For The Stars Have Sinned

After five years.

It was sunny and clear that morning when I stepped off the plane from another country. But my eyebrows met when I saw a familiar face.

“Kervy? What are you doing here?” I wondered.

It’s been five years since I flew to another country. Now that the media was quiet, I decided to go home quietly. I just never thought that the last person I expected to see would stand in front of me.

He didn’t answer but looked at the boy standing in by my side. My grip on Klo’s hand tightened and Kervy’s eyes narrowed.

“Mommy? Who is he?” Klo asked.

I looked down at Klo and smiled softly. “An old friend.” I turned my attention back to Kervy. “If you don’t need anything else, we’ll go first.”

I was about to pass him but he caught my wrist. Looking up at him, I couldn’t utter a word. It’s been a few years since I last saw him, but nothing has changed in his appearance except that he has become more mature looking.

“My cousin is looking for you,” he said.

I looked away. “I know.”

He sighed. “I’m getting married. I hope you’ll attend, Rishel…”

“Marriage?” I turned my attention back to him. “Who are you going to marry?”

But he didn’t answer my question and just smiled softly. He looked down at Klo again and flicked his tongue. “He looks like Lyndon,” he said before saying goodbye and walking away.

“Mommy, I want ice cream!” Klo suddenly yelled.

Since I promised him that I would buy him sweets when the plane landed, I did bought him ice cream. But my mind keeps repeating Kervy’s words that Klo looks like Lyndon.

I kept staring at my son. As he grew older, he is looking more and more alike with Lyndon, and I can’t help but be afraid. I still didn’t know who the man in that night was, but why I do have a bad feeling while staring at my son?

I don’t want to think badly of Lyndon but as time goes by, my suspicion only deepened. So I returned to the country to have my son and that man have a DNA test.

Klo and I ate lunch at the airport because I knew he would not stop his plan to taste ice cream. I fed him rice first before giving him the sweets, then we took a taxi to leave the airport. We went straight to Boljoon where my parents were waiting.

I just didn’t expect to see Lyndon with them.

“Klo! Come to Grandma!” Mama said happily and it was her turn to pick Klo up. I reminded her that the child was too heavy. Mama shook her head with a big smile on her lips. “Have you eaten lunch with my grandson?” she just asked.

I just sighed and nodded. I looked at Lyndon who was talking to Papa. “What is he doing here, Ma?” I asked.

Mama also looked at the two men and smiled. “When you flew to another country, Lyndon visited here almost every day and asked how you were doing there. We didn’t make a mistake in choosing him, Rishel.”

I looked down at Klo. “Maybe you’re right, Ma.” My lips became a line.

After bidding goodbye to Mama, I noticed out of the corner of my eye how Lyndon turned his head towards me. But I ignored him and continued upstairs.

I wasn’t surprised when someone grabbed my hand that was about to reach for the doorknob. I looked at Lyndon who was staring intently at my face. We were silent for a few minutes and just stared silently at each other. He took the initiative to ask. “How are you?”

“I’m doing fine.”

He smiled gently. My eyes squinted and asked, “Do you remember what you promised that you would marry me?”

“Yes.”

“Then, marry me now.”

He went still for a few seconds before laughing. “Just what I am visiting for. I asked for your hand in marriage and your father has agreed.”This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“I see,” I said and looked away. “Did you send Kervy to the airport?” I asked.

He nodded. “Yes. I want to make sure you’re safe.”

The corner of my lips twitched and slightly looked at his way. “Follow me,” I ordered and opened the door. I stepped in and Lyndon followed.

Nothing has changed in my room since I left the country five years ago. The only thing that’s different is that the hidden Vine posters and albums are gone, as well as the obscene books I used to hide. I know Mama always cleans the room because there is no dust on the furniture and the bedsheets and blankets smell freshly washed. I smiled softly.

I glanced for a moment at Lyndon who was standing across from the bedside table and was looking at my photo. I just let it him and went straight to the wardrobe to get dressed. When I came out, I saw him sitting on the bed and flipping through a picture album.

I raised my eyebrows and stepped closer to him. “Where did you get that?” I asked.

He looked up at me and placed the photo album on the bedside table. I was just surprised when he grabbed my waist and pulled me down on him. I fell into his arms.

“H-Hey!” I said in a panic and tried to leave his lap but he tightly wrapped his arms around my waist to stop me from what I was planning.

