Love Lost: Mafia Story

Chapter 28

I sat in the kitchen, my mind still clouded with worry for Damien and guilt over the events that unfolded. Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice my mother's presence until she placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump back in surprise.

Scowling, I asked her curtly, "What do you want?"

My mother's smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and replied softly, "I just wanted to connect with my daughter, Harvey."

I scoffed at her words, bitterness creeping into my voice. "Connect? Right. Well, where were you when I needed you the most? All those years of suffering, and you were nowhere to be found."

She seemed taken aback by my response, but I couldn't hold back my frustration any longer. I pushed myself away from the table, turning to face her directly, my eyes filled with hurt and anger.

"If you wanted to connect with me, you could have made an effort. But no, you chose to spend all your time with Olivia, as if she was more important than your own daughter," I continued, my voice shaking with emotion.

My mother's expression softened, and she took a step towards me, her eyes filled with regret. "Harvey, I'm sorry. I know I haven't been the mother you needed me to be, and I regret not being there for you all those years."

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I fought to keep them at bay. I didn't want to break down in front of her, not now.

"You can't just apologize and expect everything to be okay," I retorted, my voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "You abandoned me, Mom. You left me alone to face the horrors of our past, and now you think a few words will fix everything?"

She reached out to touch my arm, but I stepped back, not wanting her sympathy. "I don't need your apologies. What I need is a mother who was there for me when I needed her the most."

My mother looked crestfallen, her face etched with sorrow. "Harvey, I know I can't change the past, but I want to be there for you now. I want to try and make things right."

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. "It's not that simple," I whispered, my voice breaking. "The pain I've endured, the scars that still haunt me... I don't know if I can ever truly forgive you."

She nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. "I understand, and I'll give you all the time you need. Just know that I love you, Harvey, and I'll do whatever it takes to be a better mother to you."

I turned away from my mother and walked aimlessly around the house until I reached the black doors of my father's office.

My heart raced with a mix of trepidation and determination as I sat in my father's office, the dim glow of the computer screen illuminating my face. I knew I was crossing a line by snooping into his private files, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about my mother's sudden attempt to connect with me. My suspicions needed to be confirmed.

With a few deft keystrokes, I managed to bypass the security protocols and gain access to the secret footage stored on my father's computer. The files dated back to the time when my life had taken a tragic turn, when everything had changed. My breath caught in my throat as I found the security footage from the camera outside our playroom on that fateful day.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched the scene unfold. My sister hitting herself, and me rushing in to stop her, oblivious to the manipulation that was happening behind the scenes. I felt a pang of guilt, realizing that I had unknowingly played a part in my own downfall.

Driven by a mix of curiosity and desperation, I continued to access all the other footage from that day, hoping to find answers to the questions that had plagued me for so long. Hours passed, and I was about to give up when I came across one last piece of recovered footage. It seemed someone had hastily deleted it, but had forgotten to erase it from all the backup locations.

As the audio came on, I listened with bated breath to the shocking conversation between my mother and Olivia. My hands trembled as I watched the scene play out before me. My mother's voice, sweet and manipulative, filled the room as she spoke to my sister.

"Sweetheart, if you hit yourself and blame it on Harvey, Daddy will send her away, and you and I can have all the presents," my mother said, her tone sickeningly tender.

My heart sank as I realized the truth of what had happened that day. My sister had been manipulated into framing me for her own injuries, setting off a chain of events that had led to my exile from my family. The pain of betrayal washed over me as I saw my mother feeding her delusions to Olivia, convincing her that she could have everything she wanted if I was out of the picture.

My anger simmered as I continued to watch the recording. "Harvey is supposed to marry a prince when she grows up, but I want you to marry him instead. You'll make such a beautiful princess angel, won't you?" My mother cooed to Olivia, her words dripping with malice.

It was like a knife to the heart, hearing those words. My own mother, scheming to take away my future, my dreams, and even the love I had hoped to find. The truth was painful, but I needed to know it.

With a mix of sadness and determination, I saved the video onto a pen drive. I had evidence of my mother's manipulations, and I knew it could be my ticket to unraveling the web of lies that had been woven around me.

As I sat there, my mind raced with questions and emotions. What did my mother mean by having me marry a prince? What was she planning all these years? And what did she have in store for my future?

I knew that the answers wouldn't be easy to find, but I was ready to face the truth, no matter how painful it might be. It was time to confront my past and take control of my destiny once and for all.