Chapter 929 Austin's Response
Austin's rage just melted away when he caught that tune.
He pushed himself off the couch and dragged himself to the room where Karen was locked up.
Karen was chilling on the floor, leaning against the wall, humming a tune like she didn't have a care in the world.
Right then, she was a whole different person from the wild, crazy version of herself from before.
Austin plopped down across from her, legs pulled up, arms wrapped around his knees, and just rested his chin there, listening to Karen hum.
Karen's fingers were tapping out the beat on her thigh.
Austin's mind started wandering back to way back when.
He was six years old.
Always the quiet kid, hated crowds and noise. Whenever the Langley, Moore, and Parker families got together, while the other kids were running wild, he'd just sit off to the side, feeling like he didn't belong.
He'd been scared of thunder since he was a kid. But no one knew, not even Lassie and Carter, who always spoiled him.
His pride wouldn't let him show it. He didn't want Lassie and Carter to worry, so he kept it hidden. No matter how scared he got, he'd never cry or make a scene like the other kids.
He thought he was doing a good job hiding it. But Violet noticed.
One night, thunder woke him up.
The sky was lit up with lightning, and the thunder felt like it was right on top of him.
He hid under the covers, shaking, his pajamas soaked with sweat.
Every minute felt like forever.
He had no clue when the storm would end.
He was terrified, shaking like a leaf.
Just when he felt completely lost, a chubby hand slipped under his blanket.
At first, he freaked out. In the lightning flashes, the hand looked super creepy. He almost jumped out of bed.
Then he heard Violet's voice, "Austin!"
He was stunned, thinking he was imagining things. But when he saw it was really Violet by his bed, he finally relaxed.
Austin asked, "Violet, what are you doing here?"
He thought he had hidden his fear well. But as soon as he spoke, he realized his voice was shaking.
Violet climbed into bed, holding his hand tight, her voice soft and soothing. "I know you're scared of thunder! The storm woke me up, and I was worried about you, so I came to check. Are you okay?"
Knowing Violet had figured out his fear, he felt embarrassed and tried to deny it. "No, I'm not scared of thunder! What's there to be scared of?"
Violet didn't call him out, letting him keep his pride, and said with a smile, "You're not scared, but I am! I'm really scared. Can you sleep with me?"
No one knew that in his scariest, most helpless moments, Violet's presence was a huge comfort.
From then on, every time it stormed, Violet would come to keep him company.
He never figured out how Violet knew he was scared of thunder.
He just knew Violet always showed up when he needed her most.
His feelings for her started growing from those moments she was there for him.
From then on, she became a part of his life he couldn't do without.
He knew they were siblings, and having romantic feelings for Violet was a big no-no. It was totally inappropriate, and if anyone found out, he'd be screwed. But you can't control feelings.
The more he tried to stay away from her, the harder he fell.
So, when his real mom showed up, he quickly accepted that he wasn't Violet's real brother. He even secretly celebrated that they weren't blood-related.
This way, he could love her openly and be with her.
But he never saw things turning out the way they did.
No matter what he did, Violet ended up leaving him for Charles.
He lost, big time.
Karen's humming had stopped at some point.
Austin stayed in his arms-around-knees position, sitting quietly.
Karen, unlike before, didn't push his buttons. Her tone was surprisingly calm, always hitting on what mattered most to him. "Losing ain't scary; giving up is! Losing once doesn't mean you'll lose every time. Keep trying, and you'll win someday."
Austin looked up at her, lost. "So, tell me, how am I supposed to fight Charles now? Violet only has eyes for him. What do I have to fight with? No matter how hard I try, I'll never catch up to Charles. He's got everything handed to him on a silver platter. And I'm just a piece of trash left behind by God."
Karen laughed.
Her smile had a touch of wickedness.
Karen said coldly, "We've got a backup plan, don't we?"
Austin was stunned, his mind going blank for a second.
Then he remembered something, his eyes widening bit by bit.
Seeing he got her point, Karen's smile grew.
"We've been prepping for so long, and now it's time to put this plan into action!"
Austin, already crushed by Charles, had lost all his confidence. "Can I still win? Is it even worth fighting?"
Karen coaxed him with a smile, "I promised I'd help you be with Violet. Trust me, it's possible! Right now, they don't know that Hannah is Violet. If they ever find out, all the stuff you did back then will come out. Carter will never forgive you, and Lassie will blame you. Do you want to be abandoned by everyone, or do you want to be with Violet?"
She knew exactly when to persuade and when to provoke.
Her words hit Austin hard.
It was true!
He'd already messed up so much. Even if he regretted it now, there was no turning back. He could only grit his teeth and keep going.
Karen said, "Listen to me, let's stick to our original plan! You're my son; I won't lie to you. Everything I do is for you."
Austin glanced at her, not buying a word of her last statement.
She was just using him for revenge.
But she wasn't entirely wrong.
His confidence, shattered by Charles, started to come back a bit.
Austin got up from the floor and slowly walked towards the door. "I get it! You're right, there's no turning back now! If I've already messed up, I might as well keep going!"
Karen asked, "When do you plan to act?"
Austin stood at the door, turned back, gave her a chilling smile, then opened the door and left.
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