I was surprised. “Robert was a painter too?” Nobody told me about that. Not even Isabelle.
“Yes.” Julia’s eyes glinted with nostalgia. “I first met him back in our university’s art exhibition. Avenport University is not short of talents, but even those who call themselves genius artists couldn’t create a better painting than Robert did. He was talking happily about how he got his inspiration when I first saw him, and I could never forget his smile after that.”
I widened my eyes in disbelief at that. She couldn’t forget his smile? Is this what I think it is?
“Yes, it is what you think it is.” Julia saw through me, and she didn’t deny it. “Love at first sight is a magical thing. One look at your uncle, and I fell for him right away. He was a brilliant, brilliant man. More than you can imagine. Robert shone like a star, and all the girls loved him. I don’t think any man can be as talented as he was.”
So, is this the trigger? My instinct told me that Isabelle blamed Robert’s death on Julia because of this.
“Mom, I know it’s a painful past, but we need to know the truth right now,” Christopher said softly. “Can you tell us what happened back then?”
“Yes, Mrs. Lane. Christopher and I have decided we’ll never break up no matter what, but Isabelle is trying to get between us. I need to know what happened. That’s the only way to get rid of her hatred. Can you tell us, please?” I asked somberly.
Personally, I thought that Julia was a noble, proud, and smart woman. She would never murder anyone, for that was her pride. Even if she got into an argument with Robert, she would never push him off of a building just to get back at him.
Some people were born proud, so they would never do anything they feel disgusted about.
“It’s not a taboo, really. I appreciate the fact you two gave me some time before bringing this up.” Julia waved at me. When I went over to her, she tugged at me, telling me to sit beside her. She sighed. “I fell in love with Robert at first sight, so naturally, I started paying attention to him. Eventually, I got to know your mother.
“We became friends when we found out we got along well, though a part of it was because I could get closer to Robert. The other girls never got that chance, you know. Your mother’s a proud lady, so it’s hard being her friend. I was happy that she accepted me, or at least that was what I thought back then.”
“So, did you date my uncle then? And did you guys get into a fight after that?” I imagined a typical romance drama that involved a happy relationship and the eventual breakup. Not everyone’s first love would work out, after all. Most of the time, the impulses of youth would ruin a budding relationship.
Julia shook her head. She was starting to tear up. It was obvious that the memory was getting painful. “It’s not a typical romance drama. I wish it were that simple. Robert seemed like a friendly man, but in reality, nobody could actually make him open up, aside from Priscilla, his wife.”
“My uncle had a wife?” I thought Robert never got married.
“Yes. He loved Priscilla deeply and cared nothing for any other woman. I tried my best to tell him I loved him, but he never cared about me. In the end, I made a public confession during a party and set him up so that everyone thought we had sex. Yes, I was forcing him to marry me. Everyone was there, including his and my parents.”
I never expected that Julia would be crazy enough to do something like that. Perhaps women would put their pride aside when it came to love, no matter how powerful, rich, or smart they were. I mean, Monica used to do the same thing.
