Chapter 64
Chapter 64
I was so annoyed I couldn’t stop myself from speaking.
“It’s not Laren’s fault, Lara!” I shouted. Lara turned to me, finally stopping her struggle. “You should be thankful that you were only brought here for your mental condition! And once you recover, you’ll be free again—to do whatever you want, even if you don’t deserve that freedom!”
My voice kept rising. This woman was seriously infuriating!
Laren rushed to my side and gently grabbed my arm. “Andrea, stop. Please... maybe you still have time to calm down. Come on, let’s go,” he begged, tears brimming in his eyes.
I turned to him, refusing to back down. “No, Laren! She needs to hear the truth!”
I pointed at Lara, who was now staring at my belly.
“You bitch!” I snapped, facing her again. “Do you even know how many people Laren betrayed just so you wouldn’t end up in jail?! Your temperament is disgusting. You really belong in hell!” I screamed, no longer holding anything back.
“Andrea, stop—” Laren tried to intervene again, but I ignored him.
“Your sister loves you so much, Lara. You have no idea how hard she fought for you. She begged people—people you hurt—to drop their cases against you. She knelt down in front of them. She swallowed her pride for you! You still have children!”
Tears blurred my vision, and I only realized I was crying when my throat started to hurt from screaming.
“Damn it, you have three kids, Lara! Laren didn’t want them to grow up without a mother, so she humiliated herself for your sake!”
I paused to catch my breath, swallowing down the tightness in my throat. But I couldn’t stop.
“Are you really that selfish? All you ever think about is Ivan, money, and yourself! What about your brother? Your children? The people who love you? You just shut them out because of your stupid selfish desires!”
My voice dropped to a colder, quieter tone.
“If that’s how you’re going to live, then maybe it’s better you stay locked up. There’s no place in this world for someone like you to harm other souls.” I wiped my tears and shook my head. “You don’t get to treat Laren like that.”
I turned away, placing a hand on my belly. It hurt a little—probably from all the stress. I reminded myself to visit the doctor after we left.
“Let’s go, Laren,” I said quietly.
“Wait, Drea... I want to talk to my sister first—” he began, but I cut him off sharply.
“Don’t waste your breath on your crazy sister, Laren.” I crossed my arms and glared. “Let her blame you. She’s mentally unstable. And if she keeps this up, the next place she’ll be isn’t a hospital—it’s prison.”
Laren’s eyes widened. “What?! No! Please... she didn’t mean what she said—”
I laughed bitterly and turned my attention to Lara, who still sat staring sadly at the floor. She looked pitiful, but I felt nothing for her. She deserved it.
“She didn’t mean it? Really?” I sneered, looking her up and down. “Laren, open your eyes. Every part of her is rotten. She’s dripping in selfishness and cruelty. You can’t cover up that kind of stink.”
“No... she’s not in her right mind. You know that...” Laren’s voice cracked as he tried to defend her, still crying.
“She’s not in her right mind, but—” I stopped, choking on the lump in my throat. “She’s done so much, Ren. She used to attack me, and I kept quiet. But now she’s hurting you. And you’re my friend, Laren. I can’t let her do that anymore.”
I pulled Laren gently, guiding us away.
Lara doesn’t deserve my forgiveness.
Not now.
Not until she changes.
\---
“I’m sorry...”
Laren and I froze mid-step. Lara’s voice rang out behind us. I looked at Laren, and he turned to me, his expression confused.
“I’m sorry for stealing Ivan from you. I’m sorry for the words I said. I’m sorry for tearing you and Ivan apart...” she whispered. “I didn’t know what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted to fight for Ivan because I loved him. I took him from you because... because I loved him so much. He was the first—and the last—man I ever truly loved.”
I exhaled shakily as tears slipped down my cheeks. I already knew this. I knew how much she loved Ivan. But hearing it hurt all over again.
“I loved Seymour too, but Ivan was different. My love for him was stronger. He made me feel alive during the times I felt like I was drowning in sadness and envy. I was jealous of Ate Laren because she could do everything she wanted. Our parents always said no to me because of my condition, but Ivan...” she sobbed. “Ivan helped me break the rules. He showed me joy I never thought I could experience.”
