The Vengeful Rebirth

Chapter2

I stood by the tall window, my fingers curled into fists as I watched the last of the guests enter their cars, their laughter echoing behind them, reminding me of the cruel joke I had experienced this last hour.

After being ignored by everyone, I had waited behind, wanting to question my supposed family and ex-fiancé. I knew I had let a lot of things slide by, looking at the fact they are my family and should let some things go, but I didn’t have it in me tonight. The betrayal hit harder than expected. I hadn’t expected it in my life.

I wondered if my family was doing this just to spite me. They were always telling me how I was too good for Joel and Luisa didn’t spare a thought when she spoke with spite about Joel. Was she jealous of me?

I glanced around the mansion which had turned cold. As if the music, the celebration, the cheers of happiness were just fragments of my mind.

My family and that of Joel sat scattered around the living room. Mother and Joel’s mother, Mary, sat sipping wine as they chatted happily. My brother, James, who had always treated me slightly better wouldn’t meet my eyes. And there was Luisa and Joel who looked like a fairytale couple.

I was the odd one in the room.

‘How did I miss the signs?’ I wondered.

My heels clicked as I walked towards Joel. At this point, all I felt was hatred, but I wanted answers.

“We need to talk,” my voice was low but a bit shaky. It came out better than I had expected. The room fell silent at my words. I felt their scorching gaze boring into my head.

Joel stood, holding Luisa’s hand in his. “There’s nothing to talk about. Everything has already been said.”

I let out a hollow laughter. “No. Not by me.”

Joel looked frustrated. “Do you really need me to spell everything for you? Are you that dumb you can’t read the room? I don’t love you, Matilda. I never did.” Even though he had never been affectionate towards me, the coldness in his voice made my skin crawl.

There was silence.

I blinked before letting out an amused laugh. I glanced around trying to look for a hidden camera, waiting to tell me it was just a prank, but I found none.

“You’re lying.”

He looked like he was done with this conversation. “I’m not, so get over it.” His voice was flat as if he was just discussing the weather with me.

I turned to the people I called family and saw they had no reaction apart from James who looked at me with pity. I didn’t want his pity.

I glanced at Mary, Joel’s mom who looked bored. She never liked me before.

“You should accept it, Mat.” Luisa drawled, glancing at her ring with joy.

“Accept what?” I demanded. “That I was betrayed?”

“Please, stop making this a big deal. It is no one’s fault you couldn’t read the room and kept forcing yourself on my son. He didn’t love you.”

“Then he could have communicated like the man he claimed to be!” I shouted, fully enraged. A slap landed on my face and my head snapped to the side as I held it in shock. I had placed all my hopes on him, waiting for the day he would take me away from this family. Waiting for the day I could laugh freely without fear. When I could be free without working like an animal and he had indulged me in my fantasy.

I decided I was fine with this family. I stared at all of them before turning to leave, but a tight hold on my arm stopped me.

“Where are you going?” It was my mother.

“I have the sense to read the room and realize I’m not wanted, so I’d leave you be.”

“You can’t leave. Have you forgotten what we discussed?”

I laughed dryly. “Have you become old and senile, mother?”

They all looked taken aback. I wasn’t one to say this, but their betrayal opened my eyes to see how hypocritical they are. I was so stupid in the past, but not anymore.

“How dare you talk to me that way?”

“I would talk to you that way if you want me to claim I murdered someone.”

“We already discussed this, Mat,” Elina was beginning to get angry, but I didn’t care. I would never do that.

“You want me to accept that I’m a murderer?”

“You are.” Joel stepped forward, his eyes hard. “You killed them drunkenly that night. You’re evil yet pretend to be good and naive. That’s why I could never love you.”

I flinched as he slapped me. He thought I had killed them or was fed with lies?

My breath came in shallow bursts. “You’re all insane. I don't care what you believe but I won’t take charge of what I didn’t do. Luisa killed them, not me!”

“You will go to the station and confess that you did it. We can’t keep a murderer at home. We would make sure the term you’d serve won’t be long. Once you get out, you can go abroad and start over.” Elina said with finality.

“Luisa is the murderer, not me. She should have known better when she killed them.”

“Mat, I know you can’t really remember what happened but trauma does that to you. You find it hard to believe you did that and erased it from your memory,” Luisa said, talking like a good sister.

I scoffed in disbelief at their words. Without another word, I pushed Elina and dashed towards the door.