The morning light, edging toward noon, slipped through the thin gaps of the sheer white curtains, dancing across the smooth, white-painted cement walls, casting soft patterns that swayed with the gentle breeze from outside. Vanessa opened her eyes slowly, her eyelids heavy, as if still caught in the haze of a fading dream. The pain in her abdomen, from a wound yet to heal, stabbed like a knife whenever she tried to shift her body on the plush mattress that cradled her. The crisp scent of the air conditioner mingled with a faint hint of lavender from an aromatherapy candle flickering in the corner, stirring vague memories of her childhood home. Beside the bed, Raven sat leaning against the headboard, an old book with a worn leather cover open in his hands. He was engrossed in his reading, his brow slightly furrowed, his lips moving faintly as if whispering the words to himself. The sunlight filtering in framed his face, highlighting the fine lines at the corners of his eyes, which now seemed more alive, freer than ever before.
Vanessa glanced around, her eyes tracing the familiar room. The clean white cement walls were adorned with a simple framed photo in one corner, capturing a moment from her childhood,her younger self beaming beside her mother, who held her close. A small table by the large window held a glass vase filled with freshly bloomed white lilies, their sweet fragrance faintly lingering in the air, mingling with the breeze from the city outside. Beyond the window, towering skyscrapers stood majestically, their glass panes reflecting the sunlight like giant mirrors, interspersed with rows of modern houses bustling with the ceaseless rhythm of urban life. The distant sound of car horns drifted in, blending with the chirping of birds perched on a neighbor's rooftop, creating a familiar city symphony. This wasn't just any place. "This… is my old room?" Vanessa murmured, her voice hoarse, as if unable to believe she was back in the space that had witnessed her childhood laughter and tears.
Raven looked up, her murmur breaking his focus. He closed his book carefully, his fingers brushing the leather cover as if honoring every page he'd read. He smiled softly, his eyes radiating a warmth Vanessa remembered from the early days of their marriage, when their love was young and full of hope. "Are you okay?" he asked, his tone gentle but laced with concern, like someone afraid of losing what mattered most.
Vanessa didn't answer right away. Her gaze studied Raven, searching for traces of the scars from the past that had once made him seem like a shadow. His clothes were now clean, his white shirt neatly rolled up at the sleeves, revealing strong arms marked with faint scars, like a map of unspoken suffering. His face. Oh, his face,was no longer pale as it had been, when he resembled a ghost trapped in torment. Now, there was a spark in his eyes, as if the weight of the world that had imprisoned him had vanished. "I'm fine, but… you're really free, aren't you?" Vanessa said, a faint smile curving her lips, though the pain in her abdomen made her wince. Her hand rose, trembling from weakness but resolute, as she brushed Raven's cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin, a quiet proof that this man had truly returned to her.
Raven froze for a moment, his eyes meeting hers with a mix of gratitude and regret. "Yes… thanks to you," he said, his voice almost a whisper, brimming with heartfelt gratitude, as if Vanessa were the sole reason he could still breathe.
But Vanessa's hand shifted, her fingertips grazing Raven's ear. Her eyes narrowed, her expression turning from tender to irritated, as if years of pent-up anger peeked through her smile. "You need to explain everything, Raven. EVERYTHING," she pressed, her fingers pinching his ear hard, though her weakened state softened the gesture.
"Ow, okay, okay, I'll tell you, haha!" Raven winced, his hand trying to ease her grip, which, though weaker than usual, still stung. His laugh was awkward, but there was relief in his eyes, as if seeing Vanessa's fiery spirit brought back memories of their vibrant past. "You're still so fierce, even lying there like this," he added, trying to lighten the mood with a playful tone.
Suddenly, the soft sound of footsteps,almost inaudible, echoed from the doorway, breaking the tension. A woman entered, her movements graceful as flowing water, her simple yet elegant attire accented by a soft silk scarf around her neck. "Well, isn't this romantic…" she teased, her voice warm with a mother's affection.
"Mom!" Vanessa exclaimed, releasing Raven's ear. She remained in bed, unable to sit up due to the pain in her abdomen, but her eyes sparkled at the sight of Melody, her mother, standing in the doorway. "You're really here?" Her voice was filled with surprise and longing, as if years of separation melted away in that moment.
Melody smiled warmly, approaching the bed with swift but gentle steps. "Of course, my dear. Still pinching people, I see?" she said, playfully tickling Vanessa's nose, making her chuckle despite the pain. "You know I'm hurt, and you're still teasing me!" Vanessa retorted, feigning a pout, but her smile widened, reflecting a joy she hadn't felt in years.
Vanessa hugged Melody as best she could from her position, her trembling arms full of love as she embraced her mother. The scent of fresh flowers and spices from Melody's clothes transported Vanessa back to her childhood, to nights when her mother sat by her bedside, weaving tales of adventure and hope. The comfort was so overwhelming that Vanessa felt her eyelids grow heavy, as if lulled back to sleep by her mother's presence.
