Family Matters

Hate to Love

Peace and quiet were now memories inside the Montgomery Mansion. Within the past week, tension and fear started to rise between the members of the family. Hate grew deep inside their hearts as they silently mourned next to the fireplace in the living room. Even though it was warm, the atmosphere felt ice-cold as no one dared to speak or come near each other because the little trust that they had died without leaving a trace. No one could leave the town anymore until further information was found regarding the murder. The remaining Montgomeries were stuck inside the walls of their home, like hungry lions in a cage, ready to eat each other if they needed to.

Alison entered the room with a pot of warm tea and a few cups. She was crying as she always did for the whole weak. Her tears never stopped to fall since the shock of that evening, and all wondered how much liquid the small woman could've bared to lose. Alison handed a cup of tea to Stephan, who looked at the paintings on the walls. He looked at the cup while his face turned pale again.

"Are you trying to poison me as well?" He shouted to Gerald on the other side of the room.

Gerald's face stopped to have a peaceful and calm look. Since her daughter's death and her funeral, he was stressed and afraid. Everything started to irritate him while he could no longer concentrate as he used to do. He got up from his chair and rushed towards Alison almost scaring her. He grabbed the teapot and poured some inside another cup. Gerald looked straight inside Stephan's eyes without blinking as he drank it slowly right before smashing the cup on the floor.

"It is not poison you idiot" He shouted. "I was not the one to kill my daughter, and for sure, Alison did not as well." He continued to look in his eyes as anger started to rise in both. Daniel and Meredith came inside the living room led by Gerald's shouting.

Stephan got up aggressively and came closer to his dad. Their noses slightly touched as both murdered each other with killing eyes.

"Well, you always hated me. All my life, I was a disappointment for you. You abandoned me long ago, so I thought maybe you wanted to get it over with right now." Stephan replied without taking his eyes from his father.

"All my life, I loved you. I always loved you, son. But you forced me to make some tough choices due to your attitude and the action you were doing. Your mother was dying because of them, and she suffered so much taking care of your overdoses so many times." Gerald replied, trying to keep his temper, closing his fists.

"So, kicking me out of the house was a great idea! It saved mum. Oh, I forgot she died not long after, and you did not even allow me to come to her funeral." Stephan continued to scream in the living room as his voice echoed inside the Mansion.

"You stank of alcohol on that day Stephan, and you even had a syringe still inside your suit pocket. How stupid would've I been if I dared to allow you to ruin my last moment with the women I loved."

"You hated me since I was born Father." Stephan's anger turned to tears and sobs of desperation in front of Gerald.

"Life teaches you a variety of skills. To love, to hate, to succeed to fail, to be positive and negative. But the greatest skill is to love whoever hates you and teach them what love means." Gerald replied softly.

"What does that mean?"

"Your mother used to tell me that all the times. Every time you passed out in the hospital, or we found you in a dark alley drowned in your piss and other things that you drank. Every time we picked you up and brought you back home, she was telling me that. She taught me to love you despite your action that costed her life and my almost my career. She taught me how I should show you how to love back. And you see, I never hated you. You hated yourself, Stephan. You hated yourself, and despite all my efforts to show you, my love, you turned your back. I had enough, and I had no choice but to leave you to go on your way with the hope that maybe one day you would've come back to me." Gerald replied. Tears fell on his wrinkled face, dropping on the ground between the two men.

Stephan moved his lips, trying to talk, but nothing was coming out. He looked to his hands, forcing himself to find an answer, but his mind was blank. He looked at his father again before leaving the room in a rush.

"Stephan wait don't go," Gerald shouted with no result. The front door opened and shut again aggressively. Stephan walked out the Mansion following the big road ahead. He called a taxi and waited. Stephan was angry and felt the need for a drink in town.

A car was coming towards him, but it was not a taxi. It was a heavy off-road black car with darkened windows. Stephan's heart started to raise as he recognised the car and feared the man inside of it. He turned around, trying to escape it, with no hope. The car pulled in front of him. A deep and rough voice came from the front. A voice that Stephan new, and that made him tremble.

"You dare to come to my town Montgomery? After all, you did in the past?" The voice said violently.

"Johnny, I am sorry. I did not mean to offend you. I come with respect."

"It is Mr Butcher for you little twat." Johnny shouted again "And you own me a lot of money, Montgomery." He laughed maniacally pulling the car window down. Johnny's face was now visible to Stephan. Shivers crawled on his spine, looking inside his dark blue eyes. Johnny's face was full of anger and. He looked old, with no hair and large bone structure. He smoked a cigar while talking to Stephan.

"I know Mr Butcher. I know that." Stephan started to mumble from fear.

"I have waited long enough for you, Montgomery, and I gave you too many chances. You dared to escape from me, and now; you dare coming back into my realm to tell me that you still do not have my money?" The Butcher's voice penetrated Stephan's soul, freezing him even more.

"I will have the money soon, Mr Butcher. Please just give me another chance." Stephan went on his knees next to the car window and continued to plead.

"Your time is up to Montgomery," Johnny replied. He pulled a gun from the window and shot twice into Stephan's heart. The car drove off fastly. Stephan fell to the ground in a bath of blood. His life was running out from him second by second while he looked to the clouds. Everything turned colder as he managed to whisper his last words to the wind, hoping that someone will hear them someday.

"Dad, I am sorry for hating you. I love you. Forgive me."