CHAPTER FOUR.

CHAPTER FOUR.

JANE'S POV.

The morning of my mother's funeral feels like a surreal nightmare. The sun's harsh rays mocked the somberness that hung in the air. Filtering through the stained glass windows of St. Louise church. My mother Emily Peterson is gone. I could hardly believe it. She had been my rock, my confidante, my world, my everything. And now, she is nothing but a lifeless body in a casket.

I stand at the back of the church, trying to blend with the shadows. I couldn't bear to be near the front, where the casket is draped in white lilies - her favourite. The scent, once comforting, now made my stomach turn.

My father, Charles Peterson, sits in the front row, dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief, but I know better. Those are not tears of grief, they are tears of guilt, perhaps. Or maybe just a performance for the congregation. Besides him, sat Nina, his mistress, her hand resting possessively on his arm. She wore a black dress that clung too tightly to her body, and a veil that didn't hide her smug smile. Her daughter, Vanessa, is perched next to her, looking around with an air of disdain.

I feel my blood boil. How dare they show their faces here! My mother's funeral is a place of mourning, of respect, not a stage for their farce.

I'm trying my best not to walk towards them and smash each of their faces. I do not want to cause a scene inside the church, but I hope, for their own sake, they leave after the memorial mass. Because if they should follow suit to the cemetery, I sure wouldn't be holding myself any longer.

After the service, we all moved toward the cemetery. The sky mirrors my heart, a thick blanket of grey clouds casting a pall over the world as I stood by my mother's grave. The cold wind whips through the cemetery, slicing through my black dress and making me shiver, but the chill in my bones is nothing compared to the icy rage in my heart. I watch as the coffin is lowered into the ground, my mother's name engraved boldly in cold, unfeeling stone.

I could hardly believe she was gone. It feels like just yesterday she was laughing, alive and full of warmth. And now, all that is left is a hollow shell of memories and unbearable ache.

I glare across the grave, where my father is standing with a mask of sorrow that I can not bring myself to believe. By his side, the woman who had shattered our family, stands with her head bowed, clutching the hand of her daughter, a girl just my age, or probably older. I just can't believe they followed suit. How dare they!

My hands into a fist at my sides, and I take a step toward. I walk toward them, each step fueled by rage and sorrow. Aunt Kira and her daughter Melissa, must have sensed my intent, because they both reached out to stop me.

“Jane please.” Aunt Kira whispered urgently, but I shook her off. I am past reasoning right now.

My eyes lock onto my father's mistress. “You have a lot of nerve showing up here. How dare you?” I hissed at Nina, loud enough for several heads to turn.

“You have no right to be here. You and your daughter are the reason she's dead!” I spat, my voice shaking with fury.

Nina's eyes widen in feigned innocence. She takes a step back, as if my words had struck her physically. My father tries to step between us, but I am already on a roll.

“ You,” I pointed at him, “you killed her, your affair killed her. How could you bring your mistress here, to her funeral? Have you no shame?” I sneered.

The silence around us is deafening. Aunt Kira's hand is on my arm again, trying to pull me back, but I shrug her off.

“Jane please,” she whispered calmly. “This isn't the place for this.” She tries to calm me down, but it's too late. The dam has burst, and my anger is flooding out, drowning any sense of decorum.

“You never loved her, you were never there for her and now she is gone because of you.” I continued, ignoring aunt Kira.

Tears blur my vision, and I swipe at them angrily. The mourners around us are staring, some in shock, while some in pity. The priest looks like he didn't know what to do. I feel Melissa wrap an arm around my shoulder, trying to pull me away, but I'm rooted to the spot.v

“Jane darling, this is neither the time nor the place. Please calm down dear, I understand you're grieving.” I hear Nina say soothingly.

Ughh… The nerve! Is this witch kidding me right now?

“Don't you dare ‘darling me’,” I spat. “You don't belong here. Neither of you do.” I shouted really loud, pointing a trembling finger at her and her daughter, Vanessa, who has the audacity to look bored.

My father walks up to me, trying to calm the storm. “ Jane, let's not do this now.” He pleaded.

I rounded on him, my vision blurred with tears. “Do what, dad? Acknowledge the truth? That she's the reason mom is dead? That you broke my mother's heart?” I say fiercely, looking him straight in the eyes.

Aunt Kira grabs my arm again, this time with more force. “Jane, please stop. This won't bring your mother back.” She begged.

I yank my arm free. “You think I don't know that? Aunt Kira. I know that, but someone has to say it . Someone has to speak the truth.” I cry. The murmurs in the cemetery grow louder, the gathered mourners shifting uncomfortably. I feel like I am drowning in a sea of judgements and pity.

I turn to my father, he is literally crying. He caused this, he caused all of this.

“I hate you,” I hissed at my father. “I hate you for what you have done. Don't you dare bother asking me to come back home. Your hell of a mansion is a tomb now, just like this one.” I say, looking him straight in the eyes, while pointing to my mom's grave.

