Chapter 35%
“I don’t intend to bring back your worst memories, but when he was twelve, he escaped. You found him in the yard, killing a cat that time. You came home with bruises because you were scared of it.”
My stomach twisted as the memory resurfacing like a poisonous fog. It turned out, last night was not a dream but a memory. The one I had blocked out for years.
“Did my parents know?” I asked, my voice small and brittle.
She nodded solemnly.”
“Because of that, we not only locked him in his room, but moved him to the basement. However, because they were twins, Ryan always felt Ethan’s sadness. He would sneak down there and bring Ethan snacks, trying to ease his pain.”
Her voice cracked, and tears pooled in her eyes. “At first, they played together. But then… One night, Ethan tried to harm Ryan when they were fifteen.>>
“Ryan was lucky to survive, but he injured Ethan in self–defense. That’s why we thought Ethan didn’t survive..“}
My entire body went cold. “Then why didn’t Ryan tell me the truth? Why did he act like Ethan never existed?”
“Because he’s been trying to protect you from this nightmare. Ryan was only a child himself when it happened. He blamed himself for hurting Ethan, even if it was in self–defense.”
“And after the incident… he refused to speak of it. We all did. We tried to erase Ethan’s existence for the sake of moving on.”
I could hardly breathe. If all of this was true, then Ethan was a danger to everyone around him.
But I could see he had approached me calmly and rationally yesterday. Was it all an act then?
As I was buried with my own thoughts, I saw Ryan’s mother’s hand trembling as she returned the videotape to the storage box.
I reached out, steadying her shaking hands. “It must be hard for you. I’m sorry for making you open old wounds.”
She smiled, a sad, brittle curve of her lips. “No problem, dear. I knew it was my sin that I couldn’t bury forever. As a mother, I failed to save my son.”
Her voice cracked, each word dragging her further into the sorrow she had tried so hard to forget.”
As I helped her back to her room, her eyes looked hollow, lost in memories of a past she could not change.
The weight of the truth also settled heavily on my shoulders as I returned to my own room.
And worst of all, I was beginning to remember the nightmare. About the cold emotionless boy with a bloody cat.”
“That must be the time I lost the hairpin,” I muttered silently.”
But that day, I could not relax, since I had to come to campus, carry on with my remaining studies.
Seeing Ryan’s guards followed me in disguise, their presence a constant reminder of the danger surrounding me. But instead of feeling annoyed, I felt a twinge of gratitude.”
Ryan was trying to protect me.
That evening, when I returned to the mansion, two messages waited for me.”
The first was from Ethan. [Come here tomorrow if you want to hear the truth.]
An address followed.
The second message was from Ryan. [Meet me in my room if you want to hear my reason.]
“They are indeed twins,” I muttered, my voice laced with a chill.
The tension clung to me like a second skin as I made my way to Ryan’s room.”
I found him there, slumped in a leather armchair with a glass of wine in his hand.”
“You want one?” he asked, lifting the wine bottle in an offer.”
I shook my head. “Just explain to me.”
He set the glass down on the table, his fingers flexing as if to steady himself.”
“For the last ten years, I’ve been treated by a psychologist. PTSD, they call it. Because of Ethan. Because of what he did to me,” Ryan admitted, his voice hollow and brittle. “I thought I’d moved past it, that I’d healed. But knowing he’s alive…. it’s like the nightmare never
ends.”%
“Ethan…” Ryan’s voice quivered, and he swallowed hard. “He was sick. Always sick. He hurt people, animals, and anything he could get his hands on. My parents tried everything to help him, but nothing worked. He enjoyed the pain he caused.“}
Ryan’s voice trembled as he continued, “When I was under 10, I didn’t understand. But later, I tried to help him, until one night Ethan attacked me, he told me he wanted me gone.
“He said I was a shadow that needed to be erased so he could have everything–our parents, our home, and you, the girl he only met once, just because he knew I cared about you.”!
Ryan’s voice was raw. “I fought back. I hurt him. And when he lay on the ground helplessly, everyone thought I had killed him. The guilt has been with me ever since, that’s why we left the US.”
Tears stung my eyes as I looked at him. The man who had cared for me, protected me, showered me with kindness. And yet, there were shadows beneath his warmth.%
“Why didn’t you tell me about it before?” I asked, my voice quivering.
3:43 PM N
“Because I didn’t want to burden you with my illness and my family’s darkness. I thought if I could keep you away from it, I could still be the person you deserved. So, I just watched you from afar, making sure you were safe and happy,” Ryan confessed.”
He hesitated before continuing, his eyes brimming with guilt. “When I found out you were dating Leo, and that it was becoming serious, I told myself to let you go. I just hoped you’d be happy. But… then everything fell apart.”
Ryan’s fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tight as he spoke. “When Sara broke up with her boyfriend, she was a mess. So, Leo, at first, he acted like a friend. But later, his care for her is bigger than his care for yours.”
His eyes darkened. “Leo didn’t deserve you. He kept you knowing his parents would never approve of your relationship. And worse, he kept Sara too, leading her on, making her believe she had a chance.}
“It wasn’t fair to either of you. But I couldn’t be with you until I got better. Until I became someone worthy of standing by your side.”
Ryan’s voice broke. “I fought my PTSD, battled my own mind, and when I finally started to heal, that was the day I visited Leo’s parents. I needed to make sure they wouldn’t interfere when I brought you to Melbourne.§
“That same day, I received news from your mother about your opportunity to study here. So, I asked them to announce it earlier, on Sara’s birthday. I just wanted you to be free.”
Apparently, I had misunderstood. I assumed Ryan was aware of Leo’s behavior at my graduation, but it turned out he had no idea I was already fed up with Leo. He was only trying to save me.
It was me who was being cruel to him.
Chapter 35
