Too Late for Regrets
1258 Words
Emily fell asleep with tears etched on her face. The doctor had to give her tranquilizers to calm her down since she just kept crying.
Damn you, Kai Stevens.
Albert thought of going to Kai’s office to knock the son of b***h down. But he knew Emily wouldn’t like it.
He already called Amelia to inform her of what had happened. She was already on her way to the hospital.
Albert sat on the chair beside Emily’s hospital bed. He stared at her pale face for a long time.
How could anyone be so cruel to this gentle woman? How could that man bear making her cry?
When Emily told him that she was on her way to Kai’s office, he decided to follow her. He just arrived and was making his way to the parking lot when he saw Emily. He could see that she just came from crying. He thought that she would leave right away but it took her a few minutes to do so.
He knew right then that she was crying inside her car. He wanted to go out of his car and accompany Emily but he knew she wouldn’t want him to see her crying.
When she left, he followed and he tried to call her but she was not answering. Then he saw what happened. He could still remember the horror that he felt when he saw how that car crushed into Emily’s. He was scared to death.
He was afraid that she wouldn’t make it. He was afraid that it would be too late. He was afraid that for so many years, he would never be able to tell Emily what he really felt and what he really was.
What will you tell her, Albert?
“I’ll tell her that I love her. Not as a friend. I love her the way a man would love the woman whom he would want to be his forever. I’ll tell her that I lied to her when I said that I was gay.”
Albert had tried to reveal his true identity to Emily but his fear that she might stop being with him hindered him from doing so.
And so for many years, he kept his feelings for her. That’s why he was hurt when he learned of her relationship with Kai Stevens. He also blamed himself for it. Maybe if he confessed, she wouldn’t be in the arms of that bastard; she wouldn’t be hurt.
When he offered to marry her, deep in his heart, he was praying that Emily would agree.
His train of thoughts stopped when someone entered. It was Amelia.
He explained everything that had happened to her though he already briefed her about it over the phone.
“Thank God you were there, Albert.” Amelia was looking at her sister with so much pity in her eyes.
“I don’t know why life has been cruel to her. I thought she would be happy with him, Albert. How dare that man! My sister doesn’t deserve this.” Amelia’s voice cracked. She silently cried while looking at Emily.
“Amelia, does Uncle know?”
Amelia wiped her tears and nodded.
“Will he come?”
Amelia sadly shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Both of them fell silent.
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She was alone in the hospital room. Albert had to go to his office for his board meeting. She just finished talking to Amelia and Almira. Both were asking if she was OK.
No. She’ll never be OK. A part of her had already died.
She didn’t blame Albert for choosing her over the baby. She understood.
No one was to blame but her. If only she didn’t allow herself to fall in love with Kai. If only she listened to her father. If only…
She was jolted by the sound of her phone ringing.
It was Marcus.
“Brother.” She suddenly felt like crying.
“Emily, how are you? I’ve heard what happened. Amelia called. How are you?” her brother sounded so worried.
“I’m OK.”
She heard him sigh. “Good. Take care of yourself, ok?”
“Brother, I need your help.” She has thought about it since yesterday.
“Why? Do you want to get back at him? I’ll gladly torture him for you, Em.” he was serious. She knew her brother was capable of doing that.
“No. I want to leave this country. ”
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“Why do you have to leave, Em?” Albert asked her, with a sad look on his face.
Albert was driving and she was on the passenger’s seat. They were on their way to her family’s mansion. Amelia already instructed the maids to pack her things. She will leave tonight.
“I need to, Al. I need to be away from all the painful memories I have in this place,” she answered without looking at him.
Albert stopped as the light turned red and focused his attention to her.
“Em.”
She looked at him. “Yes?”
“Are you angry at me?”
“No, of course not!” She said while reaching for his hand. “I understand, Al. It’s OK. Believe me.” Then she touched his left cheek. “You have always been a good friend to me, Al. Thank you for everything.”
“You know I l - care for you, Em.” Albert sighed.
Emily smiled. “Don’t look so sad. You may visit me anytime.”
The car started moving and without looking at her, Albert asked.
“How long do you plan to stay there?”
She looked outside the window and sighed.
“I don’t know.”
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Marcus came around 7 in the evening. He was on his private plane, and he went straight to his sister Emily’s room.
When she saw him, she ran straight to his open arms.
He hugged her thin body tight and kissed her head. Then he released and moved her a little away from him.
“Everything’s gonna be alright. I promise. The plane is ready, but I need to see Father first. Do you want to come along with me?”
Emily shook her head. “Father is angry at me, Brother. I’m sure he wants me gone.”
Marcus clenched his fist. So, nothing had changed.
“Ok, go along. Wait for me in the car.” He left and headed to his father’s study room. He knocked and did not wait for his father’s approval for him to come in.
When he opened the door, his father was standing beside his bookshelf and reading a book.
“Father His father’s face lit when he saw him.
“Marcus!” William Fort hugged his firstborn and tapped his back.
“This is a surprise, son! What brings you here? Do we have problems in companies abroad?” His father offered him a glass of whiskey.
Marcus shook his head. “I just came here to fetch Emily. I’m sure you know what happened to her.” He said while looking seriously at his father.
“It’s the consequence of her actions.”
“Is it really the consequence of her actions? Or yours?” Marcus never took his eyes off his father.
““What are you trying to say? Are you blaming me, Marcus?!”
“Believe whatever you like, Father. I know your conditions. It’s your grandchild, for Pete’s sake!”
William gave him a dagger look, “Don’t raise your tone with me! She chose to be with that man! I told her not to but she ignored my command!”
“Did you inform her why she shouldn’t be with that Kai Stevens? Or did you just order her to do whatever you want without explaining to her why?”
His father stood with his clenched fists. “Who are you to ask me that?!”
“I am your son, and I am Emily’s brother. For so many years since Mother died, you’ve never treated her the same way you did us. Everybody in this household knows you blame her for Mother’s death, but we both know who’s to blame.” He walked past his father and was about to open the door when his father asked,
“What do you know?”
He turned to his father with a smirk, “A lot.”
- Writer
