Evelyn retired to her room and June sought out Sheila who was seated in the living room. After the situation, June helped her mother retire and returned to the living room to meet Sheila.
“I’m very sorry for everything.” June apologised immediately. “I promise they are not usually like this. It’s just-”
“I hurt them.” Sheila finished for her. A wry smile appeared on her face. “You don’t need to apologise, I had it all coming. I did all that knowing they would hurt someone. You don’t need to spare my feelings.” She wiped her eyes. “Not when I didn’t spare the feelings of the many people I’ve hurt.”
June felt tongue-tied. “I do not judge you for your life choices, Sheila.” She said after a while. “I do not support them, but I know you were pushed to a corner.”
Sheila shook her head. “You don’t know that.” She muttered. “My twin sister is in jail. I put her there. That was all my doing.”
“No. That was my sister’s doing.” June corrected. “April put her in prison knowing she was not the real culprit. She did that to cover up her crimes. She didn’t care if another person’s life was ruined in the process, she’s the real culprit here.”
Sheila didn’t buy June’s words. “Didn’t you hear your mother? I had that recording. I had the ammunition to save you all, including my sister.” She wore a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I could have come up. I knew you were having a case against her. I knew the evidence in my hands would put her in prison. But I didn’t do anything.”
“I’m sure you had your reasons.” June tried to excuse but she wasn’t having it.
“Don’t you get it?” Sheila seemed frustrated. “Stop making excuses for me! I am not a good person. I ran away because I didn’t want to be killed. I didn’t want to go to prison. I didn’t want to pay for the crimes I committed,”
“You were afraid,” June muttered.
Sheila shook her head, “No! I was selfish. I let my sister take the fall because I could. I let myself pretend like I was doing it for her good like I was trying to help her by not getting caught.”
“But the truth is I didn’t want to get caught. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in prison. I didn’t want to pay for my crimes!” By now, she was flat-out screaming. “So yes, I am a terrible person and you are safer not to trust me.”
Sheila left the living room close to tears and June watched her go. She stepped out of the house and the guards watched her like a hawk. She felt like she couldn’t get a breather and it genuinely sucked.
June stepped out seconds later. “I know you want to be alone right now. I could direct you to your room.” She offered but Sheila remained silent.
June took that as a go-ahead. She led the way to the guest room and sure enough, Sheila followed right back. June opened the room door and left without a word. When Sheila stepped into the room, she felt guilt consume her.
She didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve to be in such a comfortable room while her sister rotted in jail. She didn’t deserve the kindness of the one she attempted to murder and she definitely didn’t deserve to live.
Sheila sat on the floor of the room for hours on end, a billion thoughts crossed her mind as she tried to make sense of her life. Midnight struck and she felt congested. She needed air. She needed to breathe.
She needed some time off everything.
Sheila got up and looked right through the door. She earlier heard the sound of feet which stopped in front of her door and knew without a doubt that the Fernando security men were stationed right outside her door.
The strangulating feeling increased and she needed to breathe. She rushed to the window and threw it open. Fresh wind breezed into the room and she felt better for a second. The moment soon passed and she needed more.
She needed to get out. A panic attack was on the way. Her nerves were bundled and her instincts yelled at her to run. She couldn’t control it. Sheila looked down the window, and thankfully, there was a tree by the side of it.
She could easily manoeuvre her way out of the window. It wasn’t her first rodeo. Sheila looked around the room for something to write on. Thankfully, she found a pen and paper.
She scribbled down something on the paper, folded it and placed it at the top of her drawer. A rogue tear slipped from her eyes and she approached the window with hastened steps. She didn’t have time now.
Sheila jumped out of the window and used the tree to her advantage. She landed on the ground in a matter of minutes. Afterwards, she scaled the fence and left the house. Meanwhile, at a secured home, just by the end of the estate, April fought with her jailor.
“I said I need some air!” She yelled as the young man dragged her back to the house. “Let me go!”
“I am on strict orders to kill you if you refuse to cooperate, Mrs Lontoc.” The housekeeper reminded her.
April was done being scared. They wanted to kill her? Fine! What was the essence of her life? She was wasting away in captivity while that wicked wench enjoyed her life and money. She was done playing nice.
Unknown to the housekeeper, April had stolen a knife from the kitchen to aid her escape. “Leave me alone!” She said and when he didn’t she reached for the knife tucked under her shirt.
Before the young man could utter a word or realise her motion, she struck him in his shin and buried the knife in his chest. His heart stopped instantly. “I warned you!” She kicked him to the floor. “I warned you to let me go, but no! You wouldn’t!” She yelled in his face, her expression deranged.
“Good thing you are dead. Can’t kill me now, can you!” She yelled in his face, attacking his dead body with kicks and blows as she vented her anger. “How long have I been here? Huh?! How long did I keep my mouth shut while you policed me? Stupid piece of shit!”
April dragged the young man inside the house, away from prying eyes. Afterwards, she picked up his phone and searched his body for any weapon. After emptying him of every arm, she headed to take a bath and dressed in men’s clothing.
She looked outside the window and sure enough, the day was fast approaching, if she stood a chance at having her way with things, she needed to act smart. The young man was dirtying the entire place with his blood.
April scoffed when she saw one number saved on the phone she recovered. She rolled her eyes at how predictable her captor was. She couldn’t be this stupid to leave a contact or a trace if the roles were reversed.
Sucked for him but she couldn’t be happier. He saved her the stress of having to find that wench’s number after all. April dialed the number and it rang for some time. No answer.
April was set to make the second call when she received a message. “Can’t talk. Leave a message.”
The message irked April who immediately typed back. “Don’t tell me you are fucking another man with COLTON’S CHILD in you.”
April smirked when the message was delivered. She counted the seconds until Clarence returned the call. One, two, ring! April answered on the second ring. Clarence seemed to be in motion as she spoke.
“What did you do?!” She growled into the phone. “I promise to hand you over to the police, April. If you as much as do anything stupid, you’ll be in prison sooner than you imagine.”
“You don’t say.” April tutted. “You have the nerve, Clarence. Keeping me hostage in this house.” She seethed. “I could make your ass end up in prison with me for that too. All they need is a confession which I am ready to make.”
“You want to be crazy? Let’s be crazy together.” April was breathing fire. “You have five minutes, Clare. Five minutes to get your stupid ass here or I swear you’ll meet a fate worse than your little man here,”
“I’m on my way,” Clarence said in haste, she could hear the rev of her engine. “What did you do to him, April? What did you do?”
“That’s for me to know and for you to find out. You have five minutes.” April ended the call before she could speak a word. A smirk appeared on her face as she cut herself with the knife until she was covered in wounds.
It took three minutes to do that. She looked at the time and dialled nine one one. The service picked up the call and with the most panicked voice she could muster, she said.
“Please… save me! I’ve been kidnapped and abused. My captor is on the way… she wants to kill me like she did Colton… She locked me up to shut my mouth. I managed to escape… please… save me!”