"Are You My Mother's Murderer?!"
1459 Words
“No one will believe you.” Mrs. Hayes said, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her confidence. “You have no proof to back up your accusations.”
Evelyn smirked, twirling the black card between her fingers. “Hmm, true. But you’d be surprised what money can do. With the right amount, I can find Asher.”
Mrs. Hayes’ composure slipped. “Why go to such lengths just to ruin Tessa’s life? She’s your sister!”
Evelyn’s expression darkened. “Sister?” she echoed, her voice laced with venom. “Don’t ever use that word again. Tessa has never been my sister, and you only remember ‘family bonds’ when she’s in trouble.”
She took a step forward, her eyes burning with years of pent-up rage. “You and your precious daughter made my life a living nightmare. I once looked up to you and wanted to call you mother. But you treated me like trash, made me a slave in my own father’s house. And now, after all the hell you've put me through, you have the audacity to stand here and preach about sisterhood?” Evelyn let out a bitter laugh. “Save it, Mrs. Hayes.”
Mrs. Hayes inhaled sharply, then exhaled. “Fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “What do you want? Just name your price.”
Evelyn crossed her arms. “I don’t want your money. I want you to pick up your pathetic bribe, shove it back in your bag, and get the hell out of my room.”
Mrs. Hayes’ eyes narrowed. “You want me to leave?”
“Yes,” Evelyn snapped. “Immediately. I’ve heard enough of your nonsense, and frankly, I have no interest in hearing more. Now, do yourself a favor and get out.”
Mrs. Hayes let out a hollow laugh, shaking her head. Then, she turned to Evelyn, a smirk tugging at her lips.
“You know… this arrogant attitude of yours… it reminds me of your mother.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “It’s what got her killed.”
Evelyn’s entire body went rigid.
“What did you just say?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Mrs. Hayes feigned innocence. “What do you mean?”
Evelyn took a slow, deliberate step forward. “You said my behavior is what got my mother killed.” Her voice was dangerously low. “How do you know that? What do you know about her death?... Did you kill her?”
Mrs. Hayes scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I kill your mother?”
But Evelyn's eyes burned with suspicion. “Then explain what you just said.”
Mrs. Hayes waved a dismissive hand. “You know what, Evelyn? You’re exhausted. You need rest. And I won’t waste my time indulging your delusions.”
But Evelyn wasn’t letting this go. “You’re not leaving until you answer me!”
Mrs. Hayes ignored her, kneeling to shove the scattered money back into her bag.
Evelyn’s patience snapped. She lunged forward, grabbing Mrs. Hayes by the hair. “Look at me when I’m talking to you! Are you my mother’s murderer?!”
Mrs. Hayes gasped, her hands flying up to pry Evelyn’s grip from her scalp. “Have you lost your damn mind?! Let go of me!”
Evelyn tightened her grip. “Not until you tell me the truth! What do you know about my mother’s death?”
Snarling, Mrs. Hayes reached up and yanked Evelyn’s hair just as hard.
“Ahhh," Evelyn screamed out in pain.
“Oh, so now you feel pain? Earlier, you were so bold!”
Then, Mrs. Hayes sneered, her voice dripping with venom. “You want the truth? Fine. Your mother was a filthy w***e. A cheap s**t who stole what wasn’t hers!”
Evelyn was enraged. “How dare you say such about my mother?”
And the slap that followed echoed through the room.
Evelyn’s palm collided with Mrs. Hayes’ face so hard that she stumbled back, her lower lip splitting open.
Mrs. Hayes touched her mouth, her fingers coming away with blood. Her eyes darkened with fury.
“You dare slap me?!” she roared.
She swung her hand in retaliation, striking Evelyn so violently that she lost her balance. Her head slammed against the wooden bedframe with a sickening c***k, and she crumpled to the floor.
Blood began pooling beneath her.
Mrs. Hayes stood frozen, her chest heaving as she stared at the motionless body before her.
“Oh, no… Oh, no. What have I done?”
