The room had Joan's breath vacuumed from it as her father's voice reverberated in her head.
"Due to his being your half-brother."
Quiet came next. a deafening, horrible stillness.
Joan's fingers went dead. Her ears throbbed with her pulses, muffling anything save the weight of that one sentence. She started to speak, but no sounds emerged from her mouth.
Alex was immobile next to her, completely stiff. "Really?" he croaked; his voice hardly rose above a whisper.
With the exception of the storm in his eyes, Mr. Harris moved forward, his expression indecipherable. "You heard me. Alex is my son."
Turning to look at Alex, Joan searched his face for a sign that he would deny it, laugh, or tell her this was a bad joke. But he just stood there glaring at Mr. Harris acting like someone who had recently lost everything.
Joan finally stuttered, shaking her head vigorously, "This—that's not possible. " And you lie!
Mr. Harris's lips turned into a tight line. &id;rown; lie.
With her voice growing, she snapped back, "You have every cause to lie. "Since when do you have another son? You never mentioned him—not once! And now, suddenly, you want me to believe this?"
With a shivering hand, Mrs. Harris finally placed it on Joan's shoulder. "Joan, please"
"NO! Joan tumbled her arm away. "This is absolutely crazy!"
Alex found his voice at long last. His blue eyes locked on Mr. and asked, "If this is so, why did not I know? Harris, anger smoldering under the uncertainty. "Didn't my mother ever get around to informing me?"
Mr. would have to ask her that. Harris responds coldly.
In this madness Joan turned to Albert, her brother, in search of an answer and some kind of reasoning behind it. "this you knew, didn't it?"
Albert stopped, guilt clearly in his eyes.
Joan laughed breathlessly. "Oh, my goodness. You knew what.
Albert confessed, "We didn't know this would come about from Joan. Dad swore me to silence, but I only learned some time back; he told me on my eighteenth birthday.
Joan's tummy churned. Her father had usually been domineering, but this was on another level.
She said, glaring at Mr.: ""You're revolting. Harris,"
Davis, their second brother, snapped sharply, "Joan, watch your tone. " "Dad acted as was necessary. He made his errors, but such doesn't imply you may—"
"Mistakes?" Joan said, flaring. " This is my life, Davis; not some botched business transaction!"
Suddenly, Alex turned toward Joan. "We need to have a discussion. By one's own
Joan nodded but felt her entire body shake; she swallowed.
Silently, they left the mansion, the suffocating weight of betrayal disappearing behind them.
Love on the Verge of Collapse.
Though the evening was chill, Joan sensed she was consumed from within.
Running a trembling hand through his hair, Alex stopped under the great oak tree outside the property. He exhaled sharply, his voice cracking, "I have no idea what to say."
Trying to still the shaking in her hands, Joan embraced herself consistently. "Would you trust him?"
Alex paused.
Her heart sank. "Nothing You."
He confessed, looking at her, mappedBy. He let out a choking laugh, shaking his head, but if he's correct, there's even a possibility that we then gained Joan Rog." What the hell do we do?
Joan tightened her fists. "Absolutely not. I will not buy this. Not until is evidenced by ours.
Alex had second thoughts. "Would we be doing so?"
She winced but raised her chin. And then we handle it.
They were silent for quite some time.
In the end, Alex said "I need to have my mother checked."
Joan nodded; still the idea ran through her head that Swan could confirm made her stomach wrench.
Alex clenched his jaw. He stopped himself, his voice trembling, and said, "If this is true, then our whole lives are everything we've suffered; everything we've become. " "I love you Joan. And now we might have to discard everything and everywhere.
Though Joan wouldn't weep, tears started forming in her eyes. She fought fate so it could not damage them.
"We will get to know the reality," she murmured. Her voice grew frigid: "And if he's lying, if this is just some perverted move" "He will never be forgiven by me."
Alex grabbed her hand and for a second they held on.
Tomorrow they will be looking for the correct facts. Tonight, however, they were still Joan and Alex—the couple who had loved without question, who had met under the fall sky.
Neither of them, neither of them was ready to let go.
The Reality Unfolds
Alex went right to his mother's house first thing the following day.
A woman of modest grace, Mrs. Swan opened the door with a kind grin that quickly disappeared upon seeing his face. Aalex?
He went inside. "Mom, I need the truth."";
Though her fingers shook as she shut the door, her face stayed blank.
"Truth regarding what?" she inquired attentively.
The jaw of Alex tightened. "Regarding my father."
Alex pushed forward. "Is it him? "Is Mr. Harris, my dad?
They remained quiet for quite a bit of time. Then.concatenated
"Sorry," she muttered.
Alex's heart was all but stopped. " Not so?
She shook her head and turned her eyes away. "Alex, he was never your father." Still, he wished to be.
He felt his front get painfully tight. Explain and then
Mrs. Swan sat down at last with some trepidation. Years back I was with some other guy. One fellow I felt very much. He was not wealthy or strong, however. To help maintain appearances, Mr. Harris wished me to marry him instead. Refusing, he tried to snatch you from me by arguing you belonged to him.
Sitting heavily in the seat opposite her, Alex. And why not did you inform me?
Mrs's eyes fluttered. Swans Eyes. "Because I was afraid. Mr. Harris wields power, Alex. Another thing" She sighed in shaking. "I figured that keeping the secret was the most secure means to guard you."
The ground beneath Alex seemed to be sinking. Lies defined every part of his life.
He stood suddenly. "I must inform Joan."
Mrs. Swan took his hand. "Be wary, Alex. This truth would not simply be fronted out."
Alex clenched his jaw. Let him try.
Hope Amongst Mayhem
Alex found Joan restless within her flat.
Upon seeing him, she burst out,"Tell me.
He moved forward with his hands cupping her head. "Joan, he lied." My father is not Mr Harris.
With tears filling her eyes, Joan gasped. "Oh my goodness."
Alex whispered with his brow against hers, "We are not siblings
She let out sobs of relief. "I knew it," she choked.
Alex wrapped his arms around her and held her close as though the outside world was still whirling too quickly around them.
Joan wiped her tears and then pulled back. "We need evidence, Alex." We have to show him up.
Alex nodded, a strong resolve setting his eyes.
Thrown into a nightmare, but now they had an opportunity to fight back.
And there is nothing going to keep them apart.