“And so? That’s the past and the past should remain as the past. You had your chance with her, but you missed it. So, stop being a crybaby and let bygones be bygones!!!!!” Richard, who had gotten over the shock of Edward’s outburst yelled.
“What? Let bygones be bygones? Should that be coming from you? Have you forgotten what you did to me in the past? You whom I saw as my best friend and ally, slept with my wife countless times and got her pregnant. You both were even planning to pin your child on me, and you were aiming for my downfall. Don’t you feel bad for what you did to me? You were the only one I trusted the most. How could you have done that to me?!!!” Edward yelled, staggering towards Richard, with hurt in his voice. Although the betrayal he got from Richard happened six years earlier, he still felt the pain and the agony in his heart. He had trusted him with his whole heart and if someone had told him he would get betrayed by Richard, he wouldn’t have believed it due to the bond they shared. Sometimes, betrayal comes from the people we least expected. Upon hearing this, Richard, who was ready to put up a fight with Edward calmed down and guilt washed all over him. His eyes were fixed on the ground, unable to look Edward in the eyes.
“See, I know I have hurt you in the past and I sincerely apologize for that. I shouldn’t have done what I did, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me” Richard said remorsefully, with sincerity in his voice. He knew he had stabbed Edward in the heart and shouldn’t have betrayed him in such a way. Since he disappeared back then six years ago, he had been looking for the chance to atone for his mistakes and beg for Edward’s forgiveness, but he hadn’t had the chance since he reappeared as they had always been at daggers drawn. He sincerely loved Edward no doubt, although his friendship with him started as a lie and deceit.
“You are sorry? Are you sure you are, or you are just pretending to be?” Edward asked, his voice narrowing in suspicion as he looked into Richard’s eyes, trying to confirm his sincerity.
“I sincerely am. Please, believe me” Richard pleaded, his voice trembling with desperation. He tried holding Edward’s shoulder, but his hand was yanked off by the latter.
“If you are truly sorry towards me, then you should be able to do anything I ask of you, won’t you?” Edward queried, his voice narrowing down in suspicion, waiting to see Richard’s reaction. Richard felt something was off about Edward’s statement but nevertheless, he decided to hear him out.
“What do you want?” Richard asked, bracing himself up for whatever was coming.
“What I want is simple. If you truly want to atone for yours and your mother’s sins, then let me have her. Give me Ellie and I will let go of my grudge against you” Edward requested, with authority in his voice. Richard was shocked by his brother’s request. In as much as he wanted to correct his wrongs, he can’t let go of Ellie. She meant everything to him. Since Pamela died, he had been unable to fall in love with any other lady until he met Ellie in Australia 5 years back. Although she was also broken, she mended his broken heart and gave him a reason to live again.
“No, I can’t do that. I can’t let go of her!!!” Richard retaliated, with his calm look evolving into a fierce one, which showed how determined he was about his decision.
“Just as I had thought. You can never change. You are just like your mother” Edward said with disgust in his voice as he smirked and rolled his eyes. Leaving Richard standing still with his fist clenched, trying to hold back himself, Edward moved in the direction of where Ellie was seated. He held Ellie’s right hand, which made her flinched and her body became tense.
“Ellie, I know I have hurt you by abandoning you and our child, but you should understand that I didn’t mean to. If I hadn’t gotten into an accident that night, all this wouldn’t have happened. If I hadn’t lost my memory, I would have never let go of your hands. I am sorry for all the things I said to you that night out of anger, I never meant any of those. I am sorry for not keeping my promise of staying by your side through thick and thin. I am deeply sorry, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Let’s start all over again. Let’s start the family we both have always wanted with our son, Austin. Think about Austin and make the right decision, Ellie. I love you, Mon Amour” Edward said crying, with his voice cracking with guilt as he spoke. His eyes were pleading with hers, desperately searching for a glimmer of forgiveness and hope. His hold around her wrist tightened, as though his touch could make Ellie have a change of heart. Each word weighed heavily between them, his pleading eyes, but the silence that followed was thick with doubt. Ellie’s lips trembled and tears began to roll down her eyes slowly. She didn’t know what to say as her mind felt blank at that moment. Her usually bright eyes flickered with confusion and uncertainty. While amid her state of confusion, a hand grabbed her left wrist, jerking her out of her thoughts. It was none other than Richard who had held her wrist.
“Ellie, I know you are in a state of confusion right now, but I want you to remember that I was there for you when he wasn’t. Remember how I wiped away your tears each time you cried over the years. I am not asking you to forget the love you had for him, but I want you to see the love I have always had for you even though you pretend not to know” Richard said, with his eyes filled with quiet resolve and a tenderness that had been constant through all the storms. He paused and took a deep breath before he continued.
“When I lost the woman, I loved with our born child six years ago, I thought life was over and that there was no reason for me to continue living but when we crossed paths, you gave me the reason to live and to love again. Your presence brings peace to my heart, and you are the light in my life. Without you in my life, I will be engulfed by darkness. You deserve someone who sees you, who chooses you, every single day. And Ellie, I choose you. Not just in words, but in everything I’ve done and will keep doing if you let me. I love you not because of what we’ve been through, but because of who you are. And I want to build something real with you, if you’ll let me” Richard said, with his hold still on Ellie’s wrist, offering her assurance and certainty of a bright future with him. Ellie was all anxious and confused. Her breathing became irregular, and beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. Her confused gaze moved from Richard’s face to Edward’s and vice versa.
“I believe you should give her some time to decide. You both are getting her worked up” Daniel suggested calmly amid the crisis, his tone measured but firm, hoping to ease the pressure mounting between them.
Ellie looked at each hand holding her, pulling her in different emotional directions. Her slender fingers were intertwined with theirs, trembling slightly as if they too, could sense the weight of her indecision. The warmth of their grips was both a comfort and a burden-two worlds of love wrapped around her palms, each demanding a choice. Edward’s grip on her was almost possessive, as if afraid to let go. His touch radiated heat, igniting something deep inside her, the intensity of his emotions bleeding through his skin into hers. His thumb brushed the back of her hand, a wordless plea for her to choose him, to surrender to the passion they shared while Richard’s grip on the other hand, was gentler but just as steady. His fingers caressed hers with tenderness, offering reassurance and stability. His touch was softer, like a quiet promise that he would never let her fall, no matter what. There was safety in the way he held her hand, a feeling that with him, she would always have a place to call home.
Caught between them, her heart raced as her gaze flickered between the two men. The contrast in their touches mirrored the turmoil within her. Her hands, held so carefully by each, felt the weight of not just their love, but the impossible decision she had to make. Caught between uncertainty and indecision, she managed to get away from their grips, took to her heels, running away as fast as she could. Her heart pounded in her chest, the sound of her footsteps echoing in the stillness around her. Tears blurred her vision, but she didn’t stop. She couldn’t. The weight of their love, their expectations, had become too much to bear. All she knew was that she needed space-space to think, to breathe, and to escape the impossible choices pulling her in two directions.
With him running after her trying to catch up with her, Richard yelled her name repeatedly, but she didn’t stop. And just as he got to the garage, he saw her car zooming off at a high speed in the dark. Without thinking twice, Richard also got into his car, trying to catch up with her and stop her. Edward on the other hand, seeing Ellie run away from him from them, he collapsed onto the floor, weeping like a child who had just lost his candy. He looked so pitiful that Daniel couldn’t bear to ignore him and for the first time in his entire life, Daniel moved close to where his son was seated on the floor and pulled him into an embrace. He patted his back repeatedly while Edward continued to sob. They stayed in that moment of embrace and comfort for quite a while, with Daniel easing his son of his pain and offering him solace.