Redress (gxg)

Epilogue

Two Months Later

It was a new feeling for Lauren to sit and look at the guy who she hated for a long time. A year had already passed by since she saw him, but she still couldn't bare to look at him without remembering what he had done to her. For her, he was always going to be the guy who abused her mentally and emotionally, and the guy who made her questioned her self worth. She had a rough time with him, and until now, she still hadn't gotten over the trauma he had given her. The only true reason she came to see him was to offer her condolences, out of respect, even when his family didn't deserve it.

"It's good to see you, Lauren," he mumbled reluctantly, plastering a small smile that made Lauren feeling uncomfortable.

"I'm afraid I can't say the same Ethan," she responded straightforwardly, making him nod in understanding, "I'm here to offer my condolences. I'm sorry about your father."

He subtly shrugged, "He made an enemy out of Alex. He had it coming...but thank you for saying that, and for coming here."

"How do you feel about it?" Lauren needed to ask. After how Clifford had treated him, it wasn't surprising if he held a grudge against his father.

"Honestly? I don't know..." he trailed off, averting his gaze, making her think he wasn't telling the truth.

"And how do you feel about the person who killed him?" she questioned, remembering how Alex shot Clifford to death.

"I hate her for what she did," Ethan answered, "he was still my father even if he didn't act like one, but I couldn't blame her though...Dad had hurt her."

Lauren slowly nodded, "Yeah. You know what kind of person your dad was."

Ethan chuckled, "Trust me I know, and it's ironic how I almost became like him."

"You were like him," Lauren corrected, causing Ethan to chuckle awkwardly.

"You're right...I guess was like him..." he affirmed, looking serious eventually, "I have hurt and killed people, because of him. I was so caught up in making him proud that I did terrible things."

"But that's not an excuse..."

"I know, and I regret everything...To tell you honestly, I'm glad you came, Lauren...so I could personally say how sorry I am for everything I've done to you. I mistreated you, and you didn't deserve it," he said, taking her by surprise. She didn't expect he could say sorry that easily.

"Thank you...but I don't think I can forgive you right now, Ethan. What you did, it was...painful," Lauren mumbled, clenching her jaw briefly to stop herself from thinking about the past.

"No, no, I'm saying sorry to you not because I want your forgiveness. I'm saying sorry because it is what you deserve after I abused you," Ethan explained, and Lauren was safe to admit that she was a bit moved by his apology. He seemed sincere, and genuine.

If he wasn't faking it, the Ethan now was different from the Ethan then. He was far from the conceited and selfish bastard he was before, and she could admit, she was surprised, yet glad at the same time that he decided to change for the better. She didn't want to deal with another Clifford Coldwell in the future.

"You've changed," Lauren commented, making Ethan smile.

"I guess I did. I had a lot of free time here to reflect on things, and...there's no Clifford here who would tell me what I should and shouldn't do...and you know what, I may be in prison right now, but I feel like I'm more free here than I was before," he mumbled, chuckling. "...I'm more me here than I was outside," he said, his face had lit up.