“Klaus!” Morticia snapped when he remained silent. “Are you not going to defend yourself? What is going on?”
“What if I slept with her, huh?” he asked, making her frown.
“What?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“She came over when she heard about my mom’s death and wanted to console me. We just… ended up in bed. I’m sorry, but I needed it,” he explained, looking away.
“That’s a lie. Whatever you’re doing, stop,” her voice broke in an unimaginable way. “You don’t have to keep doing this.”
“What?”
“You’re trying to push me away, aren’t you? You’re hiding something…”
Klaus sighed. “Can’t you just wake up? You found an exposed woman on my bed-doesn’t that ring a bell? I miss my old life, Morty. I miss being free, not stuck with just you. Tasha reminded me of that.”
Morticia searched his face for a clue that he was lying, but his expression was cold, hard, and unforgiving.
“That’s a lie,” she croaked in a whisper. “You love me.”
Klaus placed a hand on her shoulder, his gaze piercing. “Maybe I don’t. Using you as a refuge must have confused you.”
“Klaus, stop,” she pleaded.
“Go,” Klaus demanded. “Don’t ever come back.”
“No.”
“Everything died with her, Morty. Every good part of me died that day. I don’t know what I feel anymore. I feel irritated…” He paused, his voice firm. “Mostly around you.”
“Then why did you come to me yesterday?”
“Like I said… you were just a refuge,” he replied, and she stepped back in disbelief.
“I don’t believe you,” she said, shaking her head. “What we had was real. I don’t believe…”
“Should I sleep with her in front of you to prove it?” Klaus asked. Morticia’s body trembled under his gaze. “Get out, Morticia,” he demanded in a cold, harsh voice.
Morticia’s jaw tightened.
This was way beyond what she could handle. She needed to clear her head, to get out before everything suffocated her so much.
Spinning around, she dashed out, ignoring Katie’s calls from the living room as she grabbed her keys and drove away.
Surprisingly, she wasn’t screaming or crying, though she wished she could. Perhaps the pain was too overwhelming to even process.
Maybe. Just maybe. She should have seen this coming.
“Hey, sweetie, where did you go?” Ava asked as Morticia stepped inside. Her frown deepened when she noticed Morticia’s lost expression.
“Is everything okay?” Ava asked, holding her face.
“Yeah… yeah, I’m fine,” Morticia forced a smile.
“You sure? Did you meet Klaus and talk to him?” Ava asked, returning to the breakfast she was setting.
“Yeah, I did,” Morticia replied.
“What did he say?”
“We broke up.”
Ava froze mid-movement, her eyes wide with shock as they snapped toward Morticia.
“What?”
–
By evening, Vincent’s car screeched to a halt outside the mansion. He jumped out, slamming the door with a loud thud. As he stormed toward the entrance, several security men blocked his way.
“Get out of the way! I need to see Klaus!” he snapped, trying to push past them, but they stopped him again.
“Get the fuck out of my way!” he shouted, but they held firm.
“KLAUS!” Vincent roared, managing to burst through the gate. His eyes spotted the familiar silhouette of Klaus in an upstairs window. The security guards restrained him.
“What the hell happened, Klaus? What the fuck did you do to her?” he roared, hoping his voice could reach Klaus.
“Let him go,” Finn’s voice called from a distance as he approached. The guards released Vincent, who shot them a glare.
“I need to see Klaus. I swear I’ll kill him for making my sister cry! He promised and broke it. I shouldn’t have trusted that motherfucker with her!” Vincent’s voice cracked with emotion.
Finn subtly signaled one of the guards, who swiftly injected Vincent with a sedative.
Vincent’s eyes grew heavy as his body weakened, falling to his knees.
“Why? Why did he do that… just when I started to trust him with… her,” he murmured, his breath softening as he lost consciousness.
“Take him home. Make sure nothing happens to him,” Finn ordered, and the guards complied, carrying Vincent away.
Klaus watched from his room, his expression blank. Katie entered, standing beside him.
“You did the right thing, Sin. Protecting them,” she said, but Klaus’s face remained stoic.
“We’ll leave the country tomorrow,” she added before leaving the room.
As the door shut, Klaus stayed rooted in place, staring into space. He hadn’t spoken or eaten since Morticia left that morning.
His gaze shifted to a beaded bracelet on his wrist-her gift from the beach yesterday.
Those few months with her were the greatest…
Wait a little longer, Morticia.
He wasn’t ready to give up on their love-not until his dying breath.
–
The Next Day
Vincent slowly opened the door, his eyes landing on Morticia. She sat on her bed, arms wrapped around her folded knees, gazing out the window. Her expression was blank, her silence deafening.
The sight broke Vincent’s heart. He knew she was hurting inside.
“Morty,” Vincent called softly, but she didn’t respond.
“Mom’s worried, Morty. Can you please step out for a bit?” he asked, but still, there was no reply.
“I couldn’t talk to him last night…” he hesitated, unsure of what to say.
All he remembered was trying to get into the mansion, feeling a sharp pain in his neck, and waking up in his apartment the next morning.
He had wanted to confront Klaus again, but a message stopped him.
I’m out of the country. Don’t try to find me. Thanks for everything.
Vincent had smashed his phone in frustration.
“He left the country,” he said, and for the first time, Morticia turned to look at him. Her expression was unyielding.
Vincent stepped closer, reaching for her hand.
“Morty,” he called softly, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to find the right words.
“I’m sorry,” he finally said.
“Brother,” Morticia whispered, her voice fragile. “Can you stop it?”
Vincent frowned. “Stop what?”
“Can you stop the pain? It hurts so much,” she said, and Vincent sighed, guilt flashing in his eyes. He immediately pulled her into a hug, gently patting her back.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered.