Chapter 103

That guilt, heaviness grew so much hard on her that she ended up taking her own life. 'Why are they doing this to us, Mama?" Dariel asked as they were in his room. He was disturbed by their constant financial and emotional attacks on them. 'I don't know, my love but I promise you, I will shelter you guys. I won't let their evil shadow be cast on you," She whispered, pulling her son in her embrace with tears blurring her vision. She saw his face for the last time, placing all her weight on him. 'I don't want to fight anyone anymore… I am not a fighter," He whispered, he hated the condition of their home. It was too much for him. 'You have to become one, Dariel. How will you take care of Jacey then?" 'And you?" 'I am exhausted now. I had been walking for too long. It's getting hard for me," She whispered with a tear rolling down. She couldn't take it anymore. 'What… Do you mean?" He tilted his head in confusion to which she smiled and kissed the top of his head. 'Nothing. You take care of yourself and remember, I love you two. Giving birth to you and marrying your Father is the only thing I never regretted." 'I love you too, Mama but don't talk like that," He grinned, taking her hand, willing to devote all his life to his family. 'Take care, my love," Her final words… He didn't understand it before. He couldn't fathom that the weight of her sins was too much for her. She couldn't carry it anymore. ‘It was happening because of me, my mistakes. If I won't be here, everything will be alright,' She thought with endless tears with a blade against her wrist. And exhausted from her situation, she ended her life. 'Mama-" Dariel entered the room only to greet the horrendous sight. Upon witnessing the miserable state of his Mother, watching her lifeless body and the amount of blood, he saw his life falling apart. With uncontrollable tears, he fell on his knees and screamed agonizingly. 'Mama!!" His world was crushed in one moment. He lost his reason to be happy, to live. Everything was ravaged for him at that moment, he swore to never forgive, to become heartless. The weight on her chest, her exhaustion killed her and he became determined to never become like her. 'You were right, Mama… staying silent and forgiving them was the worst mistake of my life. But not anymore," He growled, tears gleaming on his face when he lost everything. Jacey was holding onto him, she was sleeping on his shoulder but woke up when he scowled. 'Dariel…?" He forced a smile, kissing the top of her head to reassure her that he was there for her. She yawned and closed her eyes as he stared into nothing with a fire burning in his chest, resolved that- ‘They will see now how much worse I could possibly get. I won't forgive anyone from this moment. Everyone will pay,' … And he complied, he became the worst billionaire, no longer shredding kindness on anyone, starting by throwing his emotional Uncle. They had taken advantage of their silence too much. 'Curse that, Dariel! When did he become this cold from a coward!?" Harry scowled, slamming his hand down when Dariel became the cold and arrogant person and stole all their deals, giving a heavy loss to their company. He lost his ethics and solely focused on crushing those who ruined his home. He was done with forgiveness and remaining silent. 'What is happening, Father?" 'Helder, we must withdraw for now…" Harry scowled, accepting his defeat that if they fought Dariel… he would crush them. He had become too powerful and cruel. 'But, you must hate on them. Make them pay for everything, Helder. Promise me you will complete my revenge," Harry demanded, inducing the same hatred he was carrying into him as well. 'I only have you. I will do anything you say," Helder nodded sternly, willing to do anything for his Father, he only had him after all. 'Then destroy the kids for whom she left us!" 'Don't worry, I will ruin Tilda's children." Though Harry was the one who started telling, Jacey who also came to know everything too, shared it with Jared who was baffled. Blinking, he asked nervously, 'Why are you telling me all this?" 'I… found a hidden dairy in Mama's room. We never touched her private things, she wrote everything there for us and a message for Helder," She shared as they were in a park, on a bench. She was looking down, wanting to share the weight on her chest with someone. 'What message?" 'I think I should tell that to him," 'So you are saying that your Uncle was behind your Father's murder and your mother knew but kept it inside? For Helder?" He trailed off, narrowing his eyes to perceive if Helder knew about it or not. 'Yes… She was carrying so much weight that it eventually killed her." Jacey's voice broke, hating how young she was that she couldn't do anything for her consolation. She was heartbroken that their mother was in too much anguish that the remorse of her sins caused her to end her life. 'Are you angry with her?" Jared asked sweetly, hoping to comfort her. 'I don't think so… She was a human in the end, she made mistakes, she committed wrong things. When she thought she found her happy ending, Uncle Harry stole it from her by killing our Father…" She sighed, leaning back on her seat. She was more angry with herself, for being incapable of doing anything. That she bore with all of it with no support. No matter what, Tilda always loved them and gave them all the privileges of life, she couldn't hate her. She didn't do anything wrong to them at least. 'What are you going to do now?" Jared asked. 'I don't know. I wanted to hear what that bastard was going to tell Dariel. Obviously he would make her a villain." She scoffed as they both got up and began to walk around the garden. 'Okay, I agree, that was horrible of her to abandon her child but neglecting Uncle was the right decision." 'Let's hope everything will be alright and your guys get back on track," He smiled. Chapter 104 She stopped in her tracks, staring at him as she never fathomed a day would come where she would be with him to find an escape from her depression. Her eyes stared at him in admiration, not believing for a second that a man sweet like him could cheat on Saafia but he had his share of regrets and wrongdoings. 