Its Too Late To Forgive

Anthony and Margaret Evans were waiting in the living room of Jackson Mansion along with Brandon and Vivian. They were eagerly waiting to meet their daughter and son in law, Bella and Henry Jackson.

They heard footsteps approaching them, the two beautiful and elegant couple followed the sound and looked at them. Their eyes lit up and Mrs. Margaret Evans ran forward with joy, and she couldn’t help but grabbed Bella’s palm,

“Bella, it’s great to see you. Mom is so happy.”

“Mrs. Evans...”

A hand gently pulled Margaret's hand away,

"Mrs. Evans please sit down.”

“You… Bella…”

At that instant, Margaret's well maintained face was embarrassed.

"Cough cough.”

Anthony coughed twice,

“Mr. Jackson, we are here to see our daughter today. After we spoke the other day, Bella's mother has been thinking only about Bella. It's only her in her heart now. These days, she doesn’t even think about food or water. I watched Bella’s mother getting thinner and felt sad, so I insisted on bringing her mother to see her.. even without your permission."

This seems to explain why the Evans suddenly came to the door without saying hello. Henry was non committal and said calmly,

"Finally, That's interesting."

Henry's unsalty or undiminished sentence may be a guilty conscience. Anthony understood but tried to ignore. Henry just smiled.

Bella is already numb hearing what her father said just now, 'what she misses!.. what to worry about!.. what she doesn’t want to eat!' The lady that she saw earlier in front of their house was red as a pulp and equally beautiful as always. Right now also Bella didn't happen to see any such so call depressive changes in her mother.

Margaret hooked Bella's hand affectionately and turned around and asked Henry imploringly,

“Mr. Henry, I really miss my child… Could you let Bella and I stay alone for a while? There is too much between us, mother and daughter, that I have to say and share.”

Henry’s eyes crossed Mrs. Evans and fell on Bella,

“I respect Bella's desicion. If she wants to spend alone time with you then I don't have an issue with that."

When he said this, Mrs. Evans quickly looked at Bella anxiously. There were some worry in her eyes, afraid that Bella would refuse hence she quickly approached Bella with a voice that two people could hear, her lips moved and she said something.

Bella's breathing was stagnant and her eyes suddenly fell on Mrs.Evans, seemingly suspicious.

Mrs.Evans grasped Bella’s hand and squeezed her arm with greater force, nodding lightly. Seeing this, Bella took a deep breath and looked up at Henry,

“Today’s sunshine is really good. There are plum blossoms in the garden outside. I want to go for a walk.”

Henry simply nodded and while taking off his jacket, he walked towards Bella. The jacket was now over Bella's body and then wrapped tightly in the front by Henry,

“Go and come back soon. The winter sun is good right now.”

Bella nodded and went out of the house with Mrs. Evans. Henry took a look at Rose who quietly followed behind but didn’t get close, always keeping a distance and just watching.

There are two plum trees on the east side of the yard. The plum blossoms were very beautiful. Bella stopped between the two plum trees and turned around,

“You said, one of the man those who raped Cindy four years ago has returned to the city?”

“Correct.”

Just then they were accompanied by one more lady. Vivian had been sitting quietly along with her husband, Brandon, in Jackson's Mansion. Brandon had not spoken a single word since he has come here. May be it's his guilty conscience or maybe he just doesn't want to acknowledge Bella as his sister anymore.

When Vivian saw Bella and her mother in law Margaret going out into the garden, she couldn't stop herself from being close to Bella and after seeking permission from her husband and Henry, she went after them too.

Bella and Mrs. Evans simply looked at her. Vivian smiled at Bella but the latter held expression less face and turned towards Mrs. Evans,

“How did you and Mr. Evans know about this?”

She didn’t believe it. There was no surveillance video camera at the place where the incident happened. She hadn’t even seen the appearance of those gangsters ever. Then how did her parents came to know about this?

"Bella, dear don't say like that. He is your father.”

Hearing Mrs. Evans’s words, Bella's heart surged, pursing her lips, her face was cold,

“If Mrs.Evans is here to relive the past, then I think we don’t need to stand here anymore.”

“Hold on, Bella!”

Seeing Bella was about to leave, Mrs.Evans and Vivian called her in unison to stop her,

“Bella.. you refused to forgive your father and me! I can understand that your father and I broke your heart. All of us."

She looked at Vivian, who too had her head low in shame and guilt.

