âYour sister was never dead. She is actually alive..â
Shock took over both the brothers who were losing the color of their faces. Their eyelids stopped blinking as horror captured their hearts, âYou mean to say that...our sister was never dead?â
Shawn had a lot of self control and passed a nod. It was a simple stare on Charles, whose heart was trembling with unsound fear, âOur sister.. But you told mother something else! You said that she died during childbirth.... didnât you say that? I still remember what you said to me in the hospital on that day.â
âA lie.â He didnât hesitate to say and this pulled all the nerves on Charlesâs face.
He looked at his father and felt all the emotions bundling up inside his chest. Some flashes of the past recollected themselves in his mind as he heard his fatherâs old words ringing in his ears.
âYour sister died during childbirth. She is no more...â
âOur child is dead, Alice.â
.....
Nothing could beat his mental turmoil. Charles took a step back in disbelief where he couldnât bring himself to believe in whatever Shawn blurted in front of him. âThat is unreal! You told a lie...WHY?! Even if you didnât love our mot-â
âI have always loved Alice! Donât deviate from that.â Shawnâs stern voice despite his condition was clicking joke on their faces.
Ryan and Ellen had kept themselves mum and their stares danced between the trio: Charles, Shawn and silent Javier.
While Charles couldnât bring himself to face the truth, Javier had decided to turn mum. His eyes were only glaring at his father with disgust in them. His hatred intensified at the thought and he let Charles do the work.
At the same time, Charles took a deep breath to close his eyes and reopen them, âIf thatâs the reason, please tell me why did you lie to my mother?
âI always wanted a girl, Chalres. Sh-she was finally giving us a girl, a daughter whom I always craved for. But I knew your mother too well. She wouldnât have stayed with me at any cost after learning about my affair. S-Shirley was pregnant too but...â
âBut you acted selfishly and stole my motherâs child, our only sister!â Charles completed his words with pure rage and Shawn had no more to add.
At this point, fury was acting like ticking bomb on Charlesâs head. He only gulped and didnât tear his eye off, âSo are you now telling me that for your own reasons, you had kept her hidden from all of us? You deserve an award for this, Shawn Johnosn!â
âI know I did wrong but I never kept her hidden from any of you.â Shawn said in guilt.
Upon hearing his words, a frown appeared on Charlesâs and Javierâs forehead. They both looked at each otherâs face and didnât come to tear his eyes so easily.
Charles took a step ahead and a questionable look plastered on his face, âAre you saying that..she was with us for so many years?â
Shawn didnât answer but both siblings took his silence as the consent of their question.
As another thought dwelled upon Charlesâs head, his eyes narrowed slightly, âThen, who is she? Tell her name.â
For minutes, Shawn kept his lips shut. His expression turned ugly as the realization struck his brain. His heart was throbbing badly but he maintained the calm posture on facing his sons.
âIt is your sister, Amaira, whom you consider to be your step sister. She is my and Aliceâs daughter, not belonging to Shirley.â
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
Their hearts ruptured as their eyes turned wide. Everyoneâs breath halted as their heart was at the bay of slipping from their chest. No one could proceed with what they heard since this was totally unbelievable in their eyes.
A sister, whom they treated to be their enemy, a child of their fatherâs affair which broke their motherâs heart, was actually their real sister whom they consider one dead?! How?! Why?!
But the one who was actually feeling a thunder coming down on his head was Ryan. His lips pressed into a thin line as he realized what a big truth was hidden by this old man!
âShawn Johnson! Amaira will never forgive you for it...â Ryan couldnât help but mutter but it didnât make much of a difference to Shawn, âI did what I wanted. She was my child and I wonât let her mother take her away from me.â
âJust because you were craving for a daughter, you actually declared her dead and made someone else as her mother?! You are sick in your brain, old man. Not only did you separate me and Amaira, but you broke a mother- daughter relationship for your own sake! Disgusting!â
Ryanâs each word carried and acted like a knife to Shawnâs heart. But he showed no expressions of disappointment. He was proud of his actions and there was no act of unhappiness in him.
Yet the same couldnât be said for Charles and Javier, who werenât calm anymore. Their heads exploded with undefined emotions. âYOU BASTARD!â
Charles took large steps as he marched towards Shawn, ready to hit him with is fist. But Javier took the action at the right time to hold his elder brother from behind, not letting him hit their father at the spot, âNO! Javier, leave me! I will kill him tonight!â
âBrother, calm down, please.â Javier had no say until now. But he wonât let Charles explode his fury upon Shawn who was already not in the condition to survive anymore.
A simple bow might take his life. He wonât let him die until he retreats with all the information and he hands over all the secrets on their feets.
âJavier! Leave me right now! This man doesnât deserve to live!â
....
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