He Who Never Forgets 2 (HWNF2)

Chapter 2: The Aftermath

My fellow loyal followers and silent readers, I made #hwnf in the first place is for fun. It's my hobby, I have a decent job and Wattpad is not what I make for a living like some of the famous authors. So...please don't be so aggresive on me and thanks for always reminding me to update. Btw, all the flashbacks are stand alone, not Ian's memories. The scenes in this chapter are changing. Yup. That's all.

"You sure you're not going?" Ian heard that clearly but rather than replying he ignored Josh's question, instead he just stared at the frame in his hold. The bright smile of her while holding a bunch of lavenders made him completely unconcerned to his surrounding.

He thought he would never come but yet he's already there, silently stood behind the tree where he was watching the few people who's attending the funeral. He saw the three boys, his grandfather, and Carl along with their few men that were paying their last respect for Phil and Carla. Before this, they already buried them both but never have the chance to pay the last respect so they're doing it now and Ian was suppose to come but he refused. He saw the pastor then lead them to pray for the deceased while he just could only look at their grave from afar. Before this, Ian resent Phil so much because of his betrayal. If only he realize sooner of the intentions of the young boy that Leah cherished so much, he wouldn't lost her. He hate Phil so much, he even swear he will rip him to death but unfortunately, God loves Phil so much He took him first before Ian could even touch him. He formed an empty smile in his soulless face because of the fact that God will be always a million step ahead from him.

Still remain unmoved on his spot and stuck in his own trance, Ian remembered what a stranger which is an old woman told him before. Unexpectedly, she was the only survivor that night and to say that she came all the way to their front door was beyond his imagination. She told him that she saw and heard everything from the start, that she's actually the hostage maid who was locked up inside the house along with Carla and Leah. She's the one who looked after Carla before, but unfortunately for Leah, she could only watched her from afar. The old woman told Ian that Adam keeps on watching Leah in every seconds ticking, even when she sleeps, all of that happened without her knowing about it. When he's gone, the security was tripled. She's one of the women that were helping to change Leah's torn dress when she fought Adam to stop him from raping her, that is only by pure luck she could get near her. She said that she saw the whole thing, how Phil tried so hard to protect Leah, how he's trying to find a way to escape every single time he had a chance. Even during that particular night, she's the one who saw them trying to escape but she decided to pretend she didn't because she once owe her life to Phil, when the men were searching all over the place for them, she showed other directions to help them to buy more time to run away. Then, she too miraculously escaped during the commotion. She said that she's lucky to survive that night thanks to them but she didn't know about Leah and Phil, so she try to search for Leah's family. At least, she want to know about her condition and tell the whole story to her family. She said she keeps on searching for months until she finally arrived at the doorstep of Carl's house.

Everything that she told them made Ian finally letting go of his hatred and rage towards Phil. He knew that Phil had to do it to save his foster parents, he knew that if Phil is a bad guy he wouldn't have called him to come and rescue Leah, he wouldn't risk his own life for someone he just met. Ian believed the old woman because he knew that if she's lying, she wouldn't dare to come, instead, she's the one who knocked on Carl's door first where she could just easily let go and move on with her own life. She even told everything in detail, too detail that makes the wounds inside their heart bleeding once again.

Sighing, Ian stared at Phil's tombstone as he stood in front of it.

'Here lies a good man and a dear friend'