Chapter 139: Still Silence
Melanie stilled, her breath catching as the weight of Saira’s words settled in her chest. Had she heard correctly? This woman—this same woman who had boldly claimed that Adam would eventually come back to her—was now saying that he had...ra*ed her? Her mind reeled, struggling to grasp the meaning behind the confession. What kind of twisted story was this?
Before she could even begin to process it, let alone form a coherent response, Saira continued, her voice dropping to a whisper, so soft it was almost swallowed by the silence.
"I know it must sound unbelievable to you," she said, eyes downcast, fingers twisting the edge of her sleeve. "But Adam... he really was obsessed with me. After everything happened—after that night—he came to me, tried to console me, acted like he was sorry. He even apologized, over and over, and I... I forgave him. Because despite all of it, despite how broken I felt, I still loved him. I know how foolish that must sound, but it’s the truth."
Saira hesitated then, as if gathering the strength to share the next part.
"And then I found out I was pregnant."
Melanie’s heart dropped.
"Adam was getting ready to leave for university, so I didn’t tell him at first. I didn’t want to ruin his future. But when my mother found out, she blamed me. Said I must have done something to trap him, to bring shame on their family. I was broken! My own mother believed in him. I tried to carry that burden for a while, tried to protect everyone, but eventually... I couldn’t bear the shame anymore. So I confessed. I told my mother everything."
This time, Saira’s voice cracked, and a guttural sob tore from her throat as she buried her face in her hands, her shoulders trembling with the force of her grief.
Sir Collins, who had been silent all this time, finally moved. His deep sigh filled the space and he looked at Saira with an expression of sorrow and regret.
"This," he said slowly, "this was the reason my wife and son cast Adam out of the house all those years ago. They believed that he no longer deserved to carry our name. That what he had done... was beyond forgiveness."
He paused, his eyes darkening as memories resurfaced, then continued.