The Trap Of Ace

Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 37 – Taking a sip on the tea, I ran my eyes on the newspaper. The noise of Mom’s chopping vegetables and moving utensils in the kitchen rang across. But nothing moved my attention from the paper, not even her curious glances.

“You know, the Blackwood’s daughter ran off with her cousin’s fiance?” Her sigh resonated from the opposite side of the counter. “I got to know from the kitty party last night. Children these days, I don’t know what runs in their head.”

I flipped another page. The business column.

“Your aunt called me this morning to inform me how she’s enjoying her vacation in Switzerland with her third husband and soon will be sending me some pictures of their little honeymoon.” She snorted. “As if I wanted to know anyway. I’m glad that your Dad didn’t go after his elder sister. Thank G*d she’s not in the country right now. At least I got some relief from her frequent visits.”

I stayed quiet. Not warning her about Dad’s hearing her slandering about his sister to me just like I did every time.

“Em?”

“Yeah,” I answered, my voice came out croaky.

“You need some more tea?”

I shook my head, not looking up at her.

“Are you okay, honey?” she asked, hesitating.

This time I did glance at her, plastering a small smile on my face. “Yeah, why do you ask?”

Her identical eyes observed me. “You’re looking… tired. Didn’t get any sleep last night?”

I knew what she was indicating. The dark circles, the puffy eyes.

Nothing goes missing from mother’s eyes, does it?

A squeeze in my chest had me take a deep breath. I wish I could tell her.

“Nothing like that, Mom. I did sleep last night. Just having a headache since the morning. It’ll get better, don’t worry.”

“So that’s why you didn’t go to the office today?” Concern etched into her features. “Why didn’t you tell me? Did you get medicines?”

I nodded. “Yes, I did. I’ve also informed Caleb about it. I took a leave today.”

“Good. Take some rest. You’re taking too much work stress nowadays.”

Work wasn’t the issue at all. They barely gave me any actual work to do for taking stress.

Smiling at her, I looked back at the newspaper. The newspaper I’d been sitting with for the last half an hour. Not reading, just staring.

The clicking of heels against the tiled floor reached my ear. My fists clenched.

here? I thought you’d an appointment for cake

to a conference with Caleb this morning. It ran three hours long.” Placing her designer bag on the counter, she sat beside me.

teeth, not reciprocating. My eyes

indicated that she noticed the

for

said Tess, staring at

alone. And not wanting to sit with her alone in the kitchen, I got up from my seat. That’s

answering Achilles’s phone or messages? You didn’t even go to the office today. He’s a mess right now, Em. That guy was outside of our house the entire night,

to her, I stared at her in disbelief. She was accusing me here of being the cause of his misery when she’s the one who should be

in his absurd plan to display me some ridiculous show! To hurt me. To push me away from him. She was aware of everything but yet didn’t even try to tell me once in these

you’re telling me to give him a chance to explain?” I shook my

sigh. “I know, Em. And I’m extremely sorry for that. You don’t know how guilty I’ve been feeling for hurting you like that. But, Em, you’ve to understand. Whatever we did, yes, it wasn’t the best way to do it, but it was for your own

seven years. I don’t see anything good in my suffering and hurting for the last d**n seven years!” my voice rose as I spoke. With my heart beating fast in my chest,

we shouldn’t have done it. But at that moment, we were young, Em. We didn’t know how to handle this matter other than this. The phase Achilles was going

closed her eyes for a moment before opening them back, as if not wanting to remember past

severity of it. He was going through a living h**l. And I, Caleb and Tobis saw it. We saw him writhing in pain in his bed when he didn’t get his dose. We heard his screams from his nightmares. No matter how much he tried to get over it, he couldn’t. And no one in their sane mind

her revelation. Imagining him in that situation shook me from my core. An urge to reach out to

didn’t think he’d be able to get out of it ever. And when I told him about

Whatever we did, we did for you.” She added,

shattered completely,” I said, composing my features into coldness. “Anyways, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. You did whatever you thought was right. And now

chin high, I turned

me, then don’t. I understand. But at least let him explain. Listen to him once. Don’t just shut him off like that,” she

thickness down my throat, I walked out

***

heat, relaxing the knots of my shoulders. But it couldn’t soothe me, the pain in my chest. Though it washed away the tears that fell down my

if someone was physically churning a dagger into my

heart, I slided down the glass wall of the

it? Why?” I

like the wound I got that night had been scratched anew. I felt the same pain, the same agnony I endured years ago. And the irony was, the incident I’ve suffered for so long for wasn’t even real. It was all a sham. A joke. A cruel

They had thrown me to the disgust I’d felt dating so many guys who I didn’t even feel any connection

thought it’d be good for me by pushing

push you away from

those words. The moment I got to know how

explain anything. You’ve done enough already! Leave me alone!” I’d snapped at his face when he’d tried to stop

please! Just hear me out. I had no choice. I couldn’t let you ruin your life waiting for me. Trust me, I’d never wanted anyone else in my life the way I’d wanted you. You were my

eyes filled with tears, I’d asked him. “Now I’ll make your wish come true for real this time. I’ll go so far away from you that you’ll never

with something. But the pain in his eyes couldn’t surpass the one

calls and pleadings, I’d turned away from him and ran away from there. From the man I never knew

throat tightened causing me gasp for air. My nails dug