An accident

Rhea stepped out of the taxi with her handbag slung over her shoulder, every part of her body aching from the emotional conversation she had just had with Noah. The evening air was cool against her skin, but it did little to quiet the storm inside her. His words kept replaying in her head.

Do you still love me?

She tightened her grip on the strap of her bag. She hadn’t answered. Not because she didn’t know the answer. Because she did. She just couldn’t bear to say it out loud.

As she reached the front gate, raised voices drifted toward her.

“…you need to leave.”

Rhea frowned. That was her mother’s voice. She quickened her pace. The front yard came into view, and she immediately saw Melissa standing near the porch. Her mother looked more upset than Rhea had ever seen her, her hands trembling slightly at her sides as she faced a man whose back was turned toward the gate.

“I’ve asked you to leave,” Melissa said again, her voice shaking with restrained emotion. “Please… just go.”

The man didn’t move.

“Melissa, just let me explain.”

“There is nothing left to explain.”

Rhea slowed to a stop. Something about the man’s voice felt strangely familiar. As though sensing another presence, he slowly turned around. The moment their eyes met, both of them froze. Rhea’s breath caught. It was Stanley. Noah’s father. The same man she had seen at the dinner. But now… he was looking at her differently. His eyes were fixed on her face as though he couldn’t believe she was real. His lips parted, but for several seconds no words came out. Then, in a voice thick with emotion, he whispered,

“Rhea…”

Without thinking, he took a slow step toward her. His hand lifted instinctively, as though he wanted to touch her face. Rhea immediately stepped back. The movement wasn’t dramatic. It was instinct. But it struck Stanley harder than any slap ever could. His hand remained suspended in the air for a moment before slowly falling back to his side. Pain flashed openly across his face.

Melissa noticed. She immediately stepped between them, placing herself squarely in front of Rhea.

“Don’t.” Her voice was sharp enough to cut through the silence. “Stay away from my daughter.”

Stanley looked at her helplessly.

“Melissa…”

“No. I only want to talk to her.”

“You’ve said enough for one lifetime.”

Rhea stood silently behind her mother, her eyes moving from one face to the other. Nothing made sense.

“Mom…”

Melissa didn’t take her eyes off Stanley.

“Go inside.”

“But—”

“I said go inside.”

In that moment, Rhea forgot every ounce of anger she had been carrying toward her mother. All she could see was the pain written across Melissa’s face. Whatever history existed between these two… it hadn’t ended peacefully. Without another word, Rhea stepped beside her mother and gently touched her arm.

“Come inside.”

Melissa finally looked at her. The anger in her eyes softened, replaced by exhaustion. Together, they walked toward the front door. Stanley watched every step they took. He wanted to call out. To explain. To tell Rhea everything. But no words came. The front door closed quietly between them, leaving him alone outside.

Melissa walked straight into the house without looking back. She climbed the staircase with hurried steps, as though putting distance between herself and the man she had just left outside. Rhea watched her disappear halfway up the stairs before finding her voice.

“Mom.”

Melissa didn’t stop.

“Mom… we can’t keep pretending this didn’t happen.”

Her footsteps came to an abrupt halt. For several long seconds, she stood perfectly still. Then she slowly turned. The expression on her face caught Rhea off guard. Her eyes were red. Not from fresh tears. From wounds that had never truly healed.

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“There obviously is.” Rhea took a cautious step forward. “You knew this day would come.”

Melissa’s jaw tightened.

“I don’t regret hiding him from you.”

The words settled heavily between them. Rhea searched her mother’s face, speechless. Melissa continued.

“I did what I had to do.” Her voice trembled despite the firmness of her words. “Everything I did… I did to protect you.”

“Then tell me why. The least you can do is explain to me what exactly happened.” Rhea’s own voice cracked. “Ever since that dinner, my whole life has been falling apart. I found out Noah is my brother. I found out Stanley is my father.” She swallowed hard. “I deserve to know what happened at least.”

Silence. Heavy. Painful. Melissa gripped the banister so tightly her knuckles turned white.

“I’m not having this conversation.”

“You can’t keep shutting me out.”

“I can.”

“No, you can’t.” Rhea took another step. “What the hell happened that why you kept him away from me all these years?”

Melissa finally looked at her. There was heartbreak in her eyes… but there was no hesitation in her answer.

“I don't want to see you near that man.” Her voice was quiet, yet unwavering. “And if I had to live those twenty-three years again…” She held Rhea’s gaze. “I would make the same choice.”

Before Rhea could say another word, Melissa turned and continued upstairs. A bedroom door closed moments later. The sound echoed through the silent house. Rhea remained standing at the foot of the staircase, unable to move. She had never seen so much pain in her mother’s eyes. And somehow… it only left her with even more questions.

****

Stanley didn’t remember how he drove home. His hands tightened around the steering wheel as the image of Rhea stepping away from him replayed over and over inside his mind. She had looked at him like a complete stranger. Because to her… he was. Twenty-three years. Twenty-three years had been stolen from both of them.

By the time he pulled into the driveway, darkness had settled over the neighborhood. He climbed out of the car and walked toward the front door. The moment he stepped inside, Serena looked up from the living room. One glance at his face told her everything.

“Where were you?”

Stanley removed his keys and placed them silently on the console table. She stood.

“Stanley.”

Still no answer. A cold feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.

“You went to see Melissa.”

He finally looked at her.

“I didn’t go there because of Melissa.”

“Then why?”

His voice was barely above a whisper.

“I went to meet my daughter today.”

Serena froze. For several long seconds, she simply stared at him. Then she laughed bitterly.

“Don’t do this.”

“She’s my daughter.”

“No.” She shook her head firmly. “She’s Melissa’s daughter.”

Stanley’s eyes hardened.

“She’s ours.”

Serena’s expression cracked.

“After twenty-three years? Now you suddenly remember the wife you cheated on and her daughter? You have a wife. You have a son. You have a family, Stanley.” Her voice rose with every sentence. “Don’t destroy the beautiful family you have now because of your ex.”

“This isn’t about Melissa.”

“Isn’t it?” Tears gathered in Serena’s eyes. “You need to move on.”

Stanley looked at her for a long moment before speaking quietly.

“I’ve spent twenty-three years being apart from a daughter I didn't know I had.” His voice caught. “I can’t lose my daughter again.”

Without waiting for a response, he walked past her and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Serena standing alone in the living room, her eyes fixed on the empty corridor.

Serena remained standing in the living room long after Stanley disappeared down the hallway. Her chest rose and fell with uneven breaths as she fought to steady herself. Just then, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen. An unfamiliar number. For a moment, she considered ignoring it. Instead, she answered.

“Hello?”

A voice spoke from the other end. The color drained from her face.

“What?” Her voice trembled. “No… no, are you sure?”

Stanley immediately turned at the sound of panic in her voice. Serena’s hand began to shake.

“We’re on our way.”

The phone slipped from her fingers as she looked at Stanley, her eyes filled with fear.

“It’s Noah…” She swallowed hard. “He’s in the hospital. He had an accident.”