Forbidden Love [BxB]

Chapter 43

Trigger warning: Suicide scene

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I slowly opened my eyes, feeling teardrops land on my face. I found myself in my mother's arms, my head resting on her lap as she cried.

"Oh God, you're awake!" she sniffled as our eyes met. She wrapped her arms tightly around my torso, pulling me closer. "I'm... s-sorry, my son. I'm sorry you had to witness something so horrible," she sobbed, her tears falling even harder.

I turned my head and took a look at my surroundings as my vision became clear, noticing we were in the basement of the house; two little flickering lightbulbs had lightened the room. The basement looked messy as boxes and piles of old furniture littered the floor. My old bicycle leaned against the far wall, rusted and forgotten. Nearby, my mother's gardening tools were scattered across a workbench, their handles worn from years of use. A few ragged carpets were strewn about, and through a little window facing the yard, I could see it was still night.

"What are we doing here?" I murmured, causing my mother to stop crying for a moment.

"Uh... I don't know..." she replied anxiously, her eyes red and puffy. "He probably thinks I'll run away with you or something..."

I groaned in pain as I tried to sit up, my entire body aching. So, he's holding us captive like animals... I scooted toward the wall and leaned my back against it, feeling the weight of my body. Glancing at my mother, I noticed she was still in her torn nightgown, her hair disheveled, with red marks covering her arms and legs.

"Do you want us to run away?" I asked, thinking it might not be a bad idea. My mother and I could live somewhere far away, without my father.

She looked at me with surprise for a moment; her left cheek was red and swollen. "Running away..." she mumbled, turning her gaze away. "It's pointless since he'll find us in no time..." Tears welled up in her eyes again as she clenched her fists.

"I can't believe how much he's changed... in just a month after I caught him red-handed!..." She cried, hugging her knees. "How shameless he is to do something like that at his son's birthday party without even regretting it! I loved him with all my heart... and he... he just r-ra—" Not finishing her sentence, she rested her forehead over her knees; her sobs grew louder. "Even that girl... After everything I've done for her, she still betrayed me..."

Her cries echoed through the basement while I sat still, unsure of how to respond. What should I do to calm her down?... How can I console her?...

"Why would this happen to me? I've always lived sincerely, been kind to everyone..." She broke down, tears streaming uncontrollably.

I felt suffocated, unable to make sense of my own emotions as if a heavy weight had pressed on my chest; my head ached, her wails piercing my ears.

I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my elbows on them, and covered my ears with my hands, gritting my teeth. Stop it... I closed my eyes, frowning. I hate this feeling... Reminiscing about what happened before I lost consciousness only made the pain worse. It hurts... My head... My heart... My body...

"Stop crying! I don't want to hear it!"

I yelled, my eyes snapping open as I stared at her, causing my mother to raise her head and look at me, startled.

We locked eyes for a few seconds, neither of us speaking. I was just as shocked by my outburst. "I'm sorry, Mother. I didn't mean to yell..." I muttered anxiously, noticing a flicker of sadness, confusion, and fear in her eyes.

Mother quietly wiped away her tears as she got up from the floor. She then walked toward the white door in the corner of the basement that led to the bathroom. "Parsa, you sometimes..." She paused, her voice lowering to a barely audible mumble. "Look like your father."