Chapter 104

Chapter 104
It was supposed to be a happy day for my family to enjoy. Unfortunately, some things are beyond one's control. After we returned home from the picnic, Crimson received a call.

I watched as his handsome face twisted with worry, the color draining from his features as he met my gaze.

“Is everything alright? Who called you just now? What happened?” The words spilled from my lips one after another.

I tried to restrain my thoughts so they wouldn't wander to terrifying conclusions, but they did anyway. It was hard not to think that something bad had happened while watching his reaction.

“There's an emergency at home… Isabela was rushed to the hospital.” Worry rang painfully in his tone.

Crimson cared deeply for his cousin, and the news of her being rushed to the hospital was a blow he had never expected.

Fear and worry gripped me as well, knowing how important Isabela was to him.

We immediately rushed back to the hotel and dropped Cleo in Sapphire's care since we couldn't bring her to the hospital.

The drive to the hospital felt like an eternity. Crimson's hands clenched tightly on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white with tension.

“Everything will be alright,” I assured him, gently placing a hand on his arm to calm him.

“I wish I could believe that,” he said weakly. “She tried to end her life by slashing her wrist.”

I finally understood why he was so upset and desperate to get to the hospital.

“Why would she do that?”

“I have no idea,” Crimson replied. “However, it's not the first time she's done something like this.”

My heart sank at the thought of Isabela going through such pain and feeling so helpless that she considered ending her own life.

“I hope I'm not prying into personal matters, but has your cousin ever told you anything? I know the two of you were close, so there must be some clues as to why she did what she did today.”

Crimson shook his head. He kept driving, briefly glancing at me as he replied. “Ever since our grandmother died, she retreated into a place no one can reach, not even me.”

After twenty minutes, we finally reached the hospital. Crimson rushed inside, and I followed closely behind.

He went straight to the information desk to ask for the patient's room number, and we immediately dashed to a private room where Isabela was confined.

My heart constricted at the sight of Isabela lying on the hospital bed, bandages wrapped around her wrists. She looked so fragile and small, her eyes closed as if in deep slumber.

Crimson rushed to her side, his hands trembling as he gently held hers. Tears welled in his eyes.

She slowly opened her eyes, looking up at us with haunted expressions, guilt and shame etched on her features.

“Isabela, why did you do this?” His voice was soft, filled with concern and pain.

“I couldn't take it anymore.” Isabela's voice was barely a whisper. “I’ve been in torment, and I don't think I can live much longer knowing my grandmother's secret.”

Crimson's forehead scrunched into a frown. “What do you mean by your grandmother's secret?”

Tears welled in Isabela's eyes as she looked at Crimson. “I-I knew who killed Grandpa…” she confessed, tears flowing abundantly down her cheeks.

Crimson and I both froze in shock.

“It was… it was Grandmother. She killed him.”

"H-how l-long have you been aware of the truth?” I asked.

“The night before Grandmother died…” Isabela confessed, tears gushing abundantly, soaking her long lashes. “She told me the truth because the guilt had been tormenting her for a long time, and she couldn't cross to the afterlife without telling anyone.”

“I didn't know what to do with the truth. My grandmother, who couldn't even hurt a fly, killed my grandfather? I was so scared and confused, and I thought that by keeping it a secret, I could protect us all.”

Crimson buried his face in his palms, looking as if he regretted hearing the truth. I felt strong pity for them both. I was in agony, but I knew he was suffering internally more than I was.

Silence lingered for a long time until he lifted his face again.

"Why… Why did Grandmother kill our grandfather?” Crimson asked. “I tried to find the reason just now, but I still can't make sense of it. They seemed like a happy couple, so in love. Why did Grandmother do something like that to the man she'd been with for decades?"

“Contrary to what we believed—to what they tried to show us—Grandmother was never happy with Grandfather,” Isabela confessed, a distant look in her sad eyes. “She was forced to marry Philip when they were young, even though she had a lover. Grandfather was a cruel person who constantly beat Grandma without anyone knowing. It wasn't just physical abuse; there was verbal abuse as well. That night, he went too far, and she snapped.”

The truth I had been searching for years was finally revealed, but it was more cruel than I had hoped. I let out a shaky breath and collapsed onto the couch before the cold floor could catch me.

Taking a deep breath, Isabela continued, “Grandmother was terrified and asked for help from the only man she knew would never betray her, which was her ex-lover. She reached out to George to help conceal the evidence, and the two never told anyone what happened that night.”

I pieced together the fragments of the past and began to understand the whole story. Although Crimson's grandmother married Philip, she had never forgotten the first man she ever loved, who was my grandfather.

“I’m sorry, Elizabeth… I'm sorry that you and my brother have to suffer because of this secret.” Turning to Crimson, her sobs grew more intense. "I apologize….I should have told you everything.”

Crimson looked at his cousin with tears in his eyes. “The truth is hard and cruel. But Grandmother is gone… We can't do anything about it now.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside me. As much as the truth hurt, I couldn't let it consume me any longer.

I wiped away my own tears, feeling a sense of closure. Even though knowing the truth was painful, I finally had the answer to all my unanswered questions. And after knowing it, there was nothing that could be done since the old woman was gone. It was my grandfather's wish to protect the woman he loved, and I had to protect that too.