Warning: The following chapter has strong language and deals with sensitive themes like depression. Discretion advised.

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Chapter 30 | Damaged goods

"Damaged people are dangerous because they know how to survive."

-Josephine Hart, Damaged.

• • •

"You did what?!?" Mallory blurted out her eyes widening.

"I pushed her to the ground with all my might." Andrew replied sheepishly.

"Oh, god. You literally pushed your own mother and lived to tell the story!" She whispered with a childlike wonder.

She and Andrew now sat on the kitchen floor, a few feet from each other. The ingredients for the meal lay on the kitchen counter, long forgotten. Andrew had her complete attention. For the first time, in all the months she had known him, she had actually heard him talk so much. The fact that he had never shared this information with anyone else made her feel special.

"Really? What would you do if you saw your drunk mother smooch someone other than your father?" Andrew told her calmly, trying to make her understand his situation. "That's sheer adultery."

Mallory wanted to point out that it wasn't adultery and that she couldn't even remotely relate to his situation, but refrained from doing so.

"Okay, I guess," she shrugged, dropping the topic. She couldn't even begin to understand the psychology of Andrew's ten year old self as he saw his world collapse in front of him. He must have matured, a little too soon.

"Right."

"So, Victor? I thought you didn't like him," she inquired.

"When did I ever say that?"

"You never did. But I just assumed that from the way you both acted around each other at the party."

"Well, I couldn't let him know who I was. And so I played along." He shrugged.

"Why don't you let him help you? He could provide financial support. He could hel-"

"I have my reasons, Mallory." Andrew's lips suppressed into a thin line. "I'll tell you, all of them, in due time."

"Okay, go on."

"Yeah, so my mother kissed Victor and well, needless to say I was furious. And so, I pushed her off him and shouted at her. If my memory serves me right then I might have called her names no ten year should call her mother."

"You know, it could be her way of coping with stress." Mallory interrupted him with her suggestion.

Suddenly, he looked up. "Yeah, it was years later that I found out about it. And I regret everything I ever told her." He visibly cringed. "And by the time, I realised my mistake it was too late."

"What do you mean?"

• • •

"Cynthia, the​ Board of Directors cheated you." Victor said, cursing under his breath.

It had been a few days since Victor had been back and once he had settled his own affairs, he was back at the Wilson's residence, practically living with them. Somehow, he felt that he owed his best friend that much.

"What do you mean?" Cynthia, now sober finally spoke up looking at Victor and then at her son who also sat at one of the chairs.

It was Victor who insisted him to join the conversation. It wasn't like the boy could understand most of it, but he already knew a lot and a few more things won't hurt. Besides, Victor had an inkling that he would be eavesdropping anyway so it was better this way. At least they could refrain from talking about things they didn't want him to know.

"Firstly, I am the chairperson of the board, they couldn't have had a meeting without the head of chair. Secondly, Ethan wasn't the sole proprietor of the company, I hold forty nine percent shares. We were partners. That means he wasn't liable to pay the company's debts. Ethan and his business are two different entities." Victor explained. "His insurance claim was supposed to help you, Cole and Emily. You weren't supposed to give it all away."

"Frankly, I am done with it. Every day since Ethan died, I haven't had a single moment of relief. Debts, directors, stakeholders...I don't know what to do anymore, Vic. Help me, please, help me out." She said desperately, her head in her hands.

"That's why I am here, Cynthia. Ethan was my best friend, my business partner. You don't think I will leave his family to fend for themselves in the hour of need? The BODs basically took advantage of your situation. They knew about your lack of knowledge of the company affairs but don't worry, I'll set it right." Victor said, his face held sheer determination.

Cole's eyes held nothing but respect for the man. In the time of need, when even his father's most trusted associates betrayed them, there was someone who was willing to help. He had nothing but heartfelt gratitude for him.

"Those traitors are going to pay for it. I promise you, both of you. I'll get you your husband's hard earned money back to you. Even though he didn't survive, but his business will and so will you people."

• • •

"And he kept his promise. He made sure that each of those responsible got legal penalty. It wasn't much, since all the directors do is give advise, it was my mother who took the decisions. But still, he did the most he could. He worked for days at a stretch, handling all the affairs himself. He never let us bother for a second."

"You are somehow trying to protect him," Mallory suddenly realized. "That's why you wouldn't approach him. Right?" One look at his face confirmed her suspicions. "But the point is what are you protecting him from?"

"From whom did I want to protect Emily? Who made me lose my former identity? Who almost killed you? Who is still after you?"

"The Beasts?"

"Of course. It seems like everything that's wrong with my life comes down to them," Andrew shrugged.

"But, how? When? H-How?"

"That is exactly what I am trying to find out. I think I have an idea, but I don't know for sure. It seems like they have a special vendetta against my family. And things got worse after my mom died."

"What happened?"

"Well, it had been almost an year after the accident. Victor was taking good care of the company. Emily and I were trying to cope up with the sudden changes in our life. Things were better than they had been in a long time. But my mother, she wasn't getting better."

