Zenon's Game Chapter 274

Mrs Albert stiffened and I'm sure she didn't like how I was talking to her husband.

Mr Albert didn't say anything, and no one knew where to look anymore. The temperature in the room was really heating up. Mrs Albert avoided eye contact, Charlotte was staring at her closed phone and only Zenon looked his dad in the eye.

"You owe it to her," Zenon said coldly.

And that's when we heard footsteps outside the room and Jake's voice call out, "Hey! I didn't realize everyone was he-"

Jake arrived at the doorway, but Zenon reached out and slammed the living room door in his face.

"Zenon!" Mrs Albert exclaimed, rushing across the room, "Don't do that to your brother!"

Zenon raised his arms in annoyance, "Does the whole world need to hear Candace's story?"

"What the f*ck, man?!" Jake exclaimed as he shoved the door back open.

Zenon ignored Jake and focused on his dad, "She asked you a question. Now you owe her an answer."

Mrs Albert whispered quietly to Jake, trying to explain the situation a little more. His anger dissipated a bit and I felt him look at me.

Mr Albert said, "Like I said, I don't want to step out of line here. It's not my place to talk about something I don't know."

I stared down at my feet and shook my head, feeling the helplessness return.

I should've expected that the truth doesn't come out easily. You can't just go up to someone and get them to unveil a mystery. Some people will stay silent and take secrets to the grave. I've gotten so used to movies tying up the plot neatly in the end. Maybe life is a mess... with loose ends and no closure.

Why would he confess anything to me?

Why was he involved with my family in the first place?

Did Mr Albert threaten my mom? Did he try something with her?

Am I adopted?

These questions were never going to end unless he told me. I needed to hear his side of the story, because his was the only story available. Everyone else is gone.

I'll refuse to leave the room until he spoke, because I may never have a chance like this again. I glanced up at Zenon and realized that he was staring at me. It's like he felt my pain. And when our eyes met, it sparked a reaction in him. He was willing to force the truth out.

Zenon was about to confront his dad, when his sister took us all by surprise.

"Dad," Charlotte spoke up from beside me, "If someone we know is hurting and we're in a position to help them, we should. Isn't that what you've always taught us to do?"

Mr Albert looked at his daughter with a softer expression. He now had to consider the moral example he would be setting.

I was never going to be the person who would get sympathy from Mr Albert, but his kids would. His kids were his life. He may be harsh and strict sometimes, but he seemed like a father who really cared.

"I am not asking for the definitive truth," I whispered, "I am just asking about what you saw or did or heard."

I desperately wanted to shake him: What did you do?

"Fine," Mr Albert finally said, "It looks like I'm overruled."

My heart thumped in my chest and that feeling of sickness return. The promise of the truth, of the past...

"I hope your dad won't kill me for saying this," Mr Albert mentioned story. He cleared his throat and as soon as he started to speak about my dad, it brought me back to that time – when I was a little girl and before I knew what abandonment felt like.

"Your dad was a genius," Mr Albert said, "And he loved you. You know, we were just neighbors, but I could see that much. It's normal. I think things started to change when he lost his job. I remember him telling me that it was hard to find a new one, and he was unemployed. He used to be so energetic and ambitious, but over time that faded."

I tried not to cry. I had no idea my father lost his job, but I remember enjoying when he had more free time and started doing the school run. It struck a chord in me that my feeling of happiness was connected to his feeling of sadness.

What do I owe a man who walked out of my life?

Mr Albert continued to tell the story, or at least his version of it. "A man is responsible for taking care of his family and he had two small kids... that must've been an incredibly difficult time," Mr Albert paused after that and looked like he didn't want to continue. "I really don't want to be telling you all of this. This next part is heavy."

He looked down and I could see that he was really struggling to get the words out. I guess he actually must have thought of my dad as a friend.

He breathed out, "I don't think you knew this, but he was an alcoholic."

I've seen how alcoholism can disrupt a family life. I've lived through it, but not with my dad.

Mr Albert took a few minutes before he continued. No one told him to hurry. We were all deadly silent and I couldn't think about anyone else in the room.

I just felt pity. My parents had not been lucky in their lives.

I stared up at Mr Albert and for the first time, he looked back at me. He actually gave me eye contact.