Chapter 48

Ethan

Ignorance is bliss, they say. I agree with the saying for the most part but there are some exceptions.

My present situation will disagree with the popular saying. It's no bliss when you are ignored by someone you love. Like ignorance from Lauren.

I don't understand if Lauren is ignoring me or avoiding me at this point. And what pisses me off like crazy is I don't understand the reason behind her avoidance.

Its subtle but I can feel her reluctance lately whenever she is with me. She is always thinking. Always lost in her thoughts.

I know Lauren fills the box of an overthinker but it has never been this bad. Something is running in her mind.

The past three days has been different. She sleeps late sometimes or too early. And I think she does that just to avoid me.

"Do you want to watch a movie together?" I spoke when I saw her coming out of the bathroom freshly showered. The scent of her lavender and some flower shower gel filled my nose.

"I'm tired, Ethan..."

She spoke staring at me for a good moment before turning around to pick some comb and just like that, her new habit of avoiding me continued.

That's it. I had enough. Taking a much needed deep breath and ignoring the hurt I felt every time she avoided me, I walked towards her and looped my hand around her elbow before turning her around in my arms.

"What is it?"

I asked her and I'm pretty sure she knows what I'm talking about, but she played dumb by plastering a frown on her face. Her avoidance is hurting me. Everything around me feels horrible now that I'm unable to not look at the brown eyes that I'm addicted to or not see the smiles of hers that I adore a lot.

"W-what?" she stuttered looking away.

"I don't know. You tell me. Why are you avoiding me?" I asked her and she widened her eyes for a moment at my words and I'm surprised she thought I wouldn't notice her avoiding me.

"It's nothing like that, Ethan." She was about to defend herself but I cut her off.

"Did I do something?" I asked her holding her hands tight in mine trying to hold that much needed comfort. Not for her, but for me.  "No, no I'm pretty sure I did something. I'm so sorry if I did something wrong, Lauren. But please don't be like this." I don't care If she could hear the vulnerability in my voice and a large part of me wants her to hear that. I want her to know how weak I am without her. How her every action and reaction affects me. I don't think it makes me any less of a man and I don't care if it is too. I can die for her in a heartbeat. So, my ego can happily take a back seat when it comes to her.

She traced my face with her eyes and I could see her eyes well at my words. Looking at her tears, the tiny bit of anger I had for her vanished instantly replaced by pain. Her tears hurt me. Her silence is unbearable for me.

I was about to continue my interrogation when she kissed me softly on my lips, or more like a peck, as a response.

"I'm alright, Ethan."

***

Lauren's POV

Eleven-year-old Lauren walked into the home excited with a huge grin on her face. She immediately went in to search for her mother with the prize she got for coming third in a running competition. She came third and couldn't wait to show it to her mother. Maybe she will appreciate Lauren at least now, she wondered.

She walked into the living room and stopped when she saw her mother talking in her phone. Her mother looked at her but didn't see the prize in her hand. Lauren waited patiently controlling her excitement till her mother finishes the call. Her mother is talking something about some medical research or something. Lauren is used to these talks as her mother is a doctor.

When her mother finally hung up, Lauren stood in front of her mother with a huge smile and was about to speak but the ring of the phone stopped her. She again waited patiently for a minute longer but with little less excitement.

"What is this prize for?" Her mother's voice brought Lauren out of her thoughts once she cut the call and Lauren tried bringing that excitement back. At least pretend.

"We had sports day today and I came third in the running competition, mom." Lauren spoke showing her prize proudly and her mother looked at the award before bringing her eyes back to her.

"Good, sweetie." Her mother gave her a small smile and Lauren's pretentious grin went away bringing in the real smile. She smiled proudly at that one word of appreciation she got from her mother.

"Third? Lauren. Why not first or at least second." Her mother muttered again.

Just like that, Lauren's smile wavered. The excitement died a bit and the huge grin felt fake on her face. A tiny wall slowly started building around her heart and the feeling of something negative invaded her mind.

She stood rooted in her place listening to her mother, letting her mother's words sink in. Her mother's phone rang again and with one last glance at Lauren, she walked out saying, "Fresh up and eat something."

Lauren exhaled as soon as her mother walked out and the tears she tried stopping, pooled in her eyes. Lauren felt like her mother wasn't happy that she came third. But she was right, why couldn't she come at least second if not first, Lauren wondered.

She hated that she got third and touched the band aid on her left elbow where she got a huge scratch when she fell down during competition. She was going to end up second but in the last minute she tripped on her feet and fell down but still stood up again and continued running like nothing happened. All that effort just to win this stupid prize. To show her mother that award. But all her efforts went in vain.

"Lauren, are you okay?" Her father's voice brought her out of the thoughts and she turned around to look at him.

"I fell down, dad." She answered when his concern-filled eyes were looking at the wound on the elbow.

"Oh, sweetie. Does it hurt?" He spoke taking her arm and inspecting the treated wound.

"A bit." She answered with a small smile and her father sighed.

"Be careful, Lauren."

"Ok, Mr. dad." Lauren joked and he smiled looking at his adorable daughter.

