“Don’t you think we are making mistakes?” Rebecca’s voice was urgent as she hurriedly walked the hallway of the institute, her heels making a series of clicking sounds. “Why don’t we silence her once and for all? She already knows everything?”
The man who was walking at her front abruptly stopped, making Rebecca collide with his back, almost breaking her just-fixed nose.
“Ouch,” she yelped in pain, but the man didn’t seem to notice her distress.
“What did you just say?” The man’s voice was husky with anger, his gaze sharp. “You want to silence a kid, just because she heard all the nonsense you spouted at her mother’s grave earlier? You are a callous human being Rebecca.” The man shouted, his voice thunderous. “Don’t forget she is my daughter too.” He roared.
Rebecca immediately forgot her almost broken nose. Her eyes widened in shock at how the man was yelling at her. It has been a long time since he had treated her this way.
“Jason, that little bastard is your child, I know. But what she heard earlier can send both of us to death or life imprisonment.” She took a step closer to him, her eyes blazing with malice. “It’s either we silence her once and for all, or we wait for her to grow up and come for us for the murder of her mother.” She shouted, her voice filled with venom.
Jason shut his eyes, his body trembling thinking of Lina, who was just twelve years old. He was guilty after what he did in killing her mother. He wanted to treat her well, but what Rebecca said just now is true. What he feared most in life was death and going to jail. He would rather forsake his flesh and blood than suffer.
After some seconds, his eyes opened, determination etched in them. “I still think erasing her memories would be the best, Rebecca. What if it’s Mira that’s in Lina’s shoe, would you kill her, huh?”
His questioning gaze was fixed on her. Mira was Rebecca’s bottom line. “Fine,” she finally shouted. “I agreed with erasing her memories, but if anything happens later in the future, you have yourself to blame for it.” After saying those words, she walked down the hallway in a hurry, her heels almost making a hole in the marble floor.
Jason stood there for a while before following her.
*****
Research institute.
In a room in the research institute, the young Lina was tied to an iron bed, her hands and legs bound to it. “How is it going, doctors? Are you sure this operation will be successful?” That was what Rebecca asked first on entering the room.
The beep of the hospital machine and the white gowns of the doctors created a sterile and intimidating atmosphere. “Don’t worry ma’am, this isn’t our first. This will be done successfully.” A doctor said,
This was what Lina, who was drowsy from the earlier blackout, heard as she woke up. Her heart was filled with panic as she remembered all that happened earlier. Though she was young, some things are still understandable to Lina. She tries to talk, but she finds out her mouth has also been sealed.
Lina’s eyes darted frantically around the room, her gaze pleading for help. She struggled against the restraints, but they were too tight.
Rebecca’s eyes fixed on Lina, a cold, calculating glint in her gaze. “Don’t worry, Lina,” she said, her voice dripping with insincerity. “This is just a minor procedure. You’ll be fine.” She patted her cheeks lightly as her lips spread with a mocking smile.
Lina glared at her wicked stepmother. If she had known her mother’s death was her and her father’s doing, she wouldn’t have accepted her as the mother she doesn’t have for two years. Rebecca and her daughter, Mira, were brought in by her father a week after her mother’s death, with the excuse that she needed a mother figure in her life.
The doctors nodded in agreement, their faces expressionless. One of them stepped forward, a syringe in hand. “We’re ready to begin, ma’am,” he said, his voice firm.
Rebecca nodded, her eyes never leaving Lina’s face. “Proceed,” she said, her voice cold and detached. “All I want is for this to be successful.”
Lina’s eyes widened in terror as the doctor approached her, the syringe glinting in the light. She struggled against the restraints, but it was no use. The doctor injected the contents of the syringe into her vein, and Lina’s eyes began to droop, her body relaxing as the sedative took effect.
Rebecca watched, her expression unchanging, as Lina’s eyes closed, her chest rising and falling with slow, steady breaths. The beep of the hospital machine was the only sound in the room, a steady heartbeat that seemed to mock Lina’s helplessness.