"Everyday she'd drink. Sometimes she would bring men over. At the time, I didn't know a lot of what was happening, but I found out soon enough. It wasn't like she cared that her children could stroll to her bedroom and see her fucking strangers. I tried to shield Emily from all of it, but I guess when you have such a dysfunctional family there is only so much you can do." Andrew shuddered as if reliving those memories.

Mallory remained silent, unable to come up with anything that would console him.

"I remember going to Victor. I told him everything, and he said he'd help us. He decided to ask my mother to marry him. Initially I was against the idea, but Victor assured me that he wouldn't do anything without Mom's consent. I'd began to trust him so I let him ask her. We thought she'd refuse, but she surprised all of us. I didn't know why she would but later I found out..." His voice trailed off.

"They had an affair, didn't they?" Mallory said putting the pieces together.

"Yeah. They did. And it went on for almost an year, that too when my father was alive. Just imagine," he cringed.

"Was that the reason why he was helping her?"

"Partially. She was one of the reasons, but he did care for Emily and I. But, that didn't stop me from being furious. I heard them talking."

"Oh, god. You eavesdropped a lot!" Mallory smiled wryly.

"One of my many flaws, I'm sure." Andrew said with a small smile, then continued:

"I confronted him, not that he took me seriously, but I did. We talked for a while and then he suggested that I should talk to a therapist. After some convincing, I agreed. And so we went to see her."

"And I talked about my Mom with her for hours. She said that grief can take a serious toll, even on the most resilient individuals. She said that substance abuse and unattached sexual relations were her way of grieving. When I talked with her, I understood my mother's situation more and more. She said that what my mother needed was proper counselling but she wouldn't go to a therapist so Emily and I would have to help her. The fact that Victor wanted to marry her may help her feel love again."

"Thus, I made my mind. I thought that the wedding was the perfect solution to everything. And the fact that Victor didn't treat me like a child helped a lot too. He made sure to involve me in everything. Even though it was a little stressed in the beginning after I found out about the affair, but soon enough we developed a bond. I was beginning to think of him as a father figure."

"The wedding wasn't really a huge affair but it still got a lot of media coverage. Tabloids were filled with 'The Wilson Widow marries her husband's business partner' news, even though they didn't know an inch of reality. But how could they miss it? After all, it's wasn't everyday you get such scandals."

"For almost an year after the wedding, things were going smoothly. Mom and Victor knew each other for a long time, add in their year long affair and they were pretty comfortable with each other. He legally adopted both of us. He even convinced Mom to go to the therapy sessions. All was good for a while and then suddenly she relapsed."

"One night, she had a heated argument with Victor. I don't know what it was about. All I know is that I heard shouting and then both of them took off, separately. Hours later when she came​ back she was completely drunk and was accompanied by a man. And the cycle began again. But it only got worse."

"Victor started working for longer hours than before. I figured, he was just trying to avoid my mother. And she started throwing wild parties. It was getting worse everyday. Strange men would roam all around the house. I used to be so scared all the time. Often I would go over to Emily's room or she would come to mine and we would lock the door and talk for hours. In those moments, she was my only solace. She didn't understand a lot of what was happening, neither did I. But we would somehow be able to console each other. But there was only so much we could take..."

• • •

"Mom, do you realise that Emily came into my room crying last night. She said that the man touched her at places no one should." Cole shouted at her mother who sat on the bed dazed. His eyes held angry tears. "I know you think I don't know what's going on. But I do. I can see you with all these strange men night after night. And what happened yesterday was too much. I can't take it anymore."

"Cole, I am sorry. I didn't know."

"Of course, you didn't. How would you know when you are always neck deep in alcohol? What did I ever do to deserve a mother like you? What did Emily do, huh? It's the second time within a month when that bastard entered her room. She literally wakes up screaming every night. All because of you. And I couldn't do anything. My sister was shaking and sobbing in my arms and there was nothing I could do."

"Where's Victor? I need to talk to him."

"Seriously? Are you for real? I just told you that someone tried to molest your daughter and that's what you say."

"I'll fix it." His mother got up from the bed in a frenzied motion. "I promise I'll fix it. Just tell me where's Victor."

"No you can't, Mom. You can't fix anything. You are a damaged good and you are destroying all of us as well. Me, Emily and Victor...we're all suffering because of you."

"You don't understand..."

"I do, okay? I do understand. Quit pretending that I am a child. Because, let's face it, the things I and Emily have seen..." He trailed off.

"Don't worry, Cole. I'll fix everything. I promise." She said in hysterics as if none of what he said had any effect on her.

"He had Blonde hair, brown eyes and lean frame. He was at the party. Tell me his name!"

"How would I know? I didn't know half of their names!"

"Think, think. You need to tell me, tell me now." Cole's voice bellowed.

His mother cringed, tears trailing her cheeks. "I-I don't know."

Cole looked at her, his nostrils flaring, he couldn't believe what hr was hearing.

"Shh, come here." She got down from the bed and wrapped her arms around him. "I'll always protect you, okay? I am really sorry for everything. But from now on, I'll always protect you."