Her pulse pounded in her ears. She took an unsteady step forward, reaching out with trembling fingers.
“Evelyn… Evelyn, wake up,” she whispered. “Come on, wake up.”
But Evelyn didn’t stir.
Mrs. Hayes’ breathing turned erratic. “No… No, no, no! What if she's… dead?”
With a shaky hand, Mrs. Hayes placed a finger under Evelyn's nose. The feel of her slow, shallow breath put Mrs. Hayes' mind at peace…. for a while.
“Thank goodness, she's still alive. Evelyn? Evelyn? Wake up!”
But Mrs. Hayes's resuscitation was interrupted by an urgent pounding on the door.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
“Evelyn! Are you okay, baby? I heard a loud noise—open the door!”
Ethan.
Mrs. Hayes’ heart slammed against her ribs.
More pounding.
“Evelyn, please open the door!”
Then another voice—Mrs. Reeds. “Evelyn, dear, are you alright?”
Panic surged through Mrs. Hayes. “They can’t see this. They can’t see me standing over her b****y body.”
Ethan’s voice grew desperate. “If you don’t open the door, we’re breaking it down!”
Mrs. Hayes gasped. She needed to think fast. “If they find me conscious and Evelyn injured, they’ll know…”
“Everyone, step back,” Ethan screamed out.
Then, there was a slam against the door. Ethan was actually attempting to break the door open.
Mrs. Hayes shuddered in fear. “Very soon, they'll come in. What should I do now?... To rid myself of any accusations, I should also get injured.”
She paused for a while to think. “That's the only option. I can't let them come in and see me conscious and unscathed, they'll know I did this.”
Another slam.
With no time left, Mrs. Hayes bolted toward the wall and—
BANG.
She slammed her forehead against it.
Once.
Twice.
Blood trickled down her forehead. Her vision blurred slightly, but she couldn’t stop. She had to make it convincing.
On the third hit, she let herself fall beside Evelyn’s still form, faking unconsciousness just as the door burst open.
Ethan and Caleb stormed inside.
The sight before them made their blood run cold.
“Evelyn!”
“Mom!”
Ethan dropped to his knees, his hands trembling as he cradled Evelyn’s face. “Baby, wake up. Please. Open your eyes.”
His pulse was racing, panic creeping into his voice.
“Evelyn, please… please!”
He pressed a hand against her forehead, feeling the warm, sticky blood seeping into his skin. His chest tightened.
Tessa rushed to her mother, letting out a horrified scream. “Mom! Oh my God! Mom, please wake up! Don’t do this to me!”
Mrs. Hayes, hearing her daughter’s cries, discreetly pinched her. Tessa flinched, eyes widening as she realized her mother was faking it. But she didn’t stop wailing.
Her cries grew louder and more dramatic.
Through fake sobs, she turned to Caleb. “What do we do?! Am I going to lose my mother?!”
Mr. Reeds stepped forward. “We need to get them both to the hospital. Now!”
Mrs. Reeds hurried toward the door. “I’ll call the driver.”
“Ethan,” Mr. Reeds commanded, “carry Evelyn. Caleb, help me with Mrs. Hayes.”
“Yes, Dad.”
Ethan gently lifted Evelyn into his arms, his heart pounding at the sight of her pale and bloodied face. He hurried out, his mind spiraling with fear.
Caleb and Mr. Reeds lifted Mrs. Hayes, who remained limp in their grasp.
As everyone hurried downstairs, Tessa lingered for a moment, scanning the room.
Her eyes landed on the scattered bundles of cash.
Her mother’s hush money.
Quickly, she snatched the bills, stuffing them into her mother’s bag before slipping out of the room unnoticed.
Once in Caleb’s bedroom, she shoved the bag under the bed and whispered under her breath, “I hope no one finds this.”
Caleb’s voice rang out from downstairs. “Tessa, where are you? We’re leaving!”
“Coming!” she called back, shaking her head. “Mom, what have you done?”
- Writer
