Chapter five: Betrayal's Bitter Embrace

Lucas Carter's POV

A jigsaw puzzle piece can reveal a glimpse, but it never tells the whole story. Like a picture holding countless tales, yet concealing the truth within its frame.

"Lucas! We've been searching for you everywhere! How did you even get in here?"

I felt like a lifeless shell, disconnected from my own body. It was a slap in the face and a stab in the heart to see them choose a fabricated story over what I knew to be true.

What shattered my heart even more was the realization that I had been with my mother all along. She was there, yet I kept yearning for a man who was absent from our lives.

I was just a child when I witnessed how she was taken away from me. I stood frozen, helpless as I watched her collapse on the floor, her breath fading away.

There was so much more I could have done. I could have rushed outside and called for help, but it was too late.

"Brother, you can't just run off like that. It's not safe."

Words were trapped in my throat, my mind in disarray. I was caught between anger and confusion, a whirlwind of emotions consuming me.

"Son, let's go home." Dad reached out to touch my shoulder, but I pushed him away, stepping back. Their presence felt suffocating.

"Leave me alone!" I snapped, stepping further away. I felt a boiling rage within me, an urge to take control. Maybe I didn't need them anymore. They lied to me.

All this time, it turned out I was just an illegitimate child.

"What? Son, let's go home-"

"You heard me, right? I said, LEAVE ME ALONE!" They flinched at the thunderous sound of my voice reverberating through the house. "THIS IS MY HOME, YOU'RE NOT MY FAMILY. MOM IS!" I gritted my teeth, locking eyes with their piercing stares.

I couldn't recognize myself. My chest felt like it was being consumed by flames, my mind clouded, and my emotions ran wild. I desperately wanted to remember everything, but I convinced myself that it was enough.

It felt like something was missing. Every room echoed with emptiness.

"You already know?"

I angrily wiped away my tears.

"Yes, big brother." I shot him a terrifying glare. "I know my mother now, and I know what happened to her. I know how Eliza attacked her and fled like a heartless monster." Each word felt like a needle scratching the inside of my throat. Within me was a punching bag, and I couldn't bear it.

"Lucas, my mother didn't mean to-"

"DIDN'T MEAN TO!?" I hissed, completely bent out of shape. He had no idea what he was saying. "SHE FUCKING INVADED OUR HOME! SHE KILLED MY MOTHER!"

"Stop it, please..." Dad intervened, but I focused my gaze solely on my brother.

"Why did you tell me Eliza was my mother? SHE WAS A MURDERER!"

"She didn't kill your mother-"

"YOU ARE COMPLETELY IDIOTIC! IF YOUR PSYCHOTIC MOTHER HADN'T INVADED OUR LIVES, NOTHING WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO MY MOM, AND SHE WOULD STILL BE HERE WITH ME!"

"Ah-ahh..."

My heart skipped a beat as Dad fell to his knees.

"Dad!" My brother rushed to him, helping him sit on the couch.

I never wanted to hurt anyone, I swear. But all I had was rage, sadness, and despair. I was hurting, and I no longer cared who else would be hurt in the process.

My brother redirected his attention toward me.

"Brother, I know we can't change the past anymore. I'm sorry for what my mother did." He tried to speak in the most soothing tone he could muster.

"I'm broken, brother..." I mourned. At that moment, I wasn't really mad at him or anyone. I was just devastated, and maybe that was worse than being angry. "That's just how it's gonna be... and you'll have to live with it."

"Lucas, no-"

"HOW THE FUCK WOULD YOU KNOW!? Do you know what I feel? You're just gonna fucking stand there feeling sorry for me, not knowing what to say... Brother, I LOST MY FUCKING MOTHER. I WAS ONLY NINE!"

I was lost. I didn't know how to navigate through life anymore. Or did I even get a chance to? Because in that moment, it felt like I was already dead.

"No matter how many times you say sorry, it won't bring my mother back. Maybe it would've been better if I had fucking died instead. YOU'RE ALL FUCKIN' SELFISH!"

"S-Son... stop..."

"WOULDN'T THAT HAVE BEEN BETTER? YOU COULD ALL JUST LEAVE YOUR STUPID FUCKING LIVES 'CAUSE YOU ONLY CARE ABOUT SEEKING JUSTICE FOR ELIZA. WHAT ABOUT MY MOTHER!?"

"Fuck you, Lucas. Just shut up! Shut up!" My brother couldn't take it anymore. He exploded with anger. In that moment, I wasn't scared. I wanted him to release all his frustrations, to say whatever he needed to say. But things didn't turn out as well as I had hoped.

"Liam... stop-" Dad attempted to intervene, but he couldn't find the strength to stand.

"No, Dad! Brother, listen to me, you dipshit!" My brother's expression was filled with fury, and I didn't resist. I wanted him to speak his mind, no matter how harsh. "We cried for you, we were worried sick! After losing my mother, I needed you. Not because of my mother, but because you were the only person I could trust, the only person who would understand what I was going through. And now you're gonna fucking say that? You want to leave us behind? THAT'S MESSED UP, LUCAS!"

"I-I'm sorry... I'M SORRY!" I choked on my words, my voice quivering.

That's when it hit me. Everything I had said, I swallowed it all back. I needed to hear those words, at least from them. He was right, I was messed up. But he didn't know the extent of it, and neither did I.

"We love you, brother... and you just don't care?"

"I-I do. I... I do care. I love you too, Liam, Dad... I'm sorry."

That night became a rollercoaster of emotions. Although the pain still lingered, I realized that losing my mother didn't mean losing everything.

We returned home. It was the calm after the storm, but I couldn't stop replaying the events in my mind.

Dad went straight to his room to rest. I didn't want to burden him with any more pain. If anything happened to him, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. I couldn't lose another family member.

"Brother, I'm sorry... I can't say if I've forgiven Eliza yet, but I promise I'll help you seek the justice she deserves." I spoke as my brother sat on the couch. He slowly turned his gaze towards me. "I blame myself even more. I couldn't save my mother."

"Come on, sit down." I followed his instruction, taking a seat on the adjacent couch. He straightened his posture, resting his forearms on his knees and clasping his hands together. "I understand, and you don't have to apologize. Don't blame yourself, okay? I know you did everything you could."

A genuine smile spread across my face. I could see the sincerity in his eyes. He wasn't just saying it to make me feel better; he genuinely meant every word.

That night, I witnessed a side of my brother I had never seen before. Some might perceive it as a simple interaction between siblings. But for me, it meant the world.

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