Chapter Eighty Five

Chapter 85
The entire family were waiting for Dr. Elara’s arrival. It was going to be the third day and they had still not agreed to her recommendation of going to the hospital.
The morning sun barely peeked through the dense gray clouds that blanketed the sky. The family gathered in the dimly lit study, where the lingering echoes of last night's revelations seemed to hover like uninvited ghosts. The tension in the air was palpable; no one dared to voice the questions weighing heavy on their minds.
Marcus sat at the head of the long oak table, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair as though they were the only thing anchoring him to reality. Across from him, Ava was hunched forward, her fingers idly tracing patterns on the table's surface. Jay stood by the window, staring outside but clearly not seeing anything, his thoughts elsewhere. Dimitri leaned against a bookshelf, his usual cool demeanor betrayed by the stiffness in his posture.
Vanessa emerged into the study with Dr. Elara following suit.
“Good morning.” They all chorused and waited for her to say something but she just sighed heavily, dismissing them with a wave of her hand as she sat down.
“It’s been three days doctor and we haven’t heard any word from you regarding Jemima’s progress,” Marcus spoke up, his fingers combing through his brown hair.
“She’s barely making progress Marcus. Jemma is slowly taking over and… I’d like to see my patient today,” Dr Elara stated, not continuing her previous statement.
“Yes, you can,” Jay stated, leading her out of the room and not waiting for Marcus or Ava to protest.
“Marcus, maybe we should listen to what Dr. Elara is saying,” Ava suggested as soon as Jay re entered the room. Marcus said nothing and just walked to the window. He stared outside, allowing silence to engulf them.
Vanessa walked up to her man Dimitri, and rested her head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. She was tired, he was tired, - everybody was tired.
Adter five grueling bourse of subtle conversations and grueling waits, Dr. Elara entered the living room, her presence immediately commanding their attention. She set her bag down on the table and clasped her hands together.
"We need to talk about next steps," she began. Her calm, steady voice was a stark contrast to the storm of emotions brewing in the room. "Jemima's progress depends on all of you—your honesty, your patience, and your willingness to confront what you've been avoiding."
Marcus shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "And what exactly does that entail?"
"It means no more secrets," Elara replied, her gaze sweeping across the room. "She can't heal in an environment built on lies. If there's anything you're hiding—anything that could help me understand what she's dealing with—it needs to come out now."
Ava's head shot up, her wide eyes darting to Marcus, then to Jay, before finally settling on Dimitri. "We've told you everything," she said quickly, her voice trembling. "Haven't we?"
Elara didn't respond immediately. Instead, she studied their faces, her sharp eyes seeming to peel back layers of defenses. "Have you?" she asked, her tone pointed.
Jay turned away from the window, his jaw tight. "I've been honest about my part," he said, his voice low. "But this isn't just about me. There are things...things we haven't talked about in years. Things we've all agreed to bury."
Ava paled. "You mean about—"
"Don't," Marcus interrupted, his voice like a whip. "We don't need to dig up old wounds."
"Old wounds don't heal if they're infected," Elara countered. "Whatever you're hiding, it's not just affecting Jemima. It's affecting all of you. And until we address it, she'll continue to carry the weight of your silence."
The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner. Finally, Vanessa pushed off the bookshelf and crossed his arms.
"Fine," she said, her voice clipped. "But if we're doing this, we're doing it properly. No half-truths, no omissions. Agreed?"
Marcus glared at her but didn't respond. Ava hesitated, then nodded, her hands trembling in her lap. Jay remained silent, his eyes fixed on the floor.
Elara nodded approvingly. "Good. Let's start with Jemima's childhood. Were there any significant events—traumas, upheavals—that might have contributed to her condition?"
Marcus sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Our parents," he muttered. "They weren't exactly...stable."
"That's an understatement," Ava said bitterly. "They were toxic. Controlling, manipulative, and completely devoid of empathy. They pitted us against each other constantly, made us compete for their approval. Jemima always bore the brunt of it because she was the youngest."
"And the most sensitive," Jay added quietly. "She felt everything so deeply, even as a kid. She tried to shield herself, but they always found a way to break through."
