The Love From Vengeance

307: TALK THE TALK LUKE'S POV My frustration simmered beneath the surface as Catherine remained silent, her refusal to speak only fueling my growing desperation. | looked to my mother, and the weight of the situation was heavy in the air.

“What happened between you two?” | demanded, and now | was frustrated as hell. ” You have to tell me, Mom.

We can't fix this if we don’t know what's going on.

My mother’s eyes flickered with sadness as she hesitated; the pain of whatever they had gone through was evident in her expression. “Luke, it's not that simple,” she began, and her voice was filled with regret.

But | wasn’t willing to accept excuses anymore. “No, Mom, it *is* that simple,” | insisted, my tone firm.

“Whatever happened between you and Catherine, it’s tearing her apart. And if we're going to put an end to this, you need to tellthe truth.” Catherine's gaze flickered between us, her expression a mixture of fear and uncertainty. | could see the turmoil raging within her and the weight of her silence bearing down on us all.

My mother sighed, her shoulders slumping with resignation. “Fine,” she whispered. “I'll tell you.” I held my breath, waiting for her to speak, to finally shed light on the darkness that had engulfed us.

“It hadn't been too long,” my mother began, her voice quivering. Catherine was going through a difficult time, and | wasn't there for her like | should have been.” My heart clenched at her words, the guilt and regret evident in her voice. “What do you mean you weren't there for her?” | pressed, my voice urgent.

My mother’s gaze dropped to the floor, unable to meet my eyes. “My own problems so consumedand struggles that | neglected her. | let her down, Luke. And I've regretted it every day since.” The weight of her confession hung heavy in the air, and silence stretched between us as the truth sank in. Catherine’s eyes brimmed with tears, and her walls crumbled around her.

Yeah, it was her drug situation that had brought her into this mess, and now she has to fix this whole sh*t up. | didn’t want to see all these two not getting along “I'm sorry, Catherine,” my mother whispered. “I'm so, so sorry for failing you.” Tears streamed down Catherine's cheeks as she looked at my mother, her expression was filled with pain. “That isn't all!” | gave her a confused face. “That isn’t all?” Catherine nodded. “Yes, that isn't all” “Tellthen what she did to you.’ “She tried to kill me.” as the My heart dropped at Catherine's words, a chill running down my spine gravity of her revelation sank in. “What do you mean she tried to kill you?” | asked, my voice barely audible.

Catherine's gaze was filled with pain and fear as she recounted the horrifying ordeal. “It was one night... she cinto my room, and she had this look in her eyes... like she wasn’t herself. She tried to suffocatewith a pillow, Luke. | thought | was going to die.” Shock rippled throughas | turned to my mother, searching for any sign of denial or explanation. But all | found was a haunted expression, her eyes filled with guilt and remorse.

“Mom, is this true?” | asked, my voice trembling with disbelief.

My mother’s hands shook as she struggled to find the right words. “Luke, I... | was going through a really difficult time. | took something. | don’t even remember what it was. But | swear, | would never intentionally hurt Catherine. I love her like my own daughter. | did tell you | was into drugs, right? Yes, that was it. It was what | took that was controlling me. | would never harm my own daughter.” Catherine scoffed, her voice filled with bitterness. “That's a lie, and you know it! You tried to kill me, and now you're trying to cover it up with excuses.

507, TALK THE TALK Tension hung heavy in the air as my mind raced, torn between all these two. Of course, my mother toldshe was an addict. But should | believe that? | mean, | couldn't actually verify that. After what this woman did to me, | couldn’t even trust her words anymore. | didn’t know, but the feeling was just there.

“I don’t know what to believe,” | admitted, my voice heavy with uncertainty.

My mother’s eyes pleaded with me, begging for forgiveness and understanding.” Luke, please. You know | would never intentionally hurt anyone. | was in a dark place, and | made a terrible mistake. But I'm not that person anymore. I've changed, | swear.” “Have you?” | quizzed her, raising an eyebrow. “You know, you still take drugs. So have you changed?” you that “Luke, please. | told you all these things. | changed after what happened to night-the night you were shot. | was broken, and | beca slave to drugs.” “You had to let it take full control of you, huh?” My mother nodded. ‘But Luke. | love Catherine so much. | can’t hurt her.” But Catherine shook her head, her resolve unyielding. “Don’t listen to her, Luke. She’s lying to you. She almost killed me, and she needs to be held accountable for her actions.” Closing my eyes, | took a deep breath.

Memories flooded my mind, swirling aroundlike a turbulent storm. | remembered the countless moments | spent with my mother, when I was just a child . Her laughter echoed through the halls, her warm embrace wrappingiin the sense of security. But amidst those cherished memories lingered a shadow of fear and uncertainty.

The night she had tried to take my life, the terror etched into my soul resurfaced. with haunting clarity. The look in her eyes,devoid of recognition , when she fired a gunshot at me. It was a memory | had tried to bury or forget, but now it loomed beforelike a specter from the past. “Luke.” My mother’s voice broke through the tumult of my thoughts, her tone pleading and desperate.

307: TALK THE TALK 4/4

| opened my eyes to meet her gaze, the weight of her words hanging heavy in the air. Honestly, | was already sick and tired of this scene.

| turned to Catherine. Her tear-stained face was a mirror of my own inner turmoil. | could see the hesitation in her eyes, the struggle to reconcile her pain with the possibility of forgiveness.

“Catherine,” | began, my voice soft yet resolute. “I understand your pain and your anger. But holding on to that hatred will only poison your own heart. Please, for your own sake, consider forgiving our mother.” Catherine's gaze wavered, torn between the desire for retribution and the hope for redemption. | reached out to her, gently taking her hand in mine, willing her to find the strength to let go of the past.

Our mother has made mistakes, grave ones,” | continued, my words a plea for understanding ."But she is still our mother , and she is begging for forgiveness. Can't we find it in our ” hearts to grant her that?”