'Jared," She called, trailing off. 'Hmm?" 'Thank you… for being here, for listening and supporting me," She ended in a pure smile, taking his hand in her and giving it a firm squeeze. Dariel was furious, on teaching Helder a lesson that he couldn't care for her properly so Jared offered his help and stayed by her side all this time. 'I am also a human, Jacey, I had done wrong things, made wrong choices and for the first time, it feels like the right choice, to help you. I am glad I could help." He grinned, releasing her hand out of respect. He laughed a little, scratching the back of his neck while not meeting her gaze sheepishly. It felt weird to him, he had stopped seeing himself from the perspective of a ‘good guy'. 'Is that the guilt of Veronica leaving you?" Her smile faded, it hurt her when the man who supported in her harsh time was surrounded with self-loathing. He smiled sorrowfully and looked down in shame. 'No, it's the guilt of ruining my life by marrying a wrong woman. I am my own culprit." There was no denial in it. Jared ruined his life by his actions, his too much compassion to ‘save' Veronica, cheating on Saafia led him to the day where he was left all alone. Stopping in his tracks, he accepted his fault but also considered her presence with him a new blessing. 'I did this to myself and… helping you is so peaceful," Converting his gloom into pure glee, he grinned, placing his hand over his heart. He was tranquilized. 'It feels like I am finally doing something right in my life." He whispered, bringing a blush on her cheeks. Taken aback, she moved back, her heart skipped a beat but suppressing the sudden movement in her chest, she turned away. 'I see…" She also smiled, holding her hands behind her back as they continued their walk. 'Then the feeling is mutual, I am hating myself for believing in Sam instead of my brother and sister-in-law. I… did this to myself too," She chuckled, regretful of her actions. And their guilt-ridden actions collided to be together and share their pain to find comfort, it truly provided them with lull. 'I guess that is why we get along well. We understand each other," Jared added, glancing at how adorable Jacey was looking with a tint on her cheek. 'Hmm," Without exchanging further talks, they continued to walk around peacefully. When Jared and Jacey were finding equanimity in each other's company, on the other hand, Veronica finally found herself ‘free'. She thought she could do anything with no restriction and following her heart, she went to Helder who was cursing Dariel for the beating he gave. Wearing a loose black shirt with three buttons opened and scattered hair, the grimace on his handsome features made everyone silent. 'Dammit, he did not hold back. And where is Sam?" He scoffed. 'Dariel sent him to jail," 'Tsk," Cursing, he pressed the ice pack on his bruised jaw to reduce the swelling and to worsen his mood, Veronica came to meet him. 'What?" He frowned, not preferring her presence here. 'What happened to you?" She asked, rushing inside and inspecting his face. 'Nothing," He muttered, looking away. 'Helder, there you go, I have come for you. I have left that loser Jared too. We can be together now," She smiled, holding his hanging shirt to press him harder but he placed his hand in between. 'Why? I don't recall calling you to me," Arching an eyebrow, he ripped himself off from her. Displeased with her unannounced presence here. She blinked, praying she heard wrong, 'What are you talking about?" 'I meant what I said, Veronica. I don't remember telling you to leave Jared and come to me. In fact, if you remember, I told you to be sincere to your marriage but you insisted that you want me." He sighed, folding his arms at his chest when she came to him. 'Yes, because I love you, not Dariel, not Jared, I want you," She whispered, losing her breaths as her heartbeats dropped in dread when she saw the disapproval on Helder's face. He smirked emptily, 'How do you expect me to believe in a woman who killed her baby, cheated on her husband? Who knows you won't leave me too?" Her eyes widened when he threw the harsh reality on her face. The basis of every bond was loyalty and sincerity where she failed and left not only Dariel but also Jared. 'What? What are you saying? You said you will take me back if I left Dariel, I did but you kept me stuck with that Jared." She argued. 'Let me quote what I exactly said- ‘Leave Dariel and start a new life'" 'You said we can be together!" 'I said we will see." He corrected her, rolling his eyes. He was already stressed about what to do to teach Dariel a lesson and she came to smear his mood and be a hindrance. 'It's your selfishness that led you here. You cheated on Dariel first, then did that abortion, I did ‘not' tell you to do that. Then you told me you want to be away from Dariel so I merely helped you," He reminded her of the steps she mindlessly chose. Tears began to fill her eyes when Helder refused to accept her, leaving her nowhere. 'It was your selfishness, your desperation, your love. You took me to escape your pathetic life. And now you think I would be with you who cannot be trusted?" He continued in a growl. She flinched when he glared at her, cornering her with no choices left. She trembled, taking his wrists hopelessly. 'Helder, please, I-I have nowhere to go," She whimpered but her desperation had no effect on him. Rolling his eyes, he yanked himself away from her. 'That is not my problem. You should have thought about it the day you cross your lines. You are not welcomed here. Leave." He ordered, pointing at the door. She gasped, tears rolling down her cheek when she was left with no support in her life. Curling her hand in a fist, she ended up crying, hating the point she had reached. 'You are a fucking asshole! How could you do this to me!?" To her miserable wail, Helder merely glanced at her heartlessly and motioned to his servants to take her away and left with a painful declaration that- 'This is the result of your actions, Veronica,"