Second Chance

Heart's pain

Luke:

I paled at the sight of his kids. They heard everything. They got to know the truth. I wanted to call them out but stopped myself. Bringing the kids out now won't be good. If this woman said something wrong seeing them, the kids won't be able to take it. It was better to let them stay hidden and talk it out later.

"I don't wanna talk about it anymore. Mrs Bonze, you may leave." Mercy said as she started to leave.

"No Mercy listen to me." Mrs Bonze tried to stop her.

"There isn't anything left for me to listen. Please Mrs Bonze, don't waste your and my time. This company was built by my dead father for me. As for your two kids, they had their shares as well but they lost it. It's none of my business anymore. You were paid for the company and the company returned back to its rightful owner. There is nothing left to talk about. There is no reason left for us to meet anymore. I wish you a happy life ahead. Goodbye." Mercy said as she started to leave.

"No Mercy. Please. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking straight that time-" Mrs Bonze started to beg but my mother-in-law had run out of patience already.

"Guards! Escort the guests out." She screamed.

"No! What are you doing? You can't stop me from meeting my daughter. You can't keep a mother away from her daughter. This is a great sin. God will punish you. Let me go." Mrs Bonze kept screaming.

"Mom please stop making a fool out of us." Her son said when they reached the central gate. He felt embarrassed with the curious gazes of the few passerby.

"Shut up. That's your sister. How can you be so indifferent?" Mrs Bonze cried, unable to understand why her ever so thoughtful son turned so heartless now.

"A sister I don't remember having. I didn't even knew I had another sister before now. You guys never even mentioned her. What do want me to do now? Cry for being abandoned by a sister I didn't know I had and met just for a few minutes? And besides, you left her first. Did you honestly expect hearts and roses right now?" Joshua said, looking bewildered by her mother's action.

Mercy turned to him at his words and another drop of tear escaped her eyes. She looked at the woman with hatred for the first time. "Do you remember Mrs Bonze, this is the same kid who cried and won't sleep until he got to hold my hand as a pillow until he was one. The same kid that followed me around no matter what since he learnt walking. The same kid I took complete care of.

Now, he can't even remember me and I, I can't treat him like my precious little sibling anymore. This is what you took away from me. You want me to forgive you? I don't think I can do that. Not in this life at least. And if reincarnation is possible, I would pray to never be your daughter in any other life." Mercy said and ran away, wiping the tears that were escaping.

I so badly wanted to take her in my arms right now and hug her tightly and let her know everything would be alright. That I would be there with her no matter what. But something stopped me.

With what right do you wanna comfort her? This is nothing but a plastic marriage. There is no love, no affection, no friendship. Then with what right do I interfere in her life. I want to say it's because I'm her husband but are we that close that my comforting will effect her?

The realisation was like a slap on my face. I keep denying my feelings. Keep saying that my attraction to her is just lust, that my care for her is nothing but a deed done out of humanity. But right now, when she cried, I felt like dying.

I felt like I would go through hell hundred times to stop that one tear that escaped her eyes. Mercy is a strong woman. Forget crying, I've never seen her even a little vulnerable before. To think that there was so much pain under that cold shell is killing me.

I can't lie anymore. My feelings for her is not that of only affection. Neither is it of friendship. I'm in love with her. In fact I've been in love with her for a long time.

Then why did I deny it? I always knew deep down that I fell for her but why did I not accept it? And the most important question is, now that I know, what should I do? Should I woo her or should I first try to find out the problem. After all, it won't be fair to her if I woo her without finding out the problem.

Only the best version of me deserves her. I don't have any right to woo her now.

"Luke... Luke!" I was pulled out of my reverie by Cindy's call.

"Yes." I replied.

"Why aren't you going after her?" She said. That's when I realised everyone has already left. Only Cindy was standing with me in the hall. How long was I preoccupied with my reverie?

Too long. You already took five whole years. My inner self criticized me.

"Um... I will. I have something else to deal with right now." I said.

Cindy looked at me shocked. "What can be more important than comforting your wife right now?"

"Comforting them." I said pointing at the kids.

Cindy looked at the direction I pointed and gasped when she saw the kids. "What are they doing over here?" She asked panicking.