At Liam’s office, Isabelle was sitting relaxed on the couch with a serene expression on her face. Her delighted gaze rested on Sarah who was pouring her a cup of chocolate tea and freshly baked cookies. She had been treating her with respect which almost made her feel like nothing had ever happened in the past.
“So Sarah, tell me. Who’s your love interest?” Isabelle asked with interest.
Sarah almost spilled the coffee on the table as she was caught off guard by the question. Her cheeks flushed as the image of Adrian flashed in her head. She felt comfortable around Isabelle and didn’t feel bad to tell her about it. “His name is Adrian, the tech guy you saw earlier today. We started dating not so long ago. He’s so romantic and…”
Isabelle watched her express her joy as she too understood what it’s like to be loved. Liam had been so gentle to her since they forgave each other. His actions were even better than before.
A soft tap on the door put an end to their imaginations. Sarah walked to the door and opened it to meet a worker there.
“Miss. Sarah, there’s this man outside asking to see Miss. Isabelle. I told him it was already late but he’s refused to leave until he sees her” the worker revealed. “He said he’s a friend of her mother”
Immediately Isabelle heard that she quickly stood up and walked towards the door, pondering who the man could be. She wanted to see the person.
“Sarah, let’s go see him” Isabelle stated to Sarah who was uncertain about her choice.
“Are you sure?.. he might be dangerous just like her” Sarah said, her voice laced with warning.
Isabelle was a bit offended by her words but chose to ignore them. She nodded to her question and told the worker to lead her to the man.
Sarah immediately ran after her while informing another worker to inform Mr. Callahan and the others who were working on the project launch.
As soon as they got to the company’s garage where the worker had led them to. They sighted a middle-aged man who was dressed professionally but still disheveled like a man who had come out of the gutter.
“Who are you?”Isabelle asked as she walked closer to the man despite the warning signals Sarah was giving her. “You said you were my mother’s friend. Did she send you here to finish what she started?”
The man fell to his knees with tears falling from his house. “I’m not your mother’s friend, I only said that to make you come down… I’m a psychiatrist” the man revealed.
“A psychiatrist?”Isabelle arched an eyebrow at his words. “What is my mother doing with a psychiatrist?”
Immediately she asked her questions, Liam, Adrian, and William came running toward them with panic in their eyes.
“What going on here and who is this man?” Liam asked with a grim expression on his face. He turned to Isabelle who explained what the man had said.
“Spill out every information you have. Do not leave any details out” Liam ordered to the man who swallowed the lump in his throat.
“Your mother was one of my patients until 21 years ago when a terrible incident occurred,” the man said.
Isabelle was confused, “what are you talking about?.. my mother was suffering from a terminal illness, not a mental disorder”
“Then she lied to you, “the man remarked. “Your mother started having mental issues after she birthed you. Some said it was postnatal trauma but we never knew the cause and decided to monitor her for a while. That was when the problem started”
Isabelle was dumbfounded as well as the others but Liam was still calm and whispered to Isabelle to wait a bit.
“Calm down, my love. There must be an explanation for all of this. Just wait till the man is done before knowing what to do” his voice was soothing which calmed her tensed nerves down a bit.
“What happened after that?” Isabelle asked with a shaky voice.
“Well, I fell in love with her and I forgot she was my patient. I was so obsessed with her that I wanted her all to myself, even after knowing she was married” The man’s voice was filled with pain and regret. He sniffed in his tears before resuming his confession.
“I took every opportunity to prevent her husband from seeing her just to frustrate him yet he did budge. Instead, he thanked me for taking good care of his wife. I felt like I was just an assistant who was helping him take care of his wife”
Isabelle was still finding it difficult to understand a word the man had said. It was like a myth, she couldn’t believe her mother was a member of an asylum even while she was born.
Regardless of how she felt, Felix was going to finish his confession and free himself of the guilt in his heart.
He continued, “During the process of courting your mother secretly, we both decided to get rid of your father to be together without constraints”
“You did what?” Sarah yelled out in surprise.
“Sarah, keep your mouth shut. Let him speak” Liam cautioned her with a sharp glance which shut her up.
“I murdered your father in cold blood but Gina suggested we burn down the hospital to cover the trace which we did. We went into hiding for a while but I just couldn’t bear to live with her after knowing what we did. So, I left her with you and rebuilt my hospital again….. She came to find me last month for a check and we discovered she had Severe Schizophrenia which was detrimental to her and others… I asked her to isolate herself in my hospital for close monitoring but she was adamant about the plans she has made. I’m quite sure she’s made the decision that has affected your lives”
“And why are you telling us this?” Liam asked on Isabelle’s behalf. “How do you expect us to believe you?”
“Because I want you to stop her before she does beyond what she has already done. I know you already believe me. I have no reason to lie to you” Felix responded with conviction in his eyes.
“Isabelle, I’m sorry I made you fatherless. I know no amount of apology can undo the damage I’ve done. But just know that I regret every bit of decisions that I made with your mother” Felix apologized with a level of sincerity, tears pouring out of his eyes as she stared at Isabelle who was now motionless.
Suddenly, a siren wail was heard. A sign that the police were coming but for who?
Felix suddenly brought out a gun and placed it on his temple. Before Willam could stop him, he pulled the trigger which caused a hole in his head. He was gone and couldn’t be saved.