Chapter CHAPTER 39

Bloody hell! I wanted to give her a befitting reply, but I couldn't. I needed to get an explanation 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 hidden compartment. 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
explanation from Luke. Everything I'd seen in the box was enough explanation.

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 are lazy footsteps, and I can guess who they belong to. I get up,
waiting for him to come 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."

He laughs sadistically, "Isn't it ironical? A liar accusing 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 planned it all. It was all planned, you had it all planned, 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 was coming 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'm completely 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 glare
at him, hoping he can see the accusatory 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 explain, 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. Aunt comes in.

"I'm done packing" she says. "Me too. Please we can't wait for your car to come 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 related to him. I hurriedly rush off, but I halt. I was cold and drenched. I turn
around to look at the manor one last 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 the last time you'll ever lay 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.

"You didn't kick me out, | left. Today will be the last time you'll ever lay your eyes on me again. You'll
never see your child, because you rejected him." | say, and | finally muster the courage to turn to leave.
As of this moment, Luke was dead to me, nothing but fading memory.



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