CHAPTER 39: 39-NOW HE KNOWS I WAS PURE

Iris:

"It’s like every time I convince myself that a mother couldn’t be this heartless and cunning, you prove me wrong," I hissed, pouring my heart out without letting my voice crack.

Crying in front of these people wasn’t worth it, but the emotions came from deep within.

It wasn’t for them that I felt hurt, it was because this was my life.

"Oh, come on. Cut it out. You know I’m the worst. Just think of me as the worst monster. The fact changes nothing. Your son’s life is still—" My mother grunted, rolling her eyes as she started walking toward the main gate to lock it.

I hadn’t locked it when I burst inside.

"Don’t walk away from me. Why did you do it? Why did you make it seem like I was having an affair with Luca? Even during my marriage?" I raised my voice slightly, and she turned around to face me angrily, not locking the door.

That’s when I saw someone else step onto the property but she didn’t seem to notice him yet.

"Yes, I was the one who sent him the pictures. Why? Why does it matter to you? Isn’t he the one who cheated on you? Why are you so worried about your reputation in his eyes now? It’s not like you mean anything to him. You mean nothing to anyone, Iris," she hissed, making my jaw clench.

But by then, she must have sensed someone’s arrival.

She turned around, and there, right behind her, stood Kash.

"Oh! Alpha King Kash. I didn’t expect you to come here." My mother’s demeanor shifted instantly, though fear flashed in her eyes.

"You had a problem with our marriage? How do you even know me?" Kash demanded, his tone sharp. This time, I didn’t come to her defense.

"What?" My mother stammered, pretending to be confused, likely trying to buy time for an excuse.

"You acted like you had no clue she was married to me, in front of the council, even in front of me," Kash added, pointing a finger at his chest.

I stayed silent. I wasn’t the one questioning her anymore.

And it wasn’t like she cared to answer me anyway.

But facing an Alpha King was different, she couldn’t manipulate him the way she did me.

"I didn’t know it was you specifically. I just thought it was someone," my mother lied again, glancing at me, probably expecting me to help her.

I didn’t. I stood behind her, arms folded over my chest.

"No, you knew exactly who I was, because those pictures were sent to my name," he told her coldly. "So unless there’s another Alpha King Kash, those pictures were meant for me. Why would a mother want to ruin her daughter’s reputation in her husband’s eyes?"

Kash kept his gaze fixed on her, asking all the right questions.

I already knew the answers, that she never saw me as her daughter, just as someone she could use.

Saying it out loud, in front of him, would’ve been too humiliating for her.

She knew what she did was a cruel thing.

"I’m sorry, did you just call yourself her husband? If you’re going to confront me, let’s not forget that a mother has every right to get back at the man who hurt her daughter," my mother snapped.

And as expected, with the little time she bought by stuttering and stammering, she managed to come up with a convincing excuse.

Whether anyone believed it or not, she was going to say it anyway.

"That was between us," Kash hissed.

"No, it wasn’t," my mother shot back. "My daughter suffered because of you. She was heartbroken, and I had to do something about it. I couldn’t confront you directly, so I showed you the pictures, so you could feel her pain too."

And there went the Oscar to my mother. Her voice cracked as she covered her face with her hands, sniffling and crying.

I lowered my arms from my chest and waved them in the air, feeling like I was giving up at this point.

"So please, Alpha King Kash, don’t be upset that I refused to recognize you. I was only trying to stay polite and civilized," she continued, giving him a hard time to respond.

How could he, now that she was crying and I was standing right there?

He was probably feeling pressured by two women.

"So, she didn’t cheat on me?" Kash asked, his tone uncertain.

That question made my mother slowly lower her hands.

At this point, if she said I did, then all her tears, all her words, would seem like a lie.

She was trapped in her own perfect excuse.

"Yes, it was a lie. My daughter was pure. She was only in love with you and loyal to you," my mother declared.

Hearing her say that felt like a small victory, but it was still something.

And I was sure she realized that not every time would she win, because not everyone in the world was her daughter, someone she could control.

"So all this time, you were the one who punished me for hurting her," Kash muttered under his breath.

His eyes then shifted toward me, softening as they met mine.

"I’m going to rest in my room. This doesn’t concern me," I murmured.

When I saw him try to take a step toward me, I instinctively stepped back.

He looked like he wanted to rush to me, and I knew exactly where this would lead.

Before, he thought I had cheated on him. That probably made him feel like his own betrayal was justified.

But now, after all these years, he was realizing that not only did he cheat on his pregnant wife, but she had also been accused of adultery by her own mother, in a cruel attempt to hurt him.

Without giving him another glance, I turned and hurried to my room.

Once I locked the door, I collapsed on the bed and started to cry.

It seemed that the look Kash gave me was as if he accused everyone else for ruining our relationship.

But in my eyes, there was only one person responsible for its fall–Kash himself.