"These are some audio recordings and a file of interest. I did not dare to hear it, so I am going to leave it with you now."
I took the envelope from her. I opened the file first. I couldn't contain anymore; the tears welling up in my eyes were now flowing freely. Emma caressed my back; her eyes were wet too.
"I know how difficult all this must be for you Jake, I am sorry. I wish there were any other way. "She hugged me from the side, her arms circling me, as I lay my head on her shoulder. She kissed my forehead and just sat in silence after that.
I don't know how long we sat like that. She held me and didn't move an inch. I let it all come out in her warm embrace.
After a long time, Emma broke the silence again, "You know, I am there for you always, but right now, I will have to give you some space. It's a very personal matter. Your mom will be back tomorrow morning too."
She cupped my face, and continued, "I will just be a call away, always. But you need time to process all this and talk to your mom."
My vision was a blur, and honestly, Emma's words seemed like whispers coming from the far corner of the room. I was not able to hear or see anything now. My mind was in a deadlock.
She gave me a peck on my lips, her forehead leaned on mine, "I love you, Jake. I am sorry it had to be this way. Dad is here. Call me if you need me."
I just nodded.
It pained to let her go, but part of me didn't want her to witness the ugly face-off and the repulsive secrets that may unfold after I face my mom. I felt ashamed.
She got up and eventually left. I sat there convinced, that my happiness was truly jinxed, and blamed God and destiny for everything evil transpired in my life.
Gradually my tormenting sadness turned into rage and fury.
How could my mother do this to me? Panic struck me, and I started tossing around everything that came my way. I grabbed the pen drive and headed straight to the study. I wanted answers.
Chapter 43
Ultimate Truth
Jake
I wasn't upset that my mother lied to me. I was upset that I would never be able to believe her again.
Today, I lost both my parents. I felt like an orphan who had nobody to depend on, nobody to look up to.
All through the night, I kept revisiting the evidence that Emma had gathered.
My mother killed my father. I don't think I will ever be able to live with this. She killed every fond memory that I ever had in the name of family.
I screamed, I cried, I flipped, and I broke down, but nothing was subsiding my pain, nothing was helping to make it go away. The feeling of immense loss and suffering just kept building inside me. Every passing minute felt like a lifetime.
Soon it was dawn; the first few rays were now illuminating the sky as the morning twilight herald the beginning of a new day.
Unlike before, unfortunately enough, it didn't bring me new hope, it didn't re-instill my faith, and it didn't assure me of better days.
The door of the study swung open. I heard footsteps. I knew who it could be. My back was facing the entrance as I held dad's picture in my hand.
"Jake?"
I closed my eyes, controlling my anger, as this was indeed the moment of truth. The ultimate truth.
"Jake? What happened?"
"Mother! Should I still be calling you that?" I retorted in a sharp tone. My back was still facing her; I could not summon the courage to turn around and look at her sinful face.
"What happened, son? The living room was a mess, and Olivia told me that you were locked in the study all night." I could hear her approaching closer, and seconds later, she reached out to touch my shoulder from behind, in an attempt to turn me around.
"Don't you dare touch me. Remove your murderous hands off me." I yelled while jerking her hand off as I turned around. The surrounding walls threw back my voice, as my loud echo jolted her in shock.
"Murder? What are you talking about Jake?" She stuttered, and the nervousness in her voice confirmed my doubts all the more.
"Don't play innocent. What did you want? Money? Fame? He was letting you go, and you still killed him. How could you??" I was screaming like a mad man; I jerked her shoulders and pushed her before breaking every single thing that I could put my hand on.
"Jake! Jake! Jacob! Stop it! For heaven's sake, stop it! What the hell is wrong with you? Calm down, will you?" She screamed back as she attempted to stop me from spiraling down on the vengeful road that I thought I had left for good.
I took deep breathes, my pulse was racing, and I felt excruciating pain in my head. I just couldn't contain it anymore.
"You want calm? Fine, I can give you calm. Let's talk. Sit. Come, let's have a chat. Where do you want me to begin?" I attempted to channel my energy in finally getting my answers. I wanted to hear her say it in her own words. I wanted her to confess.
"What are you saying, Jake? Be clear." Her lips were quivering. Was it the fear of the madness I just displayed? Or the fact that she knew in her guts that I now knew what she did?
There was only one way to find out.
"Ok. I will be clear mother. Please answer me. Why did you kill my father?" I spat it out, loud and clear, looking straight in her eyes.
"Jake! Do you even know what you are saying?"
"Cut the bullshit. And answer me, damn it! Why?" I yelled, emphasizing the why, as I just did not have the patience for her drama.
"How could you even think that I can kill my husband?"
"Ex-husband!" I stated in a loud voice again.
"What?"
She was testing my nerves, and instead of asking her again, I got up and threw the file on her face. She flinched, shutting her eyes in fear as the file slapped her face hard, before falling on the ground.
She was dumbfounded for a minute, but she picked it up with her trembling hands and opened it.
