The heavy sound of rain and the continuous rumbling of the thunder  caused Deb to wake up from sleep. She almost peeped on her Pajamas as the lightening  flashed in the dark sky.

*oh how I hate lightening*

She got up and headed towards the restroom to relieve herself. As she lay down on her bed she wondered if her ears heard right or maybe it was the thunder that was sounding funny to her ears. 

Her elder sister Rose, 17 years old was on call with her boyfriend in the sitting room and her voice was as clear as a crystal.

*i heard whispering, more like murmuring*

Deb became suspicious and then afraid as she looked over to the room closet to the restroom. It was her parent's.

Slowly she got up from the bed and tiptoed her way in front of her parent's room. Then she sat down and put her ears on the door praying so earnestly to be mistaken.

She knew that eavesdropping on her dad was a terriable thing to do but she felt very prote give of her family and an urge  to look after her mother's interest. Her mother travelled few days ago to the West to visit her old parents and would be coming back the next week.

*i love you too honey, where are we going to see?*
*You know I can't wait to have you again in my arms, let's meet tomorrow in zalcon hotel*
*The money? huh ? I will give you a cheque, anything for you my sweet honey plum*

Deb was devastated, she couldn't get herself to believe that her perfect father was cheating on her mother. She thought they have a perfect marriage and have secretly prayed to be blessed with a marriage like that of her parent's.

*it was all a lie!*


![pexels-kseniya-budko-7952501.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/amiableamara/Eo8Ld78FZpg2deJ3ixzCp42RG7VpkUMevAipSdTjncoXt7U6uPDwiCPKD86V31xTja5.jpg)

https://www.pexels.com/photo

In the morning Deb mustered courage and opened up to her sister. She knew she could be judged wrongly but that was the least of her worry. She needs to save her parent's marriage. They have to do something before their mother finds out. 

*you were eavesdropping on Dad?*

Together they planned how to stop their father and the strange woman from meeting and first on the list  was to uncover the identity of this strange woman. Rose was able to get the number from their father's phone and after a background check it was discovered that the strange woman was Mrs Gigg, a 43 years old widow whom their family often extends monetary help to. 

*talk of biting the hand that feeds you*

Next on their list was to confront their father and guess what ? He denied it. They had expected him to acknowledge his mistake and be remorseful but they met a dark part of their father that they doesn't know existed. He was very furious and questioned where they heard that outrageous gossip from. 

*I have nothing to do with that woman!*
*Our enemies are out to destroy our family but we must not let them*

He tagged the accusation as a complete malicious gossip meant to defame and slander his personality. The only good part of the confrontation was that he not only cancelled his date with Mrs Gigg, he also pulled out of the relationship. According to him, someone  may have seen them together and tongues have started wagging already.

Deb and her sister refused to reveal to their father  how they got to know about him and Mrs Gigg because they didn't want the atmosphere in the house to be awkward and all. 

*They still crave for their happy family even though most of them were lies and pretense*

When their mother returned, she was received with so much love and pampering that made Deb ponder on the genuineness of it all but the smile on her mother's face was enough to propel her to keep her mouth shut.

*Forever*

Uncovering the truth would break her and then break their happy family, a family which she thought for the past 15 years of her life was perfect.


![pexels-any-lane-5727733.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/amiableamara/EqWkojuoTMNdZxrhg4XFC1Tddod14LFSFFrvYg1bCr21iqdWrndDWwY8vxGj6k5f4sa.jpg)

https://www.pexels.com/photo

Immediately their mum went to bed after dinner, their father called them both in the living room for a meeting. He reminded them of how disciplined he was and how dedicated he was to their mother after which he abolished them never to pay attention to gossips especially from lowlifes who were out to destroy his image and reputation.  

Deb and Rose watched him as he lied his way throughout the conservation. Rose has already developed trust issue since the incident. Her father was the last person in this world she expect to cheat talkmore of lying about it. For crying out loud he was a knight of the church and grand patron to many societies in the church. 

Deb on the other hand was seriously thinking of the right time to tell him that the low life he was talking about was her.

*maybe on his death bed*

*or in his grave*

She wasn't just ready to disclose to her father that she was the one that uncovered his dirty secret neither did she want him to know that they knew he was not the man that he portrayed himself to be, to them, his wife and the society.