HATE OR LOVE: Devils In Obsession

Meeting The Wicked Witch

Eve.

I didn’t bother rejoining the reception. I found my way out after instructing Crandon to look after Christopher and Grace. He raised a brow at the mention of Grace but made no objections.

Now I was headed into another territory, the Rostovs’ territory. the enemy’s territory.

This island wasn’t owned solely by the Waldorfs; the Rostovs had equal rights to it. There was a time when the Rostovs and the Waldorfs were close allies, close enough to partner in funding the development of this island. That was in the last century. Now it was just a fight for territory and resources. Arseny had taken it personally to kill me at any chance he got.

That was why I brought Percy... My dearie step cousin, on this little trip to go see the wicked witch who had chased these poor children out of their father’s house. From the information Syd gave us, we were able to track her down.

Percy was here to ensure his psycho boyfriend didn’t come after my head. Syd and Alan were here to have their final conversation with their mother. They didn’t know it yet, though.

Meanwhile I was still battling with internal indecisiveness of how she should die. Just I slit her throat? too easy, No. Chop off her fingers and have her eat them? too slow, No. Force her head into a boiling water? Hmmm maybe.

At the bridge, our driver was pulled to a stop by some Rostov security personnel. The second Percy wound down his window to show his ID, they didn’t even need to touch it. They shared meaningful glances before nodding in acknowledgment, even after recognizing my face they made no attempt to start something...

“Are you afraid?” I asked Alan, who sat opposite me, next to Sydney.

When I look at them now, it’s not so difficult. I don’t like seeing bones. I don’t like seeing children suffer. After taking over my mom’s charity projects, I’ve found myself doing more than I should in only the space of two months.

Why bring a child into the world if you’re just going to neglect their very existence at the best chance you got? I’ll have her life for it.

It took a while, but Sydney and Alan had physically healed from starvation… but not mentally from the trauma. I saw fear in Alan’s eyes when I said we’d be paying his mother a visit. Sydney, being older, was furious. That’s why he preferred to stare at his phone and block out sounds with his headphones. I’m not sure he realized his little brother was clinging to his arm, feeling uneasy.

“I’m not afraid,” he replied with his eyes squeezed shut.

Leaning in, I ruffled his hair and lifted his chin. “You’re such a brave boy!”

Then I handed him my pocket watch. “Hold on to this for me for the meantime.”

Those were my mom’s words when she gave it to me. She never took the watch back, and I had grown attached to it over time because of the feeling of ease it gave me. Once upon a time, I was out playing with people I considered friends. The day ended with me in a dry well. For the days I spent in the darkness, this pocket watch was the only sound that helped me adapt to the blindness.

Time is hope.

I hope it helps him the way it helped me. I'm giving it to him temporarily, because what he needs is therapy not a loud ticking watch.

When the limousine finally pulled over at our destination, I wound down the tinted window, gazing out in curiosity, I saw a bungalow in the distance, it was magnificent even though it was small, the walls, door and window were made of glass, yet tinted and blurry , it was hard to see what's on the inside.

Mona and the driver stepped out and opened the doors. “It’s okay if you don’t want to come,” I told Sydney when he took off his headphones.

I left first with Percy, approaching the woman who now stood on the porch, arms crossed hostilely.

“Evening, Mrs. Smith. Or should I say, Rina Holmes?” I showed my teeth in greeting.

Yes, Syd had been very detailed when explaining his mother’s past to me. Rina was the only housekeeper working for Mr. Smith. The man had no family or friends. Eventually they started having an affair, a pretty long affair. Pretty sure Rina seduced him, because the rest of the story is how she drove away the rest of the servants one by one until no one was left by his side, all while Syd and Alan witnessed it. She maltreated them behind his back and caused the sickness that eventually killed the man. Here’s the twist: she manipulated him into signing a marriage contract a year before his death. If that’s not pure strategic planning, I don’t know what is.

“Get out of my yard or I’ll call estate security.”

Even their residents are grumpy and unwelcoming. The Rostovs are really something…

But her rude words didn’t erase the provocative smile on my lips, something I learned from Flavian.

“Mrs. Smith, is that how you treat your guests?” Percy said, swinging an arm around my shoulder. I didn’t know what the sudden move was about, but I didn’t have a problem with it either.

“You’re not my guests. Off you go...”

“Mom?” Alan’s voice cut through hers. Our eyes narrowed down to him and Sydney.

As they started pacing forward, eyes on their mother, the woman clapped her hands to her face almost as if in shock.