Love Unbreakable

Brett was deeply moved by the scene unfolding before him.

After a prolonged moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice heavy with emotion.

“Callie, please go to another room and wait for me.

”

Callie hesitated, reluctant to be excluded.

“Dad, can’t I know too?”

“Trust me, Callie.

Just go to the next room”.

Brett insisted, his tone firm.

Brett couldn’t bear the thought of burdening his daughter with the knowledge of his actions.

The guilt would be his alone to bear for the rest of his days.

He wanted nothing more than for Callie to live a life free from such weight.

If Callie were to discover the truth that her father had committed a terrible deed for her sake, it would shatter her happiness irreparably.

Still concerned, Callie asked, “You won’t harm Nicole, will you?”

Brett met her gaze with sincerity.

“Do you doubt your father? I assure you, I have never harmed anyone.

”

With this reassurance, Callie seemed to find some peace.

Casting a final glance at his father and Nicole, she turned and made her way to the next room.

Now it was just Nicole and Brett in the room.

As Brett helped Nicole to her feet, he uttered, “Miss Lawrence, please rise.

”

Once standing, Nicole spoke softly, her voice tinged with urgency.

“Brett, I trust you, but please, tell me the truth.

What happened to my father?”

After a moment of contemplation, Brett finally said, “Miss Lawrence, your intuition serves you well.

Your father was indeed murdered.

”

Nicole felt as though a multitude of arrows pierced her heart, each causing unbearable anguish.

Her father hadn’t taken his own life.

He had been taken from her.

Brett recounted the events of that fateful year, his voice heavy with regret.

“Before the company’s layoff meeting, a woman approached me with an offer.

She promised a substantial reward in exchange for my cooperation.

She presented me with a tape, insisting I show it to your father.

The content was distressing, a video of you being harassed by several men.

I refused outright.

No sum of money could justify such cruelty, especially given your father’s fragile health.

”

Nicole Listened in silence, piecing together the puzzle.

The video in question must have originated from her time with Jarrod, likely recorded by Jamie.

It seemed Jamie was the sole individual capable of acquiring it.

Jamie must have captured the video, arranged for its editing, and intended to present it to her father to emotionally impact him.

Brett continued, “Shortly thereafter, Callie succumbed to a severe illness, collapsing unconscious.

Once again, that woman appeared at the hospital, asserting that a compatible kidney donor had been found for Callie.

Not only did she pledge financial assistance, but she also coordinated the necessary surgical procedure for Callie.

I hesitated initially, grappling with the weight of Callie’s coma and my own rising panic.

When the woman returned, temptation clouded my judgment, and I succumbed, agreeing to her terms.

However, upon hearing my agreement, her demands had shifted.

”

Brett paused before proceeding, his voice weighed down by the gravity of his revelation.

“Her request shook me to the core.

She demanded that I coerce Mr.

Lawrence into taking his own life, being the sacrificial pawn in her twisted scheme.

I couldn’t entertain such a notion.

Mr.

Lawrence had shown kindness to me and supported my family.

To carry out such a deed would strip me of my humanity.

Yet, that evening, as Callie teetered on the brink of death, a somber prognosis was delivered, plunging me into a state of profound disorientation…”

Brett still bore the pain as he recounted the memories.

His daughter’s critical state rendered him senseless.

Looking back, Callie’s deterioration seemed unnaturally swift, particularly after the woman’s intervention.

It had to be the woman’s doing.

But at that moment, Brett’s desperation to save his daughter eclipsed all else.

“I yielded to the woman’s demand.

During the layoff meeting, while everyone congregated downstairs, I slipped into Mr.

Lawrence’s office.

Familiar with dodging surveillance cameras, I remained undetected.

Yet, Mrs.

Lawrence was present, aware that I was the last to see her husband.

”

Nicole remained unaware of her mother’s knowledge.

The shock proved too much for her mother, plunging her mother into a coma since then.

That was why the truth remained buried for so long.

Brett went on.

“As requested, I played the video for Mr.

Lawrence and then told him that burdening his child with parents like him could be overwhelming.

I said those words to persuade him to take his own life.

For a long while, Mr.

Lawrence remained silent.

Eventually, he expressed his reluctance to burden his daughter.

He couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her to face the world alone or instill in her the belief that his demise was her responsibility.

Miss Lawrence, your father feared his own demise would cast a shadow upon you, leading you to believe it was your fault.

He was a truly exceptional father, with an intimate understanding of you…”

Nicole’s eyes welled with tears, cascading down her cheeks.

The anguish was suffocating, every breath a labor.

Brett sighed.

“Mr.

Lawrence’s words moved me deeply.

I realized the enormity of my wrongdoing.

How could I endanger another loving father for the sake of my daughter? I confessed everything, and he forgave me.

His words still lingered in my mind.

He had said, ‘Brett, I forgive you as a fellow father.

Never repeat this mistake.

Seek help if needed.

'”