Familiar tragedy

2.The Bridge

"Mr Harding , i don't want to take the farm from you , i would like to invest into the farm , you would still have all the say in what happens to the farm and you will be in charge of the employees aswell. This farm has a lot of potential, and i want to bring out the best of it, but i can't do that without you. I know this fam has been in your family for generations, and i want to keep it that way. "

"How exactly will this work, Lainey , and what do you get by helping us ?" He asked with a concerned look on his face

"Well if you agree to do business with me , i will pay of all the debt you have ,leaving you with a clean slate, i don't want anything in return , once we get the farm up and running the way it use to the debt will pay back itself, all i want is for you to remain on this farm as proceed to build your legacy. If we do it this way you won't have to worry about anybody that might try to take it from you , i won't intervere with any of the decisions nor how your run this farm , like i said before it will still be your farm and you may run it how you see fit." I tried to reassure him.

"Ms Dev... pardon me i mean Lainey , can we have a few day to discuss this and give you a call once we have decided what we want to do" Mary-Kate asked as she looked between me and Mr Harding.

"Please take as much time as you need , you can give me a call on this number. I will say my goodbyes for now , hope to hear from you soon!" i said with a friedly smile.

Mrs Harding walked me to my car, and i couldn't help but notice that she seemed more relaxed after our conversation.

Maybe it was the fresh country air , but i felt calmer out here , i felt safe, something i haven't felt in years.

I made my way to the city with no destination in mind because i cleared my schedule, so i kept driving until i reached the bridge , i felt panick set in as a knob formed in my throat. My breathing increased, and my eyes started watering up , i don't know how i ended up here, but i needed to get away i can't be here. Memories started flashing trough my head and i couldn't hold back the tears any longer , i let it out and i started screaming , the heartache still the same it was back then , it felt like my heart was ripped from my chest yet again. I shut my eyes in hopes that i could recollect myself , i wouldn't be able to drive in this state, but i had no luck.

I heard my phone rining in my briefcase, and i quickly reached for it , i did not notice how shaky i was. It was Annabelle.

"Hello LaiLai , i just want...Lainey, are you alright ? Why are you crying?" i could hear the concern in her voice.

"An..Ann....Anna i am at the...the bridge , i don't know i ende...ended up here i was driving around town and found my..myself here." I tried to stay calm, but the fear and anxiety took over.

"Stay right there. You can't drive in this state i'll be right there," Anna said and hung up the phone.

It has been twelve years since it happened , hours of therapy and medication, and nothing helped. I surpressed all them memories of what happened that day, but it haunts me every day , every night , every second of my life. It made me weak , it made me sick. This bridge is the very reason i shut off from society. I have avoided this prart of town for as long as i could remember , but somehow i ended up here every nw an thin , the last time i ended up here was five years ago on the seventh anniversary of the day that changed everything.

I sat in my car and tried to push the flashes out of my mind , but the more i tried to ignore it the more i took me down , and then all of a sudden the rain came falling down. It was like the rain came to wash away everything that i had been feeling in the moment. I got out of my car and stood in the rain soaking it up , i felt relieved and calm. I fell to my knees and let out tears of relief when i felt someone's arms wrap around me. It was Annabelle she sat down beside me in the rain without saying a word she just held until i collected myself.

We left my car at the bridge and drove home in Anna's car , i'll ask Shae to send one of the guards to get it and take it to the office.

When we got home i went to put on some dry clothes , i tried ti figure out what happend back at the bridge with the rain , i've never expiernced something like that , a sense of calmness and saftey from well anything ever.

I made my way down to the living area to find Anna waiting for me with hot chocolate.

"There you are , i made us some hotchocolate , i don't want you to be alone so we're going to have a movie night , i asked Havier to bring a mattres down from the geustroom , come sit and i'll get us some snacks." She said in a calm motherly tone

"Anna , you do so much for me , i will never be able to repay you , thank you for today." I replied and gave her a hug.

I waited for her to return from the kitchen while i looked for a movie. She brought out cheese grilled sandwiches , a large bowl of popcorn, and a bunch of minni chocolates and cookies. Anna got on the mattres next to me and handed me a tray with some snacks.

"Anna?" I spoke to get her attention

"Is everything all right ?" She asked

"Yes, everything is fine , however, something happened out in the bridge today , something i find hard to explain . Heck, you might just think i am insane."

"LaiLai what happend in that bridge all those years ago was not your fault , your father is the only one toblame , forgive my words but i hope he is rotting in hell that moster deserves to be tortured for all eternity!" I could sense the anger and hurt in her voice.

"Yeah....But it's not just that , when i realised where i was the memories started flashing back the anxiety , the anger , the fear and the hurt came flooding in like a level 10 tsunami , and then it started to rain , the minute the rain started to fall , everythin i had been feeling in that moment wahed away , i felt calm , i felt whole again. I couln't resist the urge to get out of my car to feel the rain on my skin , and just like that i felt new , everything still hurts and haunts me but right there in that moment , i was free from it all...." I said, and i could feel a smile forming.