The Heart He Never Knew How To Love

After climbing out of my car, I dragged myself toward the mansion. My hands wouldn't stop trembling, and sweat ran down the back of my neck. It still didn't feel real. The divorce had finally become official, and the papers inside my purse proved it. I had come to deliver the remaining documents... and take Leo with me.

As soon as I stepped inside, quiet voices made me stop. I almost entered the kitchen, but what I heard left me rooted outside the doorway.

"Why can't I stay with you and Mom?" Leo asked. His voice cracked as he spoke.

Hearing him nearly tore my heart apart. I would've given up everything for my son, but our marriage had been a terrible mistake filled with lies and broken dreams.

"You already know the reason, Leo. Your mom and I aren't together anymore."

He spoke to Leo with a softness and warmth he had never shown me. Throughout our marriage, he had only treated me with coldness and indifference.

"But why did you have to break up?"

"Sometimes relationships just don't work out. That's all..." I imagined the frown on his face as he tried to avoid our son's innocent question. However, Leo wasn't ready to give up.

"So you don't love Mom?"

My whole body went still, and I could barely breathe. Even though I already knew the truth, I waited for him to say it. Everyone else knew the answer. Leo was the only one who didn't.

"Dad, please answer me. Do you love her?"

Silence filled the kitchen. After a long pause, Harry finally gave in and answered in a tired voice.

"I love her because she gave me a son."

That wasn't a confession of love. It was only his way of avoiding the question. Still, his answer hurt just as much as it had the first time. He had never spoken those three words to me. He hadn't said them at our wedding or when Leo was born. In fact, he hadn't said them even once. I had devoted everything to him, yet all he gave me in return was coldness and betrayal. The woman he had never stopped loving had always stood like a shadow between us.

Tears stung my eyes, but I forced them back. I was done crying over a man who had never wanted me.

Suddenly, his sharp voice came from behind me.

"Has no one ever taught you that listening to private conversations is rude?"

I straightened my shoulders before walking into the kitchen. Harry stood beside the counter, and mockery shone in his gray eyes. However, my attention quickly shifted to Leo. He was my greatest treasure and the only good thing I had gained from this marriage. His brown hair came from me, but his intense eyes were exactly like his father's.

"Hi," I murmured.

"Mom!" Leo cried out. He rushed over and wrapped his arms around me. An ache spread through my chest as I kissed his forehead, and then he went back to finish his food.

Even after all this time, I still felt like a stranger in that house. It had never truly belonged to me. Harry had built every part of it for her, as though the mansion itself was a silent confession of his love.

"Why are you here?" he asked coldly. He checked his watch before adding, "You promised you wouldn't interfere with my time alone with Leo."

"I remember... The divorce certificate arrived today. I came to give you a copy and take Leo home with me."

His face instantly hardened, and his eyes became cold and piercing. Whenever he stared at me that way, it felt like he was crushing the last pieces of my heart into dust.

For years, I had trusted in marriage and held on to the hope that love would make him choose me someday. However, he had never made a place for me in his heart. I had wasted nine years chasing someone who was never truly mine.

"Leo, go upstairs to your room. Your mom and I have something to discuss," he ordered, and his jaw tightened.

For a moment, our son remained where he was. In the end, he gave us a reluctant nod.

"Don't start arguing," he warned before heading upstairs.

Once we were alone, Harry struck the counter with his fist.

"You could've had those documents delivered to my office! Now you're taking away the little time I have with my son!"

"Harry..."

"Enough!" he snapped. "You destroyed my life nine years ago, and now this divorce is tearing apart whatever remains. Is this your way of getting even? Are you punishing me because I was never able to love you? Then hear this clearly, Ava. I hate you."

His words sliced straight through my heart. What could I possibly say when the man I still loved threw his hatred right in my face?

"Leave my house. I'll return Leo once my time with him is over."

I set the documents on the counter and turned to go, but my phone suddenly buzzed. "MOM" flashed across the screen.

"Mom?" I murmured.

She spoke in a panic before I could say anything else.

"Come to the hospital right now! Your father's been shot!"

The call ended without warning. My fingers went numb, and the phone fell from my hand.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

I reached for my phone with a pale face and murmured, "My dad... He's been shot."

"I need to go. Can you watch Leo? I have no idea how long this will take," I said absentmindedly as I grabbed my bag.

"Of course. I'll take care of him until Mom can come over," Harry replied. His voice slowly blended into the numb buzzing inside my ears.

