Chapter 30

Lauren

Is this where he wanted me to follow him?

Staring at Ethan, kneeling in front of his father's grave, a sigh escaped my mouth looking at his sorrow.

I stayed two steps behind to give him a bit of privacy.

He has been quiet since we arrived. He didn't talk except stare at the tombstone, he didn't even show any emotion.

After some time which felt like forever, he turned towards me and extended his arm offering his hand.

Not thinking much, I stepped forward and placed my hand in his, and kneeled beside him in front of the grave.

"Greet him." He spoke turning towards me.

"What?"

"Tell him about yourself." He continued and after a thoughtless moment, I did what he said.

"Well, hello Mr. Kingston." I spoke awkwardly and when Ethan stayed silent, I continued further.

"I am Lauren. Twenty-five right now. I work as a personal assistant in-" his laugh stopped me from embarrassing myself any further.

"Don't tell me you are going to say what you majored in university too." He chuckled.

Well, I was about to.

It's a joke.

It's not.

"Dad, she is Lauren. Remember your friend Mike? She is his daughter." He began turning to his father's tomb. "Also, your son's wife." He continued and gave me a short smile.

After a silent minute, he spoke again.

"You know dad, she is just like you. You both have many common things. She enjoys food, she loves lazy mornings, and she is also a terrible cook just like you." He chuckled lightly at the end.

"If you were here dad, I think you two would make a great team." He grieved.

He stayed silent and hung his head slightly low.

After a moment of pulling himself together, he began again.

"Sometimes, I miss you a lot more than usual. Especially when I have to decide something. It gets hard to decide. You always used to help me in making decisions, advising me."

"But after you are gone, it became tough. I had no one to look up to anymore. Everything was difficult at the start."

He stared at the ground.

I knew he was silently mourning his father's death inside.

"You shouldn't have left me." His voice was just a slight breeze.

A single tear rolled down his cheek.

My heart clenched at the sight in front of me.

"I was all alone, dad." He raised his head up and tears started streaming down his cheeks.

His words ached my heart.

I don't know how it feels to lose someone you love.

"Grandpa was there for me. He did everything I asked. But it wasn't the same." He muttered lowly shaking his head.

"You did everything even before I ask." His voice quavered unsteadily and the sight in front of me brought tears.

I quickly moved towards him and brought him closer to me to offer him some comfort.

He instantly wrapped his arms around me and rested his head in the crook of my neck, silently weeping.

"It's okay. Shh." Rubbing his back, I comforted him.

He tightened his hold on me and I pulled him even closer towards me.

"I miss him a lot, Lauren." He sobbed in his heartbroken voice and I tried hard not to cry myself.

He really loves his father a lot.

I don't know what I would do if I was in his shoes.

It must have been hard to endure all that pain.

"I'm sure your father misses you too," I spoke.

He didn't speak anything but just let tears stream down his cheeks.

"It's okay." I spoke again.

I want him to let it all out.

to express his emotions openly at least for now.

to cry for him to feel better.

Something crying all your heart out is the only way you can make yourself feel better.

***

After a few more minutes in each other's arms, we returned to our penthouse.

I think he is better now.

He didn't speak anything on our way back home but he didn't seem down like before too.

When I noticed him sitting on the couch in the living room, I spoke.

"I'll bring some coffee. I'm sure you will feel all better and good once you drink my special Lauren coffee." I joked and turned around to the kitchen, but he stopped me by holding my hand.

I turned around and he was staring at me.

"Just stay with me," he spoke and tucked me towards him making me sit on the couch.

"Are you okay now?" I asked him turning towards him.

"Yes." He gave me a short smile.

I nodded and returned his smile.

"I need to tell you something." He spoke dryly after a comfortable moment.

I raised my eyebrows at him and he took a deep breath before opening his mouth again.

"It's about my father."

I took his hand in mine urging him to continue.

"He was a good man, Lauren. He was a very successful businessman. Everyone loves him. And he used to run a lot of foundations and charities. He loved me and Mrs Kingston a lot."

"We used to go on vacations together, play soccer games, eat ice creams sneakily. He also used to help me with my math tests. He was perfect. We were perfect as a family. We were happy." A small smile graced his lips and his eyes sparkled reminiscing the memories.

"It was all good until one day it isn't." The smile slowly vanished.

"One day, Isobel and Eva showed up at our home out of blue." I tightened my hold on my shirt when I heard Eva.

"Eva was my half-sister. The girl in the photo you saw in my study." He turned towards me for my reaction and I nodded at him with a straight face.

I was right. They looked similar somewhat.

"Isobel was my father's old acquaintance, you could say. She told my father that he deserved to know about Eva, as she was his daughter. She rented a place in New York as she got a good paying job here."

"Although my father was shocked at the beginning, he accepted Eva. My father used to bring Eva our home frequently to spend time with her and Isobel never stopped him."

"What about you?" I stopped him thinking of all the possibilities.

"I always wanted a sister. When Eva came, it wasn't hard to bond. She was very shy and silent at the start but slowly she warmed up to me." he smiled at the mention of Eva.

His eyes glistened with hidden excitement.

"We started playing together. Doing mischievous things together. We also used to visit a lake frequently and sleep under the stars there. She was silent but not so innocent. She always used to do something she shouldn't. and when she gets caught, she used to blame it on me every time." he laughed and his face is practically beaming right now.

He seemed like a happy child who got the exact questions in the test he prepared for.

The sight brought me a smile.

"Although grandpa was a bit cold to Eva initially, she always used to tease him and make him laugh. Isobel treated me good too whenever I visited Eva at their home."

I nodded at him and urged him to continue when he stopped.

"It was all rainbow and sunshine for the first few months." I frowned when his smile vanished and sadness reappeared.

