Chapter 9

LYRA.

“Grandmother,” I called out, looking down at her. “Tell me what I just heard you say isn't true. Did the Rowes really do that to us?”

My grandmother hesitated, shaking her head sadly. “Victor Rowe has always been envious of your father's rise to influence in the business world, and he felt so threatened by him. He orchestrated the sex tape as an avenue to bring crisis and attract public attention to our family, soiling our name in the mud, which led to your mother and father's death, as you know.”

I sank into the sofa, my grandmother's words sounding feathery in my ears. “The Rowes were the ones behind this all the while? I spent the entire one year of my life blaming my parents for making a silly mistake and destroying my life while it's been the Rowes all along?”

My grandmother said nothing as she bowed her head, shaking her head sadly. I got up from the sofa and began pacing up and down the living room.

“So this is it? This is why Cassian has been on my neck without letting up? Fuck, I should've known!”

“”Who's Cassian?” my grandmother asked, her brows furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

I said nothing, still pacing about with my arms folded across my chest as the puzzle began to add up in my head.

“Lyra, talk to me. Who's Cassian?” my grandmother repeated.

“Cassian Rowe. He was my classmate from my former school back in the States,”  I said, shaking my head sadly as the memories of my sad days in school back in America flooded my mind. “He was someone who hated and picked on me for no solid reason, and somehow my brilliance and academic excellence seemed to always piss him off. He bullied me, grandmother, so bad that I passed out so many times due to his constant beatings and manhandling. I missed class many times, always returning home feeling pains to the point that I resorted to cutting myself just so I could have a physical let out for the pains I felt inside from his constant physical and verbal abuse.”

“What?” my grandmother exclaimed in shock. She turned to the young lady who sat quietly all along, her eyes also widened in shock before she turned back to face me. “You cut yourself?”

I took off my blazers and unbuttoned my shirt, pulling it off and showing her the numerous cuts I had on my forearm down to my elbow. “This is what Cassian Rowe turned me into a young girl who always sought pain to be relieved of pain. He bullied me, grandmother, so much,” I said, tears forming in my eyes.

“I'm so sorry, my darling,” my grandmother said, getting up and pulling me into her arms. “I had no idea you went through all that. But why didn't you ever mention it? Did your parents know about this?”

I pulled away from her embrace, chuckling lightly as I buttoned up my shirt. “My parents? The ones who were never available or the ones who were?”

My grandmother looked away from me, swallowing hard with her face downcast. “How about the school authorities? You never made a report?”

“It was as good as useless, grandmother. Every attempt to make them understand what was going on ended up being a futile attempt. I stopped talking,” I said, shrugging my shoulders.

“This is saddening, really. I'm sorry you had to go through all that,” my grandmother said, looking at me tenderly.

“I'm way past all that, grandma,” I said, smiling at her. “But what I can't go past is the fact that the Rowes destroyed my family and took my parents away from me. For this and for the sins of their son, I am definitely going to get my revenge,” I said, my voice sounding firm.

“Revenge?” my grandmother asked alarmingly. “How do you intend to do that? Let it go, Lyra. These people are dangerous and they're capable of murder. That's the more reason I've been insistent that they don't know you're still alive.  Please, let it go.”

“I can't, grandma!” I said, replying sharply. “There's no way I'd watch a family destroy mine and let them live happily. No! I will start by taking away their reputation as they did to my mother, taking their money like they did to my father, and then taking their health and their life too, in the long run. It's an eye for an eye, grandma. And I won't stop till I achieve that.”

“And how do you intend to achieve all of this?” My grandmother asked, walking towards me. She placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently and pulling me close and she turned to face me, staring at me right in the eye. “Lyra, it's way too risky. These people are too dangerous and I can't watch you walk to your death. I already lost your father and mother, and I don't want to lose you too, please. Just let it go.”

“I'm sorry, but my mind is already made up, grandma,” I said, turning away from her and walking to the window. “And I don't know how it's going to happen, but I'm definitely going to do it. The Rowes must pay for every atom of pain they've caused me and for every agony I've gone through because of them.”

My grandmother heaved a heavy sigh, shrugging resignedly. “So what's your plan? You've still got high school, and you've got to go to college. Are you going to sacrifice all of that for a revenge mission?”

“I'm in no rush, grandma. Time is all it takes,” I said, turning back to face her. “I'll finish high school here in Switzerland, and once I'm done, I'll return to America as a whole new person with a new identity. The Rowes should get ready.”

I picked up my blazers and bag from the couch and turned around, heading to my room. “I'll talk to you later, grandma.”