The Love From Vengeance

195 HIS FUNERAL

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195: HIS FUNERAL

LUKE’S POV

Burning in intense rage, I pushed Harriet away from me hard. “Let go of me, Harriet!” I yelled, my anger boiling over. She stumbled and fell to the ground, her smirk finally fading.

“You can’t do this to me, Luke. You can’t just leave me like this! I’m not going to let you.”

“I can do whatever I want, Harriet. And right now, I want to find Ariel and make sure she’s safe.”

“She doesn’t deserve you, Luke. She never did,” Harriet spat. “I’m the one for you. You are meant for

1. me. We are meant for each other.”

“That’s not for you to decide. Now tell me, where is she?”

“I don’t know. But even if I did, I wouldn’t say a damn thing.”

“You better tell me now, Harriet. I know how brutal and crazy you can be.”

“You don’t know me at all, Luke. You never did,” she hissed, standing up and brushing herself off.

“I know enough to know that you’re capable of anything,” I retorted, my fists clenched at my sides.

“You know what? Fine. To find your precious Ariel. But don’t come crying to me when she breaks your heart again,” Harriet sneered.”

“And who told you she broke my heart, huh?”

“Oh, please, Luke. If you’re going to start telling me lies, save those sh*t for someone else,” she spat

before marching off.

find Ariel fast. But where could she be? My mind was still telling me that Harriet had something to do with this.

Ariel, how am I going to see you now? Where am I going to search? I’ve gone through so many places, and

THREE DAYS LATER

clouds hung low in the sky as I made my way to the small, quaint cemetery on

1. the funeral of Luke. The tragedy of a young life

family, not mine. I didn’t

tears. The air was heavy with grief, and the atmosphere was suffused with a sense

and faces drawn.

parents, Manuel and Elizabeth, standing at the front, their faces etched with pain as

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the guests. My heart ached for them, knowing the unimaginable grief they must be feeling. I made my way towards them, offering a silent prayer for strength and comfort. And I still needed some for myself. But they needed it the most since they were the ones who spent years with

murmur as he spoke of life’s fleeting nature and the precious gift of

forward, her voice trembling as she spoke of Lukel–his infectious smile, his boundless energy, the joy he brought to their lives. Tears

myself lost in a whirlwind of emotions: sadness, anger, and disbelief. How could a child so young be taken away? Why

melody weaving through the crowd. I closed my eyes, letting the music wash over me, a balm for my aching soul. I thought of Luke, of the moments we would never

a golden light over the cemetery. I felt a sense of peace settle over me, a

disperse, offering their condolences to the grieving parents. I approached Elizabeth and Manuel, my heart heavy with sorrow. I took their hands in mine,

for what happened.”

looked up, tears glistening in her eyes. “Thank you, Luke. Thank you for being here. But

why do you say that?” Manuel asked her.

father of Lukel and Janice,” she answered him

Manuel’s face changed as he glanced at me. “Is what she’s saying true? Are you

a deep sigh. “Yes,

I never knew about it? Ariel never told me. And speaking of Ariel, where is she? I haven’t seen her in the past two days. Is she with

with me, she’d come to this funeral. But since she’s not here, I think you already have an

about her,” Elizabeth entered, her tone

195: HIS FUNERAL

broken.

why haven’t you informed the police about