Everything was clear now.

Fury reading a ripped magazine cover. Fury disliking and banning her from watching Sorceress Knight. Fury not informing her anything about Esthar.

Everything made sense.

He didn't want her to discover that Laguna was still alive. But how long had he known...?

Hugo took a crumpled letter from his pocket and handed it to her. "I saved his last letter for you, even if your husband ordered me to burn it."

Hands trembling, Julia unfolded the paper and read it.

Dear Julia,

I heard from Kiros that you've finally married General Caraway. I know I don't have a right to be hurt...but it hurts. I wanted to marry you. I wanted to build a life with you. I wanted to see your face when I wake up everyday. I wanted to do a lot of things with you. Now, my wants are merely dreams because you belong to another. Nobody tells you how muchrejection hurts, but I felt as if my heart is trampled. But I know things happen for a reason. I.. just want to tell you how much I cherished our conversation and our kisses that night. It will always be a special night for me. I want to say.. goodbye. You are finally another man's wife, and I no longer have a chance with you.

Loving you always,

Your Lagooner, Laguna

"What else has my husband hidden from me?" she demanded. "Tell me everything. Now."

Hugo hesitated. The anger boiling in her russet eyes were scalding. What use was it to hide the truth for her? He knew that nothing filthy would remain buried underneath. He sighed as he ran his fingers through his blond hair.

"He was the one who sent Laguna to Esthar."

"Is that it?"

"There's more to it." Hugo admitted. "He drugged the wine you drank that July night."

The color drained from Julia's face, and Hugo didn't want to continue any further. "Tell me more." she gritted.

"Caraway knew Laguna was still alive, but he chose not to tell you. He knew his whereabouts and visited him, as a matter of fact." he paused. "Laguna was still in a coma, so I suppose he met with the woman who took care of him."

"His deceased wife, Raine?"

Hugo nodded. "And I believe... no, your husband blackmailed her as well."

"Why did my husband blackmail her?"

"To make sure he didn't return to you."

"...and why do you know so much?" she asked him with the last ounce of calm in her self. "Why didn't you tell me anything?"

"Because he blackmailed me too, Julia. There was little choice. He vowed to destroy my career, including yours, unless I supported him."

The enormity of his betrayal slammed like the waves of a Siren's Silent Voice. White hot rage brewed inside her chest. She wanted to destroy the glass windows and the wooden chairs. She wanted to destroy something... anything!

Footsteps echoed through the hall and the door opened. Fury was surprised to see Hugo.. "The Butler didn't tell me you were here."

"I asked him not to." he replied.

Fury turned to his wife's direction. He felt something was wrong. Something had changed. His eyes darted to the worn letter in her hands and he knew.

His wife knew the truth, and she would hate him for the rest of their lives.

She slapped the letter across his cheek and his head whipped from the blow."You filthy bastard." Julia snarled. "I can't believe I trusted and let you touch me! You deliberately separated me from my true love!"

He was speechless. He briefly touched the slap mark on his cheek and looked at her.

"Are you surprised?" she hissed. "Of course I know. Hugo confessed to me. What a rotten bastard you are. You were right, you really are a wolf!"

"I did what I could to have you."

"You lied to me, Fury!" she angrily pounded her fists on his chest. "You knew how much I loved him! You knew how desperate I was to be with him! But what did you do? You ruined everything! You made him believe that our last night meant nothing. You made him believe that I ignored the letters he wrote me. How could you do this to me, Fury!"

Fury stopped her relentless beating on his chest and held her fists in his hands. "Listen to me, Julia!" he pleaded. "I just wanted you to love me, Julia! I was scared of losing you to him."

Julia cried. "You never loved me… you were simply obsessed with me! I was just another woman in your life Don't you think I don't know your history with women?"

"No, no, no." Fury shook his head. "We both know I have been faithful to you when we married."

"You blackmailed Hugo and his deceased wife, you bastard!" she growled. "I curse the day you ever laid eyes on me".

"Please, Julia... I love you…and we have a daughter."

"You would use an innocent child just so I can forgive you?"

"You know how much I would move the heaven and earth for you."

"Would you die for me, Caraway?" she asked cruelly. Julia didn't want to use his first name anymore. It was too personal, and his treachery had cost her trust in him. "No, your life can't even change time. I don't want to see you. You make me sick. I despise you!"

