Dom sighed as he looked at the time on his watch… he had been here, parked in the driveway for the past 10 minutes… he just couldn't bring himself to enter the house and face Natasha.
First it was the heavy traffic that made his drive over here an absolute pain, and now that he was finally here… he just could not go in… call him a coward, he was, but he did not think that he could face Natasha.
He had hurt her… he had hurt her so much, and he knew that what he did to her was unforgivable, forget was Lia did… she did was she did, but he was the one who didn't believe her, he was the one who hated her these past years.
Dom took a deep breath, he knew that he couldn't just remain here, so he braced himself up, he got out of the car and walked into the house.
Dom closed the door behind him as it shut a little bit harder than he had intended as he winced, he had to find Natasha.
"Natasha…" called Dom softly as he was trying to figure out where she would be, and then he heard faint sobs coming from the direction of the living room, so he walked there, only to find Natasha on the ground, her back rested on the couch as she held her knees tightly and cried.
"Natasha…" called Dom extremely softly, his eyes filled with apologies and pain as Natasha sniffed, she raised her head and their eyes locked.
As Dom stood there, he had nothing else to say but the three words he uttered from his mouth.
"Natasha's I'm sorry…" he said as those were the only words that he could utter.
But instead of his words doing good, they did even worse than he had expected as Natasha stood up, wiped her tears, and looked utterly enraged as she started to laugh, causing Dom to worry, her laugh was far from normal, it sounded disturbed, scary even, he knew that she was not alright the slightest bit.
"Congratulations you and your girlfriend successfully ruined my life" said Natasha as she laughed and looked at him as Dom was shocked by what she said.
"It's not like that Natasha, that's not true" said Dom as he shook his head.
"Oh but it is, it's the truth, let's be honest, you were always better off with your girlfriend than with me" said Natasha as she shook her head in disgust.
"Natasha, that's not true at all" said Dom as he shook his head.
"Well it's all pointless now, you were always free to go with your lovely girlfriend Lia who loves you so much" said Natasha as she smiled, her smile was far from warm, it was filled with coldness.
"Natasha, Lia is not my girlfriend you know that" said Dom.
"Oh is that so now?" asked Natasha as Dom nodded, his face filled with apologies, he knew that Natasha was going through a lot right now, and it was only expected for her to act this way.
"Natasha, I'm really sorry" said Dom as that was all he could say at the moment, he knew that his apologies would never be enough, but he at least needed to try.
"Sorry? Sorry?" asked Natasha as she laughed.
"You don't know what sorry means" she added as she stopped laughing her eyes filled with coldness.
"I don't even know what you are doing here, just leave, go to your girlfriend" said Natasha as Dom was tired of her saying that Lia was his girlfriend, he had nothing to do with her, he hated the fact that in Natasha's eyes he was grouped together with her.
"Natasha, she's not my girlfriend" said Dom as he was trying to be very patient, if anything he had no right to be angry, Natasha did.
"Oh but that's a lie, she loves you so much, so very much that she would do anything for you… even kill" said Natasha as she hated saying those words, she hated mentioning the name of that woman, she didn't want her near her, she didn't want anyone talking about her where she was.
"I didn't ask her to do any of this Natasha, I never loved her, and I never will" said Dom.
"She literally ruined my life… you both did… I was left to be the subject of hate while she went away scot free" said Natasha as tears started to drop from her eyes, her false bravado of strength failing her, she actually felt extremely terrible right now.
Dom could only look at her in nothing but sorrow, he felt sorrow for her, sorrow for himself, sorrow for everything that was going on right now.
"I thought she was my friend… I thought that I could trust her, I thought that I could lean on her… but there I was, giving my own information to my enemy, being vulnerable in front of the person who wanted to take me down so badly" said Natasha as her tears began to drop faster.
"She betrayed me!" said Natasha as she shouted, her sadness turning into nothing else but rage.
"She stabbed me in the back, I confided in her and she used it against me!" said Natasha as she couldn't help herself, she was literally screaming right now, everything was just so overwhelming for her.
"Who does that?? Who the hell does that to someone they call a friend??!" asked Natasha as her rage turned into sadness once more as she looked at Dom and shook her head, she couldn't do this, she couldn't take this at all.
She couldn't deal with Dom right now, she needed some space, she needed to breathe.
"I can't do this right now" said Natasha as without warning she dashed past Dom out of the living room as she wanted to be alone but Dom followed after her.
"Natasha" called Dom as he was worried, there was something about her being alone in this state that didn't sit well with him.
"Natasha" called Dom once again as Natasha ignored him and continued walking as Dom pulled her hand back gently as he called her name once again.
"What??! What do you want??! Just leave me alone!! Leave me alone!!" shouted Natasha as she pulled her hand out of his grip, she was so unstable right now, she was tired.
"I'm sorry" he said once more as Natasha looked at him as tears started dropping from her eyes again.
"You don't understand Lia, didn't just betray me, she killed me" said Natasha.
"She killed me and all for what??!" asked Natasha as she screamed again and Dom didn't take her words literally, he was sure that she was only speaking figuratively.
"She did the worst thing she could ever do… anything else, I could have forgiven, but this… this is unforgivable" said Natasha as she cried even more and without any warning Dom brought her into a warm embrace as Natasha just stood there, frozen tears dropping from her eyes.
"I'm so sorry Natasha, believe me I'm so sorry, I know that I keep on saying it, but I mean it, I'm very sorry" said Dom as he hugged her and Natasha just remained frozen, she didn't push him away as he had thought.