"Where... Where did you find this? We signed these divorce papers, but Jason never filed them in the court." She murmured in slow whispers, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"How could he file? You didn't let him. You killed him before he could"
"Stop it, Jacob. A half-truth is more dangerous than a complete lie. I did not kill Jason."
"Enough of your deceit. Don't you get tired of hiding? Of keeping shameless secrets? Of scheming, planning and plotting? What do you have to say about this?"
I slammed another set of papers in her hand.
She looked at the contents and then at me, shock drawing up her face.
"Yes. That is dad's will I am sure you knew about this too. Let me read out his letter of wishes to you, or have you read it already?
I could hear her feeble sobs as she sat their silently.
"I know you have read his will, and you hid it from me. I know it because his funeral was in the exact same manner as he has specifically described in his letter."
She still stood there appalled as if every accusation was strangling her, and not a single word could come out of her mouth.
Suddenly, I felt amused. I couldn't believe my mother could be a money-hungry witch—a greedy and desperate wife who could go to any extent to achieve material gain.
"He wasn't going to give you a penny, and you knew it. If the divorce got through, you would have had zero claim on his wealth, that's what he wrote in his will and explicitly explained in his letter of wishes too."
I read it out for her. Loud and clear.
****
"Once the divorce is finalized, all the assets in my name including my residences, offices, estates, trusts and sole ownership of Richmond Corporation should be transferred to the name of my designated trustee and rightful owner, my son Jacob Richmond. My ex-wife will have no legal claim on any asset under any circumstances whatsoever."
****
"You killed him for money, didn't you? You could have left him alone and gone with that boyfriend of yours. You could have just ended the marriage and set him free, but greed got the better of you, and you decided otherwise, he didn't deserve to
die. He didn't."
I was crying like a baby now. My heart couldn't hold the pain any longer. My dad was already gone, and soon my mother would be out of my life too, nothing could take us back to being mother and son again.
"For the last time, Jake, I did not kill him. Please believe me."
"Believe you? After all you did? You cheated on my father and doomed his life to death; you want me to believe you?"
"Yes, believe me, I didn't do any such thing."
"Really? Then who did? Who killed him?"
"Ben did." She screamed and started crying hysterically.
She sobbed, yelped and winced in pain, as she continued to speak," Ben killed him. I didn't know until he told me days after your father's death. He had been blackmailing me ever since. He said he would expose our relationship to the world, and if I say anything to anyone, he will kill you too."
I was speechless; for a second, I could not think straight. She was right about the blackmail, as I heard some audio recordings of her and Ben on the phone. He was coaxing her to marry him.
"I was ready to divorce Jason and accept any punishment he deemed fit for me. I never cared about money or status. I have seen a lot of that in my life."
She approached me with eyes full of tears, begging me to hear her completely.
"Jason found out about my affair only a few months before his tragic death. I did not intend to cheat on him and ruin our marriage, our family. It just happened. I feel guilty about it every single day of my life. I cared for him enough to never cause him any harm. He was the father of my son. I could never kill him.
Jason was always busy and travelling. We became distant. It turned into a loveless marriage; there use to be times when we went days without talking to each other, didn't even know about each other's whereabouts.
I felt incredibly lonely and slipped into depression. I had suicidal thoughts and was in grave need of help.
So, Macy insisted, and I started seeing a therapist, that's where I met Ben again. He used to get his daughter there for treatment. That's how I got to know about Erica's troubled childhood. I warned you about her because I knew she was not in her right state of mind. One thing led to the other, and Ben and I became close."
She took a step closer. She looked devastated. She was inconsolable.
"Bullshit. This is untrue. How come I never got to know about all this? Your marriage issues? Your depression?" I countered unbelievably.
"Because as parents, we tried to protect you and keep you away from our mess. You had just gotten out of college and had started on a beautiful journey of exploring and finding your passion. We didn't want to bring you down with us."
"I heard your audio recordings; Ben was insisting on getting married. Don't try to fool me."
"Yes, since the divorce never got filed and I still own half of Jason's empire, he is blackmailing me for marriage so that he and his deranged daughter could get their hands on Richmond's vast empire."
There was pin-drop silence after that. It was too much information to process in very little time. I helplessly collapsed on the sofa.
"I am sorry, Jake, I am sorry for keeping you in the dark. I thought I was protecting you, that's why I fled the city and went to Macy's. I wanted to get free from Ben's clutches. I was ashamed to tell you about my affair; I feared I would lose you too."
I didn't know what to say. I have had sleepless nights due to my father's murder mystery, and my mother knew everything all along. I lived the last eight months of my life in agony and retaliation when she could have made it all go. She was playing hide and seek with her lover, getting blackmailed, and I don't know whatnot.
Even if she didn't kill him, in my eyes, she was responsible for my father's death.
"I could have fixed it way back if you would have told me about this. I will never forgive you for cheating on my father and causing his death. If you had nothing to do with that asshole, he wouldn't have dared to do all this. You have lost the right to be called my mother. But before that, I need to take care of something."
As I walked out, I turned back, one last time,
"I want you gone before I get back. This is over, and don't try to contact me ever again. You are as good as dead to me. I wish you were the parent I had lost that day, not dad."
