The Fate Of Broken Hearts

Chapter 52

The last time I stood in Aiden's room, I had held him in my arms until his panic attack subsided. Remembering him like that, his broken, pleading words as if it happened just yesterday, weighed heavily on my chest. I never wanted to see him so shattered again. I don't think I could bear it.

As I stepped into his room once more, other thoughts intruded on my mind. Mark's words replayed in my head like a nightmare. In exchange for money to pay for your college and apartment, she told your father you wanted to see him.

Immediately after, I called my mother to confirm it.

"Emma... I had to. The money I'd been making wasn't enough to pay for anything. We could barely afford the house as it is. You must understand. I didn't have any other choice."

Her admission only disturbed me further. She had lied to me. My father had lied to me. I felt betrayed. I felt angry. And those feelings only simmered as my day went on. I couldn't get it out of my head, even when Kate told me about her day or when Arthur came around, and even when Aiden drove me to the frat house.

But that had only scratched the surface. My mother had continued to pull back the curtain to the theatre of lies she'd been feeding me my whole life.

"I told you that your father had never cared to get in contact with you. I wasn't completely truthful. In my pain, in my anger, I lied to you so that he could feel the hurt he caused me. The truth is, he did look for you. Every holiday and every birthday."

"Those books you gave me when I was little... Were they really from you, or were they from him?"

There had been silence for such a long time before she answered.

"Those books were from your father."

At that moment, tears sprung to my eyes. For eight years, I believed my father abandoned me. I hated him for it. I resented him and his life when in reality, he had always been there.

"Emma?" Aiden's voice was a whisper beside me as I sat on the edge of his bed. "What's going on?"

I couldn't bring myself to voice my thoughts. Every part of me wanted to tell him, to let him comfort me, but I could barely swallow the lump that had sat in my throat.

With my hands settled on my lap, I tried to organise my thoughts. Every one of them seemed to tangle with another. My heart was pounding in my ears, and I could barely see through the blur of tears.

"Emma, talk to me. What happened?" Aiden sat beside me, his voice sounding too far away.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. No words, no sounds. However, my thoughts were too loud, each one blaring at me until I could no longer hear Aiden's voice calling my name, trying to bring me back to him.

I was used. I went through all my childhood believing my father hated me so much that I drove him away – that it was my fault. I was left so alone that I was left broken.

Then, I began recalling Aiden's words.

"You are a stupid, naïve girl."

"You are idiotic and worthless."

His words brought on a thicker onslaught of tears that brimmed my eyes, begging to fall on the redness of my cheeks.

I could barely catch my breath as I met Aiden's gaze. His eyes searched my face, desperately trying to understand. But how could he? How could he even begin to understand? He was right, after all. I was a stupid, naïve girl. I was idiotic, and I was worthless.

"Emma, you're scaring me." His voice came out uneven. "Please, just talk to me."

My fists scrunched into tiny balls on my lap. I was trying to breathe through the anger I felt. I was trying to understand, to reason with my mother. But each was a failed attempt.