Chapter 139: Episode 138 || Non Existed Misunderstandings

“Oh right, you must be playing divorce prank on mom then?” Christian sneered, while Mishka looked at Riya and shook her head. Riya quickly understood that she didn’t want her to be here to witness her family issues.

She nodded her head and left the living area. Mishka then looked at the old servants who were working at the Knights’ mansion for decades. “I think you all should take a rest now.” She said, tried best not to sound rude.

But one of the servants answered to Mishka, “Please let us be here, Madam. We promise not to spill a single word outside. Madam Vera was so good to us always and even we want to know why Sir Luke left her.”

“Because his ex-girlfriend was pregnant, right, dad?” Christian said sarcastically.

“Wait, Chris!” Leo stopped him. “Why the fuck did you bring that venomous woman in this house if you never loved her?” Leo asked Luke, his nostrils flaring in anger.

Luke wiped tears from the corner of his eyes. “Seventeen years back…” He gulped nervously as he looked at Christian, who was glaring back at him. “I don’t know how to start. One day, dad and Rony were sitting near the poolside and I accidentally heard their conversation and that was the beginning of every misunderstanding.”

Leo and Rony knitted their eyebrows, but soon their eyes went wide as they slowly recalled exactly which day he was talking about.

Flashback

Leo and Rony were chilling near the pool area with their half legs down in the swimming pool. “I know you love Vera,” Leo said to Rony, whose eyes snapped back at him.

“How do…” He trailed off.

“I know you always loved her, but life moves on. You should probably move on in your life now.” Leo said and patted his back.

“Does mom know about this as well?” Rony ignored his advice and asked, knitting his brows.

“Do you think she would’ve married Vera to Luke if she had the slightest idea about your liking?” Leo asked, and Rony nodded his head meekly. “I never asked this or tried to involve in your matter, but why you never told us about your feeling or confessed to Vera? Might be Vera and you would be together today?”

Luke was shocked to the core, and looked at them with a complicated expression as he wasn’t sure if what he heard was right, his own younger brother was in love with his wife, and knowing this, his parents got him married to Vera.

“I knew Vera liked me too, but mama’s sudden announcement about Luke and Vera’s wedding changed everything. Vera didn’t have the courage to go against mama’s decision. You know mama is intimidating and stubborn. If she has chosen Vera for Luke, then it’s final.” Rony responded, and Leo nodded with a smile on his face.

Rony’s face dropped. “Vera lost her smile since that announcement, as if someone has captured her in a lifelong prison, but when Luke refused and introduced Jennifer to mom, that was after days when I saw her genuinely smiling. She was happy, but then the rest, you know.”

“But thankfully, they are happy together.” Leo sighed.

“And that’s important,” Rony added, and Luke slowly walked away from there. He walked upstairs and peeked inside his room, where Vera was playing with little Christian with a wide smile on her face. His frowned face quickly relaxed, watching her happy in their marriage.

Flashback End

“I don’t get it. You were in love with my mom?” Christian looked at Rony with puzzled expressions, and he had nothing to say. “What the fuck is going on in this family?”

“We were just friends, Chris. Especially after her marriage,” Rony corrected and his next words directed at Luke, “You divorced her because you heard a random conversation? Did you even hear what I said to dad later?” Rony scowled.

“No, my divorce wasn’t related to that conversation,” Luke said. Fresh tears blurred his images, and he quickly wiped. “Since the start of our marriage, you both were close to each other, and I never minded this friendship, as I was myself not interested in Vera during the initial phase of our marriage, but slowly I too fell in love with her. After your revelation, your closeness with her always affected me. I was trying hard to control my jealousy, but then, I saw you proposing to her in your bedroom, slipping the ring on her finger, I was about to burst in, when I heard you saying that you want to keep it secret for a while and Vera agreed with a wide grin on her face.” Luke said and Christian directed his hatred towards Rony while the latter held his head in his hand sat on the couch.

“Fuck,” Rony muttered.

“What??” Leo turned to Rony with questionable eyes.

“I was practicing to propose Rose. Vera suggested this idea as I was delaying things. I wasn’t sure if she would say yes, so I asked Vera to keep this a secret until her wedding anniversary.” Rony explained.

“Vera lied to me multiple times, but Dan showed me all pictures of their secret escapade. I don’t know if this all was a part of Dan’s plan, but this is how things happened.” Luke said and looked down.

“You should have asked us for clarification. You should have asked me before reaching any conclusion, but you chose to deceive her, having an affair behind her back.” Rony sneered, but Luke didn’t counterattack and continued on his side of the story.

“The day before our eighth anniversary, Vera informed me she is out for shopping with mom, and dad was on a business trip, I came home early to talk to you but I saw you both on my bed, you were hovering over Vera,” Luke said but Rony cut him off.

“Bullshit!! You are lying,” He screeched loudly, “There was nothing between us…..” Rony trailed off as he remembered an incident from the past when he put his foot on Christian’s toy car and accidentally slipped right on Vera, and they both landed at the edge of the bed, laughing at his clumsiness.