Chapter 44
Aftermath
Emma
I could not sleep a wink all night. I dreaded the idea of leaving Jake behind in such a time of need, but I couldn't intrude in his family matters any further. No matter how guilty I felt, it was the right thing to do.
I already took the liberty of investigating his parent's discord and ultimately what led to his father's demise, without his knowledge or consent. I couldn't convince my mind, to stay and pry any further.
I have been calling Jake non-stop for more than an hour now, but his phone was getting straight to voicemail. At last, I gave up. I took my phone and dialled another number instead.
"Hi Augustin, it's Emma. Sorry, I keep calling you for favors, but I cannot get a hold on Jake. I am worried. Do you know where he is?" My heart was racing in anticipation. I could not even imagine what would have happened after he confronted his mother.
"Hey, Emma. It's fine. Actually, yes, I knew where he was. I just bailed him out. He got arrested earlier in the morning today."1
"What? Why?? What happened? Is he fine?"
"No, he wasn't fine at all. He broke into Murial's residence and beat the shit out of Ben Murial. There were a lot of broken bones and a hell lot of blood, thank his stars or yours, I am just grateful he didn't kill him."
"Did Jake get hurt too?" My heart dropped in my stomach. I started looking for my purse as I intended to head straight out. I had to meet Jake, immediately.
"No, Jake was not hurt. However, Ben Murial won't be able to walk for a very long time."
"God! Why didn't I see this coming? I don't understand, what about the security at Murial's?"
"I think they let him in because he was familiar, and later when they heard screams, they informed the cops."
"Where is he now? I am on my way, just tell him to talk to me."
"He is gone, Emma. He left the moment we stepped out of the police district."
"Where? Where did he go?"
"No idea."
"And His mom? How is she? Where is she?"
"Not good. She just reported to the NYPD district office. As we speak, she is getting her statement recorded against Ben Murial. She has decided to tell the cops everything."
I couldn't find the words. I was speechless for a minute. So much happened in less than twelve hours of me leaving Jake alone. Somehow, now I feel I should have stayed behind.
"Emma? Are you there?"
"Yes, I am here. I am just shocked."
"What were you expecting? This had to happen, at least Sir would finally get the justice he deserves, and he will rest in peace now." I remembered Jake telling me about Augustin's loyalty to his family, especially his father.
"This wouldn't have been possible if you didn't help me investigate. Thanks a lot for that. And now please help me find Jake too. I just want to be by his side; he needs me." My voice was desperate, I almost begged him.
"I understand, but give him time kiddo. He is grieving. I am sure he will return soon. Give it a day."
I couldn't say anything further, I agreed and disconnected the phone, but I could not find the patience to just sit and wait.
***
"He is not here." Aunt Oliva's cold tone fell on my ears.
When my anxiety took the better of me, I decided to go to Jake's family home and wait for him there. The moment I entered; I saw the living room was not the same anymore. A lot of pieces of furniture were missing.
I sat on one of the couches, and soon Aunt Olivia had joined me in the room.
"I know I will just wait for him. I am sure he will be back soon."
"Haven't you caused enough damage already? The day you came to live in this house, I knew you coul
d not be trusted." She retorted.
"So, you knew as well? I heard you whispering on the phone, were you spying on me and speaking to Pam all along?"
"Yes, I stayed in constant touch with her; she is like a sister to me. She trusted you. She asked me not to suspect you and thought you were the best thing that happened to Jake." Both her words and tone were bitter, blaming me for everything that conspired.
"But what did you do in return of her affection for you? You destroyed her already broken family. First, she lost Sir, and now Jacob too."
"It was all her doing. I didn't do anything. Jake deserved to know the truth, the truth I accidentally found." I stated, holding my ground.
"Some truths are better hidden. What happened to Sir was very unfortunate. But madam would have handled it. Jake didn't have to know; he will never be able to cope up with this."
"So, you are saying it was ok for a murderer like Ben to roam freely? It was ok for him to blackmail Pam and exploit her, emotionally, mentally, financially?"
Suddenly she went silent in retrospect, she knew deep inside that what happened, no matter how painful, it still was the right thing.
She gave me regretful stares before disappearing into the house again. I just paced up and down for hours, anticipating Jake's return. My call log showed hundreds of calls to his number. I left many messages on his voicemail and was counting every passing second on the clock in hope to hear from him soon.
"Give him time Emma, he is grieving. I am sure he will return soon. Give it a day." Augustin's words kept echoing in my ears.
I didn't realise when the sky dusked, and the shadows got long and hard. Jake was not back yet; neither did he answer any of my calls. I sat back, I was determined to see him, and nothing could make me give up. Same time yesterday, he was here in my arms at this very same couch.
How I wished to turn back time, my heart longed to re-live that moment with him again. If given a chance, this time I won't leave. I will comfort him, love him, recede his sufferings and assure him that we will get through this together. We always make it, we never fail, and this time wouldn't have been different too.
I will lower the moon for you Page 25