CHAPTER FIVE — WE'VE ALL MADE MISTAKES.

Chapter 05.

WE'VE ALL MADE MISTAKES.

Abby's POV.

As I heard the sound of footsteps approaching, I sniffled and wiped my face with the back of my hands. I knew that Lydia had been standing at a distance, watching me the entire time, but I just couldn't help it.

I'd tried not to cry anymore, but thinking that I was betrayed by the very person I loved broke me. To make matters worse, I'd lost everything that I was supposed to inherit from my father.

“Are you still crying?” she picked up a pillow from the couch, and settled right next to me. “I think you've cried enough, sweetheart.”

She put the pillow on her laps, and stroked my hair gently.

“Crying isn't going to solve the problem.” she added, her voice laced with concern. “I mean, you have been crying for so long, but nothing's changed so far. How long will you continue to cry?”

“You don't understand.” I said, blinking back tears as I turned to face her. “You have no idea what it feels like to lose your parents, and everything that belongs to them in a short time.”

“You are right.” she said in a soft voice. “Perhaps, I don't understand. But you need to eat something; you haven't had anything to eat in two days, and I'm beginning to get worried.”

“You don't have to worry about me.” I said, trying to steady my voice. “I am fine.”

“No, you're not.” she said, shaking her head. “You are not fine, Abby. I mean, take a good look at yourself, you've lost some weight.”

She sighed, and took my hands in hers.

“If you continue this way, you're only going to complicate things for yourself.” she added, looking into my eyes. “It is bad enough that I lost my sister some days back, I don't want to lose you too.”

“You won't lose me.” I said, swallowing hard. “I just need some time alone.”

“That is what you keep saying.” she said. “But how long will you continue to say that, huh? You aren't helping yourself by refusing to eat.”

“So what?” I asked with tears burning in my eyes. “You want me to eat and then what? Forget about what happened? If I eat right now, will it bring back my parents, huh? Will it change the fact that he has taken over my father's property?”

“Abby?”

“I need you to answer me!” I said, raising my voice at her. “Will it change anything? My parents are dead and gone, along with everything they've labored for, but you want me to eat, really?”

“If you're ever going to fight back to get what he stole from you, then you'll be needing your strength.” she said, with a meaningful look in her eyes. “You can't go up against him on an empty stomach, can you?”

“You know what?” I asked with ice in my voice. “Maybe I shouldn't have left that house.”

“I–I don't think I understand what you're trying to say.” she said, shaking her head. “What do you mean?”

“I should have fought to the end.” I said, trying to suppress the tears rising in my throat. “My parents are dead anyway, so there's nothing to live for.”

“No, no don't say that.” she said. “If you'd stayed there for even a minute longer, then he would have shot you.”

“Then he should have done that!” I yelled, righting myself from the couch. “Why didn't he? How am I supposed to live my life going forward? I have nothing to my name.”

“We can always get back the things that we lost.” she got up from the couch, and held my hand. “Whatever happened, or will happen in the future isn't the end of the world. Besides, you aren't the first to go through this, neither will you be the last.”

“We can always get back the things we lost?” I scoffed, blinking back tears. “How long will it take for me to do that? A month? Two? Perhaps, a year, or a decade? How long?”

“Look, it doesn't matter how long it takes for you to get back everything you've lost.” she said, shaking her head. “Someday, you will. But you can't choose to give up now. You can't go down without a fight.”

“I already went down.” I said, taking back my hand from her. “And you know what is even more painful? I did without a fight.”

“No, you didn't.”

“Yes, I did!” a flash of temper lighted my eyes. “Perhaps, if you didn't come, then I might have put up a fight. Who knows? I might have won.”

“You would have lost your life, Abby!” she said, raising her voice at me. “Is that what you want? For your parents' death to be in vain? Have you asked yourself if that is what you really want?”

“Yes, I have, okay? That is exactly what I want!” I shot back, my eyes glittering with anger. “I have taken my time to think about it, and that's exactly what I want.”

“No, you're wrong.” she said. “That is not what you want. Even if that is what you want, do you think that's what your parents would have wanted, huh?”

“Why?” I asked as a sob caught in my throat.

“Why what?”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, a tear trickled down the side of my nose. “Why are you trying to help me feel better? Because of me, everything they built is gone; I failed them.”

“You are the only family I have, Abby.” she lifted a hand, and touched my face while wearing a soft smile. “Yes, you made a mistake, but we all do. We've all made mistakes in our lives.”

“Nothing can be compared to the mistake I made.” I said, lowering my head. “I made a terrible mistake, and I don't think my parents are going to ever forgive me for that. I should have known better.”

“That he was going to betray you?” she asked. “Come on, sweetheart. There's no way you would have known. Besides, you'll be shocked to know that a good number of us have made terrible mistakes.”

“I don't know what to do.” I buried my face in my hands as I broke down in tears. “It hurts so much; I don't think I can endure it.”

“Of course, you can.” she said, in a consoling voice. “The first few days are always the worse, but you'll get through it.”

As her words fell upon my ears, I lifted my face to her.

“I know that look, so don't ask me how I know.” she said with a brief smile. “I just happen to. You're a lot stronger than you think. The worse situations bring out the best in us. So you'll come out stronger.”

“I can't believe I allowed him to make a fool of me.” I said, shaking my head. “I feel… I just feel so bad right now.”

“Come here, sweetheart,” she pulled me closer to herself. “We are going to get back everything you lost; I promise you.”

“It doesn't sound like something that's going to happen.” I said, burying my face against her warm throat. “He is going to frustrate our efforts to get back everything I lost.”

“We can't be so sure.” she framed my face with her hands. “However, if we are going to get back everything you lost, then we do so by taking one step at a time.”

“Do you have a plan?” the words scraped my throat.

“Why don't we talk more after you get something to eat?” she shrugged. “What do you say?”