Under the gloomy, black sky. A tiny, petite woman clad in a long, auburn trench coat walked through the crowded city of London, jerking several people along the way.

It began to rain heavily, and the woman worriedly hastened her steps, crossing the road swiftly. She soon came at a large, timeworn, yet magnificent red-brick mansion.

She took a long, deep breath and proceeded to the front door, knocked twice, and stepped back, waiting. The door opened to show a tall, middle-aged man dressed in a navy-blue nightgown.

His grey, gloomy eyes warmed up as he saw the woman, and he moved back to let her enter. "Thank you, Mr. Tayler," Mrs. Bluebell said as she entered, taking of her coat.

The room had a soothing atmosphere; it was lit by tiny but numerous white ndles; the walls were covered in a light coffee color wallpaper with fine white lily patterns on them; the floor was a white marble; and the white furniture looked comfortable as the fire danced merrily in the fireplace.

As soon as they had settled down on the couch with a steaming cup of tea, Mr. Tayler glanced at the windows.

"It’s quite the weather, isn't it, Mrs. Bluebell?" he remarked.

"Oh yes, it truly is a hassle." Mrs. Bluebell responded, but she couldn't stop herself and said, "Why did you call me in such a weather, though?”

"Indeed, it is urgent, but I really didn’t expect for you to come so quickly, though I’m sure you know what it’s about." Mr. Tayler smiled, he leaned on his back, closing his eyes.

For a moment, the only sound in the room was that of the fire crackling noisily. Mrs. Bluebell glanced at the man she had known for many years, yet she had never felt the distance between them diminish. Mrs. Bluebell knew she wouldn't have to wait much longer and would soon learn all that had tormented his mind and heart for years.

The seemingly perpetual silence finally broke as Mr. Tayler, eyes still closed, said, "You know, I have always thought about this moment since I knew you, a moment where I would not be able to hide my emotions. I knew you wanted to know the truth, but I was selfish. I've often worried how you'd respond if I revealed to you my most dreadful secret. Would it be wrath, despair, or something else? I don't know and I don't want to know for I'm terrified, worried that you, who is like my younger sister, would begin to

despise me for the foolishness I've done, and it wouldn't be wrong for you to do so, but would it help if I kept it a secret? No, it won't, but for you, it will. I know it would be better for me if I could share my secret with someone who could understand, but would it be better for you? Again, it won't. I don't want to burden yourself with it since no one else should be aware of it. But when I had eventually chosen not to tell you, I realized that the decision was yours to decide, not mine.”

He sighed, lost in his own thoughts. To Mrs. Bluebell, it seemed as if he was crying for help but refusing it at the same time. His heart seemed desperate for some kind of solace, yet it was hesitant and felt unworthy for its darkness was only known to itself.

Mrs. Bluebell felt a hot ball of warmth, growing in her chest, and her eyes started to sting, she could also feel a lump in her throat. The room was silent again, but this time the air felt different, a bit engulfing, and blue, but then Mrs. Bluebell spoke.

"It's okay to be selfish; in fact, I want you to be selfish since you've never been before. I want you to let me worry for you, cry for you, care for you because I know that you’re a good person. So please tell me, please," she said, her voice breaking a little bit.

"You'll regret it." Mr. Tayler said, he opened his eyes and gazed directly into Mrs. Bluebell's eyes. “I know you'll regret it, but I will tell you all the things I’ve hidden from you so far as you wish.”

For some reason, Mrs. Bluebell felt as if this was going to be the last conversation they were going to have, yet she didn’t want to stop and asked, “Is it… related to the incident that happened 22 years ago?”

“Yes, you’re right, that was when this nightmare of mine started to haunt me.” said Mr. Tayler

“It all…”

A candle flickered off as he begun to tell the awaited truth.