chapter four
1323 Words
CHAPTER FOUR – ANDREA
After days of begging the Hillsons to let me in, today the gates were finally open.
I’d been stuck in a dingy guesthouse, grieving Liam, confused about my situation and feeling a deep sense of loss.
When I saw my suitcases and belongings scattered across the porch, I broke into a run.
My fists pounded the front door. “Xander! Please—please let me talk to you! Just listen to me! Please—”
The door opened but it was his mother.
“Oh, you’re here?” she said, a smile tugging her mouth.
“I need to talk to Xander. I didn’t leave Liam. I didn’t cheat. Something’s wrong, and I don’t know how to explain it, but—”
She raised her hand. “Enough.”
“No! You have to let me—”
“Push her.” she said, interrupting me.
Two security guards stepped forward.
“Wait—no! Please, five minutes—just let me explain!”
They shoved me off the porch. My knees scraped the stone.
“Xander needs to hear the truth. Please. I don’t know how those messages disappeared or how those photos were taken. I don’t even remember half of that night—”
Her heels clicked forward. “Oh spare me! You showed your true colors Andrea. And for once, you finally got something right.”
“What… what do you mean?”
“You’re finally out of my son's life. Where you should’ve been from the beginning if not for your conniving father.” she spat. “You know we never wanted you for our son but when your father offered you in exchange for expanding his company, we had no choice but to comply. Not to worry, you're leaving now and my son can get someone befitting.”
Realization dawned on me like an ice bath. She knew about Xander and Amy. And by the knowing smirk on her face, i knew I was right.
She nodded, and a guard tossed a clipboard at my feet.
“Xander already signed. Don’t keep us waiting.”
Divorce papers, just like he'd promised.
So he really didn't want to see me but sent his mother to do it.
“I’m not signing anything!”
“You think this is a negotiation, girl?”
“At least… tell me where Liam is buried. You didn't even let me know you'd buried him!”
“You abandoned him. You forfeited every right when you went whoring instead of being by his side.”
Anger rose in my throat. “You know that’s not true! YOUR SON is the w***e who's sleeping with his wife's sister!”
The slap came hard and I staggered.
“You worthless liar! Just like your father. Don't you dare slander my son. Hold her!”
A guard twisted my arm. I screamed.
“Sign it,” she hissed. “Or they’ll sign it for you—with your broken fingers.”
With shaky hands, I signed.
---
After leaving the mansion, I flagged a cab and tried to retrace my steps to the place I’d woken up that night. I remembered seeing an apartment name in the elevator as I fled that night so I searched on the internet.
An hour later, I found it.
The doorman wouldn’t budge though.
“I’m telling you I was here. I woke up in one of the condos. I'm sure a man brought me—just let me meet him.”
“I can’t give out resident information, ma’am.”
“Please, I’m begging you. Just check if anyone brought in an unconscious woman that night. Anything—”
“Leave.”
When he threatened to call authorities, I walked away, humiliated.
I had no answers. No evidence. The guesthouse even denied knowing or seeing me that evening. I couldn't even go to the cops because I had no proof.
Tired, I sat on a curb and pulled out my phone.
I had one more person to call.
She answered on the fifth ring.
“Hello?”
“It’s Andrea. I just thought to inform you that I've been kicked out by the Hillson's and Xander divorced me. Are you happy now?”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t have betrayed your husband.” she spat.
“What!? I didn't do anything. It was you and Xander who betrayed me. How could you?!.”
“There are pictures of you walking into a hotel dressed like a hooker. How do you explain that?”
“Wait—Amy, did you do this? Did you set me up?” At this point I couldn't put it past her.
She laughed sardonically.“And how would I have done that? I was with Xander the… entire… night.”
Tears pooled in my eyes. “Why Amy?! You're my sister.”
“We’re not sisters,” she snapped coldly, surprising me. “We’re step-sisters. And don't kid yourself Andrea, we both know we’ve never been close, so don’t pull that card with me.”
Click.
---
Two days later, nothing still made sense. If Amy and Xander were together that night as she claimed, then who sent me those messages? And the dress? Who set me up?
I was staring at Liam’s photo on my phone when Ramona called.
“…Hello?”
“Ma’am Andrea. Where are you? Can I see you?”
“Of course. Where?”
“There’s a bistro in town. I’ll send the address. Please come, I have something to give to you.”
---
She was already seated when I arrived.
“Hi Romona. I didn’t think I’d hear from anyone,” I said, slipping into the chair across from her.
“I never believed what they said,” she replied. “And I’m so sorry about Liam.”
Tears filled my eyes. “Thank you, Ramona. That means everything.”
She reached beside her and placed a gray duffel bag on the table.
“I didn’t have much time. They burned everything, but I managed to hide a few things.”
My throat tightened. “Ramona…”
“It’s not much. Some of your clothes, jewelry, some cash…”
I unzipped the bag.
There they were. A few familiar outfits. A box of jewelry.
And then—my music box.
“My God…”
“I found it in the nursery. Hid it in the laundry chute the day after they locked your door.”
Another shape caught my eye.
My locket.
I opened it. Inside were photos of My father and Liam Side by side. I made it when Liam was born as a keepsake. Now it felt like the perfect compensation for my loss.
“Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you so much.”
Romana smiled gently.
“You’ve been through so much ma'am. Don't you think You need to leave the city?”
“Where would I go?”
“I have a sister up north. She runs a bookstore and she’s already agreed to take you in. You could even work if you want to”
“You didn’t have to…”
“Please say yes ma'am. It'll be good for you to be away from all these for a while.”
She was right. I had nothing left, so I nodded. “Yes.”
She sighed contently as I agreed. “Oh I have one more surprise.”
---
The graveyard was quiet and empty just like my soul. There was no headstone.
Just a white marble slab with his name.
Liam Jeremy Hillson
Beloved Son
Gone too soon.
I dropped to my knees and sobbed broken for a long time, emptying my heart.
“My baby…I’m so sorry I wasn’t there,” I whispered, over and over till I was numb and spent.
That night, I packed my duffel.
And at dawn, I left the city.
- Writer
