THE BEAUTIFUL MINDS

CHAPTER 13

Veronica Marie Bolton had a beautiful mind.

Every head in the office turned around to catch a glimpse of her as she strode nonchalantly into Ronny's precinct.

She possessed a grace that every woman would envy and a figure that every man would worship. Her pointed pink lips was a feature that she was most proud of. A feather in her cap as she would call it.

She'd adorned her hourglass figure with a jean, tight fitting black shirt and a drape long cape top that highlighted her beautiful curves.

Her mind was as beautiful as her body.

But, most of them wouldn't agree to it.

Veronica had her every cell instilled with grit and flattery. When she wants something done she'll make sure it's done. She was fond of appreciation, applauds, attention and adoration. If anyone does the opposite she'll make sure they get what they deserve.

She loathed people who condemned and admonished her.

She believed that she never flawed and didn't encourage others to contradict it.

Her close acquaintances didn't know how these feelings originated within her. And that's why they failed to notice how beautiful her mind was.

Ever since she remembered herself, she'd only heard people say that she didn't deserve to live.

"Veronica, why didn't you bloody die in my womb? You are such a dumb creature! A total disgrace to your parents!" her mother would say.

She would hear it so many times a day that her mind would keep playing it even when her mother didn't mouth it.

And again all through the night, her mind would continue to play it like a haunting song, 'why didn't you bloody die?'

Veronica would get up in the middle of the night and bury herself within her pillow making it wet with her cold, bitter tears.

Tears saturated with agony.

Both her parents were scientists and they were expecting Marie Curie to come out of them. And that's one of the reasons why she was named Veronica Marie.

But all that God gave them was a girl who was extremely slow in studies. A girl who loved to spend time painting her nails, colouring her hair and dancing like an i***t in front of the mirror.

Veronica craved to take up acting classes but instead she was forced to memorise atomic numbers, derivations and formulae. Her head would go reeling just at the sight of those books.

Due to the continuous reprimands of her mother, Veronica had gotten paranoid. She wouldn't talk to her class mates because she feared they'd find out what a foolish person she was. She was scared of becoming a laughing stock.

One fine day, her father had looked into her report card and noticed how deadly low her grades were.

Unlike her mother who'd be annoyed, her father had looked at her with grief stricken eyes.

"I regret giving birth to you" he said with a trembling voice and walked away.

What her father said that day was a lot different from her mother's reprimands. Her mother would curse her out of anger and frustration.

But her father had meant what he said, like he really regretted giving birth to her. It was from the bottom of his heart.

And that broke Veronica's heart into a thousand shards.

It formed a wound too deep. A wound that induced pain into every tissue of her body.

She grew up denied and detested by her parents.

She grew up hating herself.

While her contemporaries were busy breaking and patching up, she had spent her time mourning for who she weren't. Wondering why she was so different from her parents.

And then she would cry out aloud letting all the agony flow out.

When she was eighteen years old, her parents died in a plane crash.

And her reaction when she heard it took her by surprise.

She was happy.

She knew this wasn't right. She knew she was supposed to be bereaved but she couldn't bring herself to it.

The only thing that was beaming up in her mind was the fact that she no longer had to live inside a cage, trying and wanting to be a person she wasn't.

Veronica was glad because the people who trampled and tread on her were no more.

She could live out loud.

That marked a before and an after in her life.

Veronica warded off the past and started focusing on what she was good at. She discovered her talents and started nurturing them.

She realised that all that her parents had told her were lies.

And she will not let anyone do the same to her again.

She was a woman destined for greatness.

And from then on, there was no looking back.

Back to present......

Veronica looked around at the dull enquiry room.

She had agreed to come because her affair with David had leaked out and was spreading like virus.

She was glad about it because that would make David want to marry her imminently. Of course, a socially important person like David wouldn't want the world to go clamorous about his personal life.

Besides, she didn't want to raise suspicions by not turning up.

Veronica loved David deeply. Because, to her, it seemed like he was the only man who looked beyond her alluring figure. He'd admired her inner beauty and that made her fall for him.

"It's nice meeting you, Ms Bolton" Ronny said shaking her hands and beckoning her to take a seat.

Patrick and Sarah were watching from the other side of the glass enclosure.

"You'd like to have a chewing gum? Just to relax" Ronny cleared, before she could shoot up a surprised look.

"Well, no thanks" she said. Ronny couldn't help but notice how intense and musical her voice was.

"Fine. But I'd like to show you some gratitude for obliging"

Sarah clenched her fists.

He was such a flirt.

Veronica wanted to get done with the investigation and leave the place as soon as she could. So she accepted a cup of coffee.

Ronny cleared his throat to put forth the first question.

"Have you met up with Rachel? Anytime?"

Veronica's eyes twinkled. "No"

"Did you know about her affair with Richard?"

"Well yes. David told me about it a couple of times"

Ronny nodded. "What did he tell you?"

Veronica thought for a moment. "Nothing much. Just that they were in a relationship"

Ronny's cop instincts sensed the lie.

Meanwhile, from the other side, Sarah was staring at Veronica.

Something struck her as odd.

"Where were you last Saturday night?"

Veronica thought for a moment. "At home"

"Anyone to corroborate it?"

She bit her lip. "My maid"

Ronny stroked his moustache.

"So, Mr Louis and you were in a relationship for many years. Why didn't you get married as soon as Mrs Louis died?"

Veronica glared at him.

"I'm sorry I didn't intend to sound nosy. I just want certain things cleared up"

She heaved a sigh. "I was ready. But he wasn't"

"Why wasn't he ready?"

She looked down. "I don't know"

Of course she knew why.

Rachel.

"I have a feeling that she's lying" Patrick muttered to Sarah.

But, she wasn't listening at all.

Sarah was staring at the monitor in front, taking a close look at Veronica.

This was the first time she'd gotten a chance to look at her closely. Of course, she'd seen her picture in magazines, but never bothered to notice the minute details.

But now, the small black mole at the corner of her left eye brought back traumatic memories.

Memories that she wanted to bury.

Memories that she didn't want to look back at.

Sarah's head reeled.

"Are you okay?" asked Patrick, concerned.

Sarah didn't reply.

She got up and hurried out of the room.