279: AMNESTY You remember the way love came into your life like a whirlwind, promising endless happiness and fulfillment. It was a love that consumed you, filled you with joy, and made your world brighter. You felt invincible as if nothing could ever shatter the perfect bubble you had created together. But slowly, imperceptibly at first, cracks began to form in that beautiful facade. Small disagreements turned into bigger arguments, misunderstandings led to hurt feelings, and before you knew it, you were caught in a downward spiral that seemed impossible to escope. The suffering you experience when someone you love hurts you is unlike any other. A deep ache settles in your chest, a constant reminder of what once was and what could have been. Every word spoken in anger, betrayal, and broken promise chip away at the armor around your heart until you feel exposed and vulnerable. You tried to hold on, to mend what was broken between the two of you, but it felt like trying to piece together shards of glass–painful and futile. The love that once lifted you up now weighs you down, dragging you into a dark pit of despair. You felt lost, adrift in a sea of emotions you couldn’t make sense of. You found yourself questioning everything–yourself, your worth, your ability to love and be loved. The pain of heartbreak is a lonely road to walk, filled with memories that haunt you in the quiet moments when you’re alone with your thoughts. But even in the depths of your despair, a small ember of hope flickered within you. You realized that holding on to anger and bitterness would only poison your own heart. Your knew that forgiveness was the key to setting yourself free from the chains of the past. Forgiveness is challenging. It’s a choice you have to make every day, a conscious effort to let go of the hurt and anger that weigh you down. It’s a process of healing, of releasing the grip of pain so that you can move forward with an open heart. You chose to forgive not because the other person deserved it but because you deserved peace. You deserved to let go of the heavy burden you had been carrying for so long. Forgiveness was your gift to yourself a way to reclaim your power and your happiness. In the end, you emerged from the darkness stronger and more resilient than before. Love may have broken you, but it also taught you the power of forgiveness and the strength that comes from letting go. You carry your heart with you, bruised but still beating, ready to love. again with a newfound sense of wisdom and grace. LUKE’S POV The things she did to me were enough reasons for me not to forgive her. But, you see, someone made me realize I couldn’t stay mad at her forever. I had to remember our great moments; they were wonderful. I knew; it was just a little kid back then. But trust me, I enjoyed every moment and every single occasion. They were all joyous and wonderful.” I took a deep breath, patting her on the shoulder. “Look, Catherine. You have a lot to learn. Right now, you have a lot of adventures ahead of you. And I’m hoping you choose the right. path, not making any mistakes or hurting anyone. Because I’ve been in such a situation. where I brought nothing but pain to this one person, but she forgave me in the end, and now things are going great between us.” “What am I trying to say here? You’ve got a heart right in you–a gift from God. And the choice is left for us–to make that heart a good one or not. But I tell you, little one, you have to make the right choice. Doing terrible things might just hurt you later on; karma is haunting you, and trust me, you wouldn’t want that. So I suggest you soften that heart of yours and give your mother a second chance. Listen to her explanations and her apologies, and believe me, things will go smoothly between the both of you.” I started the car. “I’m not going to talk much, and I’m not going to ask you about this anymore. You’ll just have to make the choice yourself. Life is yours, after all. Everyone has their own story with different chapters; in everyone’s story, they’re always the hero. I believe you’ll make the right choice.” I smiled at her before I started driving. She didn’t say anything, but I know that deep down, she felt the words, and I hoped that they might have an impact on her. I drove her to my house, stopping the car after that. The two of us set our eyes on each other. “Where have you taken me?” She asked, gazing at the mansion once more. “My house,” I answered, smiling at her. And then I gently brushed a strand of her hair. “This is where you’ll be living from/now on.” “Does she live here as well?” “Well, something like that.” Catherine raised her brows at me, and I exhaled deeply before I responded, “Yes, she lives here. Don’t you want to see her?” She glanced back through the window. “I don’t know.” I slowly fixed my hand on her shoulder. “Look, just keep it cool, okay? I may not know why you are mad at her, but you just have to listen to what she has to say. Let love lead, little one. I patted her shoulder, and she left the car. I burst out of the car as well, walking next to her. “Come on.” I smiled down at her, holding her hand. And with that, we made our way inside the mansion. *Welcome back, sir,” Marcus greeted me. “Thank you, Marcus. How’s things going around here?” “Going great, sir. All thanks to God,” he replied, and I smiled at him. Finally stepping inside the building, I saw some maids having a silent discussion, gossiping. Apart from cleaning, that was the other thing they were good at. They quickly put an end to such conversation the moment their eyes caught me. “Mr. Reynold, you’re back,” one of them said as they both took their heads down like I was some goddamn king or something. “Welcome back, sir.” “Thank you,” I replied, looking around. “Where is my mother?” “I don’t know if she’s home, sir. The last time I saw her, she was standing at the stairs, making a phone call.“. “And what time was that?” “It should have been about an hour ago. But if you want, we can go and check her room to see if she’s home.” “You don’t have to worry about that,” I told them. “Okay, sir.” “What about my great–aunt? Is she home?” “Yes, sir. She’s sleeping.” “I hope she didn’t create a scene around here.” “Well,” one of the maids uttered, scratching her head. “Well, what?” I queried, and my tone was goddamn serious. “She did create a scene at the mansion.” “What did she do?” “It was with that woman you brought to this house yesterday.”
