novelraw Chapter 157: Now is the Time
Chapter 157: Now is the Time
I had already figured out how to channel my anger into bravery and use it to my own advantage. Rosabella thought that she had me cornered, but I was determined to make sure that she would find out soon that I could turn this game in my favor. She thought I would cower and be trapped inside the silence forever as I watched her win, but I wasn’t going to sit there and simply do nothing as I watched my mother fall deeper into Bennett’s web of lies.
I would be the one to tell her the truth. She deserved to hear it from me, her very own daughter, and not some stranger. Even if it broke her heart, even if it meant that she would look at me differently for the rest of her life, I knew that I had to do it.
I quickly left the boutique, my mind completely made up this time. When I got back to the mansion, I would sit my mother down and tell her everything. Everything about Bennett, everything but Raphael and me, and the danger that came with the name that we now carried. I wished that perhaps, maybe, just maybe, she would not see me as a traitor but as someone who had always been by her side-as the loyal daughter that I am and have always been. I wished that she would see that I was just trying desperately to protect her.
I straightened my back and lifted my chin as I walked out of the boutique with one thought burning in my mind. It was time to tell the truth.
...
I hurried through the streets, my heart beating louder in my chest than my heels clicking on the sidewalk. I needed to make my way back to the mansion as soon as possible, but there was just one thing that I needed to do before then. I quickly reached for my phone and gave Raphael a call. He answered after a couple of rings.
"Abigail?" His smooth voice called my name.
This time, I didn’t let his silky voice distract me. I pressed my shaky hand against my chest as I told myself that this was something that I needed to do.
"I’ve made my decision. I’m going to tell her everything. About Bennett and about us. She deserves to know, and
I’m going to go home right now and tell her," I said quickly before I could lose my nerve.
There was silence for a couple of seconds on the other end, as if he was slightly stunned by my resolution.
"I want to be there with you. If you tell her, I want to be there with you by your side. I need her to hear it from us both, and I don’t want you rushing into this all alone," Raphael said at last.
"Is it because you think that I can’t do it?" I asked, my throat tightening.
"That’s not it at all. I know that you can do anything if you put your heart and mind to it. However, I also think that this is going to tear your mother’s world apart. You will see her getting hurt, and it will hurt you even more. I don’t want you to carry that weight alone. I want to be there with you. Will you wait for me, please, Abigail?" Raphael asked, and for a moment it felt like he was pleading with me.
The slight sign of desperation that I heard in his tone was more than enough to give me pause. It didn’t take me long to admit that he was right. Although I had built up my courage to tell my mother the truth, I knew that I would be hurt, and having Raphael with me might just be the support that I needed. As much as his protectiveness frustrated me sometimes, I knew that I could and should rely on him. I knew that he meant it when he said that he wanted to help me carry my burdens.
"Alright. I’ll wait for you. But it has to be today. I cannot waste another day of my life living like this," I hissed through gritted teeth.
The desperation that was growing inside of me made my chest feel so tight. I wanted nothing more than to let it all out.
"I’ll come as soon as I can. Right now, I want you to return to the house and wait for me," Raphael said gently.
"Okay. Please come soon," I whispered into the phone.
The line clicked off, but the support and warmth that I felt through his comforting tone lingered with me as I made my way back to the mansion. As the large mansion came into view, I told myself that tonight was the night that the truth would come to light, even if it meant that all hell would break loose.
...
As I stood in front of the mansion’s front door, I felt more confident in myself than I thought I would. For once, I truly felt like I could go through with this. I prayed that Raphael would come home soon so that we could finally put our plan into motion. There was no more time to waste. We had to face the truth and all the consequences that came along with it head-on, and there was a right time for everything.
One thought crossed my mind as I entered the mansion: I needed to find my mother and simply wait for Raphael to arrive.
The thick tension that I felt the moment I entered the mansion immediately told me that something was wrong. I could feel it in the air and even taste the bitterness in my mouth. The air was heavy, and I found it difficult to breathe. I didn’t dare make a sound as I forced my legs to slowly take step after step forward. All my senses were awakened as if I could sense real danger around me.
Then I heard voices drifting from the living room. I could recognize my mother’s voice instantly, but she wasn’t alone. She was conversing with someone. My heart raced in my chest as I rushed toward the living room.