0004. A Shocking Revelation.
1060 Words
The woman, setting her eyes on Richard, smiled upon seeing his face. She was Mrs. Avery, Richard's biological mother.
“Son, it's me,” she said, as tears began to brim behind her glasses.
Richard stood in shock, not knowing what to do. As soon as he saw the face, he recognized who it was, but having not seen his mother for over 20 years, it was still a shock to him.
A thousand thoughts and questions were flooding his mind.
“Son…” Mrs. Avery called, sobbing, as tears streamed down her face. “I…I've finally found you…” she said, emotionally.
Immediately, Richard's face twisted with an expression of anger. His mother attempted to approach him, but he stopped her right before she got to him, raising his hands for her to stop.
“Stand right there,” he bawled. He looked at her with detest. “Do you know me now? After all these years?” He said, his voice laced with anger and emotion. He was getting teary, struck by the memories of his mother leaving him in the orphanage.
Mrs. Avery's eyes brimmed with tears. “I'm sorry, son,” she said. “I can explain everything to you. I didn't mean to leave you like that. I had to…”
“You had to do what?!” Richard yelled, burning with fury. “What explanation can cover up for what you did? I bore hatred for my parents for abandoning me all these years, leaving me to survive the lonely and harsh world on my own, and now you call me your son?!”
“I'm sorry son,” she said, bursting out in tears. “I had to leave you for your own safety, son. I had no other choice. Please, son, listen to me. I can explain everything to you,” she begged Richard.
Richard looked around at the surrounding guards, their faces stern and composed. “I'm sorry, but I'm not going to stay here any longer. I have to leave,” he said, and immediately turned around.
“Please, son!”
Thud! Mrs. Avery's body hit the floor as she rushed to grab Richard's hand but slipped.
“Ma'am!” one guard said, and went to check on her.
Richard halted in his tracks, realizing what had happened. His heart was struck with strong compassion for his mother. Mrs. Avery cried to her son to listen to him, and Richard turned around.
He grabbed her hand and raised her up.
“Stand up, M… Mom,” he said. He took her and sat her down.
She wiped her tears and held his hands. He tried to move away, but his heart wouldn't allow it.
“Son, please, give me a listening ear. It's not been easy looking for you all this while,” she said.
Richard could read the pain in her eyes and nodded at her request. With a deep breath, Mrs. Avery began her explanation.
“I had to leave you all this while, son, because it was best for you,” she mouthed out. “You were best safe at the orphanage. I was in so much trouble, and I didn't want to risk your life,” she added, tightening her grip.
Richard raised a brow, sucked in by interest in her explanation. “Danger? What danger, Mom? Why did you have to send me to the orphanage?” He asked, curiosity peaked.
Mrs. Avery sighed. She looked at the guard and nodded at him, signaling him to leave the room. The guard understood the assignment and galloped away.
She turned her gaze to Richard. “Son, I had a lot of problems going on in my life. Our family was not okay. Our lives were in danger and I didn't want yours to be in danger too,” she explained.
“So you had to give me to people who I didn't know?! I had to live there till I was of age to face the world!” Richard said, his voice hinting rage as he began to remember the occurrence.
“I'm sorry, son,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. “We had to lie that you were abandoned and took you there. I'm so ashamed of myself as a mother.”
Richard swallowed hard, trying to subdue the pain in his heart.
“So you took me there like an orphan? I was ridiculed for most of my life. I had to beg for food to live, work menial jobs to survive, left to suffer!” he bawled.
Mrs. Avery raised a brow, shocked by his statement.
She gasped upon hearing Richard's confession, her heart beating fast. “I’m sorry, son. We, your father and I, thought it would be in your best interest for your safety. I inquired for you at the orphanage, but they said you were gone. I had to look for you for many years,” she said, wiping her face.
“I lived in several houses, begging to work for them, but they threw me out of the house and I decided to live at my wife's place. I had to endure insults for being so poor,” Richard explained.
Mrs. Avery, keen to hear the story, shook her head in disbelief. She tried to hold back, but she couldn't hold the tears from pouring as she heard her son's sad story.
“Even my wife…” Richard paused as the memories of his wife began playing in his head. How she left him, insulted him, and even cheated right in his eyes. Before he knew it, his eyes watered with tears.
“Son…”
“Forget it,” he said, choking back his tears.
“Your wife… you had a wife?” Mrs. Avery asked, raising a brow.
“Well, my ex-wife, I guess. She cheated on me with a random man.”
Mrs. Avery gasped. “That's despicable! How could she do that?!” she said, filled with disgust.
Richard smiled. “Don't worry, Mom. The revenge is mine to take. I will make them pay. They must have thought that they would win. Their time is over, my time is now,” Richard said, determination dripping down his voice.
“But, Mom, where is Dad?” Richard asked his mother, who froze in shock.
- Writer
