Chapter 50 Gutted

Chapter 50 Gutted
“No, I should have listened to you. She tricked me into all of this and I found out Kevin isn't even her son…” my father’s voice trailed off, thin and fragile, like the weight of it was too much for him to hold.

I nodded almost immediately, swallowing the knot in my throat. “I heard… but don’t blame yourself too much, Dad. You didn’t know. You had absolutely no idea about her intentions toward you.”

He shook his head slightly, eyes clouded with guilt. “No, Abby… whatever my decisions are, they also involve you. I didn’t know, I thought I was doing what’s best for the company. And now—now I’ve dragged you into this mess.” His fingers twitched inside mine, almost trembling. “Who knows what she’s capable of doing next?”

His worry seeped into me like ink spreading through paper. I already knew what Nina was capable of—far too well. But seeing him like this… fragile, exhausted, blaming himself… it made something soften inside me. Like maybe I didn’t have to keep every terrifying secret locked behind my ribs. Like maybe I could be vulnerable with him for once instead of pretending I had everything under control.

I sniffled and wiped my tears with the back of my hand, trying to steady myself. “Whatever it is… we’ll get through it somehow. I know.” The words came out trembling, but I forced myself to believe them.

My father nodded slowly, and I squeezed his hand gently. The warmth of his palm against mine made my pulse stutter. It suddenly felt like the right time—maybe the only time—to tell him everything. Not just about Nina’s intentions. But about me. About Kevin. About this messy, forbidden thing that had spiraled out of control.

My chest tightened, my heart banging against my ribs. I knew he’d be angry. I knew he’d be disappointed—maybe even hurt beyond repair. But the pressure inside me was unbearable now. I needed to tell him before it swallowed me whole.

“Uhmm… Dad, there’s something I want to tell you,” I whispered, barely hearing my own voice. “I just—can’t keep it to myself anymore…”

He gave me this soft, tired smile. “Sweetheart, you know you can tell me anything…”

I nodded slightly, even though my stomach twisted painfully. “I…”

But before I could say another word—before I could confess something that had been sitting like a storm inside me—

“Mr. Anderson?” I heard Kevin’s voice.

My entire body froze.

He stepped into the room, and just the sound of him, his presence, shattered whatever fragile courage I had been clinging to. My throat closed up. My unfinished confession hung in the air like a severed thread.

And just like that… everything inside me collapsed back into chaos.

My father’s gaze drifted immediately to Kevin, softening even through the exhaustion etched into his face.

“Come on, Kevin,” he said quietly, attempting a small joke despite everything. “I thought we’re way past that? You can call me Dad.”

Kevin let out a low chuckle, but I saw the tension in his shoulders, the way his eyes flicked to mine and stayed there, like he needed to make sure I was still breathing.

“I know you both are struggling to accept the fact that you’re siblings…” my father began.

“Uhmm, Dad?” I cut in quickly, my voice sharper than I intended. “I’m sorry but… I want to speak with Kevin outside. Alone.”

He looked at me for a long second, something knowing flickering in his eyes before he nodded. “Sure.”

I didn’t wait for Kevin to say anything. I just grabbed his wrist and practically dragged him out of the room, down the hallway, past the nurses’ station, and toward a corner that felt tucked away enough to breathe. My hands were shaking and my pulse was unsteady, and the second we reached the secluded space, I spun around to face him.

“Sarah?” I blurted. The name left my mouth like a gunshot. “What happened with her? Do you trust her to keep what happened between us secret?”

Kevin’s jaw clenched instantly. “Is that only what you care about?” he snapped.

I blinked—hard. His tone hit me like a slap I wasn’t braced for. “What?”

His eyes were dark, sharp, burning in a way I hadn’t seen in a long time. Something inside him had snapped too, but I didn’t understand why—or why it was being directed at me.

“You’re asking about Sarah right now?” he said, voice low and tight. “After everything? After Nina? After your dad collapsing? That’s what you’re panicking about?”

My mouth opened then closed. My lungs felt too small.

“It matters,” I whispered, hating how desperate I sounded. “Kevin, she caught us—she saw everything. If she tells someone, if she tells anyone—”

“You think I don’t know that?” he cut in, eyes narrowing. “You think I haven’t been dealing with the fallout on my own while you were—” He stopped abruptly, jaw working as if he was swallowing back something he didn’t want to say.

I felt myself recoil like he’d shoved me.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked quietly, as if I didn't try to tell my father everything.

He dragged a hand through his hair, frustrated, restless, pacing a half step away before turning back to me.

“It means,” he said slowly, “that everything is falling apart and you’re acting like the only thing that matters is whether Sarah stays quiet about us.”

“Because she can ruin us!” I shot back, louder than I meant. “She can destroy you, Kevin. She can destroy all of us. And I’m sorry if you think that’s not worth caring about, but—”

“It’s not that it’s not worth caring about!” he snapped again. “But you didn’t even ask if I was okay. If I handled it. If she tried anything. Or if I—” His voice cracked, barely audible. “—if I’m breaking too.”

I froze.

The hallway hummed faintly in the background, the fluorescent lights buzzing like static, and for a long moment neither of us spoke. It was like the world had narrowed into just the space between us—tight, suffocating, and tense.

I swallowed hard. “Kevin… I—”

He shook his head, looking away, and the hurt that flickered across his face nearly gutted me.

“You really don’t see it, do you?” he murmured.

And just like that, the floor shifted beneath my feet.