His face crumpled, but I didn't care. I turn on my heels and storm away, my vision blurred by tears. I hear aunt Kira calling after me, I hear the murmurs of the mourners, but I didn't stop, I couldn't. The pain and anger were too much, and I just needed to get away from here.

I hear footsteps behind me, I still keep walking, I didn't turn. I really don't care to know who is after me.

“Jane, dear please wait.” I hear Nanny begged. I pause, waiting for her to reach my pace. She comes closer, reaching for my hand and pulling me into a hug. “Come home please. I know you are going through a lot of pain right now, but you need to come home. We need to be together now more than ever. Your mom won't like the fact you are out there in the slump without any means of survival.” She say to me softly.

I shake my head vehemently. “That house is not home anymore, Nanny. Not with her in it.” I reply, crying.

She sighs deeply, her weathered face etched with sorrow. “ Your father loves you, Jane. He is lost too.”

“ Lost?” I laugh bitterly. “He is not lost, Nanny. He's found exactly what he has always wanted, and he lost the best thing he ever had in the process.” I say calmly, giving Nanny a sad smile, and releasing my hand from her warm grip. I use a hand to wipe a tear running down my face, while walking away from her.

CHARLES'S POV.

As the coffin was lowered into the ground, I felt the weight of my sins pressing down on me, almost suffocating. My wife's death is a wound that would never heal. And standing here at her grave, surrounded by mourners only made it worse. I glanced at Jane, my beautiful, feisty daughter, and my heart broke anew. Her eyes, so like her mother's, were filled with hatred that pierced me deeper than any knife.

Then came the confrontation, I should have expected it. Jane's grief has turned into a rage that had no outlet but me. Her words cut deep, each accusation landing with the force of blow. I tried to step in, to protect Nina, but my presence only seemed to fuel Jane's fury.

“You,” she pointed at me, her voice shaking with the weight of her emotions. “You killed her, your affair killed her! How could you bring your mistress here, to her funeral? Have you no shame?” She yelled.

I tried to speak, to tell her how sorry I am, how much I regretted everything, but the words were caught in my throat. The truth is, she is right. My actions have driven a wedge between us, and now it seemed there was no way back.

I watched her storm out of the church , my heart breaking a little more with each step she took. Her final words ringing in my ears, I felt the full force of failure as a father. “I hate you,” she had said. “I hate you for what you've done. Don't you dare ask me to come back home.” She let out angrily.

I watch her retreating form, my heart breaking. This was not how things were supposed to be. I wanted to go after her, but I knew it would only make things worse. Nina touched my arm, her presence a mixture of comfort and complication.

“This is hard for all of us.” She whispers. I look at her, trying to see the woman I had fallen for, but all I could see is the source of my daughter's pain.

“She doesn't understand.” I say, more to myself than to her.

Nina's expression hardens. “She will come around, she has to.” She assures me. I nod, barely able to move. I hope she is right, but a part of me knows that the damage might be irreparable. Jane has always been close to her mother, and my affair with Nina had shattered that bond. I had been foolish, blinded by passion and novelty, and now I am paying the price.

As the service continues, I find it hard to focus, my mind keeps drifting back to Jane's word, her accusations. Emily had indeed fallen into a deep depression, something I had been too late to recognize. I had thought she would recover, that with time she would heal. But time had run out, and now I am left to pick up the pieces of a broken family.

The whispers and stares of the gathered mourners, making me so uncomfortable. Their silent judgement heavy in the air. I know that no matter what I do, I could never make this right. I had lost my wife, and it seems I had lost my daughter too.

NANNY'S POV.

My heart aches as I watch Jane at the funeral, her face a mask of grief and anger. I had known her since she was a little girl, I had watched her grow into this young beautiful lady she is, and now, I could see her world crumbling around her. Her mother's death had shattered her, and the sight of her father's mistress and his other child at the funeral was too much for her to bear.

When she lashed out, I wanted to go to her, to hold her and tell her that everything would be alright. But I know she needed to vent her anger, to let it out before it consumed her completely. Her words were harsh, each one like a dagger to the heart.

I feel a pang of sadness for Charles. He is a good man who has made terrible mistakes and decisions, but his grief is real. Watching Jane tear into him, I see the pain in his eyes and I wished there was something I could do to ease the tension. But Jane was beyond reason, her rage a wildfire that consumed everything in its path. Jane has always been a spirited child, full of life and curiosity.

As Jane ran out, I followed her, my heart breaking at the sight of her tears.

“Jane dear, please come home.” I begged, pulling her into a hug.

She shook her head, her eyes filled with pain. “That house isn't my home anymore, Nanny. Not with her in it.”

Watching her crumble under the weight of her mother's death and her father's betrayal is almost more than I could bear. She needs her father's love, but I guess they are broken and blinded by grief right now.

I sigh deeply, feeling the weight of years of service to this family.

“Your father loves you, Jane.” I assure her. I don't know how to comfort her, how to bridge the gap between father and daughter. All I could do is be there for her, and to offer a shoulder for her to cry on, and give her a listening ear.