Luke smiled sadly. “I never felt any pain even when mom asked me to break up with Jennifer and marry Vera, but that day something broke inside me…. maybe my heart. I never hated Vera. I can never hate her. I just wanted to set her free. She, too, was forced into this arrangement like me, and she spent all her life pleasing others, be it her relatives, mom, or me. I didn’t want her to do this compromise all her life just because she was forced into this marriage and had a child with me or how would society taunt her if she decided to be with Rony. I wanted her to live happily with the man she loved,” Luke said and his eyes lingered on Rony.

Mishka looked at Christian’s bleeding hand, and she slowly took a step in his direction, but his deadly glare was enough to halt her steps. Christian looked back at Luke, who continued the story.

“So you decided it was better if you rekindle your old love with Jennifer and set Vera free, huh?” Leo asked in a sense of mocking. “Do you think we are stupid? She was pregnant when you brought her home.” He sneered.

“Jennifer was never pregnant. I met her at the bar a day before my wedding anniversary. I was drunk and told her everything. She agreed to help me set Vera free. Everything was planned. I will introduce her to all of you, divorce Vera, so she can restart her life with Rony.” Luke said and his eyes travelled to Christian who was spitting fire from his eyes, “I just became greedy for Chris. I wanted him by my side, but it was surprising for me as well when Vera signed custody papers. I thought maybe she didn’t want him in her new life.”

“I brought Rose home for the first time on your anniversary,” Rony said in a high pitch and Luke glared at Rony.

“How would I know, Rony? You and Vera were keeping this a top secret? Every time I tried to talk to her, she either lied or ignored.” Luke smiled sadly. “Anyway, everything was going as per the plan, it was decided that Jennifer will leave forever once they are married, but Rony and Vera’s relationship didn’t turn out as we planned. He left the house while Vera stayed for Chris.”

“Days later, I got to know about Rose, but I thought maybe she is just a casual fling. But then he proposed to her, and I saw Vera was thrilled with the news. Everything started getting clear in my mind, but before I could muster the courage to clear things with Vera, that horrific night came.” Tears were flowing from Luke’s eyes as he looked at his empty hand. “That day on the terrace, I couldn’t save Vera. Her hand slipped from my hand.”

Christian was standing, taking the support of the pillar. He rubbed his face with his hands as extreme sadness and anger coursed through him.

“I wanted to give new life to Vera, but I snatched her life,” Luke said remorsefully.

“You know what?” Christian looked at him. “I don’t give a fuck about what you wanted to give. I just know what you have given, and that is PAIN, to me and to my mother! You filled her life with miseries.” He said, showing him the suicide letter.

“Everyone standing here right now is the culprit of my mom. Seventeen years, fucking seventeen years, you all kept your mouth shut and let me hate mom, no one ever tried to correct me when I misbehaved with her.” Christian thundered while everyone stayed silent.

He then started counting on his fingers, “Brain fever, panic attacks, trust issues, low confidence, holding onto someone even if deep down you know they are not right for you just because you don’t want to die alone, your misunderstanding has given me all this and you left me alone to fight it.” He growled and tried to leave the place, but Luke held his hand and tried to stop him.

“Please, I am sorry.” He pleaded, but Christian jerked his hand away and threatened him.

“Remember, Luke Knight, if I didn’t get a chance to see my mom again, I’ll never forgive you and I’ll forgive no one standing here, including you!” He looked at Mishka while saying the last two words, and left the place, nudging her in the shoulder.

Mishka stood in her place, composing herself, and spun on her heels to follow him upstairs. She stopped him right outside their room. “Chris, let me explain.” She pleaded while Christian opened the door of his room.

“Just go away from my sight. I don’t want to see your face. You deceived me. You knew everything, yet you didn’t tell me.” The old Christian Knight was back. His eyes were again void of any emotions.

“Just pray that my mom comes back safely otherwise everything will be at stake!” He raised his voice while Mishka shook her head and tried to explain, taking a step forward, but Christian slammed the door shut right in her face and the thundering sound of the door stilled her in her place, flabbergasted with her eyes pinned at the closed door.

***

Holy Cross Hospital,

Rose was anxiously calling Rony while walking back and forth outside the closed ward. He was supposed to be here half an hour ago, but there was no sign of him, nor he was picking up her calls. She called Christian and Mishka as well, but no one picked.

Pasha was talking to Danny when the door of the ward opened and Dr Ken emerged out, removing the mask from his mouth.

Rose strode towards him. “What is wrong with Vera? Is she alright?”

“Rose, her survival chances are very low. I suggest you call everyone. I don’t see any hope. Maybe it’s time to say the final goodbye.” Dr Ken responded and turned to walk away.

“No one is picking calls at home?” Rose said. Her eyes were misty and her voice choked.

“Let’s call Leo then,” Pasha said, fearing breaking this news to him.