His Tempting Maid

2

It’s been two weeks since Father died and the hole growing in my heart never stop spreading,

Mother hasn’t been able to speak a word since the incident, apparently she was in the house when it happened, and he had informed that he would be going to work, even giving her a kiss on her forehead, what she didn’t know was that that would be the last time she would see him again.

It took a toll on her.

Turns out he had been blackmailed, accused of r**e and s****l harassment alongside embezzlement of slush funds, he tried to keep it to himself and not worry us about it, but it kept eating him from the inside and there was nothing else he could do to defend himself.

So he took his own life.

Since then we have been drowning in debt, our funds all frozen by the bank, investors had pulled out the company and our stocks had dropped.

The company was falling into a sunken drainage, never to return.

We even had to sell the house to be able to pay our debt.

I had started several part time job just to make more money to feed us, each time we step outside, people point fingers at us.

And my mother couldn’t say anything to defend us.

I know father would never do such a thing, I knew it in my heart, but sometimes I would stop to think, if he was innocent, then why was he accused of it in the first place.

“Adele” the boss called my attention, “Here is your paycheck for the month” he said to me as he gave me a white envelope.

“But the month hasn’t ended and I haven’t finished my job” I uttered

He rubbed the back of his neck,

“I understand, but customers are complaining about you. It would be best to let you go so that business won’t go under, I hope you understand” he said.

I slowly nodded my head, this was the fourth job that I was let go, apparently pictures of my family hadn’t died down, people always seem to find me wherever I go.

“I understand” I nodded and took the envelope.

I went to the back to pick up my things and then I left. I had no other gig for the day so I thought I would spend it with mother.

I decided to buy her favorite snacks, just to pick up her spirit, she hasn’t been eating much these past few weeks and it worries me.

After I was done getting the snacks, I called the her phone, hoping she would pick, even though she won’t say anything, she never says anything, she only listens.

But she doesn’t pick.

The sky opens and rains begins falling heavily, I raised my bag over my head as I ran towards the building,

“Mom” I called her name to open the door, I was already drenched from the rain.

But there was no response.

I reached into my bag to see if I could find the spare key, perhaps she was sleeping.

Once I found it, I pushed opened the door.

My bag fell to the ground at the sight in front of me, my mother hanging mid air, with a rope around her neck.

She had hung herself.

“Mom” I screamed as I ran towards her .

I grabbed her leg to give her support,

“Mom please, please don’t leave me” I pleaded, she was all I had left, I couldn’t lose her too, I would go crazy.

“Mom” I cried. Holding her legs tightly, her body was cold, so cold like she had been this way for a long while.

“Help!” I screamed but by voice was drowned out by the reoccurring thunder, it was pouring heavily outside and I doubt anyone would hear me.

My eyes caught sight of the phone on the table, I stretched my hand to grab it, refusing to let go of her, I feared that if I did then she might be really die.

“Mom please, I beg you” I pleaded with her.

I happened to notice the knife on the counter, it had blood stains on it.

Which could only mean that was her first option, but she decided to try this instead.

I stretched my hand even further to reach the phone but I realized that no matter what I did, I wouldn’t be able to touch it, still I could let go of her leg.

I was horrified.

That’s when the chair came in sight, the very one she had climbed to hang herself, I reached for it, dragging it with my legs, my first attempt failed and the chair fell right back to the ground but I didn’t give up. I tried it again and I succeeded this time.

So I climbed it to help her out of it, when I realized that a leg from the chair was broken, that would explain the wobbling underneath my feet, before I could steady myself, the chair fell to the right, with me on it, and I hit head against the kitchen counter then fell to the ground.

I could hear a part of my bone snap as I crashed.

I watched in horror as my mother kept hanging while I was slowly losing consciousness and a pool of blood began surrounding me.