"In all the midst of our happiness, we didn't see Mrs Kingston drifting away. She hated Isobel and Eva with all her guts. Her jealousy got the best of her. She never even pretended to like Eva."

"My father and she eventually started having fights and arguments. She started drinking alcohol to escape from everything. She slowly became a stranger in front of me."

"Isobel tried making peace with Mrs Kingston many times. But she was never ready for that. My father tried everything for my mother, but nothing worked." His sadness is visible on his face.

"It all continued for a year. One day, my father couldn't take my mother's complaints anymore, he gave up and took sleeping pills killing himself."

My eyes widened at his revelation.

I heard many things about his father's death from my parents before our wedding.

I didn't know, Elena was the reason for his death.

But she didn't appear that evil to me.

Then again, I know nothing about her.

I stayed silent not knowing how to respond till he opened his mouth again.

"If only Mrs Kingston tried understanding, then nothing of this sort would have happened." He shook his head.

"My father would still be alive. I wouldn't have to hate her a lot." He spoke lowly the last part.

Of course, he must have missed his mother too.

Every child will have at least an ounce of love towards their mother, no matter how bad she treats them. No matter how worse the relationship gets.

"She was my mother. She was supposed to be the best. But she always disappointed me, Lauren."

I scouted closer to him and held his arm comforting him.

"I loved her a lot. But I can't believe what she has become slowly after my father's death. She was the reason my father died." He stressed the last sentence and I rested my head on his shoulder to calm him down.

"After everything that has happened, she was still my mother and my love for her has never changed. But whenever I see her, it only reminded me of my father's death. I didn't want to see her after that."

I rested my head on his shoulder and rubbed his arm to calm and comfort him. He looped his arm around me and I leaned more towards him.

Wish I could help him in some way with his mother's relationship.

But it isn't my place to stick my nose into.

It's between them.

Only they can solve their problem.

And that too only if they are ready to move on from something they have been stuck.

I don't think Ethan will ever be ready for moving on.

But I think he should.

Maybe one day he will. One can hope.

"You never met Eva after?" I asked him and I also know I was walking on a thin rope right now.

"Isobel and Eva left for California after all that happened. I thought it was for the best. sometimes I meet Isobel but never met Eva again." I frowned.

"Why?" I wondered.

"Like I said the bad past overshadowed my good memories with her. I didn't want to reminisce."

I nodded my head at his reason.

Sometimes when a tragic thing happens, you either run away from it or relive the same moment.

There is also another option called accepting. But obviously, it's no one's first choice.

Ethan chose to run away.

He wasn't right for doing that. But for him, it was an easy escape.

I can understand why he would distance himself from everyone he loved. Maybe this is the reason why he never gets close to anyone easily. Let alone expose his heart to someone.

"What if you meet Eva again?" he frowned at my question.

He thought for an anxious moment before answering.

"I don't know. I don't even know how I will react." He chuckled humorlessly.

Is this the right time to bring up my encounter with Eva?

He is already stressed about this.

And there is also the business party he is stressed about.

Should I bring up this?

I don't think it's the right time.

Maybe I'll keep this secret till the party finishes.

I'll just tell him after the party.

I sighed and tightened my arms around him listening to his heartbeat.

I hope keeping this secret will not be my big mistake.

But what I forgot with my amazing, intelligent brain is secrets never stay hidden. And I didn't know this is going to bite me back. Hard.

***

Elena's POV

"How have you been, James?" I chugged down a gulp from my bottle and turned side staring at his grave. It was getting dark slightly.

"Were you having fun?"

"I hope you are having." I drank again chuckling and my vision is somewhat blurred. it's just the alcohol or tears maybe.

"Sorry, I visited you this late."

"I know Ethan comes here every year on this day. I didn't want to show my face and upset him even today." I took another sip from my bottle.

"Everybody is good here. Don't worry. But your father and Ethan miss you a lot." I smiled sadly at their mentions.

It's been a really long time since Ethan smiled at me and talked.

It will be just wishful thinking to expect us to go back to good old times. Nothing has been the same.

Moreover, I was the reason for everything.

"You are happy up there, aren't you?" I wiped my tear and stared at the tombstone.

"I wish I could come there quickly." I downed the whole bottle before tossing it away.

"It's all lonely here, James. I have a lot of people working for me, but nobody is actually there for me."

I smiled sadly at my pettiness.

"You know, everybody thinks I am the reason for your death. I let them too." I sniffled.

"I tried telling them the truth ages ago but nobody believes me, James. Ethan doesn't even want to talk to me."

"Nobody knows that your company was going down at that time."

"Nobody knows that we solved our problem about Eva that evening."

"Nobody knows I was ready to stop my hate on Eva."

I stayed silent letting all those thoughts cloud my brain.

That evening when James died, I talked to him. We talked about everything. That was when he told me about the company going bankrupt. That evening he laughed with me, but I failed to recognize the underlying sadness in his laugh.

The stress and sadness got the best of him and he took more sleeping pills that day than usual. I only added another cause for his sadness with all those arguments daily.

I feel terrible to this day.

I tried contacting Isobel to apologize, but she never responded to anything from me.

One has to pay for their mistakes one way or the other. I think staying away from my son is my punishment for everything I did.

"Maybe I deserve what I am getting for treating that little girl bad." I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

My jealousy got the best of me and I gave Eva a hard time by always being cold towards her.

I should have used my common sense. If I did, then would everything be different today? I exhaled loudly.

I wiped my tears and stood up, glancing at his stone for the final time before leaving.

"If I could James, I swear I will try to make everything right."

Author's notes

Hello again,

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How is the story so far?

The next chapter will be about the business party where 'everyone meets everyone'.

Thanks and take care.