I could barely remember saying goodbye to Leo. Before I knew it, I was behind the wheel and racing toward the hospital. My mind fell into chaos and pulled me back toward memories I desperately wanted to forget.

Growing up, I had always felt like no one noticed me. Maya, my older sister, was Dad's precious princess. Stanley, my brother, was Mom's favorite son. Where did that leave me? I was simply Ava, and I didn't belong to anyone. I tried everything I could to earn their attention. I excelled in school, sports, and every activity I joined, but I still remained on the outside. Even in my own family, I felt like a complete stranger.

Nine years earlier, the weak connection between us had completely fallen apart. Stanley hardly spoke to me anymore, and Mom only called when she had no other option. As for Maya... she had cut me out of her life entirely. I could still hear the last thing she had said to me: "You don't mean anything to me. As far as I'm concerned, I don't have a sister anymore."

Now, my father was caught somewhere between life and death. Was I supposed to feel sad or afraid? Instead, a strange emptiness filled me. How could I grieve for a man who had never made space for me in his heart?

As I kept driving, the road blurred in front of me while those thoughts ran through my mind. That familiar sense of being unwanted returned. My family had rejected me. My husband had rejected me. Even his relatives had never truly welcomed me. Leo was the only person who loved me without conditions.

Soon, the hospital came into view, cold and uninviting. My breathing turned shallow as I entered the lobby.

"I'm looking for my father, Lester Evans. He was brought here with a gunshot wound," I explained to the receptionist.

"Please give me a moment..." The receptionist searched on her computer. "He's in the emergency room, and the doctors are getting him ready for surgery. Walk straight down this hall. You'll find the emergency room doors at the end. The rest of your family is already there."

I thanked her with a nod and headed down the hallway. Every step echoed loudly in my ears, almost as fast as my racing heart. He was going to survive. He was strong, and he had to stay alive, at least for Leo. I kept repeating those words to myself.

As soon as I opened the door, I found Mom and Stanley inside. She looked completely broken. Blood covered parts of her dress, and hours of crying had left her eyes swollen. Stanley stood rigidly beside her and did his best to keep her from falling apart.

"Mom. Stanley," I greeted quietly.

Both of them glanced up in surprise. I walked over and took a seat beside them.

"What exactly happened? Is Dad going to be okay?" Mom struggled to speak through her tears.

"He was shot twice... One bullet hit his lung, and the other damaged his kidney. He was on his way back from the store when it happened. They brought him here as fast as they could, and the doctors are getting ready to operate."

I nodded because I didn't know what else to do. Part of me wanted to pull her into my arms and comfort her, but I already knew she wouldn't accept it from me.

"Dad's always been strong. He'll survive this," I murmured despite everything.

She gave me no answer because she couldn't stop crying.

Several minutes later, the medical staff pushed Dad past us on a stretcher. Mom and Stanley immediately hurried to his side and silently begged him to hold on. I remained in my seat because I knew I wasn't the person he would've wanted beside him. He would've looked for Maya instead, the daughter who had always mattered most to him.

Even so, I noticed his fingers graze Mom's hand. He quietly said a few words to Stanley, then passed him a folded document before the staff wheeled him away.

The hours dragged on without end. None of us spoke. Only my restless footsteps and the soft clatter of the coffee cups I kept bringing back broke the silence. Two and a half hours later, the doctor finally walked into the room.

One look at his face told us everything before he said a word.

"He went into cardiac arrest during the operation. We tried everything we could... I'm deeply sorry for your loss."

Mom let out a broken scream that tore through the room. Stanley caught her before she hit the floor, and they clung to each other as they cried over the man they had just lost.

Meanwhile, I couldn't move. My father was gone. And now, Maya was coming home.

From one of the cold hospital chairs, I watched Maya sit with her back bent forward. I drew in a deep breath and tried to calm myself, but even breathing felt difficult. Mom couldn't stop sobbing, and nothing could comfort her. Watching her grief broke my heart. How was anyone supposed to survive losing the person they loved so violently, without warning or even a moment to prepare?

I still couldn't escape the shock. Part of me had believed Dad would recover, but then he was suddenly gone. I couldn't tell whether I felt angry, numb, or simply unable to accept what had happened.

Dad and I had never gotten along. Even though he had resented me, I had still loved him because he was my father. How could I not love the man who had given me life?

