts are all cleared


    up. The shock on his face confirmed it all, even though I so badly wanted to believe his lies.


    "All you ever did was torture me, you rapist." I say, as I move closer to him. "I always knew you were a


    dangerous man, but I didn''t think that you''d be this evil an-and wicked. Even demons spare their own


    family, but you?"


    "N—Nat—I stop him, pointing my finger at him. "Don''t you dare. Don''t you dare say my name." I warn


    him, as I begin to cry. I wail heavily, as I realize everything wasing to an end. I hold my stomach as


    I try to control the feeling of disgust trying to etch itself into my heart. I could never hate my baby,


    especially not for the mistakes of his father. I fall on the ground, defeated.


    "Why? Why? Why did it have to be me? I never did anything to you, so why have you ruined my life,


    Luke?"


    "How did you get into my room?" He asks. I''mpletely zoned out, crying profusely. My thoughts are


    scattered, simultaneously thinking of my child, myself and my father.


    "Natalie!" I hear aunt call for me, panic evident in her voice. She arrives, panting heavily.


    "Your. . . Father. . ." She says, her face filled with sadness. I get up immediately. "What happened to


    dad? He mustn''t find out about this." I state, wiping my tears.


    "Exactly, my girl. He—he knows already!" She turns to Luke, "Control that wild woman of yours, Luke.


    Please! She''s caused so much havoc!" I grab aunt''s hand. "Aunt, what happened?" I ask cautiously.


    "Laurel called home, your father picked the call and that girl blurted our everything to him! He''s


    unconscious. He had a heart attack, Natalie!"


    I gasp, shocked. "Oh, no. Oh, no, aunt. It''s all my fault." I weep. I turn to face Luke who''s quiet. I re


    at him, hoping he can see the usatory look I am giving him. "If anything happens to my father, I will


    never forgive you and Laurel."


    "Natalie, please!" He yells, grabbing my hand. "I can exin, it''s all a misunderstanding—whatever you


    saw, I didn''t go through with it." He says. I jerk my hand off.


    "Don''t say another word to me ever again. I have no interest in listening to whatever you have to say. I


    will never believe you, even if you speak the truth." I say.


    "Aunt, get your bags. We must go to my father now!" I say to aunt Ruth. As we rush, I pause for a


    moment. I turn back to face him, "I''ll leave with only the things I came with." I say, as I take off the


    wedding ring on my finger. I throw it at his feet. "Hopefully, it suits Laurel."


    ***


    "Emmanuelle, please have my box ready. I''m in a hurry." I say, as I look around for things I might''ve


    brought with me. Auntes in.


    "I''m done packing" she says. "Me too. Please we can''t wait for your car toe fetch us, would order a


    car?" I ask aunt.


    She nods, "I already have and he''s here already."


    "We have to make it home as fast as possible"


    "What will you say to your father when he wakes up?"


    "Nothing. Nothing, because there''s nothing to say. Thankfully, I''m not showing yet, so I could tell him I''d


    be going abroad for my honeymoon"


    "Of course, you aren''t going, are you?"


    "I am, alone. I need sometime to process all this and heal from everything, aunt. I''ll have the baby there


    too. I won''t be gone for long. I''ll let father know I''m pregnant once I leave."


    Aunt Ruth hugs me, and I couldn''t have asked for a better gesture. I hug her back, intensely. If only


    aunt Ruth was my mother. I didn''t have a caring mother and aunt Ruth who possessed all the qualities


    of a great mother was barren. At this point, I understood how unfair life was.


    "The box is ready, ma''am" Emmanuelle says. We break the hug.


    "Thank you. For everything" I say to her. She was avoiding eye contact with me. I pick up my box. "You


    said you could never forgive those who hurt Luke. I can only wonder if you can forgive him for harming


    others."


    ***


    It was about 2 am in the dead of the night and aunt Ruth and I were ready to leave. Reaching the door,


    I consider asking aunt for a moment, but I decide against. The rain had gotten heavier.


    "I''ll go first" Aunt says, patting my shoulder for reassurance. I didn''t ask, but she knew I needed a


    moment alone, a moment alone to bid everything goodbye. I didn''t want to spend one more second


    around Luke or anything rted to him. I hurriedly rush off, but I halt. I was cold and drenched. I turn


    around to look at the manor onest and I see him, by the window, watching me leave. I knew he


    wouldn''t hear what I had to say, but I still took the chance.


    "You didn''t kick me out, I left. Today will be thest time you''ll every your eyes on me again. You''ll


    never see your child, because you rejected him." I say, and I finally muster the courage to turn to leave.


    As of this moment, Luke was dead to me, nothing but fading memory.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.