Chapter 96 Not Now
After the news she had dropped earlier, everywhere was quiet. Her eyes drifted to Richard, and she noticed how still he had become, his gaze fixed on the floor, lost deep in thought.
The last time Richard had heard anything about Michael was a year ago. His brother had mentioned then that Michael was pleading for parole, begging for another chance.
Richard and the family had done everything they could to stop it, pulling every connection and using every legal means available. Yet all their efforts had failed. Now, hearing that Michael was truly free and probably a potential danger filled him with a slow-burning anger that made his chest tight.
He clenched his jaw unconsciously.
He should have questioned his brother’s death more carefully. He shouldn’t have accepted the accident report so easily. Back then, grief had clouded his judgment, and he had chosen to believe it was just a tragic coincidence. But now… now the doubts came rushing back. What if it had never been an accident? What if there had been signs he ignored?
And the most disturbing question of all echoed relentlessly in his mind: how had Vanessa ever come into contact with that monster?
Richard exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself, but the unease remained.
Rebecca sat on the bed, her back resting weakly against the pillows. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her head rested against Derek’s chest. His arms were wrapped around her protectively, one hand gently rubbing her arm in slow, soothing motions. He didn’t speak at first, simply offering silent comfort, allowing her to breathe through the storm of emotions overwhelming her.
Her mind kept replaying everything she had just heard, the betrayal, the shooting, her mother’s illness and death, and most painfully, how Phil had still chosen to love Vanessa as his own daughter despite everything Michael had done to him.
The realization pressed heavily on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
"So… all of this happened," she finally whispered, her voice trembling, "and no one thought it was important enough to tell me?"
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked from Derek to Richard. "What if… what if my father had died that night?" she continued, her voice cracking painfully. "I wouldn’t have even known the truth about what really happened to him. I would have just grown up believing everything was normal… like nothing ever happened."
She wiped her tears quickly, but they kept falling anyway. "How could everyone just keep quiet about something so important? Didn’t I deserve to know the truth?"
Derek pulled her closer instinctively, resting his chin lightly on her head. "Rebecca, please calm down," he said gently. "They didn’t hide it because they didn’t care. They hid it because they loved you. You were just a child then. They didn’t want you to grow up carrying fear or hatred in your heart."
Richard sighed deeply and stepped closer to the bed. His usually stern expression softened as he looked at her fragile state. "Your father loved Vanessa like his own daughter," he said quietly. "He never blamed her for what Michael did. Not even once."
Rebecca sniffed, struggling to steady her breathing.
Richard continued, his voice calm but filled with conviction. "He knew Vanessa was innocent. She was only a child who knew nothing about her father’s actions. Your father chose love over revenge. He refused to let Michael’s sin define how he treated her."
Rebecca lowered her gaze, memories flashing through her mind, her father’s gentle smiles toward Vanessa, the way he treated both of them equally, never showing any bitterness, the way he always made sure Vanessa had all the fatherly love she ever needed.
"So… he truly never held anything against her?" she asked softly.
"Never," Richard replied firmly. "And that is why you shouldn’t think that way either. Don’t see Vanessa as the daughter of the man who hurt your father. See her as the girl who grew up in the same house as you, sharing the same family and the same love."
Rebecca remained quiet for a moment, absorbing his words, though the ache in her heart did not fade completely.
She hesitated before asking, "And what about what she tried to do to me? Isn’t it almost the same thing Michael tried to do to my father? Isn’t history just repeating itself?"
The question hung heavily in the room, making the silence even more suffocating.
Richard rubbed his forehead tiredly before answering. "What Vanessa did was wrong, no doubt about that," he admitted. "But the truth is… it’s not entirely her fault either."
Rebecca frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
He sighed deeply, regret evident in his tone. "It is partly the elders’ fault. We kept the truth hidden for too long. We thought we were protecting everyone, especially you. But maybe… if we had told the truth earlier, Vanessa wouldn’t have grown up with so much confusion and bottled-up anger."
He paused briefly, then continued, "Secrets have a way of shaping people in ways we don’t expect. If she had known the full story earlier, maybe she would have understood your father’s kindness better instead of misunderstanding it."
Rebecca listened quietly, her expression softening as she considered his words. She had never looked at it from that perspective before.
After a long silence, she spoke again, her voice gentle but determined. "After hearing all of this… I think I want to visit Vanessa in prison."
Both Derek and Richard reacted immediately.
"What? No," Derek said firmly, shaking his head without hesitation.
Richard nodded in agreement. "Not now, Rebecca. It’s too soon."
Rebecca looked at them anxiously. "But I just want to talk to her. I want to convince her to let go of all this anger and stay away from her father. Maybe if I speak to her calmly, she will understand."
Derek’s expression hardened slightly, though his tone remained gentle. "Rebecca, you’re being too kind. Vanessa is not in the right state of mind right now. She doesn’t want good for you. She has already shown that clearly."
Rebecca shook her head stubbornly. "She’s still my sister…" She understands their concern and care, but she wants to talk to Vanessa, she wants to try talking to the girl she grew up with, her sister.
"And because she is your sister," Richard said softly, "we must be even more careful. Right now, emotions are still raw. She might see your visit as mockery or pity instead of peace."
Rebecca tried again, her eyes pleading. "But what if talking to her helps? What if she changes after hearing me out?"
Derek squeezed her hand gently. "Or what if it makes things worse? What if she says something that hurts you even more? You’re still weak and recovering. I don’t want anything to disturb your healing."
Rebecca fell silent, clearly torn between her desire to fix things and the fear in their voices.
Richard then spoke in a calmer, more reassuring tone. "Listen, Rebecca. We are not saying you will never see her. We are only saying… not now."
Derek nodded. "Exactly. When you are fully well and the case has been finalized, then we can consider it. And even then, you will not go alone. I will go with you."
Rebecca looked from one face to the other and realized they were not going to change their mind, not out of control, but out of care.
She slowly exhaled and leaned back against the pillow. "Okay… no problem," she said quietly. "I understand."
Her voice was calmer now, though sadness still lingered beneath it. "I’ll wait until I’m fully recovered. And until everything is settled. Then… maybe I can meet her properly."
Richard gave a small approving nod. "That is a wiser decision."
Derek offered a faint, reassuring smile. "And when that time comes, you won’t face it alone. I will be right there with you."
Rebecca managed a weak smile in return. Though her heart remained heavy with painful truths and unanswered questions, one thing comforted her whatever lay ahead, she would not have to face it alone.