Chapter 32 An Unspoken Tragedy

Chapter 32 An Unspoken Tragedy
The moment I hear his words, my entire body starts trembling. My heart feels as if it is breaking inside my chest. He turns around and begins to walk away, as if leaving after saying everything is already his final decision.

I don’t wait even for a moment. I immediately get up from the floor, grab his hand, and pull him forcefully toward me, turning him around.

The instant he faces me..

slap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My hand strikes his cheek hard. The sound is so loud that it echoes through the entire room. I can feel the pain in my hand, but the pain in my heart is far deeper than that.

He keeps staring at me in shock, as if he cannot believe what just happened.

I stand there and burst into tears, crying uncontrollably. My voice turns into a scream, “What do you think of yourself?!”

Tears continuously stream down my face, “If you were going to leave anyway, then why did you come into my life at all?!”

My voice is shaking, but the pain is real, “You came once before… you pulled me close… left your mark with me and walked away… and now you’ve come back only to break me all over again!”

My legs begin to wobble, and I stand there sobbing helplessly. My breaths feel broken, as if everything inside me has shattered.

He remains completely silent for a few moments. The room becomes utterly still, filled only with the sound of my sobs.

Then he slowly walks toward me and gently places a hand on my shoulder.

I shake his hand away in anger and pain, “Stay away from me! You’re terrible… absolutely terrible!”

I want to say more, but before I can, he comes to stand in front of me.

Slowly, he drops to his knees before me. Shame and pain are clearly visible in his eyes.

In a heavy voice, he says, “Please… forgive me.”

His voice trembles as he continues, “I swear… I didn’t do anything intentionally…”

Through my tears, I keep looking at him, unable to understand whether my anger is stronger, or my pain… or if it’s both.

I ask in a trembling voice, “Then… then what happened that day?”

My lips shake as I speak. Fear and hope exist together in my eyes. He slowly takes my hand. His grip carries both nervousness and the courage to finally tell the truth.

He takes a heavy breath and says, “I was drunk that day… I wasn’t in my senses. I didn’t even realize what I had done that night.”

His voice grows heavier, weighed down by guilt, “When I realized the next morning what might have happened… I immediately called the manager there. But he lied for money. He said you were a call girl…”

My heart starts pounding violently.

As he speaks, he lowers his head, as if shame and regret are breaking him from inside, “Believe me, Kiara… I never even imagined in my worst dreams that I could hurt someone like that.”

His words pierce straight into my heart.

I collapse onto the floor instantly. My legs give up. I begin crying uncontrollably, sobbing as I rest my head against his chest, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” I cry.

He speaks softly, “You weren’t ready to listen… you were already so broken.”

I lift my head, anger and pain burning in my eyes, “So you think I’m wrong?” My eyes are red from crying.

He answers immediately, “How could I ever have the courage to call you wrong?”

We stand there silently, looking at each other. The room falls into complete quiet for a few moments.

Then my eyes move to the left side of the room, where little Ria is standing. She has been watching us for a long time with strange, confused eyes, as if trying to understand everything.

He notices her too and gently says, “Ria, come here to me.”

Ria immediately runs toward him.

He bends down and asks lovingly, “What happened, my little sweetheart?”

In her broken, innocent voice, Ria says, “Mu…mma… cry…!”

Smiling softly, he says, “No dear, mumma is not crying. Don’t worry.”

Saying this, he kisses Ria gently on her cheeks.

I keep looking at the little Ria. Her innocence touches my heart deeply. I slowly stand up and walk a little away, stopping near the railing, watching the water flowing below. Tears quietly fall from my eyes.

Then he comes and stands beside me.
He says softly, “I know… I can never compensate for the pain you had to go through.”

My breath catches.

“But I promise,” he continues, “I will love you so much that you will forget that pain.”

I remain silent. I say nothing.

He steps closer and says in a low, gentle voice, “I love you, Kiara…”

I hear him… but I stay quiet.

Suddenly, little Ria speaks, “Say… lo…ve… you… too…!”

At that moment, a soft smile appears on both our faces. In the middle of all the pain, a small light of hope begins to shine.

I bend down, hug Ria tightly, and with tears in my eyes and a faint smile on my lips, I say, “I love you too, Neil…”

Within the next hour, we are both inside the car. Neil is in the driver’s seat, his hands holding the steering wheel firmly, yet his face looks surprisingly calm. The car moves forward smoothly, city lights slowly disappearing behind us.

But in the back seat… complete chaos.

Ria is jumping around restlessly sometimes hitting the window with her hands, sometimes climbing onto the seat, sometimes making loud, playful noises as if she’s singing. Her mischief seems endless.

I turn back again and again, scolding her, “Ria! Sit properly… stop being so naughty!”

But it’s as if she can’t hear me at all. Every time I scold her, she becomes even more mischievous. Slowly, I realize this is all Neil’s influence.

Neil glances at the back seat through the mirror, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He deliberately says nothing.

Frustrated, I snap, “Neil! This is all because of you. She’s completely spoiled now. She doesn’t even listen anymore!”

Laughing lightly, completely relaxed, Neil replies, “Let my little Don do whatever she wants. You won’t scold her… and you definitely won’t hit her.”

Hearing the words “my little Don,” I freeze for a moment in surprise. I look at him, his eyes are filled only with affection and indulgence.

The car slowly comes to a stop in front of the villa.

I step out without saying a word. The anger inside me is still burning. Ria gets out too, and as she passes by me, I lose control and slap her lightly on the cheek.

“You’re becoming very rude, Ria!” I say sharply.

Her face instantly falls. She pouts, her eyes filling with tears, and without wasting a second, she runs straight past me to Neil.

“Mamma bad!” she cries almost tearfully.

Neil immediately lifts her into his arms, gently stroking her head. “It’s okay… it’s okay,” he says softly.

He looks at me once.

Holding Ria in his arms, Neil walks inside. I follow behind them, feeling both guilty and uneasy.

The moment we enter the villa...

my feet freeze.

My eyes widen in shock.

The entire living area looks destroyed. Furniture is scattered everywhere. Vases lie shattered on the floor. The table is overturned. Curtains are half torn down.

And then my eyes fall to the floor.

Mrs. Grace… lying there.

Her face is pale. Blood is flowing from her hand. A gunshot wound is visible on her palm, blood slowly spreading across the floor.

For a moment, my breathing stops.

The color drains from Neil’s face.

I stand there, completely stunned. A strange ringing fills my ears. My heart feels frozen inside my chest.

TO BE COUNTINUE...!!!

What might have happened to Mrs. Grace?