Elara nodded, her pen moving swiftly across her notebook. "And what about you? How did you respond to the environment?"
Marcus's jaw tightened. "I tried to protect her," he said, his voice rough. "But I wasn't always there. I left home when I turned eighteen, thinking it would be better for everyone. I thought I was doing her favor. I mean, she was- she is my twin and seeing her hurt, hurt me more. But all I did was leave her behind to deal with them alone."
Ava sniffled, wiping at her eyes. "I stayed, but I didn't do much better. I was so focused on surviving that I didn't see how much she was struggling. I said nothing, I did nothing when I found out about the sexual assaults.
Vanessa scoffed, her hands folded across her chest.
“You have something you want to get off your chest Vanessa?” Ava’s voice was cold and brutal, her eyes glaring at Jemima.
“You seem to have forgotten about Seth, you lots’ half brother. Or have you forgotten what he did to Jem, what he did to me. You both were too selfish to even notice and…”
Dimitri placed his hand on her shoulder, stopping her from saying more. Silence engulfed the room again, nobody saying anything as the tension in the air became palpable.
“Who is Seth?” Dr. Elara inquired, her tone exuding a calm professionalism.
“He’s their half brother,” Jay quickly said as he sat down. His head was spinning and he didn’t know if he could continue like this. He just wanted Jemima to be alright again, he just wanted her to be held up in his arms and things would go back to the Ay they were.
“Well…” Ava began, rubbing her palms together. “Seth was a product of Jon, the enemy and my mother, Diane. We didn’t tell Jemima this but when he tried to take advantage and she found that he was our half brother, she lost it. She nearly killed him.”
“Fuck! Y’all are one huge twisted family!” Jay cursed underneath his breath, guilt eating him up at the realization of what Jemima was going through that he wasn’t aware of.
“Don’t do that Jay,”‘Marcus warned through gritted teeth, making it obvious that he wasn’t going to accept any slander from anybody against his family.
“Don’t do what? Hmm? Tell y’all the truth? You are the reason why Jemima is this way. YOU are the reason why there are different worlds in her mind. You are the reason why Jemma was born. All of you!”
Jay screamed, unable to contain his anger. Marcus walked up to him and stared right into his eyes.
“One more word from you and…”
“And you’ll do what Marcus?” Jay shot back, the pain and anger evident in his eyes.
“That’s enough you two,” Dr. Elara cut in. “It seems there’s a lot of tension here and first of all I’d like all of us to take a moment to think and reflect.
"All you have said is something that happened in the past and what about now?" Elara pressed. "How have those dynamics evolved over time?"
Before anyone could answer, the sound of a car engine rumbled outside, drawing their attention. Jay moved to the window, his brow furrowing as he peered outside.
"We're not expecting anyone, are we?" he asked.
Marcus rose from his chair, his hand instinctively moving to the concealed weapon at his hip. "Stay here," he ordered, his voice sharp. "I'll handle it."
Dimitri followed him out of the living room, the two men moving silently down the hallway. Ava clutched at the edge of the table, her knuckles white.
"Who could it be?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"We'll find out soon enough," Elara said, though her calm demeanor didn't entirely mask the unease in her eyes.
Moments later, Marcus and Dimitri returned, their expressions grim. Behind them stood Jon Ross, his sharp features shadowed by the brim of his hat. Beside him was Alan, his stance tense and his eyes scanning the room with an almost predatory intensity.
"What the hell are they doing here?" Jay demanded, stepping forward.
Jon raised a hand, his voice calm but commanding. "We're not here to cause trouble. We're here to talk."
"Talk about what?" Marcus asked, his tone icy. "You've made it clear where you stand."
Jon's gaze settled on Elara, his expression unreadable. "About Jemima."
The room went still, the weight of his words sinking in like a stone. Elara stepped forward, her brow furrowed.
"What do you know about Jemima?" she asked, her voice carefully neutral.
Jon hesitated, glancing at Alan before responding. "More than you might think. And if you want to help her, you'll need to hear us out."
The family exchanged wary glances, the unspoken question hanging in the air- Could they trust him?
Elara nodded slowly. "All right. Let's talk."