Secrets Hidden Within: The Unexpected Betrayal

Chapter 20: The Unveiling

Luke stared out of the window of Zack's apartment, the city lights twinkling like distant stars. It had been days since he'd discarded his phone, a necessary move to stay hidden. He knew his family would be searching for him, using every possible means to find him. Bridget had always been clever, resourceful—there was no doubt she was doing everything in her power to track him. But he had made sure to stay off the grid, cutting all ties, including the one thing they could use to find him—his phone.
Zack paced the room, worry etched deep in his features. "You sure about this, Luke? You know they'll come looking here eventually."Luke ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing. "I know. But I can't keep running forever. At some point, I have to face them. And... I have to face him."Zack stopped, turning to him. "Chris?"Luke nodded. "I need to know why he did what he did. I need to hear it from him."
Meanwhile, back at the Ross mansion, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Chris sat in his study, his hands trembling slightly as he nursed a glass of whiskey. Across from him, Roxanne and Bridget sat in silence, both of them watching him with worried eyes.Bridget had been relentlessly trying to track Luke's whereabouts, but her efforts had led to dead ends. The phone signal they had been tracing had gone dark days ago, and now they were left with nothing but uncertainty. "Where could he have gone?" Bridget muttered, frustration edging her voice. "We had his location, and then suddenly... nothing. It's like he disappeared off the face of the Earth. I just don't get it. Why would he even run away in the first place? What could have happened that made him do so? He was recovering just fine though..." Chris's grip on his glass tightened, his knuckles white. He hadn't spoken much in the past few days, the guilt weighing heavily on him. But now, with the family unraveling, the time for silence had passed. There was something he needed to confess, something that could no longer stay hidden.
"Bridget... Roxanne," Chris began, his voice hoarse. Both women turned to him, sensing the gravity in his tone. "There's something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you a long time ago." Roxanne's brow furrowed. "Chris, what is it? What aren't you telling us?"He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before speaking again. "It's about Tyler."The mention of Tyler's name caused an immediate reaction. Bridget's face twisted in confusion, while Roxanne sat up straighter, her eyes wide with shock. They had both mourned Tyler for years, accepting that he was gone, lost in an accident that had shattered their family. But the way Chris said his name now—it was as if the story they had been told wasn't the full truth."What about Tyler?" Bridget asked, her voice sharp with suspicion.Chris swallowed hard, the words sticking in his throat. "He's alive." The room went still, the silence so thick it was almost suffocating. Roxanne's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes welling with tears. "What...? Chris, what are you saying?" Bridget's jaw clenched, her voice trembling. "You're telling us Tyler is alive? All this time? Why... why would you keep that from us?"Chris looked at his daughter, the shame evident in his eyes. "I thought I was doing the right thing. After the accident, Tyler... he was in a coma, and the doctors weren't sure if he'd ever wake up. I made the decision to keep it quiet, to protect you both from the pain of not knowing. I didn't want you to suffer through years of uncertainty.""You lied to us," Bridget whispered, her voice filled with betrayal. "You made us believe he was dead. All these years I have watched you be nothing but cruel towards  Luke blaming him for a death that never even happened.....You watched me grieve my brother, spent countless days awake unable to sleep, crying and.....what?? All that in the name of protecting our feelings!? You beat him up, shunned Luke like he is not even your biological son.....how could you daddy? "
Roxanne's tears flowed freely now, her hands shaking as she tried to process the revelation. "Where is he, Chris? Where's our son?"Chris hung his head, the weight of his decisions pressing down on him. "He's being cared for in a private facility, far from here. I made sure he was looked after, that he had the best care. But I kept it from you... I thought it was better this way.""Better?" Bridget snapped, standing from her chair, her face flushed with anger. "You think this is better? You think lying to us for years, making us grieve for a brother who was still alive, was the right thing to do?" Chris looked up at her, tears brimming in his own eyes. "I thought I was protecting you. I was wrong. I see that now."Roxanne's voice trembled as she spoke. "Chris... how could you do this to us? To me? To your own children?""I did it for the family," Chris said, his voice breaking. "I thought I could keep us together, but all I did was tear us apart." Bridget turned away, unable to look at her father. "You've done more than tear us apart. You've destroyed us. And now Luke's gone too. Do you even realize what you've done?"Chris sat in silence, unable to find the words to defend himself. The truth had finally come out, but it offered no solace. Instead, it only deepened the rift that had already formed between them. Bridget stormed out of her Father's study, ignoring the calls she was getting from both  her parents and as fast as she could drove her car out of the mansion with no intended direction, going wherever the road takes her to process the news she found out. She just needed to get out of the environment which felt like it was suffocating her.
Late at night, back at Zack's apartment, Luke was unaware of the confession happening at the Ross mansion. But he could feel the weight of something looming. He had always known that the secrets his father kept were corrosive, that they had eaten away at the family for years. But now, it felt like the dam was about to break. As he sat in the quiet of the apartment, his thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Zack opened it cautiously, revealing a familiar face—Bridget. Her eyes were red, and her expression was a mix of exhaustion and anger. "Hey Zack, I am sorry for coming here this late. I did not know where else to go or who to talk to and you are the only person I know that would....," she said, her voice thick with emotion. Zack let her into the apartment, worry written all over his face as he was unaware of why she was there, crying mind you. "Are you alright? What happened?" Zack asks.
Bridget took a deep breath, steadying herself. "My father.... He's been alive this whole time.....He knew and he kept it from us...." Zack cuts her off , "Well I do not remember your father dying in the first place so I am going to need you to be more specific about what you are talking about." When she realizes what she had just said did not make sense she then properly explains the whole situation "....and that is not the worst part. Luke ran away from the hospital and we do not know where he is, if he is still alive..." Bridget adds all in one rushed breath. Just then someone clears his throat. It was Luke entering the living room with Melanie , who were both hiding in the hallway waiting to hear who could have been at the door knocking." Hi sis", Luke said as he scratched the back of his head nervously.

