Love Story With My Brother-in-law

6 | You're only my substitute

*CRYSTALLINE*

Finally finished gathering the herbs from the garden and the nearby store, I still needed to figure out on how to make potions and pills for him without being caught.

Greta, who seems to be the head maid here, was hired by Jason, who Alex had explained to me who the man in the morning was. Greta would definitely rat on them if she notices anything. I began to walk back to the main house still thinking of a way until someone blocked her path and snatched the herbs out of my hands. I looked up in shock only to see Esme standing in front of me.

Esme always liked to take things away from me ever since we were young. That necklace around her neck was just one of those things she had robbed away. Seeing the beautiful necklace that used to belong to me, one of the most precious item I had, my mind went blank for a while. It was a gift from Alex, but my older sister had taken it away from me. The necklace was probably the most precious thing I had ever had. I was alone in my family, I had no one to turn to in that family. I could only survive by being an obedient daughter, keeping silent and my head down, knowing that I won’t win. That was why I had let Esme take away the things I cherished the most.

My sorrowful gaze seemed to linger too long as she hid the necklace back under her shirt and huffed, "What are you looking at, mute? I'm here to ask you a question. Are you sure you can make Alex see again?"

I stepped back in shock at how Esme knew, speechless at her knowledge of what I had just discovered just today. "I know what you're thinking. You can never hide anything from me." Esme coldly laugh at me. I snatched the herbs away from Esme instantly, feeling extremely anxious.

Esme merely c****d her head to the right, a bright smile played across her face, "Why are you acting so defensively around me? You know I am not your enemy.” She placed a hand on my shoulder, making me tense as she continues. ”The person you should be afraid of is Jason. If he gets to know that you're trying to cure Alex's eyes, he will definitely come to stop you. So, why don't we work together? I'll help you take care of those 'rats' he left in this mansion, so you can focus on curing Alex's eyes…"

In my whole life, I had never expected my sister would offer to help one day. Perhaps it was naivety, my eyes couldn’t help but lit up at her words. With Esme's help, surely she could make Alex see soon enough. It would save so much trouble. But surely there was an alter motive. why did Esme suddenly become so nice? She had never been nice to her.

"But I still have a condition. After Alex's eyes recovered, you must disappear and you can't show up before him anymore. And I'll tell everyone that I was the bride who cured his eyes."

I knew it..

This selfish sister of mine was up to no good. Why would she help me for no reason? I fixed her with a hot stare, determined not to let Esme get what she wanted this time.

“Little mute, come on. I know you want your Grandfather's clinic. If you agree with this, I'll ask dad to let you work at the clinic. This has been your little dream, right?" My grandfather had run the clinic that was passed onto my mother after she got married. It was all my mother had ever had. But when my mother passed away, father had taken the clinic away, keeping it saying it was just a business. Yet he knew nothing about medicals, the procedures or the traditional herbs to use at all. The clinic was falling under his operation.

My only wish had been to take the clinic and rebuild my grandfather's legacy. I couldn't let those people run the clinic, running it to the ground. So, after hearing what Esme said, a trace of hesitation began to appear on my face.

"You're only my substitute. It's not like Alex is really in love with you or something. Guess what will happen after his eyes recover? He will be so disappointed and call you a liar." I hated that she knew me well. As well as damning my kind heart that was all too easily taken advantage, I couldn’t fight back or protest even if I wanted with this dangling in front of me.

"Stop being so hesitant, mute. I bet you still don't know. But the clinic doesn't profit much. Dad is considering selling it. In fact, he will sell it at any price as long as he can get rid of it. If you agree to give my legal title back, I can try to persuade him into giving up the idea. That little clinic is the only thing your grandpa and mom left. I bet you don't want to lose it." Esme spoke with a confident tone, her voice borderline sneering.

Having no choice, I nodded meekly. I needed to keep the clinic and to help cure Alex to see again. If I agree, I could achieve both things. I hate to admit it but my sister was right, the woman that Alex loved wasn’t me. He hadn’t loved her before and he wasn’t going to love her now or in the future. But even if he didn’t love me, I still want to cure him, he deserved a better life than what he has now.

Turning to leave, I heard my sister’s voice shouted from behind my back, "Hey! Mute! Alex will probably notice that you are not wearing the necklace. Just find a random excuse to make him less suspicious." Well.. that was going to be hard when you were the one who took my necklace.