Melody gently released the embrace, her eyes soft but tinged with deep concern. "Rest now, sweetheart. You're not fully healed yet," she said softly, her tone firm yet tender. She glanced at Raven, her eyebrow raised in a silent warning. "And you, don't tell her anything yet. Let her recover." Raven nodded slightly, though Vanessa shot him a fiery glare that could burn through walls.
Melody kissed Vanessa's forehead, her touch gentle but full of love, like a promise that she'd always be there for her daughter. Then, she turned and left the room with the same graceful steps, leaving behind a faint floral scent that lingered in the air. The door closed softly, leaving Vanessa and Raven in a tense silence, accompanied only by the faint hum of the air conditioner in the corner.
Vanessa didn't waste a moment. She turned to Raven, her eyes demanding, piercing through the walls he'd built to hide his secrets. "What have you been hiding all this time, Raven? Tell me now," she said, her voice firm despite her weakness, filled with unshakable resolve.
Raven smiled, but a shadow of sorrow crossed his face, like a dark cloud passing over the sun. He took a deep breath, as if preparing to unearth wounds he'd buried deep. The room's atmosphere grew heavier, the sunlight filtering through the window now seeming pale, as if the shadows in the corners were listening, waiting for the truth to unfold. "Alright," he said, his voice low and trembling, thick with suppressed emotion. He moved closer to the bed, his hand gently holding Vanessa's, his fingers gripping tightly as if drawing strength from her touch.
Raven began slowly, his voice soft, as if unraveling a tangled thread, each word chosen with care to avoid crumbling under the weight of his emotions. "I… am not Sylviana's son," he said, his voice nearly breaking, as if speaking the truth reopened a wound that had never healed. Vanessa furrowed her brow, 'Sylviana isn't his mother? Then who raised him?' she thought, her heart beating faster, unprepared for what was to come.
"My real mother was my father's lawful wife, while Sylviana was nothing to us. She had no connection to my father or our family; she was just a stranger," Raven continued, pausing to draw a breath, his eyes staring blankly at the wall as if reliving his dark childhood. "When I was eight, everything changed. Sylviana came like a shadow, creeping into our lives uninvited, bringing darkness I never wanted."
"Sylviana deceived my aging father," he said, his voice growing heavier, laced with pain that felt almost physical. "She manipulated him with false promises until he believed she was his true wife, the one he'd known for years. In the end, she became his wife without a proper marriage, taking over our lives like a parasite that never relents." Vanessa's breath caught, tears welling in her eyes, but she remained silent, listening with a heart increasingly torn.
"For years, Sylviana used me as an outlet for her anger," Raven went on, his voice now tinged with restrained fury, like a fire smoldering beneath a calm surface. "Every day, I had to obey, following her orders like a puppet, because I had no other choice. She controlled every step I took, crushed every dream I had."
"My real mother had an illness that limited her activities," he said, his eyes reddening, as if the memory of his mother burned his heart from within. "She was frail, Vanessa. And Sylviana knew it, she always threatened my mother's life if I didn't comply. I had to obey, even though every step felt like betraying myself." Vanessa squeezed Raven's hand, 'His mother suffered so much… Raven must have been in agony,' she thought, her heart breaking as she imagined the torment he endured alone.
"I always wanted to save her," Raven continued, his voice trembling, heavy with regret and guilt that never faded. "But my father's actions, in his old age, always stood in the way. He was thirty years older than my mother. Why she married him… it's still a mystery to me, perhaps a deeper secret I'll never know."
"Sylviana also forced me to sleep with another woman, not you," he said, his voice barely audible, laden with pain that seemed to pierce his chest. "Because of that… I have a child out of wedlock. It wasn't my choice; it was coercion, Vanessa, I swear."
"Sylviana wanted to turn me into a money-making puppet," he continued, his voice breaking, as if each word was a burden he struggled to release. "That child… she sold them to a wealthy family outside the city, like some worthless commodity, as if I were nothing but a tool to her."
"The child's mother was killed, deemed useless by her," Raven added, tears finally spilling from the corners of his eyes, streaking his pale cheeks. "I don't know what's become of my child now; I tried to find out, but Sylviana always blocked every path, as if she wanted to ensure I'd never find hope."
"I kept all this from you, Vanessa," Raven said, his voice thick with deep regret, his eyes pleading for forgiveness. "Because I knew your impulsive nature. If you'd known, you'd have confronted her directly, and that could've endangered us all. I couldn't bear to lose you."
"I know you suffered when I left you alone, driven mad by loneliness," he continued, his voice now heavy with guilt that seemed to choke him. "But I was powerless. I was trapped, Vanessa, like a bird in a cage that never saw the sun."
Raven bowed his head, tears soaking the white bedsheet, each drop carrying the weight of years of buried pain. "I owe you my life. You saved me and my mother from Sylviana's grip after all this time. Thank you… truly, thank you," he said, his voice breaking, filled with relief mingled with wounds still raw.
Vanessa could no longer hold back. She opened her arms wide, pulling Raven's body into an embrace as best she could from her position, as if trying to erase the pain he'd borne alone. Her body trembled from the pain, but her hug was full of love, like a mother shielding her child from a cruel world. "Good boy," she whispered, her voice soft yet strong, as if reassuring Raven that he was no longer alone.