"What... Luke? Oh my gosh I have been worried sick about you dingus. When did you get here? How did you even....why did you run away from the hospital?" She shot Luke with all these questions while engulfing him in a warm embrace expressing how relieved she was he okay, despite still having a lot of questions running across her mind. " You will not believe what I just found that dad has been keeping a secret from us all about Tyler. Dad's been keeping him in a facility, in a coma. He never told us. He made us believe Tyler was dead," Bridget said, her voice shaking with anger and betrayal. "And now... I don't know what to do with any of this." The three just all kept quiet and simply looked at her. " Did you guys not hear anything I said? Tyler is alive." Melanie finally spoke up , " Well we sort of already knew about Tyler still being alive, we just do not know where he is being kept which is what we have been trying to figure out for the past few days. As for Luke, well he came here to ask Zack for assistance, hiding from your father who had been trying to erase his memories for whatever twisted reasons he had and I am here helping. Hi by the way". Bridget's mind raced as she tried to comprehend the situation and everything she had just been told and discovered. This was going to be one very long night for them all as they briefed her on everything, starting with the car accident. " I need a bottled of your strongest whiskey Zack. "Zack chuckled, grabbing glasses and the bottle for everyone,"  Already ahead of you. This should now be standard procedure around here each time something huge is revealed " he said, trying to make a joke to lighten the mood, as they sat down on the couches in his living room. Hours had passed still trying to bring Bridget up to speed with everything that happened without her even knowing about, none of them had fallen asleep and it was now 3 in the morning. Just then Bridget's phone rang, the caller ID showing that her mother was the one calling. " Hello-.....huh? What? Mom slow down, I can't hear what you are saying? What about dad?....Is he alright?....OK-okay I am on my way". Without a word to the others she was already  out the apartment door.
The remaining three just looked at each other in silence and continued to drink. Luke felt the familiar surge of rage that always accompanied thoughts of his father. Chris had done the unthinkable—he had taken Tyler away from them, just as he had taken so much else.