EIGHT: Mistake

Twilight's POV

"You what?!" Vinter exclaimed as he got up from his seat.

"You heard me the first time, Vinter. I met your soulmate today," I repeated. I am not going to tell him that I am going on a date with Dove. Not yet at least.

"When did you meet, Dove?" He asked. So he already knows who his soulmate is and yet here he is with his 'girlfriend' when he's not even supposed to be with anyone other than his soulmate in the first place.

"She must have stalked you, Vinter. Your personal affairs. Maybe she already knows everything about your family and that's why she approached your younger brother. Dove is a terrifying woman!" Nina spoke. What is she saying? Does she know Dove?

"What on fucking Earth are you saying?!" I retorted. "My meeting with Dove was a pure coincidence, woman."

"You dare use that language in my house! And on top, you dare disrespect our guest!" My father responded angrily. I glared at him and then at my mother who was silent. As usual. Not looking at anyone. Why is it always like this?

"You think my foul language and disrespectful behaviour is the real issue here, father?" I asked in complete disbelief. His son brought a woman in the house who isn't even his soulmate and this man's issue is my language and disrespectful behaviour?

"Get out of here, your presence isn't needed at this dinner table anymore, you are one unworthy child I never wished to have," my father said his usual words. At this point, these empty words don't even bother me. But, my mother's silence— it's one thing that will keep bothering me for the rest of my life.

I looked at Vinter one last time before leaving. "We need to talk, Vinter."

And saying this I left. I went to my room, removing my blazer. I took a seat on my bed and stared blankly at the wall. My mind is blank yet it's full of thoughts. Unanswered questions and futile words of my father. What did I ever do to have such results in my life? Just cause I'm the son of a mistress? Just cause I'm an illegitimate child?

My father, Oliver Harris is the current possessor of Harris estate and after him, Vinter would be the next one to own it. I'm just an illegitimate child of the family. I never expected anything from this family and never will.

My mother, Sophia Adams loves my father more than anything in this world. Probably even more than me.

She knew my father was already married to Laura, Vinter's mother. My mother decided to stay with my father as his mistress.

I wasn't even supposed to be born, but here I am— a 'mistake' according to my father. And my mother has developed the habit of remaining silent because she doesn't want to talk back to the man who gave her and me a roof over our head. If it wasn't for my mother's stubbornness, I won't be living here. But I will soon convince my mother to leave this place with me. Mom wants me to be as successful as my father, right? I will be more successful than him. Maybe then she will leave this place and live with me.

My eyes accidentally landed on our broken family heirloom; an old wall clock. 9 years old won't know the value of a family heirloom, now, would they?

That day was 17 years ago. How can I forget when I came face to face with the harsh reality of my life. I started recalling the memories of that day—

[Flashback]

*crash*

I gasped as I realized that I broke the wall clock my father cherish while playing with a football. I shouldn't have played football indoors. I heard footsteps approaching as I panicked, not knowing what to do. I trembled in fear as I waited for my father to barge in. But, he didn't.

11 years old Vinter slammed open the door as he stared at me with wide eyes. "What did you do?!" He exclaimed as he approached me.

"Are you hurt?" He asked checking me trying to find any visible injury on my body. I was still trembling.

"Vin... I-i... didn't do it...on purpose," I stuttered. He hushed me. He thought for a moment and sighed.

"You didn't do it, okay? I did. If someone asks who broke this clock, tell them Vinter broke it. Okay?" He said. I who was on verge of crying stared at him with a baffled expression.

"Bu-but, Vin... we cannot lie," I said. He grabbed my face and smiled. His amethyst eyes had nothing in them except the glint of love and affection for me.

"I will protect you, Twilight. I am your older brother. Just go along with this lie and let me take care of the rest," Vinter said. With teary eyes, I nodded.

"Good," Vinter said ruffling my head. Why does he love me so much when I'm just his half-brother?

Later when father found out about the broken wall clock. He started beating Vinter. If he can beat his pure blood like this, I cannot imagine what he is going to do to me when he finds out the truth. I shivered and trembled in fear.

"I did not expect such recklessness from you!" Father yelled as he slapped Vinter— again and again. Vinter stood there not reacting at all.

"He is just a child, let him go, Oliver!" Laura cried out.

"No! He needs to understand that the heir of this family cannot act recklessly!" Father said. He kept hitting Vinter.

I couldn't stand it any longer and jump in between trying to shield my older brother.

"Twilight what are you doing? Get away from here!" Vinter hissed.

"Brat, what do you think you are doing?" My father asked as he frowned even deeper. He was beyond pissed.

"I... I broke the heirloom," I said. And I received a slap on my face. My father. He slapped me.