She stormed outside the room, leaving her husband and Hugo. Fury glared at the man and grabbed him by the collar. "You were supposed to burn that letter."

"And you were supposed to burn that magazine."

"Who gave Julia the magazine?" he snarled. "Tell me so that I can punish whoever that son of a bitch is."

The door creaked and they heard a tiny squeak of a voice. "Daddy? Everything okay?"

Fury looked at his daughter. Rinoa was confused with the sudden turn of events. Her mother had become sullen and stomped to her room, ignoring Julia. Rinoa thought she had done something wrong and decided to look for her father.

"Mommy don't like Sorceress Knight?" she innocently asked. "I gave it to her and asked to read."

Fury's face paled and Hugo couldn't help but smirk. "Son of a bitch, huh?"

Julia slept in a different room that night. Rinoa had knocked and asked to sleep beside her.

The little girl wondered why her lovely mother slept in a different room, and why her eyes were red and puffy."Mommy, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" her daughter asked.

She rose from the bed and looked at Rinoa. Her child with Fury Caraway. How it would have been different if she was Laguna's child!

"Oh Darling." She embraced her. "Mommy loves you so much."

"Why are you crying? Did daddy make you cry? I no like when you cry."

Julia brushed the tears. "Mommy is hurt because someone she loved is alive". She showed Rinoa Laguna's Promise Ring. "Mommy, what's that?"

"It's a Promise Ring Honey. When a Galbadian soldier pledges his undying love when he gives it to you."

"Daddy give this?"

"No" she answered. "Another man gave it to me. The man I loved very much."

"You don't love… daddy?"

She looked at Fury's Promise ring her her left ring finger. Despite his treachery, Julia knew she had learned to love him. She had shared a daughter with him. She shared laughter and memories. She loved it every time he made love to her. How he made her feel love and cherished.

It had taken one confession to ruin everything she believed about him. It had taken lies to destroy her trust and confidence in him.

The wound of his betrayal ran deep, and like a sharp sword, it leave a scar for the rest of her life.

"I want to go to some place far far away, darling."

"Where?"

"To….to…" Would she give up her daughter, her family, her career, just to be with Laguna?

She wept and hugged her daughter. "Mommy wants to go somewhere where she doesn't want to cry."

"No cry in Heaven." Rinoa answered with innocent glee.

"Ah no." Julia laughed. "Somewhere to find peace, my darling." She tucked her daughter to bed and hummed Eyes on Me.

"Rinoa likes that." her daughter murmured.

Julia brushed Rinoa's soft hair. "Mommy loves it too." She planted a kiss on her head and went to sleep.

It was unfortunate when Caraway witnessed Julia packing her belongings. She was going to leave him. "Where are you going?" his voice boomed.

Julia gazed at her husband. His face was inscrutable. "It's none of your concern." she replied coldly.

"Are you going to him?" he snapped.

She didn't want to go to Laguna. Julia wanted to go somewhere where she could relax and temporarily forget him."Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters!" he gritted, "You are my wife!"

Julia knew that despite the pain of Fury's treachery, she still loved him. He was still her husband, the same way she was still his wife. He was the epitome of a wronged husband, where in reality, she had been the one who was wronged. Julia wanted to hurt Caraway the same way he hurt her and callously, she smiled at him and delivered her worst. "Yes, I'm going to see the only man I truly loved." She deliberately emphasized the last four words, even if it was a half-truth.

A red haze blurred Fury's vision and she slapped her. The blow sent her flying to the wall. "You bitch! You're married to me! I would give everything for you and this is what you'll repay me?"

Rinoa heard the loud noises coming from her mother's room and ran to inspect it. She was surprised when her father had slapped and nearly knocked Julia out. "Mommy!" she rushed to Julia who's lip bled. "Daddy, bad! No!"

"Bad?" he snorted. "Your mother is leaving us for another man!"

Rinoa frowned and looked at her. "Mommy, that true?"

Julia tried to stand and answered her daughter truthfully. "Mommy is hurting, dear. She just wants to go away and somewhere where she won't cry."

"So you would lie to our own child?" He grabbed Julia by her shoulders. Rinoa clung to her father and pleaded not to hurt her mother. But Caraway was not in the correct state of mind. He was blinded with hatred and jealousy. In his rage, he shoved Julia outside the room and locked the room.