"But we too had no choice. We were forced to be helpless. We feel guilty but it's true that, that time we really wanted to help you. We did our level best to find the best lawyer for you but we couldn't as no one was ready to fight against the Jacksons."

Vivian looked up and stared at Margaret who was straight forward lying. That time Vivian was not married to Brandon yet but as she heard the news of Bella being arrested, she rushed to Evans House to know the truth.

Later, when Vivian got married to Brandon, almost after a year of Bella's arrest, she came to know the truth. Brandon was drunk and depressed and in that state he revealed that his parents actually held back in fighting for Bella. If they wanted they could have arranged best lawyers for her case. In fact they had good relationship with the judiciary and they could have easily released Bella but they refused to do so.

Brandon ran places to places, from people to people but nothing helped. He used to go and stand outside the prison daily for hours just to get a chance to meet Bella once and assure her that her brother is there for her, no matter what. But he never got a chance to do so.

and stood in front of the prison. He wanted to share his marriage news with his sister but finally he was informed by the guard that Bella was already released 6 months back and they have no

will be swallowed

He also went and told his parents about this

seeing Margaret lying so clearly to Bella, Vivian

us once.

Bella shook her head, shook her palm and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself

did you know about this? How do you know that those gangsters committed the things in the first place? And why are

a recording where someone has picked up your phone from the bar table and then kept it

sent the message to Cindy in place of

Margaret while analysis her theory.

In addition to the call history and text messages on your mobile phone with Cindy, there was a witness who was half drunk at the time. And saw everything that happened at the time of the incident. Dirty things, but was afraid to cause trouble, so didn’t choose to call the police,

her mother in law

“Witness?”

“Yes, witness."

Mrs. Evans with a

why didn’t I

because this matter is too relevant for her

“Hmmm....."

sighed before

of distinguish family. They don’t want anyone to witness such a dirty thing as rape and be

knows, and the family

young master

many things, it is difficult to have the warmth of the mother and daughter as it was in the

master of any family, but the second young lady of a

It turned out

was no sound of the wind. If the daughter of a distinguished family has witnessed such

shameless violation of a woman by a

the same time that Bella had an epiphany, she

witnessed the crime, so this became one

She chuckles.

Evans, I want to know, who is she? What did she see but became

the

she tried her

Mr. Jackson tell

had mentioned to her about

Really, this person was her biological mother who was pretending

Henry didn’t tell you. But why didn’t he tell you such an

tell me about such

directed towards Henry but to her

thought Mr. Henry must have told you? Who knew it would be

keep discussing with Mrs. Evans whether Henry had

Evans also knows about this, please take some trouble in telling me too. What did that young miss witness at the crime scene? And Why did her sentence actually

She reminded Mrs.Evans,

that time, I was not at the scene. What did that young miss saw that made her actually identify me as

is she coming out in open now after 5 years

a stern look at Bella and spoke confidently without any

you everything. I ... we love you.

you then I am sure getting

hold herself back. Her eyes grew in anger. She held her mother-in-law's hand tightly but spoke in her hears very

This is not the time for all this things. We

angry and threw Vivian's hand away, turned towards Bella and spoke

come in between mother and daughter. I know what I am doing. As Henry and Bella are married, everything

did feel a sharp pain in her heart when she realised what was the real motive of her parents to visit her for sake of

masked her feelings and looked at

"Answer me first."

stern looks of Bella but still

what I have heard is that, that time she didn't intend to speak out immediately, but Cindy

about this she felt unfair to the person who passed away, so she told people what she witnessed. She said that when she witnessed the crime, she heard

took a careful

said that Cindy was pressed under her

you who killed me! You can’t die! I

came in open because she knew that those men knew that she was an eye witness and now she feels threatened

ha ha ha…”

and couldn’t

Vivian looked worried,

what’s

out and

touch me. Let me

stretched

“Haha haha…haha ha…”

Bella.. Don’t laugh,

flustered by Bella’s laughter that she kept persuading Bella not to laugh, but the latter didn't hear a word her. Mrs. Evans became more irritable because of the laughter, her eyes

to stop laughing! Can’t

the laughter disappeared. She covered her mouth with her hand and looked at Bella's eyes.

mom just

not speak. She was

but they

“Bella …”

face suddenly turned blue and white. Bella who fell down while laughing now stood up, stood up straight. Rose was about to come forward. Bella