Inside the small house, emotions were already running high.
Stephanie still held her younger brothers close as tears streamed down her face.
"I missed you both so much," she whispered.
"We missed you too!" one of the boys said, hugging her tighter.
Across the room, Evelyn wiped her eyes as she watched them.
Seeing her daughter again after so long felt almost unreal.
But suddenly her gaze shifted toward the open doorway.
Her expression froze.
Several figures were walking toward the house.
Mr. and Mrs. Larento.
Adrian.
And Maya.
Evelyn's heart skipped.
Her mind raced instantly.
How…?
How did Stephanie meet them?
Her breathing became uneven as panic and shock filled her chest.
The pressure in the room suddenly felt overwhelming.
Mr. Larento stepped inside first.
His presence immediately filled the small living room.
"Evelyn."
Hearing his voice again after so many years made Evelyn feel as if time had stopped.
"Mr… Mr. Henri…" she said softly.
Mrs. Larento stood beside him, her eyes fixed on Evelyn with a mixture of pain and curiosity.
Evelyn looked from them to Stephanie.
Her heart sank.
So this was how they found each other.
Stephanie slowly stepped aside, allowing everyone to enter.
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Years of unanswered questions hung between them.
Finally, Mr. Larento spoke.
"We came because we need to understand what really happened to our son."
Evelyn lowered her head.
Her hands trembled slightly.
For years she had carried this truth alone.
And now the moment she had feared the most was standing right in front of her.
She took a slow breath.
"That night…" she began quietly.
Her voice shook.
"Louis wasn't himself."
Stephanie's chest tightened hearing her father's name.
Evelyn looked at Mr. and Mrs. Larento.
"I tried to protect his image all these years because he was your son."
Tears gathered in her eyes.
"But the truth is… he hurt me."
Mrs. Larento's hand slowly covered her mouth.
Evelyn continued, her voice trembling.
"He was furious that night."
She paused, gathering the courage to continue.
"He hit me… and he wouldn't stop."
The room remained completely silent.
"I tried to leave," Evelyn said.
"But he grabbed me."
Her hands shook as the memory came back vividly.
"He wrapped his hands around my neck."
Stephanie felt her heart pound loudly.
"He was strangling me," Evelyn whispered.
"I couldn't breathe."
Tears rolled down her face.
"I truly thought I was going to die."
She closed her eyes briefly.
"The only thing near me was a flower vase on the table."
Her voice cracked.
"So I grabbed it… and I hit him on the head."
The room seemed to freeze.
"I didn't think," she continued weakly.
"I was just trying to make him stop."
Her breathing became uneven.
"But when he fell…"
She looked down at her trembling hands.
"He didn't get back up."
Silence filled the house.
Everyone slowly realized the same thing.
It hadn't been murder.
It had been self-defense.
Evelyn wiped her face as tears kept falling.
"I never intended to kill Louis," she said painfully.
"I only wanted to survive."
Mrs. Larento's eyes filled with tears.
The pain in Evelyn's voice was undeniable.
Evelyn took another shaky breath.
"The guilt destroyed me."
She looked toward Stephanie.
"That's why I left."
Her voice trembled deeply.
"I thought if I stayed… I would only bring more pain to everyone."
But when she looked at her daughter again, the guilt on her face deepened.
"And you…"
Stephanie looked at her quietly.
Evelyn's shoulders shook.
"You deserved a mother who protected you."
Her voice broke completely.
"But instead… I let my fear and guilt ruin everything between us."
Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
"What if something had happened to you while you were gone?"
Her voice trembled with fear.
"What if you had died… or something terrible happened to you?"
She shook her head weakly.
"I would never have forgiven myself."
Slowly…
Evelyn dropped to her knees in front of her daughter.
The room gasped softly.
"Stephanie," she whispered.
"I don't deserve to be called your mother."
Her voice cracked with deep regret.
"But please…"
She looked up at her daughter with desperate eyes.
"Please forgive me."