Chapter 03
Emily’s POV
My mother hadn’t stopped crying since the news broke. Her grief was raw, an open wound that seemed impossible to heal. I watched her, feeling a strange mix of emotions.
Despite everything, despite hating my father for all the ways he neglected me, I still loved him. He was my father, after all. They say a daughter’s first hero is her father, and I guess I must have felt that way once when I was little, though it’s hard to remember now.
Keith showed up at the hospital, finally deciding to express some concern for me. It had been an hour since he arrived, and this was the first time he approached me, his expression a mix of
awkwardness and forced concern.
“How are you holding up?” he asked, his voice low, as he stood beside me.
I looked at him, trying to gauge his sincerity. “I’m managing,” I replied, my tone flat.
He shifted on his feet, glancing around as if searching for the right words. “I’m sorry about your father. I know this is a difficult time.”
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“Thanks,” I said, though I could feel the disconnect between us. The words felt hollow, especially after what I had overheard earlier. I knew there was no real depth behind his concern–just a sense of obligation.
Since I learned the news, I hadn’t shed a single tear. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel the loss–it was more like I was too numb to process it. The pain was there, lurking beneath the surface, but it hadn’t. broken through. Not yet.
Tyler, my older brother, kept staring at me. His gaze was hard, filled with an unspoken blame that had lingered between us for nine long years. He hadn’t forgiven me for what happened back then, and I knew he never would.
“I called Lily,” Tyler said quietly, his words cutting through the silence. “She’ll be here soon.”
Lily didn’t know yet that our father was gone. The thought of facing her, of seeing her after all this time, sent a shiver down my spine. And Keith… his breathing changed at the mention of her name, a subtle shift that I noticed immediately. The effect Lily had on him was still there, lingering like a ghost. I knew then that I had. lost him all over again.
Mom, her face streaked with tears, looked at me with a mixture of sorrow and sternness. “Emily, when Lily arrives, I want you to be civil and caring towards her.”
Frustration bubbled up inside me. “Mom, you know that’s asking
Chapter 03
too much. It’s just not possible for me.”
Her expression hardened, and her voice grew sharper. “I don’t want to hear what you can or can’t do. You drove Lily away with what you did nine years ago. I won’t let you tear this family apart again, not now, not with your father gone. We need each other more than ever.”
After my mother spoke, I noticed my brother glancing at me, his expression mirroring her disappointment. He didn’t say anything, but his silent support of her words stung just as much.
The accusation cut deep, even though it was a familiar refrain. They all treated my past actions like they were some unforgivable mistake. But it wasn’t that simple. I had suffered for what I did, and the weight of it was still on my shoulders.
I swallowed hard, fighting to keep my voice steady. “I’m your daughter too, Mom. Or have you forgotten that?”
I couldn’t stand it anymore. The tension, the accusations, the suffocating weight of it all. I needed air. Without another word, I turned and walked out of the hospital room, my footsteps echoing down the sterile hallway.
Once outside, the cool air hit my face, and I took a deep, shuddering breath. The tears I had been holding back finally broke free, streaming down my cheeks as I leaned against the wall.
Chapter 03
The years of resentment, the constant accusations, everything that had gone wrong–it all came crashing down at once. It was overwhelming, and for a moment, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“Excuse me, are you okay?” A soft voice interrupted my thoughts.
I quickly wiped my tears and looked up to see a nurse standing nearby, concern etched on her face. “I’m fine,” I lied, my voice shaky.
She hesitated before speaking again. “I just wanted to let you know that it’s time to view your father’s body. We’ve moved him to the morgue.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I nodded, unable to find my voice.
The nurse gave me a sympathetic look before turning to lead the way. I followed her back into the hospital, my steps heavy, dreading what was to come. The numbness from earlier had returned, but underneath it all, a storm of emotions was raging.
When we reached the morgue, the nurse stopped and gave me a small, reassuring smile. “Take your time.”
I took a deep breath and stepped inside, the cold air sending a shiver down my spine. There he was–my father, lying still and silent. The man who had been a complex mix of love and neglect in my life.
I approached him slowly, my heart pounding in my chest. This was it–the final goodbye. And for the first time, the reality of his death truly sank in.
I left the morgue, feeling heavier than before. As I walked back into the waiting area, I noticed my mother organizing files and bills, her hands shaking slightly as she tried to busy herself. Keith was nowhere to be seen, which was a relief in its own way.
Suddenly, there was a commotion down the hall. I looked up and saw her–Lily. She was just as beautiful as I remembered, with her long blonde hair, perfect figure, and that same small, delicate face. She hadn’t changed at all.
Tyler was the first to reach her, wrapping her in a hug, comforting her in a way he had never done for me. The difference in how he treated us was glaring, a painful reminder of where I stood in this family.
And then Keith appeared.
“Lily?” His breath hitched as he called out her name, his voice choking up in a way I hadn’t heard in years.
They moved toward each other like magnets, drawn together by a force that had never truly diminished. When they hugged, I could see it-the connection that had never really been broken.
Chapter 03
Even after all these years, even after everything that had
happened, Keith was still madly in love with her.
