It Should Have Been Like This (The Revised Version)

Chapter 36: The Unraveling of a Madman

I stared at Ferris with a sarcastic smile, waiting for him to provide his glorified excuse. I was infuriated that not only was he advocating for the man who had ruined my life, but he didn't even seem angry about it.

I knew Ferris well. He was the kind of person who was true to his conscience, no matter what. He didn't like to suppress his emotions or deny the truth, and that was one of the many things I both loved and hated about him. If he was trying to be an advocate, then it must be something he had thought about for years, and most importantly, it had to be true. That alone was enough to make me furious. I didn't want to know what had happened to Rominic after what he had done to me. He could rot in hell for all I cared.

Ferris inclined his head upward and smiled at me, a hint of sadness in his expression. I returned his smile with scorn. He shrugged his shoulders and leaned back on his hands. "Aren't you going to say anything?" I prompted.

"Haven't you noticed that something is wrong with him?" He retorted, his voice dripping with sass. "I know you are very observant, even if you tend to deny the truth to benefit your stupidity."

"Excuse me!" Ferris exclaimed, clearly taken aback by my harsh words.

"Shut up, Lavender. I'm not in the mood to tolerate your nonsense," Ferris said sternly. "Tolerating it is one of the reasons we are where we are today."

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat. I couldn't quite articulate why, but I found myself unable to speak.

Ferris returned his gaze to the sky. "After you died, the guys and I decided we would kill him. When I say kill him, I mean six feet under—"

"Ferris!" I interjected, my eyes widening in alarm.

Ferris raised a finger to his lips, silencing me. "Shh," he murmured, his eyelids lowering. I pressed my lips into a thin line, feeling a growing unease in the pit of my stomach.

"To kill him, we needed to keep an eye on him, and that's how we know. Lavender, what that man went through after he found out about your self-execution is enough to forgive him—"

"The fuck—" I began, my voice rising in protest.

Ferris groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please, don't interrupt me," he said wearily. "It's taking a lot of mental and emotional energy to say this, but I have to because if I don't, my conscience will never let me rest. Gael and Elias might never tell you, but I have to. So can you please listen to me without interrupting?"

I pressed my lips together tightly once again and nodded, dropping my folded arms between my legs, signaling that I was ready to listen.

"Rominic searched for you," Ferris continued. "That was the first thing we found out before we paid full attention—"

"Why else would he look for me other than to kill me himself? Why—" I interjected, unable to contain my skepticism.

"He fell into depression and tried to kill himself," Ferris blurted, his expression remaining even. My jaw dropped open, and I was at a loss for words. It was unbelievable, but I knew Ferris would never lie to me, especially about the man he ought to hate.

The events that had transpired earlier in the office flashed through my mind, causing my head to feel hot and pumped with air. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, feeling the urge to stand up and run away. I didn't want to hear what Ferris had to say, but I knew I needed to listen.

Ferris exhaled deeply and tossed the drinks aside. "Rominic loves you, but I'm guessing he didn't figure that out until you left him. When he realized it, he threw Peyton away and never gave her what he took from you. He tried finding you, but ended up finding you dead. Depression, regret, and guilt made him attempt suicide more times than we can count, but he always ended up alive somehow. People thought it was someone trying to kill him, but only a few knew the real culprit—"