Vows of Vengeance

Chapter 2: The Truth

At 7 p.m., Elara sat in the living room when she heard Alex's car pull into the garage. Usually, she would go to greet him and ask about his day before they headed to dinner together. But today, she just sat there, unsure of how to face her husband or the unborn child she was carrying.

"Why all the lights are off?" Alex asked as he walked from the garage into the living room, finding Elara sitting in the dark.

"I just didn't feel like turning them on." Elara replied, trying to keep her tone neutral.

"I got you a gift." Alex said, oblivious to her mood. He turned on the light and walked towards Elara, holding the gift.

"Linda has died. She was found in the old house. I've lost my mom forever." Elara said, indifferent to the gift Alex was holding.

"Dead? What happened? How did she die?" Alex was visibly shocked. "I saw her this morning at the office and even said hi!"

"The old house caught fire, and she was found dead. The medical examiner thinks she might have inhaled too much smoke. Do you really know nothing? Don’t you have something to tell me?" Elara, recalling the last sight of her mother at the police station, decided not to hold back her emotions and confronted Alex.

"Calm down, honey. I’m really sorry to hear about Linda. I'm shocked and saddened. I don't know what kind of answers you’re looking for from me, but I'm truly sorry." Alex soothed, pulling Elara into his arms.

"I’ve been dealing with some investments today, and we’ve started getting some returns. This money could help pay off your family’s remaining debts. I wanted to share this good news with you today."

Elara listened to Alex's response, aware that he was dodging her questions. He was definitely hiding something. She remembered the voicemail from Linda saying she'd found something important at Alex’s company. Linda only had access to financial documents at the company. Elara thought she should keep Alex calm for now and try to find a chance to visit his company. She wasn't alone anymore; she had a child to think about.

"Is that so? That's really great. You've been a huge help, thank you!" Elara nestled in Alex's arms, her face hidden from his view.

"That's what I should do. I know you’ll be busy dealing with Linda’s affairs. Take care of yourself, and let me know if you need help. I’m your husband." Alex comforted her, finding it easy to offer soothing words.

"I appreciate hearing that, but I really do need your help. Since you mentioned seeing my mom at the office this morning, can I go there tomorrow? I don’t know why she went to the old house today; maybe I can find some clues at the office." Elara proposed, seizing the opportunity to learn more.

"Sure, you can visit, but you know how it is—if you're there every day, people will start gossiping."

"Don't worry, I won't go often, just two or three times at most. I won’t be a bother."

"You’re never a bother. Just let Sam know when you’re coming, and he’ll take you up." Alex reassured her.

"Okay, I’ll contact him in advance. By the way, what’s in this bag?" Elara asked, moving on from the topic as she saw fit.

"Oh, that? Why don’t you open it and find out?" Alex handed over the gift bag to Elara.

"Oh my gosh! Babe, it's the necklace I've always wanted!" Elara opened the gift bag to find the Tiffany diamond necklace she had long admired. Had it been a year ago or even yesterday, she might have been thrilled, but now she knew these were just Alex's distractions.

"Let me put it on for you." Alex said, taking the necklace from its box and lifting Elara's hair to place it around her neck.

*Ding dong, ding dong*

"Who could that be?" Elara, resting in the upstairs bedroom, heard the doorbell downstairs and hurried to answer, unsure who it could be today.

"Oh hi, Cassidy, long time no see." Elara was surprised to see her college roommate and sorority sister at the door.

"Hey, E, long time no see! Sorry for just dropping by today. Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"Please, come in. It’s too hot outside. What would you like to drink?" Elara invited Cassidy in and headed to the kitchen.

"You know me, I'll have some sparkling water." Cassidy followed Elara into the room, taking in her current living situation.

"Coming right up." Elara said, opening the fridge and grabbing a bottle of sparkling water. She handed it to Cassidy and gestured for her to sit down. "So, what brings you here today? You didn’t tell me in advance. Weren’t you afraid I wouldn’t be home?”

"I was nearby and thought I'd stop by. Plus, I heard you were pregnant and had to come congratulate you." Cassidy said, taking a sip from her glass.

Elara was shocked by Cassidy's words because, aside from Alex, she hadn't told anyone about her pregnancy. Alex found out because she had intentionally left the test report in the bedroom for him to see. Since discovering the documents Linda had hidden, Elara could no longer face Alex or share a bed with him.

Now, she wanted to know how someone she hadn’t been in touch with since graduation knew about her pregnancy. She couldn't trust anyone anymore.

“How did you know? I haven't made the news public.” Elara asked, her suspicion growing.

“I...I heard it from Alex.” Cassidy stammered, caught off guard by Elara’s sudden question.

“Alex? How you two get in touch?” Elara hadn’t expected it to be Alex, which made her even more suspicious of this unexpected visitor.

“We ran into each other at a party recently and got to talking about you.” Cassidy explained.

Elara looked at Cassidy, who was trying to appear calm, and almost laughed. She was pretty sure about their relationship now. In the past, she might have confronted them, asking how they got involved and why they treated her this way. But now, she didn’t care. She had no home left. She just wanted to safely give birth to her child.

“Listen, Cassidy, I don’t care how you and Alex got together. I don't want to know. I just want to have my baby, and then I’ll move away. You two can rest assured; I won’t bother you.” Elara said, adding more water to Cassidy's glass.

“How...how did you know?” Cassidy was stunned that Elara would say it so directly. She had come today, behind Alex’s back, to see Elara in her misery, alone and broken. But Elara was still beautiful, more radiant with her pregnancy, making it even harder to look away.

“Does it matter? Just wait a few more months, and I’ll be gone. I have things to take care of. Make yourself at home.” Elara said, not wanting to explain further. She turned and went upstairs, leaving Cassidy behind.

Cassidy watched Elara’s retreating figure, a sudden thought flooding her mind. “Why should I wait a few months? Why wait for her to have the baby? What if she uses the child to tie Alex down? What if the child competes with me for the inheritance in the future? I need to solve this problem!”

With that, Cassidy walked upstairs and stood at Elara’s bedroom door.

“Why are you still here? I don’t think we have anything left to say!” Elara said, emerging from her bedroom to find Cassidy standing at the door. She didn’t want to talk to her anymore.

As Elara walked past Cassidy, she suddenly felt a force push her down the stairs. Her body tumbled down the staircase, and she instinctively tried to protect her stomach, but the stairs were too long. When her body hit the floor, a sharp pain overtook her, and she felt her consciousness fading, everything around her blurring.

Cassidy stood on the landing, watching as Elara’s blood began to spread around her, forming a horrifying red pool. Elara’s breathing grew weaker. She struggled to stay conscious, forcing her eyes open to see the person who had pushed her. Hatred filled her heart. She had done nothing wrong in her life, yet they wouldn’t leave her alone, nor her family. If she could do it all over again, she wouldn’t let anyone who hurt her get away with it. As her consciousness faded, her last clear thought was of her unborn child. She couldn’t protect him anymore. Then, darkness engulfed her, swallowing her whole. Her heartbeat faded from the room...