The next week passed by in a blur of stress , worry and my shoot for the vedio .
There was barely enough time to see my husband.
Slowly I had already forgotten my encounter with Seymore .
I felt like a parrot reading through a script as each time I would describe my days I had spent with my father .
At times I would wonder if all those things had really happened or if my mind had been broken in the midway so I could no longer remember those things the right way .
Jasper , however, was handling matter way better than I was . Although most of his medical charts were cleaned up by my father , we still found some witnesses among the servants .
The vedios that Rupert Hunter had mentioned to me earlier , they were never found .
A part of me had hoped that like my vedios , there would be also some evidence of the tortures my brother had faced .
But there were no traces .
Nor there was traces of the abuse my mother had faced.
Most of the witnesses had either disappeared or died in some way .
Only me and my brother remained with a mother whose mind was lost forever .
The nights of pain ,beating and all those fears - they were buried somewhere we could never find out .
It was Saturday, when I and my brother was leaving the court when my father's lawyer approached us .
" Mr. Dane will like to talk with you two ," he informed us .
Honestly, even if the case on my abuse had clear evidence, we were hopeless cause when it came to my brother and mother .
" We do not have time for his nonsense," my brother's grip on my hand was tight . I could sense his fear . He did not want to let me to go him like last time .
For more than fifteen years , Jasper was treated like a dog by my father.. yet he was still worried for my sake .
I could not understand what I had done to deserve his love like this .
" He said that if you two don't co-operate then Ms. Dane might have to face some backlash if her private life is revealed ," the lawyer said .
So he was threatening us with the only card he had in his hand .
My marriage .
I looked at my little brother with a brave smile ," He must be pretty desparate. "
The fear was making it hard for Jasper to even focus on my eyes .
" I have got you ," I told him and then I turned at the lawyer ," Tell him that I would meet him ."
"He knows that already ," he smirked confidently ," You are to meet him at Starlit Restaurant in a hour ."
My father's clutch on me was still there . Even after everything, I could not really escape .
I took in a shaky breath . Even if each cells in my body wanted to crawl away from my father , I could not look small and weak infront of Jayjay .
" I am not letting you meet him like this ," he told me ," Last time he just took you away ."
" Because I let him do that ," I placed my palm on my brother's face ," Jasper , look at me . This is fine. He can not hurt us anymore ."
His dark eyes were wet in tears ," I don't care if he kills me sis . But I can't bear to watch you like that . "
" It's the same for me , I would also die for you and mother ," I smiled at him ," Besides , you are so young . I am already guilty enough to involve you in this. You should be out there enjoying a normal life , studying and having fun with your friends ."
" What about you ? You gave up everything for the family ," he looked at me with eyes full of pain," You got married to save our company. You took in father's wrath for me ."
Again , he was worrying for all the wrong things .
" That's because it will what a family will do ," I told him ," You barely had a childhood Jayjay . You lived like an animal under that monster and I could do nothing about it . I could not protect you in anyway .This time I will do whatever I can ."
" But -"
" No buts ," I slapped on his arm ," Leave already , you are already late for your part time job ."
His eyes widened in anguish and despair," You are going to him ....this time alone again ."
When he said it out loud , I felt the weight heavy on my chest .
It was suffocating . My hands were cold as if the blood in my veins were running away to my heart that had suddenly started to beat loudly again.
I remembered the darkness .
I remembered the towel .
I remembered thinking death was better than living like that .
I remembered thinking how upset I had been that day cause the car had not hit me and I had to keep living again.
I could almost see my past self haunched on the floor of a bathroom trying to breath after my father had drowned me in the water for too long ...
Just the thought walking alone to him , made me feel like I was out of air .
But I could not give my father the pleasure of knowing how much he still weighed on me .
He was just an animal . He did not deserve my fear , he did not deserve my despair .
" We can not possibly waste both of our times in Mr. Dane's nonsense," I smirked at Jasper .
He did not buy it but here , he had no say .