"I should have known," he said as he left Vinter alone and started hitting me. I groaned in pain when I felt a kick in my stomach. I choked profusely as I whined in pain.

Vinter came to my aid as he helped me up and pushed me behind him.

"Father, Twilight is lying. I broke it, he's just trying to protect me," Vinter tried reasoning. Father chuckled.

"So, he has started lying now. Now, he will be receiving beatings for both of you," my father said as he picked up a bat.

Vinter and Laura's eyes widened. My mom is nowhere to be seen; she went out earlier today.

"Oliver, a bat is too much. Please, don't be so harsh. He is 9!" Laura said. But my father ignored her plea as he pushed Vinter away from me.

When I got the first hit off the bat on my back, the pain was too much to endure and my head started spinning. Before I get my second hit, my reflexes kicked and I pushed my father to the ground by tackling him as I got on top of him, ready to punch him. But my hand stopped mid-way.

"What? Go on punch me! This just shows your worth," my father said as he pushed me away. "You are not living in my house anymore."

He started dragging me out of the house, as Vinter followed us pleading not to do that. But my father is senile and stubborn. He would never listen to anyone.

And that is how I got kicked out of my house. I stood there outside the house, crying and not knowing what to do as—

[END]

A knock on my door brought me back to the present. I rubbed my face as I got up from my bed to open the door.

Upon opening the door, I came face to face with Vinter. He let out a sigh.

"Can we talk now?"

"Come on in," I said as I let my brother in. He sat on the chair beside my study desk as he waited for me to say something. But I don't know what to say.

"I am sorry, Twilight," he apologized, finally breaking the awkward silence. I raised my eyebrows as I stared in confusion.

"For what?" I asked.

"For not being able to be a good older brother to you," he said. I shook my head.

"You are the best brother ever, Vin. Trust me. You protected me all those years, how can I forget that? Just because you have hardships right now and you are trying to figure your life out, does not make you a bad brother," I said. He smiled at me. It's been so long since I saw him smile like that.

"Where did that woman you brought over, go?" I asked. Vinter scoffed.

"She went home and why are you so disrespectful at times?" Vinter asked.

"I will be honest, Vin. I don't like her," I said. "Not when you already have Dove—"

"Dove is not a good person, brother."

"I don't know what kind of manipulation she did on you to make you defend her so much but, Nina told me the entire truth about Dove. She is a murderer," Vinter said. My eyes widened, that is a bloody big accusation.

"Murder? What are you saying?!" My voice unknowingly rose. Vinter sighed again.

"Look even, I don't want to believe Nina in something like this. But she showed me the cut mark on her wrist, she said Dove did it to her. No matter how much Nina hates Dove, I'm sure she won't make up such big lies. Dove even went to juvenile centre after that," Vinter said. "But that doesn't end there. When Dove was released from the centre, she killed Nina's boyfriend Jace."

"Are you out of your mind, Vinter? To believe such bullshit about your soulmate!" I snapped.

"Like I said I don't want to believe it either. But I have seen the way Dove acts. She's a total sociopath. I don't know where and how you met her, but she's probably using you," he said as he got up and walked out of my room. I stood up and followed behind him standing at the entrance. "You should keep your distance from her, Twilight."

"I cannot believe you are trusting some random woman over your soulmate. You are a great brother, Vin. But you are not a great lover," I said. "Before you leave, listen to this one thing I have to say."

"Go on."

"I don't believe this story, not until I hear Dove's side of the story. Tomorrow I'm going to meet Dove again cause she needs my help in something..." I paused as I looked straight into Vinter's eyes. "And someday later, I am going to take her on a date."

"What?!" Vinter yelled. "Are you out of your mind? Why can't you see?! She is going to ruin you!"

"No, she won't. Don't you two share the same soul? Do you think someone who shares the same soul as you can hurt me? Don't you have faith in your soul, Vinter?" I questioned. "The one who is going to get ruined is you if you keep hanging around that pathetic woman named Nina Robbins, brother."

He stared at me with hurt and anger-filled eyes. I wish I could say I am sorry, but am not. He is not right this time.

"But... you just met her," he whispered.

"I know. But I have known you whole my life and I trust your soul's other half as much as I trust you," I replied with a smile. "Good night, Vinter. I hope you will think over this entire situation and maybe try listening to Dove's side of the story someday."

He sighed. "You are making a mistake, Twilight."

"That is on me," I said smiling as he shook his head and began to leave.

After Vinter left, I closed the door and prepared myself to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day and I want to know all the things I can from Dove. I am sure whatever she did in the past, she had her good reason and I don't want to blindly judge her as Vinter did.