After My Death, My Husband Who Threw Me Into the Hunting Grounds Went Insane novel Chapter 105

AUDREY

Gabriel settled on the lounge stool across from me. 

"I can't really tell if we were close or if we've ever been, but he was compassionate, unflawed… but I hurt him. What I did was unforgivable."

I looked up into Gabriel's gaze and his expression turned dark. "What happened to this boy?" his voice was hoarse.

"He died, and it's my fault, Gabriel. I caused someone's undeserved misery and death when he was so pure and so kind. It haunts me every single day…" I buried my face in my palms and began to sob as my chest started to feel heavy.

"What did you do to this boy?" he went on.

I stared back at his face, my lips trembling. "I didn't trust him. I stole his freedom and sent him to the abyss. For this man that I knew that was innocent had spent his last breath in agony. It is something I couldn't redeem myself with."

Gabriel straightened his shoulder, and his eyes dimmed. He scratched his temple. "What exactly did you do? Did you cause this boy's death? How? Who was he to you?"

I clenched my sweaty palms, uncomfortable with the present situation. Gabriel would hate me if he found out what I did. "You see, I never told anyone… I'm scared of losing anybody anymore. I lived in a lie, convincing myself to go on, but at the end of the day, it's all coming back. I could never run from it—"

"Then stop running!" he snapped as if he could already understand the situation. "Face it, Audrey. You just have to look forward."

"Eight years ago, I ran away from home, but I wasn't successful at first. I was back—No, actually, he brought me back…"

Eight years ago…

It was midnight when I heard Dad, Anton, and Samuel's voices, arguing in the hallway close to my bedroom. I had been crying all day, and I was exhausted but couldn't sleep. Today, my father decided on my fate.

"You're going to send Audrey to that old man Benjamin tomorrow… to his home? Did you expect me to rejoice?" It was Samuel's voice. "Did you want me to thank you? I'll admit it, Dad, I can't do anything for my sister, but it doesn't mean I'm stupid enough like Anton to let you sell her to that dirty old man!" 

"What the fuck did you say?" Anton reacted with hammering noises, and heavy footsteps followed. "Do you fucking have the right to decide for the family?"

"And do you, Anton?" Samuel fired back. 

"Enough!" Dad growled.

Silence.

"Audrey is going to be old enough in a few years to legalize the nuptial," Dad went on. "Benjamin will wait for her until she turns twenty, but he already wanted to be close to her. And my decision is final!" He pointed firmly. "Not one of you can disobey me. I'm doing this for the sake of the family. Our business is going down the drain—"

"Fuck the business!" Samuel cursed. "Fuck that, Benjamin Scott! Fuck him. Audrey is only sixteen! How could you do this to your own daughter?"

I sat up and curled myself into one piece, whimpering in the dark, scared of Dad's voice, frightened for my future. I wished Mom was still here. She wouldn't let this happen. She would protect me…

"You insolent child!" Dad bellowed, then I heard a brash spank sound. A dead silence came after. 

I didn't notice I had already fallen asleep when someone woke me with a whisper. My room was still dark, and my eyes were still droopy from having a night of interrupted sleep. I recognized the voice. It was Samuel. 

"Audrey… Audrey? Wake up."

I forced myself to sit up, but his face was still in the fog and unclear. "Sam?"

"Yes, it's me," he whispered. "Get up. I'm going to take you out of here."

"W-what? How?"

"Everyone's still asleep. Listen to me very carefully. You have to get away from here, Audrey. I'm going to help you in every way I can. You… you don't have to marry Benjamin. Go live your life."

"Sam?" I began to cry again and pulled him into a bear hug. "I'm scared."

He gently stroked circles on my back. "Shh… I know. Me too. That's why you need to leave. I talked to a friend that is also leaving for New York today, but he agreed to wait for you at the train station. I'm going to take you there now. I'm going to send you some cash from time to time."

I tightened my embrace around his neck. "Which friend?"

"The one I trusted the most. He's a very good guy, and he knows you, Audrey. He will help you once you get there, and I will follow you, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay…"

"Now, let's get you warmed up. Wear this coat, and I'm going to take you out of here. I won't let Dad send you to Benjamin's house, knowing that he'll only destroy you. This is the only thing I can do."

I stepped out of bed, grabbed a jacket from my closet, and stuck a few things in a suitcase with Samuel's help.

"How about you? What if Dad finds out?" I asked.

"I can take care of myself. Are you done?"

"This is only what I can take in the suitcase."

He nodded. "All right, that's okay. Come. Let's get you out of here." 

Samuel carefully and soundlessly picked up the suitcase with his hand, while his other hand grasped my wrist, and then we sneaked out of the mansion. Darkness was still spread out to the sky when we went out.

It was four in the morning when we reached the station, riding Samuel's horse, Fox, because we didn't want to attract attention to the car. At the far end of the platform, a familiar-looking boy in a worn-out shirt and jeans waved his hand at us. A smile spread across his face.

"Liam!" Samuel approached, and both guys exchanged a brief hug.

"Sam." 

"Liam, this is Audrey, my sister, and Audrey, this is Liam," Samuel introduced. "And you know Mr. Cross, who works in our vineyard, right? He's his son."

I looked at Liam's young, charming face. I had to admit that with those cerulean eyes, dark hair, firmly etched mouth, and a radiant smile, the guy was utterly handsome. No, he was beautiful. 

"Why are you going to New York?"

"Oh, didn't Sam tell you? I'm going to work there. Dad originally came from Queens, and he has a very close friend—more like brothers, and he knows him from high school, and they said they're going to give me a job," he explained.

"How old are you? Are you old enough to take this job?"

"I'm nineteen. I can do some computer stuff, and I draw."

"As in, you can make drawings?"

He flashed out a grin. "Yeah, but just sketches… graphite artworks. I'm not expert enough, and I am very captivated by the arts. And if I work hard enough, Dad's friend will send me to college. He's very generous."

"Your father is a good man. Of course, he has good and generous friends. Why did you move to Phoenix, then, if Mr. Cross was from New York? I heard there are many opportunities there."

"Mom happened." He grinned. "He met Mom in New York, but her family is from Glendale… so you know what happens next when people fall in love." He held my eyes, and with those gleams in his gaze, I knew I was already captured.

"She followed him," I murmured, then smiled.

"How about you?" he asked, his eyes still set on mine.

"Me? I don't understand."

"Isn't this like the same? You running away, chasing the unknown?"

My cheeks flared. "This is better than being stuck in the mansion, or marrying an old fat man, in addition to a greasy face." I cringed, and goosebumps rose all over my body. "Ugh. I can't picture myself in that situation."

"How about this situation?" he teased, smiling. "Can you picture this?"

His smile was certainly infectious. "What do you mean?"

"You are coming with a person you barely know in a place you've never been. Aren't you frightened? What if I'm a serial killer?"

"I'm pretty sure you're not. I trust my brother, and he trusts you, so I will too. Samuel's betting his own life to this just to send me away from Dad. Oh—wait, are you?" I joked, my question referring to the serial killer part.

He laughed softly. Damn, he's really handsome. "I would've taken you to the woods a long time ago if that's the case."

I frowned. "A long time ago?"

"I always see you—never mind." He chuckled.

Our travel lasted thirty minutes, and there were no boring times with Liam. We spoke of many interesting topics, like his dream of plucking his family out of poverty in the future and how he loved his mother more than anything else in the world. He told me he was an only child but still wished to have a sibling like Samuel. We talked as if we'd known each other for a long time. It even made me ask myself why I haven't spoken to him before. 

And from that day, even if I barely knew Liam Cross, I first learned how it felt to admire and be attracted to a boy…