"Are you holding up okay?" Harry asked after he took the seat beside me.

He had shown up an hour ago, yet those were the first words he had spoken to me. His unexpected concern lowered my guard and left me exposed. He had never cared about my feelings before, so why did they suddenly matter to him now?

"I'm fine," I murmured, though my strained voice barely sounded like my own.

Not a single tear had fallen since I learned Dad was dead. Maybe I was still in shock, or perhaps I had already cried every tear I had for him. I didn't know. For the moment, I only tried to remain standing because everyone else around me was breaking down.

Something shifted in front of me, and I looked up to find Stanley there. His face showed nothing, and his stonecold eyes held no trace of affection. Nothing about that surprised me. Yes, I had made mistakes, but hadn't I spent all these years paying for them?

"What do you want?" I snapped.

"Mom called Maya after Dad was admitted to the hospital. She should arrive soon, but she still doesn't know he died," he replied.

Harry suddenly drew in a sharp breath. That small reaction showed just how deeply her name still affected him. Any warmth he had shown me disappeared at once, and the familiar barrier rose between us again. Once more, I was locked out of his world.

"I assumed she was coming," I muttered because I couldn't think of anything else to say.

Years had passed since Maya and I last spoke. Considering how much she hated me, I doubted she would even be able to stand being in the same room with me.

"When she gets here, I expect you to be civil and stay out of her way," my mother interjected as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Mom, you know you're asking me to do something nearly impossible."

"I don't care how difficult it is. You betrayed my daughter nine years ago and left her completely broken. I won't allow you to hurt her again, especially now that your father is gone and this family needs to stay together," she replied through clenched teeth.

I was sick of having my past mistakes thrown in my face. Hadn't I suffered enough for the foolish choices I made when I was younger? Still, they refused to stop judging me.

"Have you forgotten that I'm your daughter too? Or have you already decided I'm dead to you?"

I got to my feet and walked out before she could answer. All I wanted was fresh air and a moment of peace.

The chill outside burned my lungs. Tears gathered in my eyes, but I wouldn't allow myself to cry. Why had they bothered calling me when they treated me like a stranger who was only there because family duty demanded it? Part of me wanted to vanish and leave them alone in their perfect little world, since they had never truly made me part of it.

"Ma'am, are you Lester Evans' daughter?" A nurse approached and pulled me away from my thoughts.

I gave her a nod and tried to calm my uneven heartbeat.

"Everyone is waiting for you. They're examining his body now," she said gently, and sympathy softened her voice.

"Please give me a moment," I replied.

After she left, I was alone with my decision. Despite all his flaws, Dad had always made sure I had everything I needed. I owed him one final act of respect. I would arrange a proper funeral for him and finally close the door on everything that had happened before. After that, they could return to being the perfect family I had never belonged to.

By the time I entered the morgue, everyone else had already gone. I slowly made my way toward the cold metal table. Dad lay there without moving, and his peaceful face made him look like he was only asleep. But he would never open his eyes again. His soul was already gone.

"Goodbye, Dad," I whispered.

After taking one final look at him, I walked out of the freezing room. With every step away from his body, I also let go of the false belief that we had ever shared a real bond as a family.

Back in the waiting room, Mom was filling out documents while Stanley kept his eyes fixed on the wall. Harry was nowhere in sight. I chose a seat away from them and thought about what came next. Staying out of their lives wouldn't be easy, but I had to do it. It was the only way I could protect my peace because I was exhausted from letting them hurt me over and over again.

A noise drew my attention toward the entrance. Maya had arrived. She was still as stunning as I remembered, with golden hair, long legs, and a heartshaped face. Her natural charm could easily capture everyone around her.

Stanley welcomed her with open arms and murmured gentle words to comfort her. Those words sounded like they came from a world where I had never belonged. Jealousy and pain rose inside me, but I forced both feelings down.

Soon after, Harry walked into the room. The second he saw her, his knees almost gave out, and his throat closed with emotion.

"Maya," he breathed, his voice rough with emotion.

She turned to face him. Once their eyes locked, everyone else seemed to disappear. A second later, they rushed into each other's arms as though the years between them had never happened.

Stanley's affection toward her had already hurt me, but watching Harry hold her destroyed what little strength I had left. In that moment, the truth became painfully clear. Even after all these years, he was still deeply in love with her.

Maya was back. And right before my eyes, the last pieces of hope I had held onto finally fell apart.