Laren faced her again, but I couldn’t bring myself to look. It hurt to know Ivan made her happy—something he never really did for me.
“But Mom and Dad were just trying to protect you, Lara,” Laren said softly. “And why were you jealous of me? Sure, I had freedom, but our parents gave you all their attention. They focused on you... not me.”
“But I didn’t want that,” Lara cried. “I just wanted to be free. And Ivan... he gave me that. He took me to places I never thought I’d go...”
She paused before continuing.
“But then I met Seymour. While I was still with Ivan, I also had Seymour. Things got complicated. Seymour became my escape. He got me pregnant, and... we got married.”
I couldn’t speak. No matter how much I tried to ignore her story, I couldn’t. I was connected to it. Connected because the man I loved was part of all of this.
“Ate, please take care of Celine, Paul, and Troy,” Lara said softly. “Take care of the children I failed. And tell them... that when I return, I’ll be the mother they deserve. Tell them I love them.”
She turned to me.
“And Rigella...” she said my name, and I met her eyes through my tears. She was smiling.
“I’m really sorry. You and Ivan... you’re having another baby,” she said, glancing at my belly. “I hope you can forgive me for everything I’ve done. Tell Ivan I’m sorry, too. I forced myself on him, even when he said no. I even claimed Troy was his son... just so he’d stay with me.”
“But don’t worry. I won’t bother you again. I heard what happened to him. I wanted to visit, but... I know I can’t.”
She wiped her tears and gave me one final smile.
“I hope you’ll be happy this time, Rigella. You deserve to be. You’ve suffered enough. You’ve always been a good person... Please forgive me.”
I gave her a small smile and nodded. Deep inside, I knew I was starting to forgive her. Even though I hadn’t planned to visit, something inside me changed. The anger I once felt for her was fading. I’ve never been one to hold grudges for long.
\---
“Ate, I’m sorry,” Lara whispered as she hugged Laren. “I didn’t mean what I said earlier. But I love you so much. Thank you for everything you’ve done. I’ll change. I’ll get better. I promise.”
When we left the building, Laren and I both had swollen eyes. That was one of the most painful yet freeing days of my life. No regrets. Talking to Lara eased so much of the burden in my heart.
Not everything in my life was perfect, but I had no regrets. Everything I went through made me stronger—and deepened my faith in Him.
\---
We drove straight to a restaurant using Laren’s car. We weren’t with Roxanne or Darlyn—they still made us upset. What they did wasn’t right. It wasn’t humane.
I ordered a large plate of carbonara and iced tea. I was starving—so was the baby inside me. Laren only got soup and water, saying he was still full.
As soon as the food arrived, we dug in. I’d been craving carbonara for days, and it hit the spot.
“How’s Alex? Where’s your husband?” I asked, wiping my mouth with a napkin after taking a bite.
Laren took a sip of water. “He’s okay. He’s at a business conference today. He’ll be home tomorrow, so I’m free to wander.”
“Hmm... sounds like your husband’s a bit possessive,” I teased.
Laren laughed, shaking her head. “He just doesn’t want what happened to me before to happen again. You know I was... raped.”
Her expression dimmed for a moment, but I knew she’d healed a lot since then—after many doctor visits.
“You’re lucky with Alex. He accepted you fully, even after everything. He really loves you,” I said with a warm smile. It’s a beautiful thing—to be loved despite everything.
Laren nodded, cheeks flushing. “You’re right. That’s why I love him so much.”
I sighed, resting my fork. I won’t admit it aloud, but I was jealous. The man she loves looks at her with adoration. As for me... well, he’s gone. I don’t even know if I’ll ever see him again.
“But Drea,” Laren said softly, “you were even luckier than me.”
I glanced at her.
“Ivan loved you for years. Most of his life, it was only you. He was a good man. Handsome, kind, sweet... and he risked his life to save yours.”
She smiled gently and sipped her soup.