Derek walked into the house, his eyes fixed on the woman sitting on the couch. She looked up at him, her expression curious.
"I came by to visit you after you left home," she said, her voice neutral. "But I never thought you'd bother to visit me."
Derek felt a pang of guilt, knowing that he and his mother weren't exactly close. They didn't have the best relationship, and he often found himself avoiding her.
"Why are you here?" Derek asked, his voice direct. His mother leaned back in her chair, a small smile playing on her lips. "I heard you had a visitor earlier. A young lady, I presume?"
Derek's eyes narrowed, unsure where this conversation was going. "What about it?" he asked, his voice cautious.
His mother's smile grew wider. "I'm curious about her. Who is she to you?"
Derek hesitated, unsure how much he wanted to reveal. "She's just a friend," he said, brushing her off.
His mother raised an eyebrow but didn't press the issue. "Mom, can I ask you something?" Derek said, changing the subject.
His mother nodded, her expression neutral. "Of course, dear. What is it?"
Derek took a deep breath. "I've heard people call father a killer. Who did he kill?"
His mother's expression changed, and she looked surprised that Derek was asking her about this. "Your father was deeply in love with a woman named Allison," she began. "She was kind and gentle, and your father was consumed by his love for her. But she was married to another man, Christopher, "
Derek's eyes widened as he listened, his mind racing with questions.
"When Allison sacrificed her life for her daughter, your father was devastated," his mother continued. "He was already broken-hearted from their breakup, and Allison's death pushed him over the edge. He became consumed by anger and a thirst for revenge."
Derek felt a chill run down his spine as he listened. "He killed Christopher," his mother said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He was so broken and angry that he let his emotions consume him, and he took out his rage on the man who had been with Allison."
Derek's eyes widened in shock. "And then what happened?" he asked.
His mother's voice was laced with pain. "Your father was overcome with guilt and grief. He couldn't live with what he had done, and he took his own life."
Derek felt a wave of emotions wash over him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"How do you know all this?" Derek asked, his voice shaking.
His mother's expression was haunted. "I was there," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "I went to stop him from making a mistake, but he did it anyway. I had to hold him and watch him die."
Derek's eyes locked onto his mother's, his mind racing with questions. "What did he say to you?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
His mother's eyes filled with tears. "As he lay dying in my arms, his final words were... 'Make the prophecy happen.' And I, I swore to myself that I would not only fulfill his wish but also make the Evermore family pay for taking away my husband, the man I loved so much. Your father was so focused on Allison that he didn't even look my way, and for making my husband die as a villain and for taking him away from me so early, I swore to make their family pay."
Derek felt a chill run down his spine as he listened to his mother's words. He couldn't believe the depth of her anger and resentment towards the Evermore family.
"What's the prophecy?" Derek asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
His mother's expression turned mysterious, and she shook her head. "I don't know," she replied. "But we'll find out soon enough."
Derek's eyes narrowed, his mind whirling with possibilities. He wanted to know more, but his mother's expression told him that she wasn't going to reveal anything else.
"Come, dear," his mother said, standing up. "I'll fix us dinner."
Derek shook his head, feeling overwhelmed by the revelations. "Not hungry," he said, retreating to his room, leaving his mother alone in the kitchen.
As he closed the door behind him, he couldn't shake off the feeling that his life was about to change in ways he couldn't even imagine. The prophecy, his father's death, and his mother's quest for revenge all swirled together in his mind, creating a tangled web of questions and uncertainties.