“No mistakes,” Rebecca warns, her voice low and menacing.”I will wait outside for your good news.” After she said that, Rebecca walked out of the room with a cunning smile.
A few hours passed before the operation of erasing Lina’s memories of the graveyard was successful. Lina, who had been anesthetized, was still unconscious.
Jason and Rebecca who were standing outside rushed forward seeing the red light going off. The doctors also came out of the room. “How was the operation? Was it successful?” This was what both Jason and Rebecca asked first. None of them bothered asking if Lina was fine.
“Don’t worry, the operation was successful. By the time she wakes up, she won’t remember whatever happened at the graveyard earlier.” One of the doctors replied. Jason nodded, while Rebecca was still not happy that Lina wasn’t killed. Well, she can allow Lina to live for a few years before finally getting rid of her, she thought.
*****
Robert villa.
The next morning.
Jason, Rebecca, and Mira surrounded Lina, who was still asleep on her bed. She was taken away from the institute yesterday night by Jason.
“Mom, what happened to my sister?” Mira, who was ten years old, then asked her mother. Rebecca lied to her that Lina fainted yesterday and she was rushed to the hospital. Since then, she hasn’t woken up. Mira believed her mom. At this time, Mira and Lina’s relationship was quite good, and they were very close.
A few minutes passed before Lina opened her groggy eyes. Her mind was blank for a few seconds before she was fully awake.
“Lina, do you remember anything that happened yesterday?” Rebecca was the first to break the silence. Jason nodded, his eyes almost boring a hole in Lina.
“Dad?” Lina called Jason. “Didn’t you go for a business trip earlier, why are you back?” She faced her father not minding Rebecca’s earlier question.
“Um…actually, I heard about you fainting yesterday, that was why I rushed back.”He lied with a straight face.
Lina nodded. “Dad,” she called as she tried raising her back to sit down on the white-covered bed. The white blanket that was covering her body fell. None of them help her. They watched as she struggled to sit. “I remembered visiting my mom yesterday. Whatever happened after that…I…” Lina winced in pain as she felt a heavy headache as she tried to remember whatever happened before now.
“Don’t stress your brain dear, whenever you remember whatever happened, you must tell me immediately.” Lina nodded as she watched her father and stepmother exchange glances.
Lina didn’t speak to Rebecca at all. Even when her memories were cleared, a part of her was guided against Rebecca. She didn’t see her as a mother figure anymore. Since then, their relationship has gone sour. Rebecca was suspicious that Lina knew something. She felt uneasy for a few days.
She would use any opportunity she has to test Lina. After a while, she was finally convinced that Lina was not pretending, her memories were erased.
As the days passed, Lina settled back into her routine, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off. One night, as she lay in bed, she heard the door creak open. She turned to see her father, Jason, standing in the shadows.
“Lina,” he whispered, his voice low and urgent. “I need to talk to you.”
“Dad,” Lina’s heart began to pound as Jason approached her bed. He loomed over her, his eyes glinting in the dark.
“I’ve been getting some disturbing reports, Lina,” he said, his voice laced with venom. “It seems that you’ve been asking questions about your mother’s relatives.”
Lina’s eyes widened in fear as Jason’s grip on her shoulder tightened.
“I don’t want you to dig into the past, Lina,” he hissed. “Just know that I’m the only family you have now. Is that clear?”
Lina trembled with fear as Jason’s words hung in the air. She unconsciously nodded, as she shrunk into the bed more.
“If I find out you are asking your nanny about your mother’s past again,” Jason growled, “I will make sure you face the consequences. Do you understand?” He thundered.
Lina nodded, desperate to appease him. Jason’s grip finally relaxed, and he stepped back, his eyes still glinting with menace. When did wanting to know about her mother’s family become a crime? The young Lina was confused.
“Good,” he whispered. “I’m glad we understand each other.” With that, he turned and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Lina shaken and terrified.