Chapter 183 Catherine’s POV

Chapter 183 Catherine’s POV
Tyler's blood had dried in the deep lines of my palms, turning into dark rust-colored crusts beneath my fingernails and staining the sleeves of my ruined coat. I felt like this was a physical mark of my sin, a permanent letter that no amount of hospital soap could ever wash away. Beyond the swinging double doors, a team of trauma surgeons was fighting a bloody battle for Tyler's life.

The surgeons plunged him into back to back critical surgeries to repair the catastrophic internal damage and stop the massive hemorrhaging, as every tick of the wall clock moved, it felt like his heart was slowing down. To my right, Summer sat curled in a ball, sobbing quietly into her hands, her phone still resting on her lap after contacting Tyler's family.

Then there was Richard, he stood near the far wall, motionless as a statue, he hadn't sat down since the paramedics loaded Tyler into the back of the ambulance, his blazer was stained with dark stains of his best friend's blood, his tie loosened as his knuckles started to turn turn white with his fists remained clenched at his sides.

He was staring directly at me, his eyes usually so filled with warmth were completely drained out, replaced with a terrifying mix of raw grief, betrayal and absolute horror. "Mom," Richard's voice broke through the buzz of the room. I had never heard this tone from him in his entire life.

I couldn't bear to meet his gaze, "Richard... please... not now..." I didn't dare to lift my head, "look at me, mother." Richard has never used mother on me, it's like him calling me by my first name. I slowly raised my head, my tear stricken face aching, my vision blurred by the stinging tears, the word 'mother' still ringing in my head as it cut through my chest like a blade.

"I want you to tell me what happened back in that restaurant," Richard commanded, his tone shifting heavily, this man was no longer my soft spoken son as he took two heavy steps towards me, his shadow fell over my trembling frame suffocating me, "tell me why my best friend threw his body in front of a bullet for you. Help me undesirable why he loomed you in the eyes while he was bleeding out and told you he loved you."

"Richard, please, she's in shock—" Summer whimpered from her chair as she tried to reach out to touch his arm.

"Stay out of this, Summer!" Richard snapped, his voice exploding with a violent taunting grief that made the quiet waiting room echo, he had never been like this to anyone, he couldn't even take his eyes off me. "Mom... I want everything, the truth. I don't want stupid answers about any 'estate business.' I want to bloody know who shot at us tonight? And what the hell are you to Tyler?!"

The suffocating web of lies finally broke, I was drowning and if I kept lying to my son, the toxicity of my secrets would destroy whatever left of my soul. "It was a stalker," I whispered, my voice trembling so hard, I could barely sound normal, "the shooter... it was a stalker who had started hunting me for a while."

Richard's brow furrowed, a flicker of confusion finally through his rage, "a stalker? What are you talking about? You have been living a quiet life! Why would anyone—"

"Because I lied to you Richard!" I cried out, a broken sob tearing from my throat as I finally stood up, clutching my blood stained coat against my chest, "I lied to you that I was doing okay, I was not! Do you know why I had to create a fake identity to escape that terrible past, it was to hide from people who wanted to destroy me, I was trying to protect you! Your stupid father is a dangerous man and I just wanted you to have a normal and safe life without getting entangled with me..."

Richard stepped back, covering his eyes like the physical distance could shield him from.the nightmare spilling from my mouth, "all this... Mom, what are you even saying?!"

"I don't know the kind of monster that I have brought to our doorstep," u wept, fresh tears tracing limes through the dried blood on my cheeks. "The stalker started in London, on the day which marked two years since that evil man went to jail, when I finally came back here to breathe... they still found me! That laser sight on my chest tonight was meant for me, Richard! But... but Tyler had to stand in there."

"And Tyler?" Richard's breath hitched as his face drained of color, his voice dropped to a low whisper, "how did Tyler know? Why did he stand in between you and the freaking bullet? What the fuck is your relationship with me? Is this what he meant by taking care of you?!"

I choked out, the words were hard to put together anymore but I had to keep going, "be found out about the stalker back in London. When I was terrified and alone, he helped me until I feared nothing. When I felt I would drag him back, I left but I had no idea he would follow me here."

I opened my eyes looking directly into the broken gaze of my son, "then, in the middle of everything, we crossed a line I should have never crossed, I'm so sorry..." Summer fasted, clasping her hands over mouth, her eyes filled with shock, Richard stood completely frozen, his eyes searching my face as if it was barely a misunderstanding.

"You..." Richsrd breathed, his voice cracking violently, "you and... Tyler? You slept with my best friend?! Tell me this is a fucking joke..." the pain in his voice made me tremble.

"I have no words, I just want to tell you that we... we fell in love..."

"Bullshit... fucking bullshit!" Summer quickly reached out for me, holding him trying to calm him down, "you're supposed to be the fucking adult here but—"

"Family of Tyler?"