It would seem that she really needed the hug as she started to cry heavily as the sounds of her cry made Dom feel absolutely terrible.
"I'm sorry, so sorry" said Dom as he held her tightly as she cried.
"You don't get it, you don't understand, you weren't the one who suffered, you weren't the one who was an outcast, you weren't the one who was wrongly framed and had everyone turn against her… no one believed me… no one… not even you…" said Natasha as she cried, her voice coming out in mere whispers, but Dom could still hear her clearly.
"I know and I'm sorry, so very sorry" said Dom as he rubbed her back, trying to coax her, his heart feeling heavy as he heard her sobs increase instead of decreasing.
He also felt like crying right now, but that would be uncalled for, Natasha was the one who suffered a lot, truly she did, from the hands of everyone else and he himself.
"No you're not, you're not sorry" said Natasha in the middle of her sobs as she shook her head, this was just too much to bear, she thought that she was over this, she thought that she was stronger, but this… this was just too much, she could feel all the pain and forgotten memories resurfacing again, she felt overwhelmed and alone, so alone.
"No one is sorry, no one gets it" said Natasha as she cried and she pushed him away.
"Just leave me alone, please I beg you, leave me alone, listen to me for a change and leave me alone" said Natasha as she cried and rushed up the stairs as Dom stood there in silence as he heard the sound of the door to her bedroom closing with a loud slam.
Dom sighed deeply as he ran his fingers through his hair, this was going worse than he had expected.
…
Ernest was in his office doing some late afternoon reading with today's newspaper as he felt a presence behind his close office door, which caused him to put his newspaper down and narrowed his eyes at his door as he saw a moving shadow under the door.
"Alright who is back there, come in right now and stop playing around!!" said Ernest in an annoyed tone as he scoffed and in the same moment the door opened.
"Good afternoon Father" said Ernest Jr as he walked into his father's office.
"Hmm, it's not a good afternoon junior, what in the world are you doing here and at this time?" asked Ernest as he checked his watch, it was 5 minutes past three.
"Can I not come and see my own father now?" asked Ernest Jr as he sat down in the couch across Ernest's armchair.
"No you cannot, since when do you just come over here just like that? You are up to something" said Ernest as he narrowed his eyes at his son, meanwhile Ernest Jr sighed, his father was always so suspicious of everyone and everything.
"Good afternoon father" said Margaret as she smiled and walked into the room, she felt like she needed to interfere because they obviously did not meet Ernest in a good mood.
"Good afternoon Margaret" replied Ernest.
"How are you doing today father?" asked Margret as she smiled.
"I could be better, tell me Margret, what is your husband doing here all of a sudden?" asked Ernest as Margret looked at Ernest Jr who remained silent.
"We just came to see you Father, that's all" replied Margret as Ernest obviously did not believe that.
"How rich for you to say that, we've been neighbors for years, since when did you feel the sudden urge to check on me?" asked Ernest as Charlie groaned outside the door as he took a step forward but Nine stopped him from going any further.
"Where do you think you are going?" asked Nine as he whispered.
"In there of course, at this rate we aren't going to tell him anything" said Charlie as he walked past Nine and Lulu and Michael agreed with him and they followed after him as Nine sighed and followed after them.
"Is it a crime for us to want to check on you Grandfather?" asked Charlie as Ernest looked up to see him, Michael, Lulu and Nine walk into his office.
"Oh now what are you all doing here?!" asked Ernest as he could smell a rat, a big smelly rat, did someone call for a family meeting? If then how come he was not alerted prior to this? He was the main patriarch of this family.
"Oh Grandfather, please calm down" said Lulu as she gave him a kiss on the cheek and sat down beside him.
"Oh Lulu, I did not realize that you were here" said Ernest as he looked at his granddaughter with a smile and Lulu smiled at him.
"Now tell me Lulu, what are these people doing here? Is there a meeting called that I don't know of?" asked Ernest.
"I don't know Grandfather" replied Lulu simply as everyone exchanged knowing glances between each other.
"Oh is that so now? Alright then, let me see how this plays out" said Ernest as he chuckled, he wasn't born yesterday, and the rat was starting to smell terrible.
"Father have you taken your medicine today?" asked Margret.
"I have, don't insist again, I am perfectly fine" said Ernest.
"Alright father, I was just checking" said Margret as she smiled.
"Hmm right… so what is going on, it obviously is not normal for you all to be gathered here like this, and as the youngsters say, spill the beans before I throw you all out of here" said Ernest as Charlie groaned internally, he knew that it would be this hard to tell Ernest, but they had to do it, and in the most delicate way they could.
"Father, indeed we have something to tell you" said Ernest Jr.
"Go on then" said Ernest.
"But first you have to promise me that you won't overreact and you will take this lightly for the sake of your health" said Ernest Jr as Ernest scoffed.
"Junior, you say that as if I am on my death bed, out with it already, this is wasting my time" said Ernest as they all sighed.
"Father, do you promise me that you will remain calm?" asked Ernest.
"I don't need to promise you anything, tell me what it is you have to say or get out, you know I have other means of finding out what is going on here" said Ernest as he narrowed his eyes at every single one of them who avoided his gaze.
"Alright Father… if you say so…" said Ernest Jr as he sighed.
"The thing is Father…something terrible has been uncovered…" said Ernest Jr as here went nothing.
"Go on…" said Ernest in utter impatience.