“I missed you,” he whispered when I stopped him. “Rishel, you don’t know how much I’ve missed you for five years. I’m happy to be able to hug you like this again.”

I didn’t struggle anymore and let him do what he was doing. “Did you screw another girl when I’m away?” I asked him.

“No one. You’re enough.”

The edge of my lips curved and touched both of his cheeks. “Then… Do you mind if I kiss you like this?” I asked then leaned down to kiss him on the lips.

I felt his response to my kiss so I tightened my grip on his hair. When I felt a little warm between us, I ended the kiss.

His eyes were shining looking at me. That’s when I noticed that Lyndon was already lying on my bed and I was sitting on his stomach, my legs strangling him.

His hands were on my waist and his red lips parted slightly.

My throat got dry while looking at him so I looked away. My eyebrows met, frowning my forehead, when I felt his hand rub my back.

“Do you need something?” Lyndon suddenly asked.

I looked down at him again. Is it obvious that I need something?

“I don’t need anything,” I said and left sitting on top of him. I sat on the edge of the bed and fixed my clothes and hair before standing up and turning to Lyndon who was still lying on the bed. “If you’re done enjoying my bed, you can leave the room.”

He looked at me and laughed. “I don’t want to go out.”

“Suit yourself,” I said and walked to the door. I left him alone there.

The grip of my hand holding the strand of Lyndon’s hair that I got while we were kissing earlier tightened. I took out the sealable plastic and put the strand of hair in it before hiding it well.

I walked close to Mama who was grinning while playing with Klo.

“You’re enjoying this, baby?” I said, ruffling his hair.

Klo leaned back and looked up at me. “Mommy, don’t mess with my hair!”

I laughed and squeezed both of his cheeks gently. “You’re way cuter when your hair’s messy.”

“But nanny said that my hair is like a bird’s nest!”

The maid who was just standing on the side scratched her neck. She shyly smiled at me when I looked at her. I just shook my head while laughing.

I bid goodbye to Mama and excused myself. She even asked where Lyndon was and I just said that maybe he’s busy with something. I’m ashamed to say that man is in my room even though I know Mama understands why that man is lurking there.

When I lived abroad I decided to drive again, so I used the car that was in the garage and drove it to the laboratory that I contacted earlier.

“Here are the two samples,” I said and handed to the practitioner Lyndon and Klo’s strands of hair that were enclosed in sealed plastic, then I thanked him and left the laboratory.

I fixed the shades and summer hat on my head before walking towards my car parked next to a pick-up. At first I was complacent but when I was about to reach my own car, the driver’s door of the pick-up suddenly opened and the man I was trying to avoid came out.

“L-Levi…” I whispered. I froze in my tracks as I remembered what he did, locking me up in the private hospital, and what happened before I passed out.

I suddenly felt sick and just wanted to leave that place. So I turned around and stepped away from the parking lot.

Five years have passed but whta he did is still clear in my memory. Even if I try to deny it, it won’t erase Levi and I’s past, so I didn’t know what to do when I saw him here. What I am thankful for is that I am no longer affected like before. The pain caused by his betrayal of me has disappeared.

I just let myself idle in the shade of the tree opposite the parking lot and waited for a few hours while playing mobile games on the phone. When the sun’s rays were even on the trees, I stood up and went to the car. I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed that Levi’s pick-up was gone.

I quickly got into the car and drove it back to Boljoon.

My life was quiet for a few days while I took Klo for a walk around the beautiful places in Boljoon. Lyndon still wanders around but it lessens these past few weeks because he is too busy with the company.

After the merge of Dad and Lyndon’s company, the business expanded into a business empire that almost occupied half a percent of the province’s economy. Lyndon’s workload has increased so we only meet once these days. And if we meet, he kisses without saying a word after making sure no eyes are watching us.

That habit started after I made the first move to kiss him inside my room. He thought I liked him. Too bad, he didn’t know that I only did that to get a strand of hair for a dna test. Well, getting his bio samples with no permission is punishable by law but it’s my only option now.

And the day I was waiting for came. I got the results of the DNA test in my hands and I am nervous. I’m afraid to know the truth but I have to do it.

I opened the envelope and looked for the result.

“99. 9 percent match,” I mumbled.

My heart skipped a beat when I found out that Lyndon is indeed Klo’s father!