The Miracle of You

It was the start of the web of deceit. A mouth that spewed an irresistible suggestion and a promise of wealth and success.

That was what this ‘Alexander Sterling’ offered Luther back then. He knew Luther’s weakness and how to persuade him to do something drastic.

Such as betraying his good friend and taking sole ownership of the hotel.

“He requested to see me when Mason was ill,” Luther began. “Back then, Emilia was pregnant, and our financial situation was very worrying. I had to think about our unborn child and our future. I needed the money.”

He sighed, his voice turning pained.

“Mr. Sterling told me that if I was only a partner, it wouldn’t benefit me at all,” he said quietly. “With our business just starting, there wasn’t a guarantee yet that it would succeed, especially not without his help. So he wanted me to take sole ownership and to prevent someone else from sharing the profits with me.”

“He wanted you to… betray my father?” Hailey said as the realization dawned on her.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

No… Luther couldn’t have…

Luther nodded, his features twisting into a grimace. “He had a way with words. I, as a young lad who was strapped for money and with a baby on the way, quickly gave in to the temptation. It was too easy for him to manipulate me. After all, he had noticed how insecure I felt towards Mason at that time.”

His voice was filled with regret as he said his next words.

“I tried to push the intrusive thoughts away, but I was pretty much aware of the situation. I knew, in the back of my mind, that he was doing it for other reasons, that he had a hidden agenda behind the pretense of wanting to help me. But I didn’t pay attention to it. Instead, I went along with his plans simply because I was a greedy and envious man. I saw the opportunity to outshine Mason and take over the business with a better guarantee of success, so I did it with my mind made up in the end.”

“But…” Hailey said slowly, her voice trembling slightly. She still couldn’t believe that Luther actually agreed to such a manipulative tactic. “What reason would that Sterling man have to entice you instead of my father?”

She winced internally as she realized how her words came out. “I mean… Based on your own words, my father was-”

Luther nodded. “Indeed. Mason was like the young boy that everyone had hopes for. They all believed in him, and that included the people in our neighborhood. He had this undeniable charisma, and he was also intelligent enough not to get swayed by pretty words and promises. I think Mr. Sterling enticed him back then as well. I’m not entirely sure as I’m merely guessing, but even if it didn’t happen, I’m fairly certain he would’ve declined instantly. That was just the kind of person he was.” His voice lowered. “Unlike me.”

Hailey sat there silently, trying to process the words in her head.

“So, whether Mason did decline or not, Mr. Sterling had every reason to turn to me instead,” Luther added. “I was the easiest to brainwash and order around to do his bidding. He wanted someone to control and make them indebted to him… and I was gullible enough to let him.”

Hailey’s voice was hoarse. “So… my father…” Her voice trailed off as she was unable to finish her statement.

“I arranged everything behind his back, especially when he was sick,” Luther admitted. “It was easier than I had expected. Mason trusted me enough to let me handle all of the paperwork while he did most of the legwork. By the time Mason returned, I was already more than halfway done. He never did expect it.”

Hailey felt a pang in her heart at his words.

A betrayal, that was what it was. A betrayal from a friend that he had thought he could wholly trust.

“And you knew too, Mother?” she asked in a small voice, turning to Emilia imploringly.

A tear slid down Emilia’s face as she nodded. “I did. I… supported my husband.”

‘The two of them were in on it,’ Hailey realized, the pain in her heart growing stronger.

With such a big revelation, she no longer knew what to say. But it was too late to back out now.

There was still more to this puzzle. Things weren’t over just yet, and she needed the full story of what happened in order to come to a decision.

“Then… what happened next?” she asked, taking a deep breath.

Luther shook his head. “Next… was the start of the chaos.”

As he explained further, the picture was getting clearer and clearer.

As soon as Mason recovered from his illness, he went back to work. When he found out about Luther’s betrayal, he was rightfully furious.

“We argued for a long time,” Luther said quietly. “It escalated to the point where we engaged in fisticuffs. I had to lead him outside so that there wouldn’t be any trouble inside the hotel. I was angry at that time too, even though I didn’t have the right to feel that way. But I was in a hurry to go back home to my wife since she needed me there to accompany her during her pregnancy. The baby was going to be due at any time, and I didn’t want to take any chances.”

Emilia turned away guiltily.

“I can still remember it vividly like it was yesterday,” Luther continued on. “Mason was still in the middle of his loud argument, storming after me as I rushed towards my car. I wasn’t prepared to confront him at that time, so I needed to get away quickly.

“He kept calling out to me, but I didn’t listen. All I could think about was the sound of my anxious heart beating at having to tell my good friend that I completely betrayed his trust and destroyed everything that we had built for a long time.”

Luther took a deep breath.

“And then… it happened.”

The silence was so thick that it hung in the air like a dark, dense cloud. There was a sensation of heaviness here, one strong enough that Hailey could feel it permeating her bones.

“What happened?” She was almost afraid to ask aloud.

Luther shut his eyes. “He died,” he choked out. “Mason… I didn’t look where I was going. I wanted to go to my car. I wanted to get away. I was so focused on the thought of leaving that I didn’t see the car rounding the corner and going straight at me. It all happened too fast. The next thing I knew… Mason shoved me away, and then all I could see was his body lying there on the road, covered with blood.”

Hailey stared at him in shock. “He pushed you away? He saved you?” she repeated.

Luther gave a wry smile. “After I betrayed him and tried to run away? Yes. I never did understand just how boundless that man’s kindness was. He could’ve just chosen to stand there and continue to be in shock, but he rushed forward without hesitation instead.”

“Then…”

“The driver ran off,” Luther said bitterly. “He probably didn’t want to be responsible for someone’s injuries. So I knelt there before Mason’s body, apologizing to him over and over and begging him to hold on. I asked the people around us for help and waited for assistance to arrive. But then he opened his mouth and tried to talk to me for the last time.

“I knew it then… that he was going to say his final words.”