BETWEEN LOVE AND LIES || JAESAHI

CHAPTER XXIII

**WARNING: This chapter contains a very sensitive topic. Please skip this part if you started to feel uncomfortable while reading it.**

That night, Arthur was in his room. He was keeping himself  occupied by drawing some art that he would give to Kevin before they leave the house and the town. Arthur had a hard time sketching Kevin's face because everytime he would look at him and Kevin's picture together, tears would always wanted to come out. He was not doing it for a present, but he was doing it as his way of saying goodbye. And that thought alone  hurt his heart. Arthur was supposed to draw a line but he couldn't find his ruler, he suddenly remembered his dad borrowed it last night so with a drawing pencil on his hand, Arthur stood up and went to his dad's office to get it. Arthur knocked on the door three times but his dad didn't answer. Arthur furrowed his eyebrows. Maybe he fell asleep, he thought. Arthur gently opened the door and the sight he saw inside the room would  etched in his mind and in his heart forever.

Arthur saw his father's lifeless body lying on the carpet floor, blood was spilling out of his left arm. He immediately ran to his father and drop the pencil on the pool of blood beside his dad's arm, Arthur grabbed his father, crying for help. His mom and his sister immediately went inside the room, horror was plastered on their faces. Cries and howls can be heard inside the room, Arthur's sister was about to call an ambulance but Arthur stopped him.

"Please don't, help me carry dad in the car. We'll drove him in the hospital." Arthur sobbed, he wished it was all just a dream.

"Are you for fucking real?! You cannot drive at your state and dad needs to be treated immediately!"

"I don't have time to explain please help me. We are going to bring dad in the hospital. Or else we are all going to die. Ma, please." Arthur's vision were blurry out of so much tears while lifting his dad up, his mom helped him carried his dad and his sister rushed to help also. They quickly put him inside the car and Arthur's sister stopped Arthur.

"I'll drive go help mom."

Arthur willingly obliged and went inside beside his dad, holding his bleeding arm in hope to stopped the bleeding, his mom was silently crying beside his dad. It felt like forever to arrived in the hospital and when they did, they immediately rushed out and asked for help. But it was already too late, Arthur's dad was long gone before they even brought him to the hospital. The family was in so much distress and pain. Arthur slumped on the hospital floor, unable to process what the doctor just said, but when realization hits him, he bawled his heart out. Arthur lay down on the hospital floor and hugged his knees, silently crying. His sister and mom's cry are the only noises that can be heard in the hospital corridor, and Arthur's heart broke into million pieces. The pain was too much that tears are not enough to express how broken and shattered he was inside. Arthur gripped his chest and shut his eyes hard, wishing the pain to subside, wishing that it was all just a dream. In an instance, Arthur lost his dad, his anchor, his greatest confidant, his idol, his inspiration, and the one who promised that will protect him and their family at all cost. Suddenly, Del Valle family lost their everything, and their future shattered.

Arthur, his mom and his sister was sitting on the bench, hugging each other while waiting for their loved one to be out of the morgue. They held each other trying to find comfort with the gestures, trying to find hope in their seemingly hopeless family. The doctor finally get out and handled them a note that the he found on Mr. Del Valle's pocket. They stared at each other and read the note with their eyes.

My loves,

I'm sorry I had to leave early. I'm sorry for causing you this so much pain, but it is the only way I know just to keep all of you safe. I'll forever regret what I'm about to do, but I'm hoping that someday, you'll find in your heart to forgive me. Please don't let anyone know what happened to me. I know I'm causing you a lot of pain right now and I will never forgive myself for that. Please do me one last favor and mourn silently for me, bring me in my parent's hometown and bury me there. I am not there to protect you anymore and it's for your own sake. You can find a brown box at my office under the table and you will know everything there. I'm sorry for keeping it as a secret to all of you for so long. Remember that I always love the three of you, and that I am forever grateful that God brought all of you into my life. I had the best 54 years of my life because of you, and I will never forget that.

Love,

Dad.