In early morning, as I descended the stairs，I found myself staring, momentarily stunned, at a figure seated on the sofa.
The man turned his side to me and smiled. "You're up?"
"Why are you here?" I asked.
It had been years since I last saw Rex. Once, I regarded him as a brother.
He rose to his feet. "I heard Mr. Taylor hasn't been well lately, so I came to check on him."
He seemed much more mature now, trading his flamboyant attire for formal wear. The hint of mischief that once lingered about him was gone.
"I'll have Mrs. Taylor take you upstairs," he said, stepping towards me.
"Aren't you going to take me yourself?" I stepped back.
Just then, Evan entered with the doctor. Catching sight of Rex from the corner of his eye, Evan's gaze darkened instantly, his fists clenching.
Confused, I noted this unfamiliar side of Evan I'd never seen before. But when he noticed me watching, he returned to his usual composure, unzipping a bag to reveal a pair of white slippers. "
"I passed by a supermarket on the way to fetch the doctor. I picked these soft slippers for you. Try them on." Soft shoes were best for my twisted ankle.
He knelt down, gesturing for me to sit so he could change my shoes. My stepmother approached, clearing the teacups from the table and teasing, "What a loving couple you two are."
"I can do it myself," I muttered, my mind revisiting Evan's look towards Rex. Glancing at Evan, I wondered if there was some unresolved tension between them.
Rex stayed in Dad's room for nearly an hour before coming downstairs. His gaze swept over me and finally landed on Evan.
"Shall we have a talk?"
"Let's talk outside," Evan replied, leading the way to the courtyard.
I couldn't fathom their conversation. In my memory, they barely interacted. Yet, the animosity between them was palpable.
I recalled Rex visiting me once in college where he met Evan. Evan didn't engage much and left for the library. Had they ever met since then?
Nathan ran up with a ball, looking up at me. "Sis, can you play soccer with me?"
I nodded. "Sure."
When the ball flew towards where Rex and Evan were talking, I went to retrieve it.
"I've heard you haven't been treating Hannah well these past years," Rex said.
"You are an outsider. You have no right to comment on our marriage," Evan retorted.
"No right? If it weren't for your interference, she would have married me."
"She wouldn't have married you. It was clear to everyone she saw you as a brother, nothing more."
"She did fancy you, but what did you give her? Endless coldness? Pain? I wouldn't have let her suffer."
"Do you think I wanted this? If not for your madness, threatening me and then pressuring my father to accept this marriage, I won't struggle in conflicts either. I felt anguish and love to her,causing her much pain. On one side, the love of my life; on the other, the father who raised me. How could I choose without a guilty conscience?"
Rex fell silent for a long while before I heard his chilling words. "I'm sorry. If we had known you wouldn't let her go, we wouldn't have pushed so hard."
"Huh, Does a mere 'sorry' solve the problem. Do you think my father can come back to life with a simple apology?"
The football slipped from my hands with a thud. Both men turned their head. They were startled at my sight.
"When did you get here, Hannah?" Their eyes flickered with a momentary panick.
"What were you talking about?" I felt a chill seep through me, as if submerged in icy water.
I stared at Evan. "What do you mean, 'Dad can come back to life?' Rex, what did you do to Evan's father? No, what did you all do?"
"Who else could it be beside you?" I demanded.
"What are you hiding from me?"
Intuitively, I felt the truth behind the fact would be unbearable, yet I had to confront it. Evan never spoke of his father before, always becoming impatient when I inquired.
Evan gently pressed on my shoulders. "Don't get upset. When you're calmer, I'll explain everything."
"I need to know now, please tell me," I pleaded.
Rex spoke up. "I'm sorry, Hannah. I liked you for a long time, but you only saw me as a brother. You fell for Evan. I was young and arrogant, believing he wasn't good enough for you. So, I bribed him to stay away from you, but he refused every cent, telling me to stop these childish games. It was ironic. What gave him the right to defy me? I grew furious and had him beaten. Yet, he still didn't leave you. Infuriated, I learned about his father working in this city and had him severely beaten. I did it all because I couldn't make Evan stay away from you."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I slapped Rex across the face. "Monster."
Rex’s cheek twitched. "I'm sorry, Hannah. I deserve however many slaps it takes for you to feel better."
"Striking you would only make my hands as dirty as you," I spat. "You're inhumane. Didn't you know, it wasn't Evan not staying away, it was me drawn to him."
"You beat him, then savagely attacked his father. Why didn't you just kill me?"
"Calm down, Hannah," Rex implored.
"Get out, I don't want to see you again," I hissed.
"You can hate me. For years, knowing Evan distanced himself because of his father, I was consumed with guilt. I destroyed your happiness with my own hands, but I dared not tell you. I knew once you learned the truth, you'd despise me. It's better this way. I'm at peace now. I was wrong, and I'll bear the consequences. I hope you two won't hurt each other anymore. Be happy together."
"Wait," I interrupted. "You said 'we.' Who else was involved?"
"No one else, just me. You misunderstood," Rex corrected.
I scoffed. "Believe it or not, I know who is involved whether you told me or not."
Rex turned back. "It was just me, don't speculate further."
He glanced pleadingly at Evan, who nodded in agreement. "There was no one else."
How I wished Evan was telling the truth, that there was no one else. But I couldn't have misheard.
Evan loved me deeply, wanting to protect me from digging further into the truth. "It was my father, wasn't it? Your joint plan to harm Evan's father to make him hate me.
"Dad always liked you. More than once, he hinted that as childhood sweethearts, he'd be at ease if I ended up with you."
Silence greeted my revelation.
The truth, when uncovered, was bloody and raw.
