~Love Me Harder~

"We Lost"

Author'sPOV

As everyone mourned Lisa's passing and prayed for her soul, the peaceful atmosphere was suddenly shattered by the sound of shattering glass. Heads turned to see Lucas stumbling into the church, holding an alcohol bottle in his hand. Mr. Kim, Lisa's father, rose from his seat with a look of anger and disbelief.

"Lucas, what are you doing?" he asked through clenched teeth.

Lucas looked up at him with bloodshot eyes and a slurred speech, "I'm sorry Mr. Kim, I didn't realize this was a funeral. I thought it was a party. It looks like you're celebrating something," he said, pulling out another small alcohol bottle from his pocket.

The room was silent, except for the sound of Lucas's unsteady footsteps as he made his way towards the altar. He stumbled and nearly fell but managed to steady himself on a nearby pew. His eyes were unfocused, and it was clear that he had been drinking heavily.

Lucas stumbled forward, his words slurring as he spoke. "Sister? She was never my sister," he said, his voice tinged with anger. "She became one when you fuck my mom. So, I did the same to your daughter, simple as that."

The crowd gasped, shocked at his words. Mr. Kim's face turned red with fury, his fists clenching at his sides. "How dare you say something like that," he yelled. "Lisa was your sister, and you know it."

But Lucas didn't seem to care. He took another swig from his bottle, his eyes bloodshot and unfocused. "Lisa was more to me than just a sister," he slurred. "She was everything. And now she's gone."

The room fell silent as everyone watched Lucas, unsure of what to do. It was clear that he was in a state of deep despair, unable to cope with the loss of the woman he loved. Mr. Kim stepped forward, his voice low and measured. "Lucas, please," he said. "This is not the time or place for this. Please put down the bottle and let us mourn in peace."

Lucas's words echoed through the church, his voice laced with grief and anger. Mr. Kim stood frozen, his face contorted with shock and pain. The mourners watched in stunned silence as Lucas continued to rant.

"I loved her, damn it! She was everything to me. And now she's gone, taken from me too soon," Lucas cried out, his voice breaking as he clutched the photograph tightly to his chest.

The priest approached him gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "My son, please calm down. This is not the time or place for this."

Lucas shook his head violently, tears flowing down his face. "No, you don't understand. You don't know what it's like to lose someone you love. To have them ripped away from you without warning," he choked out.

The priest sighed, his heart heavy with empathy. "I do understand, my son. I have seen the pain of loss many times before. But we must find a way to heal and move forward."

Lucas looked up at him, his eyes red and swollen. "How can I move on when she's gone? How can I find any peace when she's not here with me?"

The priest placed a hand on his shoulder once more. "You must find a way to honor her memory, my son. To remember the good times and cherish them always. And in time, you will find that the pain lessens, and you can find a way to live without her."

Lucas looked at him, his eyes full of doubt and despair.

Lucas's heart-wrenching speech left the attendees of the funeral feeling uneasy and helpless. Each one of them could feel the intensity of his pain, and they could do nothing to ease it.

As he held Lisa's photograph close to his chest, tears streamed down his face like a never-ending river. His voice quivered as he spoke again, "I promised to take care of her, to love her and protect her from everything. But now she's gone, and I couldn't do anything to save her. I feel like a failure, like I've let her down."

His eyes darted around the room, locking onto Mr. and Mrs. Kim. "And you, you both are the reason she's gone. If it wasn't for your damn greediness, she would still be here with me. You destroyed us, and I can never forgive you for that."

With those words, Lucas turned and walked out of the church, still holding Lisa's photograph close to his chest. The room remained silent, as the weight of his words hung heavy in the air. It was a moment that no one would soon forget, a moment of raw pain and heartbreak that left everyone feeling powerless to help.

Lucas stumbled out of the church, lost and broken, feeling as though his heart had been ripped from his chest. He clung to Lisa's photograph as if it were his lifeline, and for a moment, he thought he saw her standing next to him. He felt her hand take his, and her angelic voice whispered, "Let's go, Lucas."

They walked together, the warmth of her hand in his, and he felt a sense of peace that he hadn't felt since she died. But as they crossed the street, a truck careened towards them, and in a split second, everything changed. Lucas was thrown to the ground, and as he hit his head on a rock, his grip on Lisa's photograph loosened.

The crowd rushed to his aid, but it was too late. Lucas had passed away, and the only thing left was the photograph of Lisa in his lifeless hand. The onlookers exchanged glances of sorrow and disbelief, realizing that Lucas had finally found the peace he had been searching for in death.

Two months Later

The delivery of the packages sent shockwaves through Mr. and Mrs. Kim. They had lost their daughter and son, but now they were receiving gifts from Lisa, the daughter they had disowned.

Mrs. Kim's hands shook as she opened the first package, tears streaming down her face. Inside was a beautiful pendant, with a note that read, "For my beloved mother, always in my heart." The second package was for Mr. Kim, a tie clip with a note that read, "For my loving father, forever in my thoughts."

As they opened the third package, they both gasped in unison. It was a letter, addressed to both of them, written by Lisa before her death. They read it together, tears flowing freely down their faces, as the weight of their loss settled in.

"I'm sorry," Mr. Kim whispered, tears choking his words. "I'm sorry for everything. I should have never let my pride come between us."

Mrs. Kim held his hand tightly, "We both made mistakes, but we can't change the past. All we can do is honor their memories and make things right."

As they hugged each other, they knew that they had a long road ahead, but they were willing to take the first step. The packages from Lisa had reminded them of the love they shared as a family, and that it was never too late to make things right.