"Wait, is that an award?" His eyes finally fell on the prize.

"Yes." She muttered weakly giving him a small smile. It's not like she came first or second, It's just third.

"What for, sweetie?" He spoke.

" I came third in a running competition."

"Wow, Lauren. I'm so proud of you." He replied giving her a big smile but frowned when he didn't see the same happiness in his daughter.

"But I came third, dad. It's not much." She muttered weakly.

"Are you kidding me. You did good, Lauren and I'm very proud of you, sweetheart." He took taking the prize from her hands and clicking pictures of it in his phone.

"Common, princess. Pose for a picture." He spoke giving the award back to her and clicking pictures of her with the award in her hand.

Lauren laughed and looking at her laugh, her father smiled too.

"So, how about a party? What do you want? Pizza party or something."

"But mom-"

"I'll handle her. Anything for my beautiful daughter."

Lauren jumped in her place before throwing her arms around her father who felt like her safest place in the whole earth.

"I love you, dad."

"I loves you more, sweetie."

***

Life is very unpredictable.

One day you're happy and the next day you find yourself at the end of the cliff close to falling into the abyss. So far away from everything you have ever wanted in life.

Standing in front of my father in his office, I couldn't believe how close we are right now yet so far away. I wanted to ask him if everything Olivia said was true or not. But a small part of me was scared of his answer. I love him too much to lose him. I don't want the sweet good man in my eyes to turn into a cruel moral less businessman.

"Did you betray Ethan's father, dad?" I asked hope and desperation evident in my eyes.

My father towered me easily having some extra inches on me.

"What are you talking about sweetheart?" His smile was sweet but his eyes held uncertainty in them.

"Did you betray Ethan's father or not?"

He was about to deny my words but I cut him off.

"Please tell me that it's a lie dad. I know you. I know you are a good man and you would never do anything like that. Let alone to your friend. Tell me that I'm wrong." I spoke tears clinging to my eyes clutching his arm desperately.

"Lauren—" He spoke.

"Please don't lie, dad. Just tell me the truth."

I begged him with my eyes for an answer. At this point, I need nothing else except the truth and I made sure that my father sees my desperation. Even he knew, that lying will only worsen the situation.

My father stared at me for a good moment and with a sigh, he spoke.

"I am a businessman, Lauren. I do have to do things sometimes which aren't favorable for everyone. We do business, not charity. Even Ethan might have done sins in his career."

"So, it's true then?"

It is. Whatever Olivia said was true. He really did betray Ethan's father. But how? he is my father. My sweet father.

I was still thinking and just like that everything around me turned blurry at the revelation. I had to take deep breaths to see clearly. It felt like the whole world is falling apart and I'm in the middle of it.

He continued speaking but his words fell on deaf ears. I couldn't listen to him anymore except stare at his face. The same man I admired and adored my whole life came out as a traitor. He lied to me. He lied about being a sweet man. Everything was a lie. My whole life was a lie. No. no.

"Lauren—"

He tried touching my head but I stepped back unsure of his touch.

His eyes pained looking at my action but I felt nothing looking at the sadness in his eyes. I know the truth is going to hurt but I didn't expect it to kill me from inside. I'm scared of the immense sadness that is pulling me from inside.

"Listen to me, sweetheart—"

"Please don't say anything, dad."

"I love you, Lauren. You are my daughter and my whole world. I agree I did something like that but I have my reasons, baby. It wasn't intentional, Lauren. I just saw profit hanging on the tree and I took it. That's it. How would I even will think that Ethan's father will go ahead and do something like that. He gave up everything and killed himself just because he couldn't be man enough." My father spoke and his harsh words did something to me.

"Don't do this, dad. Don't belittle someone's reasons which drove them to their end. You don't know what they were feeling or how they are. You would have seen the signs if you weren't greedy building your diamond place."

How can someone just belittle a dead man's suffering just like that.

It's true that you need courage to fight your battles and not give up when you are just merely surviving. It requires strength to stand firm and survive the dark days.

But not everyone recognizes that giving up completely also takes immense courage. It's not an easy thing to close your eyes and cut your wrist open and bleed on the floor waiting for the death. Or when you are standing at the edge of the cliff and count the numbers in your head, getting ready to jump off and end every suffering once and for all. The deep breath you take before jumping down the cliff is not a simple thing.

I'm not glorifying the actions, but harming yourself or jumping down from a cliff takes courage. When someone attempts suicide it's not because of a single failure or a single reason. It's the result of a pent up frustration. The result of the unspoken words which got failed to get listened by someone. Anyone. The frustration, the pain, the constant failures, the loneliness, the extremity of negative emotions. It's everything.

When there is no favorable result, people turn to various options for solution. It eventually leads to this endless path of never coming back.

"And all that just so your can build diamond palaces?" I asked looking at the man I grew up considering as my superhero but I was wrong. So wrong.

"You grew up in that palace, Lauren." He spoke.

I exhaled at his words.

"Why would you do that?"