Julia lunged at him and pounded at his back. "Bastard! You would hurt our child!"

He turned to her and gripped her chin in his hand. He gave it a hard shake and Julia whimpered from the pain. "Do you want to see him that much? Do you want to be with him that you'd leave your family? Don't worry. I'll let you go, but let's fuck for old times sake, shall we? I'm your husband right? You won't deny me my rights, will you?" and he forcefully ripped her dress into half.

"No, please don't! Not like this! Rinoa is outside, for Hyne's sake!"

Julia had never felt more dirty than she ever had. She had begged him not to force her, but he did. He was mad. He had a right to be mad. But didn't she have a right to be mad as well?

Hours later, she felt safe to leave the room after hearing Caraway snore. Julia sneaked and visited daughter's room. Rinoa looked so tiny and fragile on the soft bed. Her eyes opened and she saw her mother sitting on the bed. "Mommy?"

"Rinoa."

"Daddy hurt you, didn't he?" she asked. "I heard you mom… you asked him to stop. What he do to you?"

Julia felt remorse. Her daughter shouldn't have heard how he raped her. She chose to play the martyr instead. "Daddy and I had an argument. You know what? Mommy just wants to go somewhere, and when I'm back, I'll be better."

Rinoa noticed the bruises that covered Julia's arms and lower neck. She softly touched them. "Daddy hurt you. I no like dad." With that, she embraced her, and Julia began to cry again. "Ma, I go with you."

She placed Rinoa inside the car and drove away. She would go to Hugo. She would go to her parents. She would go anywhere, just to make the pain go away. Julia was so focused on her thoughts that she didn't notice the old woman who was about to cross the street.

"Mommy, watch out!" Rinoa squealed.

Julia snapped from her daze. She quickly tried to avoid the old lady and turned the wheel.

It was a second too late and Julia swerved into a tree.

The old lady was safe, but the mother and daughter weren't.

Julia opened her eyes and looked to see her daughter's condition. Rinoa was still fastened in the child car seat. "Mommy?"

Her daughter was still alive and she struggled to get them out of the car. Julia mustered every once of strength to carry Rinoa further from the crash site. Then she fel a sharp pain in her head and collapsed. Rinoa begun to cry. "Mommy, mommy..."

"Be strong, Rinoa." she weakly whispered. Her vision began to blur, then it began to dim. Then she felt her consciousness fade away.

She closed her eyes. Is this is it? Is this how everything ends for me? No, let me see Rinoa one last time. Let me see his face one last time.

Julia faintly heard Rinoa's cries. I'm just going somewhere where there's no pain... I'll be back... I'll be back...Please don't cry, Rinoa. Everything will be alright. Mommy will wake up... this is just a bad dream... Just a bad dream.

Fury woke up with a headache. He had drunk a bottle of strong alcohol before visiting his wife. He tried to recall what happened and to his horror, realized he had forced his wife.

"No, please, Fury, don't do this to me"

"Shut up! You married me! You have no right to visit that man!"

He dressed and ran to Rinoa's bedroom. Julia and their daughter were no where in sight. The butler appeared to him, looking gravely concerned.

"Where are they?"

"Sir…."

"Speak up!"

"She left with Rinoa."

He felt cold. She had every right to leave him after how he had treated her.

His mobile phone rung and he answered it. "What is it Marc?"

"I'm sorry, Caraway but your wife…."

"What happened to my wife?"

Silence.

Fury hated the silence that separated Julia from him. "What happened to my wife, Marc?" he demanded.

"She crashed the car she was driving, Fury. The impact killed her...Julia is dead."

Author's Note:

The premise for this chapter was simple. Rape wasn't supposed to be in the picture. The idea just paraded in my head, and I gave it a shot. I think it Rinoa seeing how Caraway hurt Julia would be the catalyst between the father-daughter rift. After all, it wasn't explained in the FF8 Storyline why "things went bad between them after Julia Heartilly died".

There were a lot of changes in this chapter. I omitted a car chase scene. I scrapped the idea that Julia hated Hugo for lying to her.

I'm satisfied with the present outcome... even if it's dark... and mature. A far cry from the initial teen rating I planned .

I have one last post to write, before I end this "16-chapter and 1 epilogue tale".

I hope that the epilogue will wrap things up, before I proceed to my next story, Raine and Laguna's.