"You know, what? Fuck you, Mom," he pushed her away, his mother completely taken aback by his son's language. It was something he had picked up from her 'friends'. "I don't give a damn about your sorry. And as for protection part, leave it to me, okay? You're​ only good at one thing. And that's whoring around." He said and turned around.

He wanted to hurt her. He wanted her to feel what she was doing to them. He wanted to make her realise her mistake. And he succeeded. He hurt his mother. More profoundly than he ever wanted it to be.

• • •

"How's she doing?" Victor entered Emily's room and moved to where his adopted son was sitting.

"She has been asleep for a while now. But I don't think she's having any nightmares." Cole replied staring at his sister's sleeping form.

"Yes, the doctor injected her with a sedative. He said she needs rest." He said putting some stray hair behind her ear. "How's your fever?"

"I am okay." Cole shrugged.

"No, you are not. You are flushed." Victor said. "Did you take your medicines?"

"I will take them in a while."

"Son, neither do you want the doctor to sedate you nor are you taking your pills." He said disapprovingly. " Your fever is stress induced and you need your sleep to be better. Don't outdo yourself!"

"Alright, I'll go have my medicine and lay for a while."

"Yes, good boy." Victor patted his cheek.

"How's Mom?"

"I have signed her up for substance abuse rehabilitation. She'll be spending almost a month there. Once the two of you get better, I'll take you to visit her, alright?"

Cole gave a solemn nod.

"And, Cole, next time something like this happens," he looked at Emily, "I want you to tell me immediately, okay?"

"Okay, now off you go."

Cole trotted off to his room and laid down on his bed. As soon as he took his medicine, his eyelids began drooping but he fought it. There was an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to go check on his mother. He couldn't let her go without apologising for his behavior.

And so, with a renewed sense of determination he got up from his room and made his way to her mother's room.

"Mom," he knocked at the door but got no answer. He figured it would be safe to open the door and so he pushed it open. And the sight that awaited him made his blood run cold. He let out a strangled scream but no voice came from his mouth.

His mother lay upon the bed, her wrists had slits on them from which blood pooled out. The prim white bedsheet was soaked in crimson all around her. As Cole took a few steps towards her he saw her eyes were rolled back. Her face held a haunted expression. It was evident how much pain she was in. He took another step in her direction. The musty smell of blood now hitting his nostrils.

He felt numb as all his eyes could see was red. And then his vision blurred as he felt himself falling backwards. He tried to clutch at night stand to prevent him from falling but in vain. His body collided with the ground and the vase on the stand tumbled down on him shattering on his head. His eyelids closed and this time he didn't have the energy to fight it. The bloodied image of his mother's body invaded his mind one last time and then everything faded. And he welcomed the darkness.

• • •

Andrew's phone rang and interrupted his narrative. He cursed under his breath as he picked it up.

"Okay." He said. "Where?" He waited for the reply. "Fine, I am coming."

"What happened?" Mallory asks.

"Drew needs me to pick him up." He said, irritation evident in his voice.

"And?"

"I gotta go." He shuffled to his feet.

"But what about the rest of th-" She began.

"I'll have to continue some other time." He replied, "I don't know how long I'll be gone. Can you watch over Evelyn for a while?"

"Sure," she responded.

"Okay." He exited the kitchen and picked up his coat from the armrest of the couch. "Call me if you need anything. Order something for both of you. She's allergic to mushrooms."

"Alright, got it." Mallory said following him to the door.

He nodded. "Mallory, before I go will you tell me something? It's really important."

"What?" Mallory asked curiously.

"A while back you said that you have killed more than once."

Mallory froze at his words. She thought that he had forgotten all about it. Apparently he hadn't. And now she stood there as she anticipated what was coming next.

"Who was the other person you killed?"

• • •

Sunshine, Daisies, Butter mellow,
Turn that cute little star yellow!

A-ha virtual cookie to everyone who got this reference. 🍪🍪

How ya doing, fellas!

Guess who's back with a timely update. That's right! It's me!

So what do you think about the chapter, huh?

What do you think about Andrew and his mother's relationship Thoughts on his outburst? Do you think he shouldn't have been so hard on Cynthia? Do you think that's what ticked her off to commit suicide?

How about Victor and Andrew's relationship? Were all of Victor's actions justified? Or Cynthia's death was his fault too.

What about Cynthia? Are her actions justified? I really think that SUICIDE IS NOT AN ANSWER TO ANYTHING.

There is always a way out, always. Okay? So, if any of you ever so much as think about taking such a huge step think about all the people who love you. Even when you think that there is no know one who does, you are wrong. Your parents, friends, relatives, there is always someone. And they need to suffer because​ of your actions. So don't do it to yourself or them. Okay?

Stay strong, stay safe. And if you ever have any thoughts like that, TALK! Talk to anyone. An elder, a friend, a professional.

Believe in yourself. Okay? Don't end your life because of someone else. You are who you are. You aren't defined by someone else's words or actions!

Always think before you act!

Have a wonderful day!

-Ridhima