Chapter 19 The First Twist

Chapter 19 The First Twist
The next day, we sat in Humphrey’s study,the room smelled like old books and dust. Heavy curtains filtered the sunlight, turning everything dim and gray. It felt like the house itself was holding its breath.

“You mean you…” My voice cracked before the sentence could finish.

Across from me, Mom,Annie,nodded slowly. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and her hands trembled in her lap.

“Yes,” she whispered.

I stared at her, waiting for her to take it back,and waiting for her to say it was all a misunderstanding.

She didn’t.

“Susan… she was from the beginning,” she said quietly. “from my time with Robbinson.”

The words dropped like stones.

“With Robbinson,” she repeated. “Not Humphrey.”

My throat tightened.

I was young, she continued, scared. Humphrey and I were already dating,when I realized I was pregnant… I panicked.

I leaned against the desk to steady myself.What did you do?I asked, though I already knew the answer.

Her eyes filled with tears,I told Humphrey the baby was his.The room spun slightly,And he believed you? I asked.

She hesitated.I think he wanted to believe me, she said softly. Or maybe he knew something was wrong but chose not to question it.

The betrayal slammed into me like a wave,this woman,my mother,the one who bandaged my knees when I fell off my bike, who made cookies on Sundays, who kissed my forehead when I had nightmares…

She had built our whole family on a lie.
“Why?” I choked.

Her shoulders shook,I thought it was the best option,” she whispered.

For who? I snapped,for everyone, she said helplessly.

I began pacing the room.

“Robbinson was married,” she explained. “His life was already complicated with Ruby, Lilly was on the way,There was no place for another scandal.”

The name made my chest tighten.Ruby.

Even now, my mind jumped to her, to the secret between us.

Mom continued speaking.

“Humphrey offered stability,” she said. “A home,a future. I convinced myself that raising Susan here would be better than dragging her into Robbinson’s chaos.”

“Stability,” I muttered bitterly,the word felt poisonous now.

“And Susan?” I asked. “You never told her?”
Mom shook her head.“No.”

“Not once?”Her voice cracked.“I couldn’t.”I stared at her.“You couldn’t?” I repeated.

What good would it do? she cried,"Tear the whole family apart?“Like it’s not already? I shouted.

My voice echoed against the study walls,“She's pregnant!” I said. “By Humphrey!”

The words hung in the air.Mom sobbed harder.

I pressed my hands against my face.“My God…” I whispered.

The horror slowly assembled itself in my mind.

Susan,who I thought was my cousin,was actually my half-sister,and the man who raised us both had gotten her pregnant.

Except…

If Susan wasn’t Humphrey’s blood…then the nightmare twisted again,It wasn’t technically incest.

But it was still something far worse,the man who raised her had slept with her,a man she believed was her grandfather.

Mom covered her face with both hands,“I didn’t know he would do that,” she cried. “I swear I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t know he was sleeping with the girls?” I asked coldly.“No!” she sobbed. “Richy, I had no idea!”

I slid down the wall and sat on the floor.

Everything began to hurt,my head,my chest,my memories.

Susan flashed through my mind,laughing as kids, arguing over the TV remote, chasing each other around the yard.

All those years,those family dinners,all of it was fake.

“She's my sister,” I muttered,Mom nodded weakly.
“Yes.”“and her baby…” I whispered.

“is Humphrey’s,” she said through tears.

Silence filled the study,I stared at the carpet, my mind unraveling.

Then another thought hit me,“Did Ruby know?” I asked suddenly.

Mom looked up.“What?”

“If Susan is your daughter… then Robbinson knew,” I said. “And if Robbinson knew…”
My chest tightened. “Ruby might have known too.”

Mom shook her head,“I don’t think so.”
“You don’t know,” I said.
No one in this family knew anything, everything was secrets and lies.

I laughed bitterly,“Seems like secrets are our family tradition,” I said.

Mom flinched.Yes, she whispered,"Like you and Robbinson,” I added.

She didn’t argue,instead she nodded slowly.
Yes. Like that.”

The house creaked softly around us,dust floated in the thin beams of light coming through the curtains.

Finally I spoke again,“How long did Humphrey know?” I asked.Mom wiped her eyes.“I’m not sure.”

You said he might have tested Susan.Yes. When? Maybe when she was a teenager,she said. “If he suspected anything.”

I frowned.and he never said anything?

“No.Not even to you?" She shook her head.
“No.”

Which meant Humphrey had known for years,that Susan wasn't his,and still…he slept with her.

I stood up slowly.

“What happens now?” I asked quietly.

Mom pushed herself to her feet.She looked older than I had ever seen her.

“We tell them,” she said.“All of them.”
I stared at her.Are you serious?”
“Yes.”

“You really think the family would survive that?”

She didn’t answer,because we both knew the truth.

It wouldn’t.

But the truth was already out,there was no going back.

I left the study before the walls could close in on me.Outside, the backyard air felt cold and sharp.

I paced across the grass, my mind racing.

Susan,My half-sister,Pregnant for Humphrey,my so called fucking Dad,a. predator.

And Ruby…Ruby and I had our own secret,one that could destroy everything too,and her baby,might be mine or maybe it's Robbinsons.

The thought twisted inside my stomach,this family was a web of lies,and I was tangled right in the center.

I pulled out my phone.

My hands were shaking as I dialed,after two rings, she answered.

“Richy?” said Ruby.Her voice was soft,
“Are you okay?”,I swallowed.
“No.”

“What happened?” I need to see you,I said.

When? Now.

There was a brief pause,then she spoke again.

“Come over,” she said quietly,“Robbinson’s out.