Hannah entered the house and felt like crying when she saw the leftover pancakes on the dining room table. With a heavy heart, she cleared away the breakfast dishes and washed them. Even John hadn’t finished the pancakes that were still on the table.
After tidying up the dining room and kitchen, Hannah went to John’s bedroom. She opened the half-closed curtains and let all the sunlight in.
John’s bed was still unmade and Hannah wondered what Francesca had been doing. She seemed reluctant to tidy the room at all. Hannah opened the bedside drawer and was startled to see that the bottles of medicine were still intact.
These were the medications John was supposed to take when he got home from the hospital, but they had just been left in the drawer. Hannah couldn’t understand why John hadn’t taken his medicine.
“Oh, God,” Hannah murmured quietly.
She felt like exploding with anger, but she tried to control herself. Hannah quickly grabbed John’s picture frame from the room, put it in her bag, and was about to leave the house.
She felt sick to her stomach because Francesca hadn’t taken care of John at all!
The door opened before Hannah could reach it and Francesca walked in. When she saw Hannah, Francesca was taken aback.
“What are you doing here?” Francesca asked.
“This is my house.” Hannah crossed her arms. “And I’m taking Dad’s picture for the ceremony.”
“Oh, okay. I know Mr. Alden took care of everything.”
“You should thank him.”
“And you should thank me, because if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t be marrying him.”
Hannah was reluctant to argue with Francesca. In fact, it was Hannah who had begged Alden to marry her in order to save John.
Francesca should be grateful, because thanks to Hannah, she was free of her debt to the Harrison family.
“I’m leaving,” Hannah said curtly.
“Wait, Hannah. This is about the status of the house, John’s inheritance, we need to discuss it.”
“Now?”
Francesca nodded. “Yes, right now.”
“I’m going to sell this house and pay off all my debts to the Harrison family. I will divorce him anyway, because my marriage has been about money from the beginning,” Hannah said.
Francesca’s face immediately went pale; she looked shocked to hear Hannah’s words.
“No! You can’t do that!” Francesca exclaimed.
“Why not?”
“I’m your father’s wife! I took care of you too!”
“You didn’t take care of my father! You haven’t even given him his medicine!” Hannah pointed to John’s room. “How dare you take my parents’ house! My mom and dad’s!”
“John wouldn’t take his medicine! I couldn’t make him.”
“Oh my goodness, how hard is it to convince my father? Don’t use that as an excuse!”
“John is gone, and what more do you want from me? For years I have devoted myself to your sick father!” Francesca replied louder.
Hannah shook her head in disbelief.
It didn’t matter if Francesca hated Hannah for the rest of her life, but she should have at least taken care of John. But Francesca had just been living off John like a leech.
“Get out of my house!” Hannah ordered.
“Oh, so you’re going to kick out the woman you call ‘Mom’? How petty you are, Hannah. Just wait until everyone knows that you are the reason John is dead!” Francesca threatened.
“Me?”
“If you insist on keeping this inherited house, I will not hesitate to ruin you!”
Hannah walked to the door and glared at Francesca again, anger in her eyes. Then Hannah left the house with a heavy heart.
All that echoed in Hannah’s mind was why was she the cause of her father’s death? What had Hannah done to cause John’s death?
*
Hannah glanced at the clock in the room and it showed ten o’clock at night. After returning to the Harrison residence, Hannah had retreated into herself and hadn’t seen her husband once. But Alden hadn’t called or left a message on her cell phone.
Instead, Alden instructed the servant to bring Hannah’s dinner to her room, even though she hadn’t touched it. It seemed that Alden was deliberately letting Hannah rest as long as she returned home.
Sleep still didn’t come, even though Hannah felt very tired. Hannah’s mind was in turmoil, so she decided to leave her room and walk down the hall.
Hannah went to the back patio, but still couldn’t feel at peace. Finally, she went to the family room and entered, even though Alden hadn’t given permission. Hannah’s legs roamed the room, looking at the collection in the display case.
There were various items, neatly arranged, and who knew what countries they came from. One thing caught Hannah’s attention, a letter opener. Unconsciously, Hannah opened the cabinet and took the knife.
Hannah sat down on the sofa and stared intently at the knife in her hand. Francesca’s words echoed like a scene from a replayed movie, that Hannah was the cause of her father’s death.
If that was true, what was the point of Hannah living?
Francesca wanted the house, so Hannah would give it to her.
If she was already dead, Hannah would have nothing to worry about. No more life debt to Alden, because Hannah didn’t have him anymore.
“Forgive me, Dad,” Hannah sobbed.
Unconsciously, Hannah tried to cut her left wrist with the knife.
A firm grip stopped Hannah’s right arm, startling her.
“Are you crazy?!” Alden shouted, already standing next to Hannah.
Hannah didn’t even notice Alden’s arrival due to her closed mind. Alden immediately grabbed the knife from Hannah’s hand and threw it into a corner of the room.
“I-I just…”
“If you want to kill yourself, don’t do it in my house!” Alden was really angry.
Hannah’s body shook and she just froze on the sofa, suddenly Alden pulled Hannah’s arm, almost causing her to fall to the floor. Hannah felt pain in her arm as Alden moved his hand to her shoulder and hugged her tightly.
“Don’t do this, Hannah. Don’t think about ending your life,” Alden whispered.
Hannah could feel Alden’s breath panting in her ear. Alden’s words instantly released the pain in Hannah’s heart. Tears immediately wet Hannah’s cheeks and she cried out in a choked voice.
“It hurts, sir,” Hannah sobbed.
“I know. I get it.”
“Why was I left without a goodbye from Dad. When I loved him so much.”
Alden stroked Hannah’s hair and nodded. “It’s okay, Hannah. I understand your feelings.”
“I’m alone, I have no one. What’s the point of living?”
Alden’s fingers grabbed Hannah’s chin, bringing her closer. “You must live. Because you belong to me. And I’m the only one you have. Remember that, Hannah.”