Chapter 12 Leaving Without Saying Goodbye
After finalizing the itinerary, Kenneth hung up the phone. His fingers glided across the screen as he pulled up Eleanor and
Victoria’s contact information.
Phone numbers, emails, social media accounts–he blocked every way they could reach each other all at once.
He knew he had to turn the page on this chapter of his life and
never look back.
A few days later, in an old, shabby apartment building, Eleanor and Victoria emerged from the bedroom and plopped down on
the couch.
They exchanged a look and rubbed their sore shoulders.
“Taking care of a patient is so tiring! Lucas has really had it rough all these years,” Eleanor sighed.
“You’re telling me. Look at how thin he’s gotten,” Victoria agreed.
“After all, not everyone is like Kenneth, born with a silver spoon in his mouth and always standing on his high horse, throwing sarcastic remarks around,” Victoria said, pouting.
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Then, as if a lightbulb went off in her head, she nudged Eleanor’s
elbow.
“Come to think of it, we haven’t seen much of Kenneth lately. It’s been ages since we last contacted him.
“Who knows what he’s up to? Maybe he’s cooking up another act to play the victim and get attention.”
Victoria’s words made Eleanor realize it too.
She stopped massaging her shoulder and shook her head. “We’ve been cooped up in the school library and done experiments these days. I haven’t been in touch with Kenneth either. And I didn’t see him when I went to my mom’s. Who knows what he’s up to!”
At this, Eleanor and Victoria exchanged another look and fell into
a moment of silent understanding.
Meanwhile, inside the bedroom, Lucas locked the door and stared
at his father, Gabriel, lying on the bed.
His once–friendly smile had turned into a dark scowl.
“Stay in bed and keep quiet! We’ve managed to keep things under
wraps these days. You’d better not mess it up,” Lucas ordered.
Gabriel let out a sneering laugh.
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He put his hands behind his head, crossed his legs, and smacked
his lips.
“Boy, you’re really something. You’ve got those two rich girls wrapped around your finger. Marry one of them, and our lives will be set,” he said, then rubbed his belly and let out a soft chuckle.
“Speaking of which… I haven’t had a drink in days. I’m dying for
one,” he added.
Used to Gabriel’s good–for–nothing attitude, Lucas leaned against the doorframe, careful not to let the girls in the living room hear
them
“I’ve told you before. You’re not allowed to drink during this time. What if they find out something’s off? How am I supposed to explain it? I’ve told them you have a serious heart condition and
can’t drink!”
As soon as Lucas finished speaking, Gabriel sat up abruptly, a
twisted smile on his face.
“Don’t worry. Those two girls won’t notice. Just buy me a few
beers tonight and air out the place. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee I’ll
keep this act up…”
Even though they were father and son by blood, the way they
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talked to each other and the looks in their eyes were more like
those of enemies making a deal to maintain a fragile balance.
Gabriel knew that Lucas was more afraid of things going wrong
than he was.
After all, without Eleanor and Victoria, he could still squeeze money out of Lucas to buy his booze.
And as Gabriel expected, Lucas‘ hands at his sides clenched into
tight fists, and his eyes were bloodshot with frustration.
With my current situation, without Eleanor and Victoria, I’d fall
back into the abyss. I’d have no chance of turning things around.
At that point, instead of waiting for Gabriel to kick the bucket, I might die before him.
At this thought, his fists slowly unclenched, and his voice, when he spoke again, was hoarse.
“Just one can. No more,” he said firmly.
Gabriel shrugged his shoulders and lay back down contentedly, continuing his act of being sick.
Lucas cursed under his breath in his mind. Then, he adjusted his
expression in the mirror before unlocking the door and walking out
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to the living room.
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Eleanor and Victoria were deep in a discussion about Kenneth when the sound of the bedroom door opening and closing jolted
them out of their conversation.
They looked up to see Lucas standing there, a telltale awkward and embarrassed smile plastered across his face.
“Thanks for all your help today, again,” Lucas mumbled as he
bustled around, pouring two glasses of water and setting them on
the coffee table.
Then, he plopped down nervously on the single–seater sofa, his
hands clasped tightly in front of his knees.
He looked so out of place in his own home; it was as if he were a lost guest who’d wandered in by mistake.
If Gabriel could see his son in this state, he would surely do a
double–take in utter shock.
“Lucas, knock it off with the formalities. We’re sick and tired of hearing you talk like that,” Victoria quipped with a playful smile.
Eleanor, ever the perceptive one, caught the strange look in Lucas‘ eyes. She put down the glass of water she’d just picked up,
her brows furrowing with concern.
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“Lucas, are you keeping something from us? Is your dad’s condition taking a tum for the worse?”
Eleanor’s straightforward question caught Lucas off guard. He let
out a light cough, trying to cover up the flicker of surprise in his
eyes.
“Eleanor, since you’re like best friends with Kenneth, do you know
what kind of special heart medication he’s on?”
Lucas had hatched this plan a few days ago. On one hand, he was hoping to get his hands on Kenneth’s special heart medicine
through Victoria and Eleanor, thinking he could then figure out a
way to turn it into a cash–cow.
On the other hand, he saw an opportunity to sow discord between
Kenneth and the two girls. It was a no–brainer win–win for him, and he might even score some sympathy points along the way.
Just as he’d anticipated, Eleanor and Victoria’s faces immediately
clouded with worry.
They sat up straight, their expressions dead serious.
“Lucas, what’s with this sudden interest in the medicine? Has your dad’s condition gone downhill? Is the hospital still scratching its head over a treatment plan?” Eleanor asked, stealing a furtive
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glance at the bedroom door, fearful that their conversation might
drift in and dampen Gabriel’s spirits.
Victoria, though, was less focused on the medical aspect.
She slapped the armrest in frustration. “Lucas, are you broke again? Is the treatment burning a hole in your pocket?
“How much do you need? We’ll rally the troops and get the money for you.”
Victoria’s words sent a jolt through Lucas.
A specific figure even flashed across his mind, but his rational
side took over, and he quickly waved his hands dismissively.
Looking as guilty and embarrassed as if he’d just been caught
with his hand in the cookie jar, he said, “Yeah, money’s a bit of an
issue. But the real deal is my dad’s in a pretty tough spot. The doc said some special medicine would be the ticket for him.
“I’m not 100% sure, but it sounds like it’s the same stuff Kenneth’s
taking. So I was thinking, maybe he could help…”
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