Chapter 20
1215 Words
Raina
I couldn't stay still while waiting for the doctor to treat my stepmom to come out. People who witnessed the incident helped get my stepmom into my car, and I immediately rushed her to the nearest hospital. Even though my whole body was trembling while I was driving earlier, I forced myself to reach the hospital.
My stepmom didn't treat me well and had bad intentions against me earlier, but I still didn't wish for anything bad to happen to her. I prayed earnestly that she would survive. However, the Creator did not heed my prayer because when the doctor came out, he sadly announced that my stepmom did not survive.
He said my stepmom's head hit a hard object, which affected her brain. Maybe her head was hit by the gutter of the road. Her heart and liver were also crushed, which were hit by the car that collided with her.
I felt weak and slowly sat down on the floor when I heard the bad news. What will I tell Daddy and Rina when they arrive? I called them and informed them about what happened earlier, so I'm sure they were on their way now to the hospital. Not long after the doctor left, Dad and Raina arrived.
"Raina! How is your Mommy? What did the doctor say? Is she safe now?" Daddy immediately asked me as he arrived in a hurry together with my sister.
"I'm sorry, Dad. Minerva is dead," I tearfully reported to Daddy.
"What? No!" Rina shouted loudly while shaking her head and crying. My sister angrily slapped and pulled my hair. "What did you do to my Mom? Why did you kill my Mom? Wasn't it enough that you took my fiancé from me? Now you killed my Mom, too!" Rina shouted furiously.
"I am not at fault, Rina. What happened was an accident," I defended myself. "Dad. Believe me. I am not at fault for what happened to her. I didn't want this to happen," I cried to my father.
"Get out of my sight, Raina. I might lose my temper and do something to you!" my father shouted at me. With shoulders slumped and crying, I walked away from Rina and Daddy, both of whom were also crying. I know that no matter what I say and explain to them, they will not listen to me.
Why are they blaming me for Minerva's death? I was the one Minerva tried to harm, yet I'm being blamed for her death. Why is the world so unfair?
When I got back inside my car, I didn't start the engine right away. I buried my face in the steering wheel and cried. I stayed like that for several minutes until I calmed myself down.
After I cried, I immediately started the engine of my car and drove away from the front of the hospital. When I got home, I went straight to my room and cried again until I fell asleep crying.
When I woke up the next morning, I was surprised to find two police officers waiting for me in the living room.
"What can I do for you, Sirs?" I politely asked them.
"We are inviting you to come to the precinct, Mrs. Mondragon. Miss Cervantes has filed a case against you for the murder of your stepmom. You have the right to remain silent and to get a lawyer," the police told me.
I know that the police are just doing their job, so I didn't resist. I let them handcuff me and take me to the precinct. However, because many witnessed the incident, the police released me immediately after a day of investigation and my stay in jail.
There was no evidence proving that I intentionally let my stepmom be hit by a car so Rina couldn't press charges against me. I didn't need to hire a lawyer because the witnesses to the accident testified that I wasn't at fault and it was merely an accident. Meanwhile, the driver of the black car is still being hunted by the police.
Upon my release from prison, I immediately went to the chapel where my stepmom's body was laid out. Rina angrily drove me away when she saw me.
"Get out of here! I don't need your fake sympathy! You're the one responsible for what happened! You killed my mom!" Rina shouted furiously. If my father hadn't stopped her, I would have surely received a slap and hair-pulling from her.
"Why did you even come here, Raina? Leave us now! From this day on, I am severing any ties that connect us. I have no daughter who is a murderer!" my father sternly dismissed me.
"Why don't you want to believe me, Dad? I didn't kill her. It was just an accident. Please, believe me, Dad," I pleaded tearfully to my father.
"Liar! Never show yourself to us again, Raina!" Raina shouted angrily while pointing at me.
Our relatives who were at the wake and offering condolences just looked at me with disgust in their eyes. They all believe that I intentionally killed my stepmom.
I couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "Do you know that my stepmom and the two male goons with her tried to kidnap me? I ran away from them so they wouldn't kidnap me. Is it wrong to run to save my life? Did I tell my stepmom to chase me? The two men she ordered to kidnap me didn't chase me when they saw me cross the street. But my stepmom still chases me. Then, when she got hit by a car, I was blamed for what happened. What a joke!"
Daddy approached me and slapped me hard. "My wife is dead, so never accuse her of anything bad. Get out of our sight before I have security drag you out! From now on, you are no longer my child!"
"When did you ever treat me as your daughter, Dad? You only think of Rina as your daughter ever since! You give her everything she wants, which is why she grew up spoiled and with a bad attitude. Meanwhile, you're so strict with me. Even the smallest mistake I make, you scold me. You have high expectations of me, but you never showed me that you love me as your daughter!" I cried out reproachfully to him. For the first time, I let out all my grievances against him.
"Ungrateful! I wish you were never my child!" Daddy said with piercing eyes.
The words my father uttered felt like a sharp blade cutting through my heart. I never thought I would hear such words from his lips.
"If you regret having me as your child, I regret even more that you are my father. If I could only choose my parents, I would never choose you to be my father. Because no child wants a parent like you, a worthless father!" I shouted firmly before turning around and walking away with my fists tightly clenched.
"Come back here, Raina! Repeat what you just said! How dare you say that to me!" Daddy shouted angrily, but I ignored him. From now on, I have no father. I will just think that both my parents are dead, even though it pains my heart.
- Writer