Raven returned her embrace, his head resting on her shoulder, his breath hitching with suppressed sobs. For the first time in years, he felt at peace, as if Vanessa's embrace was the harbor he'd sought amidst a storm. In this room, filled with Vanessa's childhood memories, the darkness of their past seemed to fade, replaced by a glimmer of warm hope.
Vanessa took a slow breath, her eyes gazing at the pristine white ceiling, where shadows of their shared past seemed to dance. "We're lucky, Raven," she whispered, her voice soft but resolute, like someone who'd rediscovered a reason to endure. "We've loved each other since we were young. That's what kept us going until now."
After that, they talked for a while longer, their voices occasionally interrupted by soft laughter or meaningful silences. Vanessa, though weak, listened intently to every word Raven spoke, her eyes full of care despite her drooping eyelids. Raven spoke openly, as if trying to make up for the years he'd spent in silence, each word lifting a weight from his shoulders. But as the sunlight shifted toward the afternoon, casting a soft orange glow across the room's walls, Vanessa grew visibly tired. Her eyelids grew heavier, her breathing slower. Raven noticed, gently pulling back from her embrace. "You need to sleep now, Vanessa. Get some rest," he said softly, his tone firm yet caring. Vanessa nodded weakly, her eyes already half-closed. Soon, her breathing steadied, and she slipped into a deep, peaceful sleep, her face serene as if freed from her burdens for the first time.
Raven rose from the bed, his steps quiet to avoid disturbing her. He walked to the door, leaving the room carefully, as if preserving the newfound tranquility. In the living room, he found Melody arranging white lilies in a glass vase on the dining table. The afternoon light streaming through the window framed her face, highlighting the fine lines at the corners of her wise, loving eyes. "I'm stepping out for a bit," Raven said, his voice low, almost a whisper, as if reluctant to disrupt the house's calm. Melody nodded, her eyes understanding but tinged with a flicker of worry, as if she sensed Raven carried more secrets behind his calm facade.
Outside, the city air was cool, brushing against Raven's skin with a breeze carrying the scent of asphalt and gasoline from the bustling streets. The evening sky glowed red on the western horizon, reflecting off the towering skyscrapers that stood like silent giants, their glass windows glinting in the fading light. The hum of car horns and the rumble of engines mingled with the footsteps of hurried pedestrians, creating the city's unrelenting rhythm. Raven paused on the sidewalk, his face,warm and open moments ago with Vanessa, now transformed. His eyes hardened, his expression turned cold and flat, as if the friendly mask he'd worn inside had fallen, revealing a darker side fueled by vengeance. He pulled his phone from his jacket pocket, his fingers swiftly dialing a number he knew by heart, his movements mechanical, like someone trained to hide their true emotions.
"How's her condition?" Raven asked, his voice flat, devoid of emotion, like ice frozen beneath a calm surface.
"She's awake, sir. Screaming for help," came the reply from the other end, the man's voice rough but obedient, as if fearful of the one he called "sir."
"Hm. Then… put the phone to her ear," Raven said, his tone laced with cold mockery, like someone relishing newfound power.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the phone, followed by the frantic screams of an elderly woman, her voice hoarse with terror, like a trapped animal. Raven didn't flinch, his face as cold as stone, his eyes staring blankly at the busy street, as if her cries were mere background noise. "Behave! He wants to talk to you!" the man on the phone snapped at the woman, his voice sharp with menace.
Her screams abruptly stopped, replaced by choked sobs filled with desperation. "Ra-Raven! Please, get me out of this torment… please!" the elderly woman's voice trembled, raw with fear.
"Heh, Sylviana…" Raven let out a small, mocking chuckle, his tone dripping with disdain, like a predator toying with its prey. "You think I'm that weak? Hold on a little longer, will you? I guarantee, within a year, you'll be gone soon enough."
"Argh! You ungrateful child! I'm the one who raised you—" Sylviana shouted, her voice a mix of rage and despair, grasping for any leverage.
"Shut up," Raven cut in, his voice calm but sharp as a blade, slicing through her defiance. Sylviana fell silent, fear overtaking her voice, as if realizing she had no power left.
"What you're going through is nothing compared to what I endured," Raven continued, his voice icy, each word deliberate and unyielding. "And… trust me, Sylviana, my mother will recover soon. And you'll be the first person she comes for." He hung up without waiting for a reply, slipping the phone back into his pocket with controlled precision, as if completing a long-planned task.
Raven stood still for a moment, lost in thought under the darkening evening sky. Vanessa's words from earlier echoed in his mind: "You're really free, aren't you?" He smiled faintly, but a shadow lingered in his eyes, as if the freedom she spoke of was still out of reach. "Haa, things are bound to get complicated from here," he muttered, pulling a cigarette from his jacket. He lit it, taking a slow drag, the thin white smoke curling into the cold air as he walked away, blending into the city's relentless pulse.