Chapter Sixty-eight: Whispers of Guilt

Xavier’s Point of View

“I used to watch you. My friends called it stalking, and maybe it was. But when I met Lillianna, I didn't do it as much. She was a good distraction, but I still looked for you whenever I was out. The crush on you never really went away; it became an obsession in many ways."

"I fell in with the wrong crowd. We made some bad choices, took things that didn't belong to us, and crossed paths with the wrong people. Eventually, we were caught. Because of my hacking skills, the government saw potential in me, so they offered me a deal: turn on my "friends" and work for them instead. And so, I did what I had to do to save myself while those guys ended up in jail for our crimes at the gas station,” I said.

Rei remained silent, but her eyes held a new expression I couldn't quite decipher. It wasn't judgment or disdain but something else entirely, and not knowing what it was made me feel uneasy.

This was the part I had been dreading. I needed to tell her about Lillianna.

“Lillianna was my best friend, and we slept together a lot. After you married Greg, I tried dating other people to move on from wanting you. You had found someone who made you whole, and I wanted to let you go. You were now the mother of three children, and I hardly ever saw you in public. I assumed that you were being loved and cherished as you deserved,” I explained as Rei sighed quietly and cast her gaze downwards.

“When I found out that wasn’t true, I was devastated. I had concrete evidence that Greg was being unfaithful and doing terrible things. Things that I hope you never learn about because it’s best if you don’t carry that weight on your conscience. Lillianna was just as furious, maybe even more so, which seemed unusual in retrospect. She insisted we make him pay for what he did. I didn't know what she meant at the time. Maybe we would blackmail him or force him to confess his actions to the authorities or the Brzezinski family,” I explained.

“The mafia family? Why would you want to tell them?” Rei's asked, clearly puzzled.

Her confusion was evident in her question. Rei had no clue who she was. I took a deep breath, knowing that only one secret could be revealed at a time. I decided not to answer her question and just keep going,

“I arranged the meeting, but I didn’t go. Lillianna convinced me to go out with Matt and Tom to play pool. She even made a reservation for us and covered the expenses. She even made reservations and paid for the night. At first, I thought she was just being thoughtful, but it turned out she was giving me an alibi,” I explained quickly.

“An alibi? Why?” Rei inquired cautiously.

“Lillianna was making sure there weren’t any ties to what she would do to Greg. It was supposed to be Greg, not his new wife. But Lillianna said the woman wouldn’t leave his side. So, she killed them both,” I said.

“She… killed them? Like, Lillianna murdered them? You aren’t serious!” Rei exclaimed.

“Lillianna murdered your ex-husband and his new wife. She tried covering it up but made more of a mess. She left body parts all over the place, thinking that it would be harder to determine who the victims were. Lillianna used to work for the Brzezinski family. She took jobs often and loved them. Lillianna had no problem getting her hands dirty. After the murder, she came to my place, eager to share all the gruesome details while still covered in blood. Lillianna even tried to convince me that we could get away with it and promised me that no one would ever know,” I scoffed as I retold the story.

“Aamon Brzezinski knew though. He cleaned up our mess. I say ‘our’ because I got dragged into this and am guilty by association. I didn’t think she would kill him, Rei. I’m so sorry. Lillianna murdered the father of your children, and I was involved in setting up the meeting,” I said in a strangled voice.

Rei's face was filled with emotions, like a constantly shifting kaleidoscope. Her eyes were haunted, and her hands clenched into tight fists.

"You knew what happened to him all this time. You, Lillianna, and the Brzezinski family have kept his disappearance a secret. We never got any closure. He just vanished without a trace. And I had nothing to tell my children about their father. Everything that reminded me of him disappeared from our home the day he left. Do you understand how difficult that was for me? For my kids?" Rei spoke in a hushed tone, full of pain and betrayal.

I expected Rei to be furious, shouting and slamming the door on her way out. Instead, she just sat there, looking defeated.

"I've always known he didn't love me," she said quietly. "Greg made that clear the night before he left. I felt worthless like I would never measure up or be enough for him or any man. But what hurt the most was realizing that he didn't care about his children - our children - because they came from me. He found a new wife, started a new family, and wanted nothing to do with us. I held onto the hope that he would change his mind one day; after all, you've met my kids. They're amazing little humans who have thrived despite everything. But now I know my ex-husband will never know them through no fault of his own," Rei's voice turned cold and angry as she spoke.

“I had no idea she would go that far. Rei, I'm so sorry,” I murmured.

“What else have you kept from me?” Rei choked out, tears streaming down her face.

I hesitated, and she saw it all too clearly. The pained expression on her face felt like a knife twisting in my chest.

"You never loved me, did you? Those guys who were chasing us, they were your "old friends" that ended up in jail. Are they somehow connected to Greg and whatever you said he was involved in? Were you involved, too? I need to hear it from you now, Xavier. Was this all just a game to you?" Rei's voice was barely above a whisper.