Walking into the kitchen, I began to start making the herb soups for Alex the second I stepped in. Greta was most probably had been bribed by Esme knowing her, so she had let me do whatever I needed to do. Completing it in record time, I placed it in a bowl and tray to carry it, I brought the soup upstairs and fed it to Alex with a spoon. I even used the needle treatment called acupuncture that my grandpa taught me. Inserting silver needles in a man's body could activate his nerve endings and led his body to heal itself. My hands were deft and gentle during the process, making sure he didn’t feel any pain. It seems like it worked as he even smiled warmly at me, “Honey, I’m so glad that I have you.”

Oh Alex.. I’m so glad to have you while I still can too..

After the treatment, Ivan received a call, I picked it up from the bedside table and saw the contact. It was from Cody, and passed it to Alex. “Okay thanks Zack.” And hanged up from the short call. Putting the phone away, Ivan's hand groped its way to hold Megan's small hand, "Honey, will you come with me tomorrow? My grandfather's funeral will be held tomorrow morning at 10" I left a kiss on his cheek and squeezed his hand back, silently answering yes.

The next morning, we both snuck out of the house and got into the car with me as the driver. We drove for about an hour with the directions that was given by Zack and finally arrived at the cemetery. Looking up after I helped Alex out of the car, the weather above me was rainy and grim, one could say it was the perfect weather for a funeral. The cemetery was filled with black-clad people. I had to tiptoe to hold the umbrella above Ivan's head so that he wouldn’t be soaked. Walking up, Zack was by the gates waiting for us, his eyes red and full of sadness. "Sir," Cody's voice was hoarse and thick from the sadness, "They have buried your grandfather. Jason was still there."

"Thank you, Cody. You can leave now," I saw Ivan pressed a big hand on Cody's shoulder, "I don't want Jason to see us standing together."

"Sir… It will be too dangerous for you… Jason is a bastard…" Cody was a bit anxious, his voice and expression clearly showing his feelings.

"Don't worry. I've got this…" Ivan smiled at him, lightly gripped my hand on the umbrella as we both walked further into the cemetery.

»»————- ————-««

*CRYSTALLINE*

We were stopped halfway from the entrance to where Alex’s grandfather’s tomb is located. The people who stopped us were a couple of strong men wearing black suits. One of them snatched Alex's cane away from his grip and slammed it against a rock, breaking it into pieces. "My dear cousin, I remember I didn't invite you to the funeral." The other one spoke, they laughed at us mockingly. As if to add to the mood, the rain suddenly got heavier, strong wind blowing from all directions making it hard for me to hold the umbrella steady. Another strong gust of cold air blew and with it damaged the umbrella, flipping it upside down.

"Just get out of here! Don't make a fool of yourself." People were howling with laughter, mocking and insulting us as I struggled to pull the umbrella back. The cold rain seeped into my collar and drenched my clothes, I turned my head to see Alex was in the same condition as I am. Then I felt Alex's hand grabbing onto mine, it was icy from the cold wind blowing at us. As I turned to look at him, Trickles of rain ran from his brow to his thin lips. But he seemed unbothered and as still as a statue.

»»————- ————-««

*ALEXANDER*

I knew better than anyone what my reputation was. I know could be quite intimidating when I wasn't talking or smiling, a stare I perfected in preparation of succeeding the company. That was until my accident. I couldn’t hear the mocking laugher anymore, so I’m guessing the on-lookers had fell silent.

Before the accident, I used to be the most powerful man in this city. Even though I was blind now, I myself have not changed much. I heard the sounds of footsteps approaching me, the sound on someone patting something. Ever since I became blind, my other senses had heightened to compensate. It was Jason’s voice that pierce through the silence as he spoke to someone, presumably his bodyguards. "What are you guys so afraid of? A blind tiger is not a tiger anymore. It's just a kitten." But I didn’t hear any movement.

"I just want to see my grandfather for the last time," I said calmly as I faced the direction where I heard the footsteps were coming from, yet all I saw was darkness and emptiness of the void.

"Well, you can't really see, can you?" Jason said, I could picture the same expression he would put on whenever he felt smug. A sickening smile would be painted on his face right now "You're my cousin and Grandfather's grandson. Even if you're disabled now, I will still treat you as a Hendrix. Because I am a bigger person." I felt a hand reached out and dusted off what I assume was the droplets of rain off my broad shoulder, "You know my offer is always open. As long as you give that thing to me, you can stand before that tomb and mourn that old fart. No one will stand in your way. You know I don't give a f*ck…"

"Jason," I cut him off, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "You don't deserve to have that thing." With that, I gripped and wrenched Jason's hand off my shoulder. Jason’s shrilled in pain ringing my ears as he shouted at his guards, "Get this bastard off me! What are you waiting for, you dumb ass?! What am I paying you idiots for?!"

