The unknown

Chapter 14

POV Third person

Melanie opened her eyes and found herself sitting on her bed. The house was eerily quiet, devoid of any sounds that usually filled its halls. Glancing around, she reached for her phone on the nightstand, noticing a missed message from her dad.

With trembling hands, she unlocked her phone and read the message.

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Dad

*Hey Mel, I love you, and I will miss you. It feels strange to send you a suicide note, but here I am. Ever since your mother died, I haven't been able to think of anything else. She was my soulmate, and though I tried to stay positive for you two, it's been so hard. I waited until you both became adults, but I can't keep going without her. I'm sorry for lying to you. I never met another woman-I wanted to commit suicide, and I told you and Ivan that I didn't want you in my life so you would hate me. I didn't want you to lose another parent to death. But now, I realize I don't want you to hate me. I love you, Melanie, endlessly, even after I'm gone. I'm sorry, but please try to understand.*

Love, Dad.

---

With every sentence, tears streamed down Melanie's face. She covered her mouth to stifle her sobs, feeling utterly lost. The two people she cared about the most were gone, and she was overwhelmed with anger at her dad for pretending everything was okay. But she knew he had done it for them.

Feeling like an idiot, she checked her messages with Ivan and quickly called him. The phone rang only briefly before someone picked up.

"Hello, Ivan?" Melanie asked, her voice shaky.

"Hey, it's Anna. Ivan doesn't want to talk to anyone right now. He's not doing well," Anna responded softly.

In the background, Melanie could hear Ivan crying loudly, and her heart broke for him. "Please, send him lots of love from his sister," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I will, don't worry. Stay strong," Anna assured her before hanging up.

Melanie buried her face in her pillow and let out the pain she had been holding back.

Meanwhile, Ivan buried his face in his hands, trying to suppress the overwhelming urge to cry and scream. The pain was unbearable, and he felt utterly helpless. Anna, his girlfriend, had just finished the call with his sister, and she returned to sit beside him on the bed.

Without a word, Anna wrapped her arms around Ivan, pulling him close. He hid his face in her neck, his body shaking with sobs that he couldn't control.

"You'll get through this," Anna whispered, gently stroking his hair.

"I'm useless, Anna," Ivan muttered, his voice muffled against her neck. "I left them to be successful, and now look at what happened."

"Don't say that," Anna responded firmly. "You wanted to make him proud, and you did. Trust me."

Ivan lifted his tear-streaked face, but before he could say anything more, Anna cut him off.

"Baby you'll get through this, he loved you and still does" she soothed, pressing his head back to her shoulder.

Ivan thought he had no more tears left, but he was wrong. They kept coming, and Anna held him, comforting him until he finally fell asleep on her shoulder.

While Melanie's brother is in New York getting comforted by his girlfriend Melanie stands in the bathroom, washing her face in a futile attempt to hide the redness and tears. She stared at herself in the mirror, unable to look away from the reflection that reminded her so much of her father. People had always told her she resembled him, and now, she wished she didn't. The sight of her own face felt unbearable.