“Jane dear, please reconsider.” I say softly. “Your mother would want you to be with your dad. He is your only family.” I say, trying to make her see reason with me.

She looks at me, her eyes filled with a mix of anger and sorrow.

“Family? The only family I have left is aunt Kira and you, Nanny. You guys are the only ones who stood by me, not him. He is not family! I don't consider him that anymore.” She sneers tearfully.

I hugged her tightly, wishing I could take away her pain. But some wounds are too deep to be healed with just words. After a while, she releases herself from my grip, giving me a sad smile and wiping her face with her hands, as she leaves.

NINA'S POV.

Jane is a spoiled brat, and it's high time she faced reality. Charles had coddled her for far too long, giving her everything she wanted without questions. It is no wonder she couldn't handle adversity.

I sat through the memorial service, pretending to mourn a woman I had barely known, a woman who had been in my way for a long time. Emily Peterson had been a fragile, weak-willed creature, unable to hold unto the man she loved. I, on the other hand, knows how to keep Charles happy.

Jane is the problem right now. She had always been the problem, even before Emily's death. Now she wants to be an obstacle in my path to securing a future for my daughter, Vanessa and myself. The love Charles has for Jane is quite dear. I have always wondered if he loves Vanessa at all, she is also his daughter too. He claims he loves her just as much as he loves Jane, but he always makes it obvious that Jane will always come first before anyone else. I have to find a way to neutralize Jane's influence over Charles.

I noticed Kira giving me a disappointing look. She is another thorn in my side. Always interfering, always trying to be a moral compass. Well, she would find that I am not easily swayed.

When Jane confronted me, her anger was like a physical force. I flinched at her words. Not like I care about anything she said. She is just so fiercely, she is the opposite of her mom. Her dad is not this fierce, I wonder where she got the character from. I tried not to say anything to her, not to reply to her.

As she turned to her father, I felt a surge of relief. Standing at the edge of the crowd, I feel like an intruder in a world I don't belong -not anymore though, because I have come to stay for good. The weight of everyone's eyes on me was suffocating, but I held my ground.

When she stormed off, I felt a wave of relief mixed with anger. Relief, that the confrontation was over, but anger for the insults and hurtful words that brat said to me. All I could do was stand there and take the blames and insults. Charles looked devastated and hurt, his face pale and drawn. I squeezed his hand, trying to offer some comfort, but I knew there was little I could do.

“Mom, can we go now?” Vanessa's voice breaks through my thoughts. I know she is just trying to stand all of these, she is barely doing a good job.

“Yes darling.” I said, squeezing her hand softly. “Let's get out of this forsaken place and go home.” I completed, smiling. ‘Home’, the word has a nice ring to it. And soon, the Peterson mansion would be ours completely.

KIRA'S POV.

My heart aches for Jane. She is bright, spirited, and watching her crumble under the weight of her mother's death and her father's betrayal was almost too much to bear. Emily had been my best friend for a very long time, and her death had left a void that nothing could fill.

I had taken Jane in, because she needs stability, a place where she could grieve and heal. My own daughter, Melissa, is doing her best to support Jane, but it is a heavy burden for both of them.

As Jane confronted Nina in the cemetery, I felt a mix of pride and fear. She was brave to speak her mind, but I worried about the consequences. Charles was torn between his love for his daughter and his infatuation with his mistress, Nina. It is a precarious situation, and I fear that Jane would be the one to suffer the most, which I won't let happen.

As she lashed out at her father and his mistress, I could see the depth of her pain. This was not just about her mother's death, but about the betrayal and loss she felt on every level.

I tried to hold her back, to calm her down, but she was like a force of nature. Unstoppable and full of rage.

“Jane, please.” I whispered urgently, but she shrugged me off, her eyes blazing.

Her words were brutal, each one hitting like a punch. I felt a pang of sympathy for Charles. He had made a terrible mistake, but he was grieving the loss of his wife. This public confrontation was the last thing he needed, but I knew Jane needed to vent her anger. When she stormed off, her final words echoing in the still air. I wanted to go after her, to hold her and tell her that everything would be okay. But I know it wouldn't, not for a long time. I watched as nanny Edith ran after her.

I feel Melissa's hand on my arm, her eyes wide with concern. “Mom, we need to go after her.” She says softly. I nod my head gently, my heart heavy with sorrow. “Yes we do.”

As we left the cemetery, I glanced back at Charles and Nina. He looks so out of place, so full of regrets and pain. I hope that one day, he might find a way to make amends with Jane, but for now, all I can do is be there for her, to offer her the love and support she needs to get through this.

Melissa and I stroll down the road in search of Jane, Melissa calling out her name. After walking some more, we sighted her across the cemetery, where she leaned on her car, lost in thought. Getting to where she is, I placed my hand on her shoulder, rubbing it softly, and pulling her into a warm embrace.

“It's going to be okay, dear.” I say softly into her ears. She doesn't say a word. “Let's go. Melissa, you'd drive, Jane is not in the right state of mind to drive right now.” I tell Melissa, she nods, while we all get into the car and drive off.