Two days later.
At the hospital.
The beeping sound of different hospital equipment could be heard. Lina’s frail figure was lying quietly on the bed in the VIP ward. As usual, she didn’t wake up in the next twenty-four hours as Dylan said. A day had passed already.
Lina, who was plunged into a dream that seemed to be real, found her younger self walking endlessly in a graveyard. The crunch of gravel beneath her feet echoed through the silence. She went to visit her mother who passed away five years ago. She, who was fifteen years old at the time, would come to where her mother was buried every day to keep her mom company. Though she was young then, Lina had gotten used to not having her mother around.
“Mom, see what I made today? Daddy was very busy. He didn’t have time, so I had to cook for myself. Look at my hands, I burnt myself today.” The young Lina would sit in front of her mother’s grave, telling her about all she did for the day. The sweet scent of blooming flowers filled the air, a stark contrast to the sorrow that filled Lina’s heart. Another day, she would sit there and cry, lamenting how she missed her mom.
Lina came to visit her mom as usual that fateful day. Everywhere was quiet, but the young Lina wasn’t afraid. The warm sun cast long shadows across the graveyard, making the statues and headstones seem like sentinels guarding the dead. As she reached there, she saw the flowers on her mother’s grave had wilted. She took some money from her backpack before flinging it on her left shoulder.
“Mom, I will be back.” After she said that, she hurriedly left. Not long after the young Lina left, a woman who was beautifully dressed walked into the graveyard full of smiles. Anyone who saw her in that mood might think she was crazy, because, who would smile as happily as her coming to a graveyard? The sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the wind filled the air, a stark contrast to the malice that filled the woman’s heart.
After walking for about five minutes, the woman seems to have located the grave she was looking for. The grave was a majestic, black marble monument with intricate, silver engravings.
A delicate angel adorned the headstone, its wings spread wide, conveying a sense of peace. The inscription read: “Beloved mother and wife, Forever in Our Hearts” with the name Laura Thompson Robert,” etched below. Wilted flowers arranged at the base added a vibrant touch, indicating a sign of summer.
The gorgeously dressed woman walked to the grave and squatted before it. “Laura, you’re gone. I have to admit, it’s a relief. Now I can finally be with Jason, without having to sneak around. I’m so surprised that a strong woman like you was so easy to get rid of. If I had known earlier, I would have taken you down years ago. Her dark red colored lips opened slightly as her words tumbled out.
The woman laughed crazily. It was a mixture of anger and joy. After a few seconds, she stopped laughing. Her gaze was ferocious. “You know, Laura, I’m going to tell you a secret. I’m glad you didn’t stick around to hear the rest of what I had to say at the hospital. You wouldn’t have liked it.” She said, her voice dripping with malice.
After saying that, the woman stood up, her eyes gleaming with triumph as she walked round the grave as she spoke.
“Did you know the reason Jason was with you? Oops, I’m sorry you were so blinded by the fake love he showed you that you can’t even detect that all his love for you was fake. If it’s not for your wealth, he wouldn’t have even touched a woman like you.
She confidently said as she stopped once again in front of Lina’s mother’s grave. Her eyes darkened at the ‘Robert’ inscribed on the grave. She couldn’t help feeling jealous, but her jealousy was short after realizing the one who had the title of Mrs Robert was now a cold corpse who by now had been devoured by ants.
“Jason had been secretly feeding you a slow-dying poison for years. It shouldn’t have taken effect for another two years, who knew you couldn’t handle stimulation? “The woman’s gaze turned ferocious as she spoke.
The woman who was talking nonstop didn’t notice Lina, who was holding a bouquet of lilies, was at her back listening to her conversation with her mother.
Lina’s eyes widened in shock as she listened to the woman’s words. She felt a chill run down her spine as the woman’s true nature was revealed.
She came back some minutes ago. She was happy that her stepmother, who had been treating her like her child since her mother’s death, came to visit her mother. Who knew she was the one behind everything?
“The day you caught me entangled with Jason on your matrimonial bed wasn’t the first. I’ve always visited your home and banged your darling husband.” She scoffed. “Who knew you would be impatient to come home and see that scene, that immediately sent you to the hospital, due to that unfortunate heart attack.”
Her fingers ran on the inscribed name, oblivious of the shivering teenager at her back, whose eyes were wide open. Though she was young, she still understood everything the woman, who seemed to be her stepmother, but also not her at the same time was saying.
“You could have been given a chance to live for another few years while lying on a sickbed, but your impatient Jason, who couldn’t wait for your demise, asked the doctor to inject you with death medicine which was…”
A loud thud interrupted Rebecca who was scared that someone had heard her confession. As she turned and saw that it was Lina, she couldn’t be bothered. But before she could say anything, Lina walked up to her.
Lina’s anger boiled over, and she took a step forward, her eyes blazing with fury. Rebecca had a mixture of surprise and anger on her face.
“Ah, Lina,” Rebecca said, her voice dripping with venom. “I’ve been expecting you. You’re just in time to hear the truth about your mother’s death.”
Lina’s hands were shaking with rage, and she took another step forward, her eyes locked on Rebecca. “You killed my mother, you wicked woman. You won’t get away with this.” Lina accused, her voice trembling with anger.
Rebecca smiled, a cold, calculating smile. “Yes, I did,” she said, her voice dripping with malice. “And I’ll do the same to you if you don’t shut up. By the way, you said I won’t get away with it.” Rebecca walked up to Lina standing just a foot away from her. “Let me ask you, did you have any evidence on your accusations?”
Lina felt a surge of fear, but she stood her ground, her eyes locked on Rebecca. “I’ll never let you get away with this. I will surely get enough evidence.” Lina said, her voice firm.
Rebecca laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. “We’ll see about that,” she said, her eyes glinting with malice.
After glaring at each other for a few seconds, Lina turned back, her long stride the evidence of her urgency and frustration. Rebecca knew even though she didn’t have evidence against her, she couldn’t let Lina leave like that.
Rebecca made a call. After a few minutes, Lina was brought back by two hefty men who were guiding the entrance of the graveyard, each holding one of her arms. “Let me go!” She kept on shouting, but what could a weak teenager like Lina do to two hefty men?
“Seal her mouth,” Rebecca ordered. “I don’t want to hear her speak.” A rag came out of nowhere and was immediately shoved into little Lina’s mouth. She couldn’t do anything but whimper.
Rebecca walks up to them and delivers a heavy slap on Lina’s little face. Water immediately poured out of her green eyes, her ears ringing bells. “Like a mother, like a daughter. Since you won’t give me peace, I won’t allow you to rest either.
Take her away.” Rebecca ordered the hefty men, who immediately bowed their heads slightly before walking away with the crying Lina. Lina struggled with her tiny body, but everything suddenly went blank as she fell into darkness.