With that, I was pressed down on the muddy ground by multiple men. I couldn’t fight back all at once as there was almost half a dozen men against me if I’m correct. One of them punched me in the face, then on my head, near my forehead. Another had even taken a shovel, smashing at my back. My ears picked up the sounds of struggle as someone was kicking and lashing out but was held back.

"Where is the stingy old man's stamp?" Jason yanked at my collar as the beating stopped. His voice holding his rage as gritted out against my ear, "You know I will leave you in peace if you give it to me, Alex." I felt trickles of blood running down my face from the gash on my forehead and disappearing into the rain and mud under me.

As I didn’t respond, I expected Jason to continue beating me up. But an unexpected thing happened as I felt someone covered themselves over me, the familiar smell of perfume from this morning made me realize it was Esme who was hovering above me. “Esme, no.” I tried to say but my words were ignored. Then I heard Jason sighed resignedly as the sound of him standing up caught my attention. "You know I can't bear the scene whenever you guys hit a beautiful woman…"

The sound of the shovel impacting something rang through my ears, making me fear the worst. Only for it to come true as Esme grunted and collapsed onto me, making me shout in panic. “Esme!” I tried to move to shield her, but I couldn't see a thing. I could only feel her small body slipped onto the mud as she fell from atop me.

I forcefully pushed myself up despite the ache of my body and covered her under me, holding her tightly in my arms as those men were still kicking and punching me, the shovel too was slammed at my back a couple times.

I didn’t know how long it went or how much time had passed, only until I stopped feeling the droplets of rain on me that they stopped their beating. The whole time, I cradled Esme in my arms as I called her name again and again, willing her to wake up.

“Alex, if grandfather saw his beloved grandson was beaten like that, he would be so sad. So just give me the stamp!” Desperate in calling Esme, I didn’t miss Jason snorted. Yet I didn’t deigned him the satisfaction of giving a respond and continue my efforts to rouse my beloved.

It seems the show of my beating had ended as the sounds of footsteps were moving farther and farther away from me. I anxiously cupped her face and kept calling her, “Baby, wake up.”

The motion of her placing her hand against mine on her cheek made me slumped in relief. “You are finally awake!” I exclaimed surprised and relieved that she was not unconscious anymore.

I felt Esme struggled to stand up and we both supported each other up.

After a few steps, my beloved had guided my hand to feel the words in scripted onto his tombstone.

»»————- ————-««

*CRYSTALLINE*

As Alex stood before his grandfather’s gravestone, I could tell how grief he was even his eyes were still dull and glassy. I swore to myself that I would definitely cure him and help him see again.

A few moments of silence until the sounds of soft footsteps attracted my attention as I turned to see Zack appeared from behind some trees. His face was bitter, no doubt witnessed what we both had went through. It seemed Alex had heard too as he spoke, his voice full of concern.

"How is my wife? Is she okay?"

I quickly shook my head at Zack, I didn’t want to make Alex worry after all that has happened. My body was covered with bruises and scratches from the beating and shovel that hit my back, making a dull ache throb throughout my body. Zack seemed to understand as he clenched his teeth and gritted out.

"She's okay…" I let out a silent sigh in relief at his words.

"Just take her out of here. I need to spend a couple of minutes with Grandfather," Alex said calmly.

Following Alex’s command, Zack secured his arms around my thin shoulders as he guided me away. But I couldn't help but turn around to look at Alex in worry. Is it really alright to leave him here alone.. His face was still covered in dried blood as the gash on his forehead finally stopped bleeding. Yet Alex was standing before the tombstone with deep sadness on his face, as still as a statue as he paid his respects.

Yet I trust him, so I turned and looked back forward with Zack guiding me back to the car.

»»————- ————-««

*ALEXANDER*

My fingers silently traced the words as I tried to feel it out, it took a while when I finally understood what they had engraved on it.

‘Arthur Morgenstern,

Year 1888 – Year 2023,

the founder of Morgenstern Family,

may fortune follow him in death as it had in life’

‘Grandfather.. I swear I will make it right.’ I thought to myself as I allow myself to finally grieve the fact that last family that had cared for me was gone. Only my beloved Esme was the only one left to stay by my side and I swear I will do anything to protect her, no matter what.