Chapter 16 Thorns in the Heart
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Lucas had fancied his plan to be airtight. He’d meticulously mapped out every step, and even his good–for–nothing father had fallen into line, enticed by the allure of a life of ease.
Yet, in the end, there was a blunder. He never saw it coming that the truth would surface at such a critical juncture and in such an unexpected manner.
It was already too late to grab the phone and hang up. Lucas made a desperate lunge forward, but the nurse’s voice crackled
through the receiver in broken snippets.
“Gabriel? This patient has a mild pre–existing heart condition, but it generally doesn’t have any impact on his daily life. There’s no
need for him to take continuous medication, and he doesn’t have to come in for follow–up appointments at the hospital.
“The last time he came in, it was simply because he’d had one too
many drinks, which put extra stress on his heart. As long as he
cuts back on the booze, he’ll be just fine.”
After the nurse finished her spiel, the three of them stared at each
other in utter disbelief, so caught up in the moment that they
didn’t even notice when the call ended.
When Lucas first showed up, he’d pretended to wipe away sweat,
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trying to look rushed.
But now, he was truly soaked through.
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A cold shiver ran down his spine, and a numbness crept from his
feet all the way up to the top of his head.
Victoria was immediately thrown off balance.
She shot a quick glance at Eleanor before stuttering, “Lucas, what
is going on? Why did the nurse say your dad’s okay? Didn’t you
tell us he was in bad shape and needed emergency treatment?
You even got us to ask Kenneth for that special medicine…”
It wasn’t just Victoria; Eleanor had never expected that this seemingly poor and honest guy in front of them would pull the wool over their evest
The emotional jolt of this realization seemed even more
staggering than the deception itself.
Seeing that Lucas remained tight–lipped, Victoria stepped forward
and gave his arm a pinch.
“Speak up! What’s really going on?
“Or maybe there’s been a mix–up at the hospital. There could be someone with the same name. Should we head to the hospital
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8 min leh
and check it out?”
There was a tremor of panic in Victoria’s voice, and she could
clearly smell a rat.
Ever since they’d confirmed that Kenneth’s emergency treatment was the real deal, Eleanor had kept quiet.
Now, watching Victoria getting more and more worked up and
looking at the fidgety Lucas, she said, “Lucas, we’ve known each
other for ages, and we’re close.
“Whether it’s true or not, I think you owe us an explanation, a straight–up and honest one.”
As Eleanor uttered those words, a searing pain shot through her
heart, as if a thorn had pierced deep into it.
She’d known Kenneth even longer than she’d known Lucas.
Their bond was closer, and there were even connections dating back to the previous generation.
Yet, how could I have so casually pushed Kenneth to the back of
my mind?
Trying to strike a balance between the two situations and recalling
her mother’s scolding earlier, she felt as if a massive boulder was
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(**) 8 min left
weighing on her back, making it difficult to catch her breath.
“Say something!”
Unlike Eleanor, who could still speak rationally, Victoria yanked back the hand that had been pinching Lucas and gave his
shoulder a hard whack.
“How could you lie to us! How could you toy with our feelings!”
Lucas stayed silent. On one hand, he was wracking his brain for an answer; on the other, he was waiting to gauge the reactions of
the two girls in front of him.
Now, seeing their increasingly frosty expressions, he was certain
that if he admitted the truth, his golden chance would vanish
forever.
I’ve put in so much effort to get them to trust me. How could I let it all go to waste because of this little incident and my good–for–nothing father!
With that thought in mind, Lucas hunched over, resting his hands
on his knees and gasping for breath, as if in excruciating pain.
“Can I tell you I have no idea what’s going on? If Victoria hadn’t called the hospital to ask, I’d still be in the dark.
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“I really had no clue that my dad was faking his illness…”
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Lucas squinted, his eyes fixed intently, awaiting a response. All that met his ears was an awkward silence that seemed to hang heavy in the air.
He couldn’t resist muttering a curse under his breath. Then, he lifted his gaze to Eleanor and Victoria.
The instant their eyes locked, he balled his fists tightly and swiftly
reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone.
“I get it, you don’t trust me. I’m gonna call my dad right now and get to the bottom of this. I wanna know the truth as much as you
do!”
Eleanor and Victoria exchanged startled glances, completely
taken aback by Lucas‘ sudden move.
They didn’t try to stop him. After all, they still had a soft spot in their hearts and were willing to give him one last shot.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, Gabriel was dead to the
world, sound asleep.
He answered the call in a foul temper, his voice gruff. “What the
hell are you calling me for at this god–awful hour!”
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8 min left
Lucas‘ phone was an old–fashioned model, and the sound came through a bit scratchy.
Strangely enough, he was actually relieved about it. Otherwise,
Eleanor and Victoria would have clearly heard Gabriel’s irate voice.
“Dad, why’d you lie to me? Why’d you tell me you had a serious heart problem and even fake that rescue?
“I just talked to the nurse. She said you were just drunk as a skunk!
“Look at what you’ve done! You not only tricked me, but you also made Eleanor and Victoria look like idiots. How could you be so stupid?”
After years of putting on a facade, Lucas had transformed into at
consummate actor.
At that moment, he appeared the very picture of a son deeply concerned for his father, his heart shattered upon uncovering the deception.
There was even a glimmer of relief that his father wasn’t actually ill
in her tone.
On the other end of the phone, Gabriel was initially thrown off by
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Lucas‘ line of questioning.
But then, blood was thicker than water.
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He scratched the back of his head, smacked his lips, and in no
time, he cottoned on to what was happening.
Gabriel rolled over and settled into a cross–legged position on the
bed.
With a sneering chuckle, he decided to play along, pouring his heart into the act, even though no one could see his expression.
“Lucas, I didn’t mean to lie to you at first. When I realized my health was going downhill, I just thought I’d fake being sick so you’d pay me more attention and stick around a bit longer.
“Don’t worry. I won’t pull this stunt again. I’ll do whatever you say. Let’s just smooth things over, yeah?
“Also, give those two girls my apologies. They’ve been so worried about you lately and have been coming around to look after me. Once I rake in some cash, I’ll take them out for dinner and get them some gifts. Don’t let my lie give them a bad impression of
you.”
By this time, Lucas had switched the phone to speaker mode, clearly with the intention of letting Eleanor and Victoria eavesdrop
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4) 6 min loff
on the entire conversation and thus justify his previous actions.
The evidence was irrefutable, completely exonerating him of any
blame.
As he noticed the tension melting away from Eleanor and Victoria’s faces, a wave of relief washed over Lucas.
He murmured a few words to Gabriel on the phone before hanging
- up.
B
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