"I never meant for him to kill himself, sweetie. I feel bad that I was the reason for his death but you can't blame me for his decision, Lauren. It was his decision."

"You are not completely innocent here, dad. I am married. I'm married to his son. Do you even realize how Ethan would feel if he get hold of this information."

My father grabbed my arms staring right at me.

"He will never know about this, Lauren. You will never speak about this to him."

"He will know. If not now, one day he will. What am I going to say to him then? How can I even face him... That I'm the daughter of the person who was a reason for his father's death, who betrayed his friend."

"Listen to me, honey. I know that you love him. And I will never be the reason for your heartbreak."

His words are like band-aid for an internal wound. They are doing nothing to help the pain inside. In fact, with his every word, I bleed a bit more. My heart breaks a little bit more.

Taking a deep breath, I asked him one question not even knowing what to expect.

"Forget everything else for a moment, dad. Do you even love me?" He frowned at my words. "If you did then why would you arrange my marriage with a Kingston. Is it all for some power and business?"

He looked at me as if I've spoken something absurd.

"Lauren, you are my beautiful daughter. I cherish you, sweetie. And how can you even say that to me, dear. I would never do that to you. I would never use you for some power or anything."

"Then, why?" my voice broke in the end, tears filled up my eyes.

"I know Ethan from long before. Ethan was a different man, Lauren. He is everything I would want as my daughter's husband. And when Ethan's grandfather came to meet us after a long time looking for a bride for Ethan, I was happy to marry you off. Ethan's grandfather didn't know about the business deal between me and Ethan's father. And I made sure no one will ever know that secret and buried it deep under. Ethan was a good man and that was why I married you off to him. Not for some powerplay."

I wanted to believe him so bad. Because those words are the only proof of his love for me. They are the only reassurance I have that he didn't use me like some property. But should I believe him or his words after everything that has happened? My father wasn't a man I thought he is. What should I take of his words then?

"Does mom know about this?"

He looked guilty for a moment before shaking his head lightly.

"No. No one knows. I don't know how you even got to know about this." his hand fisted and he turned away from me.

"I love him, dad. I love Ethan a lot. I can't live without him and I'm not strong enough to even try living without him. But you ruined everything, dad. How an I going to face him now? He will only see me as your daughter. The man who betrayed his father. I can't even face him. And Elena... She is no less of a mother for me. She loved me like a daughter. How can I ever talk to her after everything she went through because of you. Because of us. Elena and Ethan doesn't even have a relationship because of you, dad."

"Yes, baby. I agree I was wrong and did a grave mistake and I'm guilty of that. I am. But it was all in the past. I am in the wrong. You are not. You are with Ethan now. Elena loves you. Everything is perfect and happy. Don't ruin your life by bringing up the past, dear. Ethan doesn't have to know about it. He loves you and you can lead a happy and peaceful life."

"Why are you not the man I thought you are?" I asked him wiping my tears away and very well knowing that I'm never going to get the answer for my question.

Its not just my father or Ethan. Everyone's life got messed up up because of my father's deed. Elena suffered a lot with the whole world blaming her for her husband's death. Ethan lost his father that he looked up as a superhero. Eva lost her father. Ethan hated his mother. So many things are interconnected and linked together.

And if this harsh truth comes out, my father will lose everything. He will lose himself in the process. He even might have to serve prison for his offenses.

I have no option but to choose one.

If I choose my father, I've to betray Ethan just like Olivia wanted. And if I choose Ethan, I have to lose my father and he will end up in prison.

What am I going to do now?

"Don't ruin your life, Lauren."

***

Olivia's POV

"Life is interesting, Isn't it?" I spoke with a content smirk.

I blackmailed Lauren and pushed her further into picking one. Its either Ethan or her father.

If she picks her father, she will have to betray Ethan and transfer all his property to me.

And if she picks Ethan, she has to say her farewell to her father and send him to a prison.

Life is surely interesting...

"Hmm."

I frowned at Austin who sat in front of me lost in his thoughts.

I'm just grateful that I did my research before coming here or I wouldn't have gotten the precious information which turned into an another chess piece in my game.

Austin Jacobs. The man who recently joined in legal department in Ethan's company. The man who started having feelings for Lauren Kingston. Austin's feelings for Lauren only added bonus points to my plan.

I know Ethan. If he gets to know the truth about Lauren's father, he will not think twice before disposing her like the trash she is. He hasn't talked to his own mother since his father's death. If he can be that cold to his own mother, Lauren is nothing. I'm just waiting for the drama to unfold.

"I don't want Lauren to get hurt in all this, Olivia." Austin spoke.

"Well, she will get hurt if she stays with Ethan. He will never let her live peacefully if he knows the truth about Lauren's father. Separating them is the only rational thing right now, Austin. So don't worry, Lauren will not get hurt once Ethan leaves her. And also, she is going to have you after that." I spoke and Austin gave me a light nod.

"So, what now?" He asked after a moment.

What now...

My lips pulled into a tiny smile at the number of probabilities this situatuon could have. And the majority of win cases is in my favour.

"Hmm...change of plans. Let's surprise Lauren and Ethan."

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