Chapter 87: A New Beginning

Addicus woke up from his sleep with beads of sweat all over his face. He didn't have a good dream, as visible in his eyes and his facial expression.

He stood up and walked over to the family portrait that hung on his wall. He stared at his mother and spoke to her.

"Oh, mother! I'm sorry for letting you down. I didn't want to become this, but I needed to be strong so I could keep my promise to you and not let my uncles or anyone else take what belonged to us. I couldn't do that by being nice and kind. I had to change but I never wanted this. I'm sorry," Addicus said to his dead mother's picture.

Then, he changed his focus to his father and his expression changed.

"You did this to me! You and your brothers made me the person that I've become. What was my crime? Being born as your son? Why couldn't you have just been a normal father?" Addicus asked angrily and pulled down the portrait and it fell to the floor.

Addicus angrily walked over to his full-length mirror but when he looked at himself, he saw his father's face instead.

***"Even after all these years, you're still so weak!"*** Addicus' father said to him.

He was completely shocked to see his father staring at him.

"Father?" Addicus called out.

***"I thought that I had made you strong but you're still that scared little boy you always were."***

"You didn't make me strong, you made me evil. You and your brothers made me a sad, lonely person with no one in my life who loves or cares about me," Addicus yelled at the illusion of his father.

***"And when you decided to do things honourably? What did that get you? Did it make you less lonely? After you met that Sharon, you changed and you became soft and she still betrayed you. You need to stop fighting against your nature, Addicus. This is who you are and the sooner you accept, the better your life will get."***

Addicus took an ornamental sword from his room and broke the mirror apart in anger and mental frustration. He fell on his knees and screamed like a madman and began laughing hysterically.

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**THE NEXT DAY...**

Sharon put her signature on the deed and put down the pen.

"Congratulations! You're now the official proprietor of your father's land...or should I say, your land." Addicus said.

Sharon got up from her seat. Peter and Chris stood up as well and they were about to leave.

"Sharon, wait! There's still something I have to give to you." Addicus called out to her.

"I already told you that I didn't want your dirty money," Sharon said angrily.

"No, my dear! That's not what this is," Addicus said and took out a little box and handed it to her.

She looked at the box cautiously and reached out to take it, but Peter stepped in front of her and took the box himself. He didn't trust Addicus so he took it upon himself to examine the contents of the box instead of Sharon.

Peter opened the box and took out what looked like the keys to a house. Sharon took the key from Peter and asked Addicus what the keys were for.

"Those are the keys to your parents' house in Jacksonville. The one I had burned to the ground. It's now completely restored to the exact way it was and it's yours, like it should have been," Addicus said.

Sharon stared at the keys in disbelief. She hadn't been back in that house for seventeen years and had almost forgotten all the memories she made in its four walls.

"I've also begun dismantling my factory that sits on the land so in a few months, it will also be restored to the exact way it was. I really hope that you hold up your end of this truce, the way I intend to hold up mine. Do we have a deal?" Addicus asked.

He put out his hand for a handshake from Sharon, one that meant that they had an agreement.

"We have a deal," Sharon replied and reluctantly shook his hand.

She hated that he was touching her but she bore it until it was finally over with.

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A month passed after the deal was finalized by Sharon and Addicus. He returned to America with his men and his factory was completely dismantled from Sharon's land.

Sharon, on the other hand, was still in Costa Rica but she was preparing to go back to Oregon, back to Jacksonville, her childhood home.

Peter had decided to come with her as he had no reason to keep stay in Cocos. He had finally gotten over the trauma of losing his wife Jane and his daughter, Debora. He had let go of that part of his life and was now focused on this one.

Chris, who also didn't really move on with his life after the army, decided to stay with them as well. He didn't want to go back to his lonely and secluded life in Springfield. He decided to spend the remainder of his life alongside his best friend and whatever life had in store for him, he would find out in Oregon.

Victoria, Hector and Pedro were sad and didn't want to see her go, especially Victoria.

"Miga, you can stay, you know? You already have a life here with friends and a good career," Victoria said, already crying, trying to convince her to stay.

"I really wish I could just stay here and never go back but I can't. This place will always be home to me but I have another home that I must go back to. I need to honour my father's memory by taking back his land, I need to honour Lily's memory by telling her parents what happened to her, I need to see Roseline and her family again," Sharon replied, tears pouring from her eyes.

"You'll come and visit me, won't you?" Victoria asked and hugged Sharon.

"Of course, I will," Sharon replied.

They ended the hug and stared deeply into each other's eyes.

"Te amo y nunca te olvidaré," Victoria said with a sad smile.

Sharon placed a hand on her cheek and wiped her tears.

"Nunca te olvidaré también amiga. Cuida de ti y de tu hermano también," Sharon told her and they hugged once again.

The three of them left for America that day. As they sailed off on the ship, Sharon turned around and looked at the city, remembering every significant thing that ever happened to her there.

*It was hard to believe that when she first came here, she ended up homeless and almost raped but then she met her angel, Victoria, and her life took a new turn. As fate would have it, Addicus still found her and she chose to end her life, which led her to meet her second angel and love of her life, Peter, who now sailed with her to a new beginning with the potential for a happier life.*